WEBVTT

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- My name is Chief Master Sergeant Milam, retired.

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I came in the Air Force in January 10, 1955.

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I was a pretty fair football player,

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and I'd just gone down to Florida State.

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I was invited down to them for an interview

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for a possible scholarship,

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along with Georgia, University of Georgia,

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Western Mississippi, and several other ones.

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I planned on going to Florida State

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and play football, but a friend of mine

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wanted a ride to another town from where we lived

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'cause that's where the Air Force recruiter was.

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So I gave him a ride out there, Albany, Georgia.

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When we got there, that was a slick-talking recruiter.

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He talked me into joining the Air Force

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quicker than he did the other guy.

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So I did, I went in, I left.

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I was sworn in on 10 January, 1955, in Atlanta, Georgia,

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and I flew to San Antonio, Texas, for my basic training.

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When I first came in, I didn't know

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if I was gonna stay in or not, and then all of a sudden

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I just fell in love with it,

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because everything I was doing

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in my younger years was a challenge.

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I like challenges,

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so that was the, how I started off.

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I was a field supervisor, and I had 50 missiles

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that I was responsible for the security of.

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The Launch Control Officer, we used to go fishing together,

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he was a major and so, we were gettin' ready to go fishing,

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he said, "I have to go through the simulator

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"before we leave," so I went with him and watched him

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go through the simulator.

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That's where I got the idea to build a simulator

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to train security folks out in the field.

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We received an Air Force Commendation Medal for that.

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I had a great relationship

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with everybody in the Air Force, I mean,

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I can get along with anyone, and I love the Air Force.