An Anchor in the Prairie

'As a kid I guess I was too dumb or naïve to realize I was poor.' So writes Bill Forbes about his growing up years in a small town in Midwest America in the 1940s and '50s. From humble beginnings he began a journey that would take him through three careers and into retirement. Following four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy and then two years selling encyclopedias door-to-door, Bill reenlisted for another four year tour in the Navy; much of it in a war zone. After an honorable discharge he began a 20 year broadcast journalism career; during which he interviewed four U.S Presidents. In 1988 he left the broadcast world for a civil service career in Washington, D.C., again with the U.S. Navy. After traveling the world with the Navy job and upon retirement in Southern California, Bill continued to travel, this time for leisure. he has the bragging rights of setting foot on every continent on the planet. Yes, even Antarctica. As he looks back on more than six decades Bill Forbes still feels the influence of the U.S. Navy He says, 'I'm just a Fleet Sailor at heart.'