Behind The Seven-Point Star

When I came home from Vietnam in 1970, I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. A chance encounter with the Marshal of San Bernardino County led to my being hired as a deputy for the San Bernardino County, California Sheriff's Department. Thus began a 22-year career helping to police the largest county in the contiguous 48 states. At over 20,000 square miles, San Bernardino County could hold the states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Rhode Island within its borders with room to spare. It is larger than the entire country of Switzerland.

During my career, I served as a jail deputy, patrol deputy, and as a helicopter observer with the sheriff's aviation division. As a member of the West End Search and Rescue Team, I participated in the search for singer Frank Sinatra's mother when she was killed in a plane crash on San Gorgonio Mountain. I worked as a detective, field training officer, correctional training officer and shift supervisor until I was injured while serving a search warrant and had to retire.

It was an interesting and rewarding career in which I met many colorful characters, such as actors Steve McQueen and James Garner. I had the opportunity to meet Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan before my career ended. During my time with the sheriff's department, I helped bring the department from an 'old west' style of law enforcement into the modern age of helicopter patrols, computer-aided dispatching and computers in patrol cars. I hope you will join me on this adventure of a lifetime.