Rewriting Jönsson’s Life: The Back-story

I moved from Sweden to the United States in 1986 and lived in Los Angeles at the time, when I caught wind of a movie called “My Life As A Dog.” It was based on the book with the same name by Swedish author, Reidar Jönsson. Back in those days, it took a lot longer to get foreign movies to the United States – sorry to say, no iTunes. I finally saw the movie and fell in love with the story about Ingemar. Many years later, my wife, our daughter, and I moved from Los Angeles to Oregon to be closer to family. … Continue reading Rewriting Jönsson’s Life: The Back-story

Boom Operator: The Back-Story

The back-story to the Boom Operator article is pretty funny. The day prior to the interview with Sgt. Edwards, I drove from Bend, Oregon to Vacaville, California. I had orders to be at Travis Air Force base early the following morning. It was still dark when I left the hotel and started driving to the base. I was excited to get a chance to ride along in a military version of the DC-10, and wanted to get to my destination quickly. The Air Base Parkway leading up to Travis AFB was deserted and I decided to step on the gas and … Continue reading Boom Operator: The Back-Story

Helicopter Pilot: Warren Petrie Back-Story

The back-story to the article about Warren Petrie harkens back to my love for airplanes and high-tech gadgets. As a KOIN 6 viewer in Bend, I watched many of Warren Petrie’s news reports from the Portland area. He always came across as a very personable guy with an exciting job; the perfect story for Boys’ Life Magazine. I pitched the idea and got the go-ahead to write the article. The interview took place at Warren’s home base at the Hillsboro Airport, just outside of Portland. My impressions about Mr. Petrie was spot on. He was personable and took me through the job of … Continue reading Helicopter Pilot: Warren Petrie Back-Story