Robert Hill:  

I was born Robert Roland Hill on July 7, 1961 at Elmer Hospital in Elmer NJ. My parents lived in Pitman at the time, but by the time I was of school age they had re-located to Glassboro. I first attended school at the Academy Street School, Glassboro from (1st - 5th grade)1967 - 71. From there I attended 6th grade at the Joseph Bowe School,, Glassboro NJ from (6th grade)72 - 73. Parents moved to neighboring Pitman, so I attended Pitman Middle School from (7th - 8th grade)73 - 75. I attended Pitman High School from (freshman)75 - 76. My parents made a really big move then, and moved from NJ all the way to CA. The move was long and interesting, they had plenty of money and time, so it took almost a month to go from NJ to CA. Stopped at such places as the Gettysburg Memorial, Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands. There were others, but I do not recall them these days. After arriving in CA., we spent the summer in s resort in Mission Bay CA. As summer drew to a close, we moved to Mira Mesa CA, right by Miramar Naval Air Station. I've always been an aircraft junkie, so this was the ultimate, to be within bicycle range of the ends of the runways of a Naval Air Base. I saw the U.S. Navy aerobatic team, the Blue Angels for the first time that year, what a thrill that was. I had a friend whose father was in the Navy, so we used to ride our bicycles on base every weekend, walk the flight line, everything. First CA school was Mira Mesa HS, San Diego, Ca from (sophmore)76 - 77. Once again my parents moved from San Diego to Palmdale Ca, in the Antelope Valley. I attended Palmdale HS from (junior, senior)1977 - 1979. I started playing the Trombone in the sixth grade at Joseph Bowe School. I played in the band at Pitman Middle School, Pitman High School, Mira Mesa High School and Plamdale High School. If it helps anyone remember me, I was a tall skinny, geeky kid that wore coke-bottle glasses, LOL. I've been wearing contact lenses since 1978. While in my Junior year, I joined the U.S. Navy "Delayed Entry" program, where I would finish all the requirements, and be able to join the Navy right upon graduation. I passed the ASVAB with a 94%, and was told to pick what I wanted to be in the Navy. ALAS, when I went to take the physical, I could not pass due to my bad hearing, something I never knew I had uintil then. It was, perhaps, one of the biggest disappointments of my life. It was something I was really looking forward to, and to be shot down for bad hearing. Upon graduation I went to work almost immediately in the aircraft manufacturing industry, at what was once called Lockheed California Company, now of course Lockheed-Martin. I worked there from July 79 to Dec. 81, got layed off at the cancellation of the L-1011 Tri Star program. I worked 6 months on the TR-1 Spyplane prior to layoff. I was a Heavy Structural Mechanic, and built airframe structures for the noted programs. I was unemployed for 10 months, then got hired by what was then Chief Auto Parts. Worked there until Rockwell International hired me to work on the new B-1B bomber program, March 84 - June 86.One agani I was a Heavy Structural Mechanic, although most of what I did was install parts that arrived late, onto the finished aircraft. I quit when I was recalled back to Lockheed, to work on TR-1s and P-3c Orions, again as a Heavy Structural Mechanic. Got layed off again in June 1988. As an aside, if I did not really have bad hearing in 77, I sure did after 1984. On Christmas Eve 1984, all of the sudden, like the click of a switch, I lost the hearing in my right ear in its entirety. You want to talk about dizzy? When something like this happens, it throws your equilibrium completely askew. I could not walk a straight line for nearly six months, luckily I did not have to deal with any physicals or medicals during this period of time. Just everyone that I knew, or worked with, commenting on why I was so stiff. :-( I worked a few odd jobs until Nov. 88, when I got called to work at what was Northrop Corp., now of course Northrop Grumman. I received a Top Secret clearance, and worked on the B-2 stealth bombers until layoff in Nov. 1999. I started as a Structural Mechanic, and ended as a Flight Line Inspector. During that time, I received many awards and Letters Of Commendation, including one award for 10 years Perfect attendance, from 1989 to 1999. Workaholic I guess? But I really loved that job, the B-2 was a technological wonder to a guy who was used to working on aluminum. It was built mainly of titanium and graphite, and required a whole new approach to drilling precision holes. Everything I learned here would prove especially valuable ten years later, in 2009. It was while working at Northrop that I met my wife. 1991, and Tinker AFB is laying off folks in what is called a Reduction In Force, she got layed off from Tinker in 1991. Tinker was lining people up with jobs in CA working on the B-2, and Sandrah ended up there, working nights as I was. I was an Inspect...Expand for more