William Earl Dungey, born on 7 Jan 1948, in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Schools: Ligonier Valley High School, 1966, University College University of Maryland, 1982, BA History, 1989, BA Asian Studies Military service: Rifleman, five months of Infantry OCS, several NCO Academies, Airborne School, Jumpmaster School, Drill Sergeant School, Advanced Artillery NCOES, United States Sergeants Major Academy. Profession: US Army NCO, Infantry-Artillery Paratrooper, and now library paraprofessional. Service: 1967 to 1994, Vietnam and Gulf War, served in Korea twice, Germany thrice, Drill Sergeant, First Sergeant and Command Sergeant Major Memberships: Methodist Church, All American Centurion, 319th FA Regimental Association, 82nd ABN Div Association, Sergeant Morales Club, Mount Tahoma Storytelling Guild, NRA. My story starts as a young man with dreams and heroic impulses. I wanted to be a warrior, a defender of the right. I read too much - influenced by Starship Trooper, by Robert Heinlein, and Northwest Passage, by Kenneth Roberts, I needed more challenges. I thought about going to college in Heidleberg Germany and joining a fencing club and getting cool facial scars. I played football when I was in Junior High School and one year of High School, was in the Junior High Rifle Club and I foolishly thought being a tough would keep me safe, but smart enough to do college prep and Metallurgy Technical training. I started smoking when a State Trooper told the students underage smoking was illegal and they were going to crack down. Not having money, good looks nor charm I spent much time observing girls from afar until I needed a date for the Senior Prom, and I got a great one. I owned a motorcycle, had two major accidents, and two minor accidents with it. Went too far away to the University of Miami, and had no discipline, studied everyone else's subjects and read Tolkien and Ann Rand. Dropped out and joined the Army, there was a war on in Vietnam. The Recruiter lied and I signed up to be Airborne Infantry, I wanted to be Special Forces and wasn't old enough. Through good luck I didn't always get what I wanted and I was relieved from Officer Candidate School for Leadership Deficiencies - I complained when they didn't want to hear me, very vocal fellow was I. I made Corporal on a blood stripe, because I knew how to fill sandbags and wasn't a troublemaker. I made Sergeant based on the battery clerk's thinking I was going to be an honor graduate of the Advanced Combat Training Academy, I was. I was often in high standing in the NCO academies which served well for promotions. I stayed long in Korea, best man at my cousin’s wedding and I was in love, went to a short tour to Fort Sill then a short tour to Germany, too many drunks and too many drug users and no leadership in sight - thought Vietnam would be better so volunteered for duty there (4th ID & Americal Division '70-71), it wasn't too much better but enough. Sent to Fort Bragg and the 82nd Airborne Division after, went to Jump School and got married when I came home. With my wife we started into Tae Kwon Do and had fun in tournaments, she was a Black Belt, I was just willing, did start running for road work, joining the jogging craze. With a job I loved I was in heaven. I stopped drinking and smoking within a year of marriage, along came opportunities like Drill Sergeant duty - that was fun (24 hour Relay team, Orienteering and best pistol shot on Fort Sill), along came our son and we go off to Germany. I kept running, and I started college classes to learn German and then why not? My wife complained she never saw enough of me (she was right), a balancing act - going to training, college, work and family - I was 1st Armored Division NCO of the year 1980, Nijmegen March Team NCOIC, Sergeant Morales Club inductee, Fulda Marathon runner, and won a pewter cup for best with Uzi against the Germans. We did seven days in England and seven in France with my parents and then hosted them for two weeks in Germany. My aunt Muriel and her grand-daughter from New Zealand also spent a Christmas with us in Nurnburg. I even graduated from the University College of the University of Maryland, in Heidelberg, Germany - no dueling scars, but wife and son and friends watching, too cool. Back Stateside they allow me to have a firing battery as First Sergeant and spend another happy three years jumping from airplanes and I got to attend Jungle Operations Training in Panama, several Longstreet Races and many Dogwood and 82nd Marathons. Onward to Korea for my son’s cultural appreciation of his Korean heritage and my parents got to visit and tour for the same reason, to show them there was a whole bunch of in-laws, I went back to college and studied Korean and Asian culture for another BA. I then went back to Fort Bragg as a Command Sergeant Major and got to be one of the first ground troops into Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield and Storm (Aug '90 - Mar '91), working with the French Light Armored Division on the left flank. Then back and one last trip to Germany. Finally saw the light and retired, the Army kept changing and I didn't like the way it was going, and I was not as young and foolish as I once was, I retired on 31 Aug 1994. (27 years, 5 months, 1 day - who's counting?). I ended up taking part time work in a library at the circulation desks, at Pacific Lutheran University, then Tacoma Public Library and lately at McNeil Island Corrections Center, full time. There were days chasing down references, books and talking to patrons about what we read, think or have studied that I feel like a teacher - I am a Library Archive Paraprofessional, may I help you? I have spent a lot of time drawing and painting, reading and writing letters to editors or authors in care of their publishers, I also write bad poetry and call it 'tag verse' since I often close my weekly letter with it. I once played Dungeons and Dragons, but found the people becoming too much like the game, out of touch with reality. I like telling stories, playing cards, playing computer games, managing my money and figuring out problems and coming up with solutions. I like listening to Blues, Country Music and classical - but I couldn't tell you much expertly about the music, I just listen and enjoy. I sing in the church choir (hiding my lack of talent in the multitude) and enjoy serving coffee at highway rest stops (part of the church's efforts for donations and a public service). I am still looking for adventure and challenges and hardly ever leaving my house (except to jog) - since my mind is wandering all the time. My wife does make me go to weddings, travel to visit folks and make sure we don't have any money holding us back from getting to heaven, travel light and fly by night. Remember, if you aren’t doing it in love and with love, why are you doing it at all, time is rapidly running out. God bless all our best exploit success!