I was born September 27th 1931 in Munich Germany. My early life was that of a typical German boy until the beginning of WWII, when Germany invaded Poland. At that point my adventures started, which prompted this tale that ended when we immigrated to the US, arriving in New York on June 1946.

After a brief stay in Oak Park, IL, we moved to Cucamonga, California to live on a Chicken Ranch. After years of war time rations, being able to eat as many eggs as we wanted, having chicken, pork, beef seemed like living a life of luxury. While that was welcomed, dealing with smudge pots, chicken shit (inelegant nevertheless an apt description of some of his duties) was the price he paid for that luxury.

After graduating from high school I attended the University of California at Berkeley, graduating in 1957 with a BS degree in Business Administration. Subsequently I attended Thunderbird School of International Management in Glendale Arizona, earning a bachelor's degree in Foreign Trade. After a long career in domestic and international marketing and marketing research I am now retired, and live in St. Louis.

Married to my wife Barbara for 53 years with 3 wonderful children. My son Eric is a teacher specializing in two areas: immigrant students learning English and students who have some learning problems or discipline problems. My daughter Janice spent over 5 years in Russia, just after the Soviet Union broke up, recruiting high school students to spend a year living with an American family. My youngest Lori is a housewife who graduated with a degree of Interior Design and post graduate degree in Business Administration. She helps her husband in his business. I am very proud of them, they represent our legacy.

My wife, who is sorely missed, passed away in December 2015. She was 84. A teacher for over 20 years and in banking for another 20 years, she was a remarkable mother and wife. I am a very lucky man.