Category: Military

My 54TH Birthday

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 3, 2021

This Saturday June 05TH 2021 is my 54TH birthday ! I was born at 10:13 PM CDT in Room 340 at Selma Baptist Hospital in Selma Alabama. My Dad was stationed at nearby Craig Air Force Base at the time. We were there until early in 1969, and then my Dad left the USAF to begin a new career in life insurance. We moved to Greenbelt Maryland (just outside of Washington D.C.). That’s where my Dad was born and raised (D.C. and adjacent Prince Georges County Maryland). He lived there for the first 22 years of his life. After graduating from Bladensburg High School (Class Of 1959) he attended 4 years at the University Of Maryland in College Park. He joined the USAF in 1963.

Fast forward to June 05TH 1971 (also a Saturday), and here’s the scene with me – 50 years ago:

Tags 1971

Bible Holidays Military Scripture

Memorial Day

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date May 31, 2021

It’s Memorial Day here in the U.S.A. It’s not appropriate to say “Happy Memorial Day”, for this is a truly solemn holiday. It’s the day each year that we honor our fallen heroes – those military personnel who served their country in a time of war – and who gave the ultimate sacrifice to keep our freedom strong. They gave their life.

This is not a day for those like me who once served in the U.S. Armed Forces, for I am still alive. My day is Veterans Day on November 11TH. It is not a day for those who are currently serving in the military. That day is Armed Forces Day – the 3RD Saturday of May.

On this day I remember our fallen heroes. I will never forget.

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)

Tags Memorial Day, Military

1990s Blogging Career Home Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1991

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date May 21, 2021

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday May 19TH 1991:

“Joyride” – Roxette
“Here We Go (Let’s Rock & Roll)” – C + C Music Factory Presents Freedom Williams & Zelma Davis
“Disappear” – INXS
“I Touch Myself” – The Divinyls
“Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” – C + C Music Factory Ft. Freedom Williams

30 years ago this weekend I compiled and published my 302ND hit music chart. That was during the original mainstream Top 40 era of my chart that ran from November 1985 to November 1992.

At # 11 on my chart that week was the debut smash from Michael W. Smith. His “Place In This World” was steadily climbing and getting ready to enter my Top 10. Amy Grant cowrote it with Michael W. Smith and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Michael W. Smith holds the distinction of having the longest span of any artist on my chart from first hit to last hit – 29 years. His “Waymaker” last year was a Top 3 hit.

Here’s the official music video of his first hit – “Place In This World”:

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to May 1986.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1991, Music, Radio

Career Military

Happy Armed Forces Week

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date May 13, 2021

Happy-Armed-Forces-Day

It’s Thursday May 13TH 2021, and National Military Appreciation Month continues with Armed Forces Week (all this week), and that culminates this Saturday with Armed Forces Day. Unlike Memorial Day (this year on May 31ST) and Veterans Day (November 11TH) this is an opportunity for us to honor everyone who currently serves within our military.

I’m a few weeks away from celebrating my 36TH anniversary within the United States Air Force. I actually committed to 4 years of active duty service about a month into my Senior year in high school in 1984. 6 days after graduating from high school in June 1985 I was on my way to Lackland AFB in San Antonio Texas for 6½ weeks of Basic Military Training.

I’ve been living in or near Homestead Florida since the end of 1987, so that’s 33 out of my 36 years in the Air Force. I work at Homestead ARB (formerly AFB prior to Hurricane Andrew). During the 19 months immediately after Hurricane Andrew – as the city and the base was being cleaned-up and rebuilt – I served at Andrews AFB Maryland and MacDill AFB in Tampa Florida.

My 36 years in the Air Force includes 28 years as a civilian. Prior to that I served 8 years on active duty and 6 years as a reservist (overlapping with the early years of my civil service).

Up until about the age of 16 I was supposed to go to college after high school and emerge with a degree in either Meteorology or Communications (radio and television). That didn’t happen, but here I am 36 years into an Air Force career at 54 years old. The Air Force determined that I was great at math, so they made me an analyst / statistician.

In the Air Force I’ve had some great years, some good years, some bad years, and some horrible years. There’s an entire 13-year era that was the worst of my career (and life). Thankfully I’ve followed that up with the best 14-year era of my career (and life) – where I am now. I’m ending this career on a high, and I’ve got about 2½ more years to go before I retire and move away from here.

To all of my fellow military service members – whether you are currently on active duty, a reservist, a civil servant, or a contractor working alongside all of the above – I thank you for all that you do with each new duty day.

Tags Armed Forces, Military