Author Description

The aircraft accident depicted on the front cover of this book is considered the worst air disaster in the history of Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. It is also an autobiography from when I grew up in New York City and moved to Glendale, California to today. I joined a judo school, Seinan Judo Dojo and after four years of intense training, I received my First Degree Black Belt. After finishing high school, I joined the Marine Corps and received an assignment with Naval Intelligence in Karamursel, Turkey. While traveling to Turkey by ship, we stopped in Spain, Italy, Libya, Greece and then Turkey. After returning to the U.S., I reported to Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina. I was immediately drafted into the Camp Lejeune Judo Team and traveled to Quantico, Virginia for the All-Marine Corps Judo Championships. I placed second in my weight class after two days of fighting. I was asked to be a member of the Marine Corps five-man team that was sent to San Jose, California to attend the United States Judo Championships in San Jose, California. After two days fighting, I reached the Semi-Finals before being eliminated by an old friend from Los Angeles. After returning to Camp Lejeune, I read an article about me in the local Marine Corps Gazette which stated how I outlasted every member of the Marine Corps team and reached the Semi-Finals placing me eighth in the nation.A week later I entered a local Judo Tournament and won the championship and outstanding Judo award for the tournament. I was also promoted to 2nd Degree Black Belt. After my discharge from the Marine Corps, I returned home to Los Angeles, California and was employed by the Pacific Telephone Company in Beverly Hills, California. After about a year and a half, I joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. I served as a jailer in the County Jail located downtown Los Angeles until an opening occurred at Montrose Sub Station. I worked there as a Patrol Deputy until I was involved in the W