1964

Married Carolyn Sue (Susie) Bilbrey 17 April. We bought  a new home in Gramercy Park in West Palm Beach and had to put off our wedding three times waiting for it to be finished. Glenda comes to live with us. Build new racing boat.

Alan comes to stay for one year. Promoted to Quality Control supervisor RCA.

Build Pietenpol Aircamper airplane and traded it for motorcycle and refrigerator.

AMA Quality Control Managers School in Dallas, Texas. Pilots License Single Engine Land  #1843548. Bought 1938 Aeronca Chief C65 N21319 that Susie learned to fly through solo.  Broke both feet (not smart) in paragliding accident.

EAA convention in Rockford, Ill. Bought 1941 Culver Cadet LCA N34785. Sold Cadet and bought 1946 Aeronca Chief N86380. Build my own design experimental plane which I later donated to local EAA chapter. Richard Nixon elected.

EAA convention in Rockford, Illinois. CAP summer encampment training officer at Travis AFB, Georgia. Promoted captain CAP. Part time Quality Control technical instructor for RCA. Teaching Certificate State of Florida to teach at North Technical Institute, Riviera Beach, Florida. Promoted Engineer at RCA. Saved lost woman and family friend, Nellie Keho, in search mission with CAP that Susie and I initiated.

Instructor North Technical Education Center, Riviera Beach, Florida. Sold '46 Chief and bought Cessna 140 "California" N21619. CAP Officers School.

Bought home in Loxahatchee, Florida to restore. RCA Computer Division closes and I go to B&A Mfg. As Manufacturing Engineer. Squadron Officers School. Deputy Chief of Staff, Florida Wing CAP. Promoted to Major. Saved Sean Lumert from drowning in our stock pond. Building fences, rebuilding house and barn.

Meritorious Service Award CAP. Joint Emergency Services Operations training in Georgia with Civil Defense. National Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Red Cross Instructor. Gill Robb Wilson Award CAP. Nixon re-elected. Sold Cessna airplane.

Leave B&A Mfg. and form P&K Associates Inc. electronics service company. Sub-contract to Perry Oceanographic designing submarine controls. Exceptional Service Award CAP. Promoted to Lt. Colonel. Transfer to South East Region CAP as senior Training Officer.

Reserve officers certification at Tarlton State University, Stevensville, Texas. Worked as Reserve Deputy Sheriff in Hood County, Texas. Appointed to Sector A commander Texas Wing CAP. Buy second home in Fort Worth, Texas and small week-end cabin in Granbury to restore. Work for Tandy Corp. as superintendent of production at Tandy Communication Antennas.

Bought new home in Richland Hills, Texas. Hired by Hallicrafter Radio as Director of Operations. I had admired Hallicrafter Radio most of my life and was now in charge of its manufacturing facility. Bought my first Porsche, a 1974 model 914 .

Bought small ranch of  eighty acres in Catron County, New Mexico on speculation. We camped there in February and have interesting  winter in the mountains stories. Sell other properties.

Bought new home on Roanoke Road in Keller, Texas. Hallicrafter Radio declares bankruptcy. To Tandy Antenna as Engineering Manager and then promoted to General Manager. To Consumer Products Safety Commission ad-hoc committee, Washington DC. First grandson, Nathaniel Paul Freeman, born Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to Glenda.

Build weekend lake cottage in Weatherford, Texas. Buy forty  acres in Van Horne, Texas. To General manager of Tandy Apparatus Division. My first trip to Israel in April which had to be the most exciting thing to happen in my life. Mother died in December in Witicha Falls, Texas after long illness with Alzheimer's disease. It was more painful to see her waste away than to die.

To Israel with Susie in April. Oscar died in April in Keller, Texas after a long battle with cancer. Susie and I had cared for him the last couple of years of his life. He died without one complaint I always admired him for his stength and wisdom. Built Alfa Romeo kit car. Ronald Reagan elected president.

To Israel with Susie in April, considering aliyah, had job interview with antenna company in Tiberius. Sports car racing in my Holtzclaw Formula 440. Bought  my first Corvette, 1973 convertible and first Ferrari,1958 GT250 coupe and both were project cars that turned out well. My formal bar Mitzfa at Temple Beth El in Ft. Worth, Texas, Rabbi Robert Shur attending.

Archaeology  expedition at Tel Haror with Ben Gurion University, Beersheva, Israel. Professor Eliezer Orin and Dr. Martha Morrison were convinced the site was the biblical city of Gerar which we proved. From Tandy Apparatus Division to Tandy Antenna as engineer. Racing.

New home in Florida Gardens. Susie would not allow sawdust in this home. To Israel in April with Susie. Formed  Kafco Racing Inc. to build  race cars. Bought a shop to rebuild so I could make sawdust. Homogated my design of Formula 440 race car through SCCA. Set track records at Sebring and Moroso

Racing. To Road Atlanta. Reagan re-elected. Build Cobra kit car.

Racing and Kafco. Contract work B&A Mfg. Sold my Ferrari, Corvette and new race car. To Road Atlanta.

New three story home in Berkely Lake, Georgia. Build large shop and second floor covered and screened deck. Nice lake but we did not do enough boating although we kept a john boat at our neighbors dock. To Road Atlanta. Second grandson , Brian Allen Freeman, born in Fort Worth, Texas to Alan and Frances.

Home remodeling business in Berkely Lake. Co-authored history book about Gwinnette County, Georgia with Alice McCabe. Finally found my great great great grandfather, Revolutionary Soldier, Thomas Gordon’s grave in Snellville near Stone Mountain. New amateur Radio call sign N4RHW. Sold my old race car and my Honda CB650 motorcycle.

Finally graduate from college: BSBA St. John’s University, Springfield, Louisiana, just north of Lake Ponchatrain, with Honors. Buy new home in Keller, Texas which becomes a great project. New radio call becomes N5NVY.
Bought another Honda CB650 motorcycle. First granddaughter, Hayle Elise Freeman, born to Alan and Frances.

Go to work Tandy Cabinets as Engineering Manager. Volunteer as instructor and mentor for St. John’s University working with Federal Grant extension course students who were prison inmates in a maximum security prison in Michigan. I guess the prisoners were bored and the government just needed to spend my tax money. Whatever.

Check out in ultra-light airplane at  Lone Star Airpark in Denton, Texas. Build shop, radio room, loggia and upgrade our home throughout.. EAA convention Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Bought 1987 Tierra One ultralight  EAA convention Lakeland, Florida.

Bought airport lot on Flughafen Graben and build hangar, Rhome, Texas. EAA convention in Lakeland, Florida. To my utter dismay, Bill Clinton elected president. How this could happen in America is beyond comprehension.

Expand hangar and build apartment inside. Retire. My first published technical article for LWCA on receiving converter design. EAA convention Lakeland, Florida.

Sold Keller home and build new 3-2-2 pool home at Flughafen Graben Airport, Rhome, Texas.  Did the pool myself and that is another "never again". EAA convention in Lakeland, Florida.

Sold Tierra UL and bought 1946 Ercoupe 415C: N94306. Extend hangar even more to 60X70 plus a tie-down ramp. Begin restoration of 1940 Culver Cadet N29270 for Jess Shryack. EAA convention in Lakeland, Florida.

Faculty of the year award in Business Administration Department from St. John’s University. Build two two story hangar apartments for friends, one at Flughafen Graben and one at Flying S Airport. Pretty darned nice, too.

EAA convention in Lakeland, Florida. Playing with airplanes. Finally get FAA Aircraft and Engine license . EAA convention in Florida. . Sold my last motorcycle and do not feel withdrawal pains.

Susie retires from AT&T. Buy River Oak Acres airport home in Okeechobee, Florida. Buy 24 ft. Skimmer pontoon boat to restore.  Join Coast Guard Auxiliary as communication officer and instructor. Awarded Certificate of Recognition by Defense Department for Cold War service. EAA convention Florida.

Build new offices in our home which easily double as bedrooms. Buy lot across the street on the Kissimmee River to keep our boats and perhaps build a new home. Bought Bayliner Ciera 2550 cabin cruiser and check it out on a long cruise. It checked out okay and so did we.  Awarded the Korean War Service Medal by the Republic of South Korea. Sold New Mexico land. EAA convention in Lakeland, Florida.

CGAux Division 5, SO-CS, computer guru doing web pages for the whole division. Check out as CGAux Air Observer. Awarded Certificate of Commendation from 7th District CGA for Public Education services. Build 32 X 32 ft. dock on river lot for boats. Bought home on North Hutchinson Island, Florida on the Inter Coastal Waterway late in the year and sell Okeechobee home, river lot, airplanes, sports cars, pontoon boat and shop. Did web sites for all of Group 3 Florida Wing CAP.

Settling into island living and so far, so good  Bought another boat, a 22 ft. Hurricane deck boat. Met again my sister Patricia Lynn after nearly fifty years at Alan and Frances's home in Fort Worth. Brought her and her son Tray here for vacation. Susie's mom passed away in the fall. She is greatly missed. Her children fear that the family will drift apart. I do not think so. Started this web site in lieu of writing an autobiography and finding it to be great fun. 

Ken, Patti and Susie 
April 2001

I wondered if I would make it to 2002. Authored and hosted a website devoted to my old 62nd Troop Carrier Squadron from the Korean War in honor of all who served. Applied for "Retired" status with CAP to be effective  August 1st. Began
new hobby; Combat Flight Simulation using WW 2 aircraft, supposedly 99%
accurate, a real challenge when flying on-line against other would-be fighter
pilots. Sold our Hutchinson Island home in September and bought a new one in Punta Gorda on the west coast of Florida. Laid back living on this coast. Had a great 71st birthday party and looking forward to the next one.

Back in the Civil Air Patrol wanting to do something for our country after the terrorist attacks of 2001. Trying to re-qualify in various Emergency Services positions in case we are needed. I can not understand why more people are not getting involved, and worse, why more people are not mad-as-fighting-hell.

Diagnosed with throat cancer in early February. It had metastasized from it's start
in the right tonsil to the right lymph gland. Began chemo and radiation therapy
daily that continued for eight weeks. In and out of hospital during that period 
and after, when I came down with pneumonia and then stapf infection. Still have a feeding tube in my stomach. Doctors (4) can't agree on when I should fully recover
guessing from a low of 12 weeks to a high of over a year with a 50-50 chance of cure and survival. Oh well....we will just see how it plays out. (7 August 2003)

Started a Combat Flight Sim squadron for family and friends. Made a web site for 
it. The squadron name is 62nd Pursuit (pun intended). It is for authentic antique
pilots only.

Made a web site for my CAP squadron and Group 9 and one of it's squadrons.
That's not much but it is about all I can contribute at this time.

We are nearing completion of the remodeling  of our home here in Punta Gorda.
The finishing touches to the kitchen are all that remains to be done. It might have been easier to just build a completely new home. Oh well.. that's the way we are.
It's been just over a year now since diagnosis and still trying to heal that cancer.

Hurricane Charley visited us 13 August 2004 and nearly destroyed our home. Guess that's another...Oh well....we get to do it all over again.

Had a visit from Hurricane Katrina. Some minor damage easily repaired. Alan stayed with us through the storm and was a big help. 

Another cancer, this time it's colon. Because the throat cancer got into my lymph glands I insisted in having a full body PET scan which showed the colon tumor. Then followed that with a colonoscopy biopsy which prove positive. Then December 1st surgery for colon resection to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue. The surgeon removed the appendix while I was open. 

Remodeling on our Saraland home is progressing well. I've done a web 
site for the local EAA chapter. Thinking of becoming involved with the
Civil Air Patrol again. Alabama's CAP is much smaller than the wings
that I have served before.

Transferred to Southeast Region CAP and assigned ITO. Some good
old time buddies on the SER staff including Col. Dan Levitch who is
the commander. Dan and I are friends from the early '70s. Made a big
all new web site for SER HQ.

Tuesday 26th was my 75th birthday. I've made it for 3/4 century so
each new day is a bonus. My annual medical exam was clear and all
indicators are good.

Reassigned to G-6 Communications in 3rd Brigade. Makes sense.

Transferred to HQ ASDF as J-7 Air Command Section and promoted
to full Colonel on 23 October 2007. Another new and interesting 
challenge. No one said it would be easy.

I rejoined the US Coast Guard Auxiliary as part of my liaison job in
Air Command Section of ASDF.

Susie and I joined the Alba Hunting and Fishing Club of Mobile. It's
a 117 year old, by invitation only, yacht on the Dog River located near
the inlet to the Gulf of Mexico. Very colorful old club house and docks.
Great group of members with whom we enjoy visiting and partying.

Susie and I bought a pontoon type party boat and are berthing it at
the Alba Club. It is in a covered slip with a lift so maintenance will not
be so difficult. It's an older boat and motor but in very good condition.

Cancer...again. This one is colorectal and not associated with the other
two types that I fought before. Surgery is scheduled for Tuesday 29 July
at the University of South Alabama Medical facility. Dr. Ellis says that I
will be down for six to eight weeks. You have to be tough to be old.