My father, Robert Joseph, born 4 March 1939, in Toledo OH, the second son of Virgil Paul and Laura Catherine Bohls of Toledo, known to them as Bobby or even Bobby Joe, as an adult generally known as Bob, turns 67 today.

A graduate of Central Catholic High School in 1957, he went on to a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Toledo, graduating first in his ROTC class and receving a commission in the United States Army. In 1968 he received a master’s degree in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey CA, then served a tour of duty in Vietnam. He retired in 1982 after 22 years of service. Afterwards an executive with FMC Corporation, he now is a professor at the Defense Acquisition University at Fort Belvoir in Virgnia. In 2004 he earned a doctorate of education from George Mason University in Fairfax VA.

One of my earliest, earliest memories, if not the earliest memory I have, is watching my father sweep the front porch of the apartment where we lived. I remember when I was around ten or so, if my brother and I would help him with yard work on a hot summer day, we’d get to drink some from a can of Budweiser. When I was a teenager we used to play racquetball, and I never could beat him.