Marvin Mai
Meet Marvin Mai, WACSC Board Member
After 25 years as a member, Marvin Mai joined the board in 2021. He manages the email account and the telephone messages, as well as contributing valued perspectives on WACSC projects and programs. Mavin writes:
I was born and raised in Kansas. My father managed a grocery chain store, so we moved every couple of years, then settled in Russell, Kansas. In junior high school, students were handed a beautiful full-color edition of a geography text book – and I caught the travel bug and there and then, along with an interest in international relations. In high school, two of my favorite teachers spent every summer traveling extensively and shared their tales, which added fuel to my fascination.
In 1962 I received my B.A. in Business Economics from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. I was soon faced with the army draft and decided that the air force was a better choice for me. After receiving my commission in August of 1962, I trained to be an Intercept Director with Air Defense Command/NORAD, and began a career at all levels of air defense radar.
My first assignment was Minot, North Dakota, and I had assignments in Nevada, New York, Florida, Arizona, Korea and Italy for a total of 11 moves in 22 years. Talk about travel! But more was coming. My NATO assignment in Italy took me to all 13 member nations with an average of 25 trips a year. While in Korea I worked with the Korean Air Defense radar sites, and toured Panmunjom. There, we even stood on the North Korean side of the negotiation table to be able to say that we’d been to North Korea.
During my assignment in Reno, Nevada, I entered a chess tournament at the service club and met Pat, the organizer, who became the love of my life. I often say that I came in second in chess but won the girl! We married 1966. We have two sons — one a police officer and the other an IT professional who, with his wife and two children, live in the Vancouver, Washington area.
After a full military career, I retired in 1984 and we moved to Santa Rosa to be close to family. Pat and I both returned to school and received our masters degrees in 1986. Pat worked for several years as a reading specialist, and I headed up the accounting department at Empire College and taught at SRJC until full retirement in 2005. Happily, we’ve continued our overseas travels ever since. I also host a men’s Global Forum discussion group with members of SIR, a California men’s organization promoting the dignity and independence of retirement.
Pat and I both have enjoyed our long-time membership in WACSC, where Pat has also been on the board and has coordinated the book group for twenty years.