Right after graduation from GHS in 1962, I joined the US Air Force, still at age 17.

My job in the AF was as a Chinese and Vietnamese translator. After basic training, they sent me to Chinese language school at Yale University for 8 months, and then overseas to Taiwan. I was there when Kennedy was shot in 1964. After my tour in Taiwan, I spent two years at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, TX. I reenlisted at the end of my first four years, learned Vietnamese at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, and ended up stationed at DaNang, Vietnam, in 1967. After my tour there ended in January 1968, I spent two years at Kadena, AFB, in Okinawa. I got out of the military in 1970.

I came to Texas in January 1970 to attend North Texas State University in Denton, TX. I started out as a flute major, as I had taught myself how to play alto recorder in Vietnam and then studied flute for two years with Carol Gilkey on Okinawa, but ended up getting a major in music with a minor in computer science. It was that old thing about how to make a living, and obviously music was not going to be it. So I chose computers instead. During college, I worked as a part time announcer for WRR-FM, the classical music station in Dallas.

After I graduated with a B.A. from NTSU, I worked as a COBOL programmer at several large companies in Dallas for many years years. I am now an out of work programmer looking for a job in a down economy. I do free-lance web design on the side, and have a small but successful online business selling introductory astronomy materials.

I have also been active in music in Dallas. I sang for many years with Dallas Opera Chorus and the Turtle Creek Chorale, a large men’s chorus here. I am out of all that now, but I still play my flute for fun.

I am also an active amateur astronomer, and was president of the Texas Astronomical Society, my local astronomy club in Dallas, in 1994-96. I was editor of the REFLECTOR, the national newsletter of the Astronomical League for 11 years. The REFLECTOR was mailed to 20,000 members of the AL nationwide. For my work as editor, I was given the G.R Write Service Award by the AL.

Until now, I have not kept in touch with anyone from my high school class in Greenville, although my mom lives in Mauldin, and I have lots of family there. My mom just turned 80 this year, on the same day as the reunion, and is doing great. My dad died in 1993. I usually go back to Greenville every year at Christmas, and occasionally for a family wedding.

Ned Flaspoehler
GHS Class of 1962