Willis Greenwood, U.S. Air Force

Willis Greenwood's time in the Air Force provided him opportunities to succeed inside and outside the military.

As a younger man, Greenwood enlisted in the Air Force because he felt the training he could receive in that branch was second to none.

"I got into the Air Force because it was the one branch of service that offered quality training," Greenwood said.

Serving from 1961 to 1969, Greenwood was one of the few people at that time who had training in typing - a skill he learned in while taking a class in high school. He spent the first 18 months of his military career at a school for telecommunications and cryptography.

Greenwood said his job as a cryptographer primarily consisted of encoding and decoding classified information.

"The first hitch I was a cryptographer, and I really enjoyed it," he said. "But then an opportunity arose for me to go into the Air Force Special Security Service, and it required me reenlisting and I jumped right on it."

Greenwood could not provide many details of his job with the Air Force Special Security Service because many of his duties are still classified.

He said he especially enjoyed his time serving in Labrador, Canada, but he said he also served in the Philippines, Okinawa, Thailand and Korea. Stateside, Greenwood served in Texas, Louisiana, Oregon and Arizona.

Greenwood desperately wanted to be stationed in the Air Force base which used to be located in Encampment.

"I tried for eight years to get up (to the Encampment base)," Greenwood said. "But I never could get up here."

Greenwood finally left the Air Force 1969. He then dedicated his life to working for the postal service.

With 30 years in the postal service and 10 years in the Air Force (after paying back some schooling in the military), Greenwood said he is proud to have dedicated 40 years of his life to civil service.

His career in the military gave Greenwood a free and quality education, it built his character, taught him responsibility, built his integrity and gave him a sense of comradarie.

"Comradarie is a big thing, he said. "There are so many people that you meet (in the military)."

Greenwood has been involved with the Platte Valley VFW for many years and serves as its quartermaster.