In 1972 at the age of 22, Ed enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a 2^nd Lieutenant.  Graduating with honors from basic training at Quantico, he moved on to flight training in the A4 Skyhawk, receiving his wings in May 1974.  Ed spent 10 months attached to a Marine Attack Training Squadron in Yuma, AZ and was later assigned to the infamous VMA-214 Black Sheep Squadron based at El Toro.   He was later assigned as a Basic Jet Flight Instructor at NAS Kingsville, Texas.  After having completed 7 years of active duty, he then served 21 more years in the Marine Corp reserves. Almost all of his reserve duty was local to southern California at either Long Beach, El Toro, or Camp Pendleton.  He was the Officer in Charge of the Peacetime/Wartime Unit located in Long Beach and in April 2000 retired from the Marine Corps reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel.  Ed received a Meritorious Unit Citation while serving with VMA-214 and was named Junior Officer of the Year by the Kingsville, TX Chamber of Commerce for 1975.  For several years, Ed was a pilot for TWA flying the L1011 as well as other aircraft.  He has volunteered at the Hoag Classic for approximately 10 years.

Ed would like all veterans and active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, along with your spouses, to please rise;  This includes any parents who have had children serve in the military.