Bio of Pat Kelly

After high school graduation I went to Spring Hill College in Mobile. My major was Pre Med - unfortunately, I had a social science attitude. I was in over my head. Nancy Luckett and I married and I enlisted in the Army. Basic training at Ft. Chaffee with Alto McCarty and Jon Walters. Al and Jon were supposed to go into the Navy on a Thursday, but I talked them into joining the Army with me on a Tuesday, so they could stay in the states, rather than spending two years at sea. Jon went to Korea and Al to Iran! They still speak to me. Kenneth Oldham and Bill McElduff were there also, only Bill had his discharge and was on the way out.

I was a helicopter mechanic for three years before I went to Artillery OCS at Ft. Sill, OK. Next was paratrooper school at Ft Benning. Saw Alan and Jean Sugg at Benning. Alan was going through officer basic on the way to Germany (1960). After a year at Ft. Bragg I went to helicopter flight school. During my 21 years in the Army I was stationed at Fts. Carson, Bragg, Sill and Rucker - several times at the last three. It seemed like I was going to be in night school forever, but finally I got a degree in business from Cameron Univ in Lawton, OK in 1971. Started college in 56 and finished in 71! I may have the class record. I got an all-expense paid year long trip to Vietnam in '63-64 and again in '67-68. Was in Korea for a year in 73-74. I retired as a Lt.Col. in 1978 at Ft Rucker, AL. I was on the All-Army golf team the last 30 days I was in the Army. Came in 4th in the Inter-service Tournament (Seniors Div). I then had a 23-year career as a civilian helicopter instructor pilot at Ft Rucker, AL. That was the most fun job I ever had. We would get the students (2Lts and Warrant Officer Candidates) in their first phase of training. Three or four weeks later they soloed; four weeks later you started on another batch. At times it could be a thrill a minute!

Nancy and I had four children - one boy, three girls - equals five grandchildren and one great grandchild. We divorced in 1980.

I was a bachelor for 10 years - then I met Celeste! Whamo - we married four and one-half months later! Celeste is from Franklin,VA and had two girls from a previous marriage. Both are married now, but so far no grandchildren. Celeste has a B.S. from James Madison University and a Master's in early childhood education from Old Dominion. We live in Dothan where we bought our house after we married in 1990.

Fast forward to 2001. I was walking around the block trying to get my legs in shape for a flight physical and stress test and felt an ache in front of my right shoulder - thought I had pulled a muscle playing golf. A week later I had open heart surgery - five by-passes! As Richard Holland said, after something like that you do look at life a little differently.The FAA will let me fly but the Army flight surgeons won't. So at age 63 I was forced to retire. Now I play golf and try to keep the "honey-do" list short.

We bought a small motorhome and we take a few trips a year. So far we have covered most of the eastern states and are looking forward to going west. I asked Celeste to retire so we could travel. It was a tough decision for her! (YEAH, RIGHT!) We are really enjoying the retired life.