I was born in 1950 in the Naval Hospital at Quantico, Virginia. At the time, my father, a career officer in the US Marines Corps, was stationed at Quantico. My parents were both born and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, the town that I consider my home town. My family goes back in Virginia, on both sides, to at least the early nineteenth century, and there is some genealogical evidence my brother found that indicates my mother's side goes back to the eighteenth century. Her ancestors apparently came from Ireland. My father became one of the famous sons of Charlottesville. He spent more than thirty-seven years in the Marines and is a veteran of Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima during WWII, the Korean Conflict and Viet Nam. He was highly decorated during his years of service and eventually reached the rank of Lt. General. His last job title was Chief of Staff of Headquarters Marine Corps at the Marine Barracks in Arlington. Today my father is retired, but very active, and lives in Tallahassee. My mother, who died at the age of eighty-seven in 2006, was the former Martha Rose Ham, one of nine children born in her family. She was raised in a house on 9th Street in Charlottesville that, the last time I was there many years ago, was still standing. My mother never worked outside the home, but spent countless years working as a volunteer. In the decade or so that she lived in Tallahassee with my father she worked as a volunteer at the Tallahassee Community Hospital and amassed more than 10,000 hours and was named as Outstanding Volunteer of the Year in 2001. "Mimi", as she was known to everyone in the family, was an amazing woman and was the most down-to-earth person I have ever known. [This section is still being produced - please return later for the continuation of my bio.]