Warren A PattonI graduated from Westside High School, Gary, Indiana, in 1973, with a football and track scholarship to South Carolina State College, Orangeburg, South Carolina. Most people from SC State know me by my then nickname "Rail". Although, I sat the bench n the Football team, I was a stand out on the track team winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship, as a high Jumper. During my time there, I set the school record in the high jump, clearing 6 ft. 9". I left SC State my senior year, before graduating, to join the U.S. Navy in December 1978. I was assigned to boot camp at the Naval Station, Great Lakes, Illinois. While there, I selected as Recruit Chief Petty (RPOQ for company 952 (State Flags). After boot camp, I received orders to the Navy School of Broadcasting, at the Navy Defense Information School, Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN. Following graduation, I was subsequently assigned to the pre-commissioning crew of the Auxiliary Oiler, USS Gmarron (ACY177), in San Diego, CA, becoming the ship's first journalist. After the Gmarron was released from the Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans It sailed to San Diego to pick up the pre-commissioning crew, prior to being transferred up to the San Frandsen Bay area, to be officially commissioned at the Naval Supply Center, Oakland, CA., in January 1981. In the fall of 1982, the Gmarron changed homeports to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Onboard ship, I was also the ship's official photographer and editor of the Gmarron's first cruise book. During my tour of duty onboard the ship, I had the opportunity to make a Western Pacific (WESTPAQ deployment to Guam; Singapore, Republic of the Philippines; Hong Kong; Pusan Korea and Sasebo Japan. Following 5 years of duty, on the Gmarron, in the spring of 1983, I was re-assigned to the staff of Commander Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, where I worked in the Public Affairs Office. In my official capacity, I was the staff photo journalist, wrote feature stories, served as a speech writer, ran the speaker's bureau For the base, and assisted in the coordination of major military public relations events, including Armed Forces Day programs and Blue Angels airshows. In the spring of 1987,1 was re-assigned to the Navy Recruiting District (NRD) San Francisco, as the command's staff journalist/editor of the command's monthly newsletter. Following my NRD San Francisco assignment, I was assigned to the Navy Recruiting Orientation Unit (NORU), Pensacola, FL, as a trainer/inspector for Navy Recruiting District Journalists. Following that tour of duty, In late December of 1993, I was reassigned to the staff of Commander Naval Base (COMNAVBASE), San Francisco, Treasure Island, CA. While on the admiral's staff, I served as his speech writer and as a Navycoordinator for the Navy% Fleet Week activities In San Francisco, and also represented the Navy on the Oakland Chamber of Commerce Committee. In the spring of 1997. I was re-assigned as the Public Affairs Officer for Navy Recruiting Area (NAVRUITAREA EIGHT), Oakland, CA, where I retired from active duty on January 31,1999, after 20 years service. During my Navy career, I took advantage of the Navy's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and earned my Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Chaminade University, Honolulu, HI, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration, from Troy State University, Troy Alabama, Northwest Florida Region. I was married and divorced twice, while in the Navy, and have a married son, Thomas, born in Hawaii, March 19, 1984, two grand daughters and four step-children. Currently, I am employed at Amazon Fulfillment Center, IGQ1, Markham, IL.. Read More Read Less