Mike DeHaven

[Mike DeHaven 88-90]

Hey, y'all!

I found this forum quite by accident, but I just spent the last hour or so skipping down memory lane.

I was in the house from 88-90, majoring in Physics with an unhealthy fascination for languages, especially Russian. After that, I kinda dropped outa sight.

So, for those of you who have been wondering what happened to me (which I often wonder myself), here's a brief (?) history:

Summer of 90 to Feb 91, I was living with my parents in Puyallup, WA. I met my wife, Sandra, there and also enlisted in the Air Farce. Spent March to June 91 in training (Lackland AFB, TX then Ft Dix, NJ) to be a Law Enforcement specialist.

Got married on 7 June, 1991! Two days later I was on a plane...

From June 91 to Feb 95 I had a wonderful gov't sponsored vacation in Germany. We were stationed at Rhein-Main AB, in Frankfurt. We spent a lot of time travelling around Europe and had a grand time! My oldest daughter, Elise, was born in Frankfurt in 93. In 1994, Uncle Sam said I had to come back.

Feb 95 to Jan 96 I was at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque. That year really sucked and I decided to leave active duty. I transferred to the Kansas Air Guard and moved back to Manhattan.

Jan 96 to May 98 I was back at good-ole K-State, giving Physics and Russian another shot. My dad had also moved back and was attending K-State, also majoring in Physics, so my Pa and I got to be undergrads together for a while. I did a LOT better the second time around, but ... well ... I left school again without finishing.

May 98 I moved to Overland Park, got a job as an IT Help Desk Analyst working at Kansas City Power and Light. I liked that job, but just couldn't get the school bug out of me, so in July 2000, I got a night job as a Network Operations Engineer at SchlumbergerSema. I worked nights and attended classes at that other Kansas school during the day until...

October 2001, my Guard unit got called up and I ended up on orders at Forbes Field, Topeka. (I should add here that I had left the guard in 99, but was in the process of getting back in, just in time for 9/11 to happen. Silly me.)

So, I split my time between Topeka and Overland Park for a while.

My second daughter, Kelly, was born March 02.

June 02 Uncle Sam sent me on vacation again. This time to Qatar for 90 days, during the summer. I'll never complain about another Kansas summer again.

Anyway, I got hired on full-time (permanently, not just on activation orders) at the 190th in January 03, so I moved my family here. Things were going well, until...

Sometime late in 2006 I decided I'm a Conscientious Objector and quit the military. Got discharged 31 December and started attending a local Mennonite church.

I'm giving the school thing another shot. I'm attending Washburn and doing very well, only I've changed my major to German. If all goes well, I'll graduate next spring. I'm planning to go to grad school at ... that chickenhawk place.

So, that's my life in a (rather large) nutshell.

[Mark Hager 87-91]

Mike! Nice to hear from you. Good luck finishing up that German degree. Ach tung, baby.

Mark

[Jeremy C_88-93]

Heya Mike! Wow, what a trip you've been on! And GUESS WHAT!?! You now make the 4th Smithie living in Europe during 1991-92. Heck I could have visited you too when I was doing my travels, had I known you were there. I visited John Caudill at Ashaffenberg ( sp?). He picked me up in Frankfurt is all I remember and I got my first taste of Mt. Dew in about 8 months from the PX. Couldn't get anything but plain old Coke anywhere in France. We did a Volksmarch too.

When in March was Kelly born? My youngest was born March 4 last year.

Anyway, it's great to hear from you and perhaps we'll meet up at the 50th anniversary.

[Mike DeHaven 88-90]

Yeah, that would have been good to see you there! That's what I get for not keeping in touch.

I had heard (later) that Johnbo was in Germany, but I didn't realize he was that close. I was in Aschaffenburg a few times, a couple times for training and one or two stops just passing through. It's fairly close to Frankfurt. We actually lived off base in a little village about half-way between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. I miss Germany.

Kelly's b-day is the 11th. Congrats, by the way! Aren't kids wonderful?

I'm hoping to be at the anniversary. Since I'll still be here in Topeka, I really don't have any excuse not to be there. I got thinking about that the other day. It'll be 20 years since we were New Men there. I'm starting to feel old now.

[Jeremy C_88-93]

BTW, how is your brother? He lived a Smith for a few years too didn't he?

[Mark Hager 87-91]

As I recall, Joel was a cousin, not a brother. Haven't heard anything about Joel for awhile... although it looks like he's become another one of those biker types: www.racelabu23.com/the-team/viewprofile.php?id=89.

Makes me remember Joel's recruiting ad at the Smith House site: www.k-state.edu/smithhouse/alumni.html#yearbook. Say's "date unknown"... but that's just a lack of research. Has to be right at 1986 or 1987.

Mark

[Jeremy C_88-93]

Ah, I stand corrected. Mike were you from Wichita? I noticed Joel was on his bike team page. I didn't recall that about you. But I don't recall a lot of things.

Hey, Mark that's an interesting tidbit about the dates on that. Seeing the executive director made me think *tading* we should list all the directors and share ED stories somewhere here. I'll go start a thread.

[Mike DeHaven 88-90]

Actually Joel's my uncle.

I know, kinda weird since he's only 2 years older than I am.

He recently moved back to Wichita from Scottsdale, AZ. Last I heard, he's doing pretty well, but I have trouble keeping up with my own family. I sent him an email about this board today, so you might actually hear from him soon.

Yes, I'm originally from Wichita. Spent most of my pre-K-State days there, except for a year or two in Emporia and one in Cedar Rapids, IA. Graduated from South High.

I actually have another uncle, Ed Rork, who lived at Smith, but that was back in the early 60's. He's one of my mom's brothers.

[joelfromoz]

Yeah, uncle. Unkie Joel. That's me.

[Jeremy C_88-93]

Heh, my kids have an Uncle Joel too, my brother. He went to South High. I went to Southeast. Spent some time at the South High track. Awesome track and field you have there. We had a cinder track with aluminum bleachers.

[chetzki]

Mike-

Tiffany and I just got back from Germany (work/vacation). I know what you mean! I was in Ruhstorf and then drove to Freiburg. Beautiful all the way and great weather. I was there in January also. It was mild for them this year.

Chetzki