When we arrived at Vandenberg, we met with the liaison officer for our missile launch. Only two of the three crews who would monitor the missile before launch would actually turn the keys on the night of the launch. The third crew was for alert duty over the next two weeks, as well as be a backup crew in case something happened to one of the primary crews. When I looked at the schedule, I realized that the backup crew would get an extra full day off during those two weeks in California. I propsed to Tim Sholtis, my commander, that we volunteer to be the backup crew to get that extra day off. We would still be in the Launch Control Center (LCC) for the launch itself. We just would not actually be turning the keys. He readily agreed.
Those two weeks performing duty at Vandenberg would be paradise compared to pulling alerts in Minot. Southern California was incredible, and the base itself was much better to live on.
Mom and Ann drove up and spent a day or two. I am sure I took them to the Far Western, the bar and steak place in Goleta, CA, where everyone took visitors while stationed at Vandenberg. I believe that mom even loaned me her 1968 Ford Galaxy while I was stationed there so that I could more easily drive down to see everyone on my days off. I believe that I flew back to Santa Maria on a DeHavelind Dove when I returned the Ford to her.
I was still a 2nd lieutenant then. The top picture I am holding my Canon camera and the shot was taken with mom's Instamatic. In the lower picture, Tim must have used my Canon to take the picture while mom is holding her camera.
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