1 - The Black Vault

Acknowledgments
I have saved this section until last, and I must tell you that it is by far the
hardest to write. To express my gratitude to all of you who have contributed so
much to this project, both directly and indirectly, somehow doesn’t seem enough.
But, with the full knowledge that I will inadvertently overlook someone, I will try.
For over 20 years, I have had the privilege to work in special operations and fly
the amazing MC-130E Combat Talon. Throughout the entire time, I was blessed
with great commanders, a challenging mission, and the total support of my wife,
Mary, and my two children, Robert Allen and Stacy Diane. It was not all a bed of
roses, however. The intensity and constant stress that those in the special operations
community faced over the years took its toll. Fine marriages and great
friendships had to take a back seat to the special operations mission. Although
the devastating loss of those at Desert One proved to be the salvation of special
operations, I miss those who died still today. We all owe a great debt to their
personal sacrifice.
Over the years, several individuals have had a profound affect on my life. I
would like to thank Col Gordy Ettenson for his friendship and counsel that saw
me through many trying times. I would also like to thank Col Dave Schantz,
retired, who is the hardest working and most dedicated officer I have ever
known—you should have been a general officer. To Lee Hess, thanks for your
passion and enthusiasm for Combat Talon. Your Stray Goose International organization
is remarkable. To Col Bernie Moore, thank you for your help and
friendship. I know that I have written the book you always wanted to write. To Lt
Col Bob Meller, retired, a personal friend and mentor, you are the best Combat
Talon pilot that I have ever had the privilege to fly with. To Col Bob Brenci,
retired, you are the finest combat commander under which I have ever served.
Thanks for seeing something in me and saving me in my time of need. Without
your help, I would have left the Air Force in 1981. Thanks to all of you and to
many others whose names have paled with the passing of time.
My years in Europe assigned to the 7th SOS and to Special Operations Com -
mand Europe (SOCEUR) taught me the importance of the special operations mis -
sion. My assignment to SOCEUR introduced me to my all-time personal hero, US
Army Col John P. Gritz, retired, affectionately known as the “old gray-haired,
pot-bellied ranger.” You always had faith in me, and you provided superior leadership
during four hard years fighting terrorists across Europe, North Africa, and
the Middle East. I will forever be in your debt. When I completed my SOCEUR
tour, Maj Gen Robert B. Patterson, retired, reached out and selected me to be the
commander of the 8th SOS. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give
something back to the special operations community. Thanks to the leadership of
Brig Gen George W. Gray, retired, 1st SOW/CC, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at
Hurlburt Field in squadron command. Thank you for believing in me.
My experiences while attending the US Army War College in 1991 established
the foundation upon which I would rely to write The Praetorian STARShip. There
is simply no way that you can stand on the rain-swept battlefields of Gettysburg
on a chilly November day and not be moved by the awesome finality of history. I
had always been a casual student of history, but from that day at Gettysburg, I
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