Oh, Ranger!

Each summer my dad gathered us in the family car and headed out on vacation—often to national parks like Grand Teton and Yellowstone. My most vivid memory is of traveling to Mesa Verde and hearing about how my dad became fascinated with national parks while working there as a young man in the Civilian Conservation Corps. As he vividly described his early adventure, he told us that his life-long dream was to work for the National Park Service. I too began to wonder how it would be to live and work in some of the most beautiful areas of our great country. Dad didn't see his dream come true, but in 1999 I started living his "and my own" dream of working in a national park. I landed a seasonal job at Grand Teton and quickly became so captivated by the lifestyle, that I couldn't imagine doing anything else. The park offered a winter position as a snowplow operator and I applied. This job was a perfect fit because during my career with the U.S. Air Force, I worked as a motor equipment operator. Within a year, the position became permanent and I got selected for it. I always wondered, "Did dad have a hand in this?"

I spent 20 years in the Air Force and traveled worldwide. Few jobs compare to the military with the honor of serving your country, and gaining a sense of home and extended family. But I have found that same feeling at Grand Teton. My wife, Peggy, and I live a wonderful life filled with adventures, and many park friends have become extended family. While we live our dream, we also try to preserve this special place for future generations. We feel that we owe this to our children and grandchildren so they will someday have the same opportunity to live their own dreams, whatever they may be.