Page 35 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

MICHAEL BADGETT
HIGHLAND SPRINGS RESIDENT, ARMY
I was born in 1940 and raised on the Texas panhandle. In 1966 I received a BSME from Texas Tech and commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army.
First assignment after gunnery school at Ft Sill, Oklahoma, was to the Post Engineers where I became a construction inspector. Vietnam activity had numerous posts expanding their facilities. I was promoted to 1st Lieutenant a year later. Labor Day of 1966 I drove from Ft Sill to Dallas to attend our wedding that my bride-to-be had organized. (She is still an organizer!)
Eventually I was assigned to the 2d Infantry Division Headquarters on the Korean DMZ. I was awarded a Commendation Medal for writing the evacuation plans for civilians within the DMZ area in case of “troubles.” The longest ride of my life is still the return from Kimpo Air Base, Korea to San Antonio, Texas where my bride was waiting.
I hired into Bell Helicopter as a propulsion system design engineer and worked as a direct employee, contract engineer and consultant for the next 42 years. After our two sons were raised, we began travelling as Mark Twain had recommended, and after COVID clears we intend to hit the road again!
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