Today's Featured Biography

 
James (Jimmy) Gillum

Moved from Kingsville in the middle of my senior year, so I actually graduated in May of 1956 in Luling, Texas. I always regretted not having graduated with the class at KHS.

During the summer of '56, I joined the Air Force. After basic training at Parks AFB, CA, and technical training at Scott AFB, IL, I went to my first permanent duty station at Naha AB, Okinawa. I returned to the US in November 1958 and was stationed at Matagorda Island Bombing and Gunnery Range, TX until August 1959. From there I transferred to High Wycombe AS, England until August 1962. I met the love of my life while in England. She (Heather) and I were married in England on July 23, 1960. We were stationed at Westover AFB, MA until January 1964. During the rest of 1964, I attended advanced technical training at Keesler AFB, MS and then returned to Westover in January 1965. In April 1966, I was transferred to Clark AB, Philippines until May 1968. Heather and, by now, our three children joined me there in February 1967. I made numerous trips to Vietnam, Thailand, and S. Korea during my time in the Philippines. In July 1968, we arrived at Finland AFS, MN and remained there until July 1969. We then return to England and were stationed at RAF Alconbury near Cambridge for the next four years. In July 1973, we were transferred to Port Austin AFS, MI and stayed there until July 1974. I was then transferred to Corlu, Turkey where I served without the family unitl July 1975. In August 1975, we were transferrd to RAF Uxbridge, England. We lived in Watford on the edge of London until we were transferred back to the USA in July 1979. We were stationed at Vance AFB, OK near Enid until I retired from the Air Force in October 1981. You would think after serving 25 years I would want to take it easy.
No way! I immediately went to work for MCI Telecommunications in Houston. It was a fun and challenging time in telecommunications. We moved to the Dallas area with MCI in 1983. I left MCI in May of 1987 and went to work for Sprint in Irving, TX. I was transferred with Sprint to Overland Park, KS, in May 1988 and have been in Overland Park ever since. I retired from Sprint in late 1999. I love being retired; it is a hoot. I do a little tax work during tax season. For the first four years after I retired I prepared tax returns on a volunteer basis for AARP. Then I prepared tax returns for Liberty Tax Service for a couple of years and I have done the same thing for H&R Block for the last five tax seasons. It keeps my brain from drying up and I actually (would you believe) enjoy the challenge.
Oh, along the way I got my Bachelor's Degree in Business from the University of Maryland and my MBA from Webster University. Not bad for a kid who was too lazy to maintain anything better than a "C" average in HS.

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