Page 58 - MY STORY

training shop personnel to fathom the difference between

different titanium alloys, toolsets that had differing
geometries for the same skin thicknesses, and the
difficulties of adding even more drawing changes to the

Douglas standard design manual for “one lousy alloy.”
My recommendation was described as “null, void,
immature, patently ignorant, and - would not see the light

of day in his shop.” We found a different way to dimple
this titanium alloy.

EARLY 1957

I had to resign my job at Douglas in early 1957 for family

reasons. It was a very difficult decision for me, but
essential for my marriage. We moved back to the
Chicago area, moved in with family for a while to have a

place to live while I searched for employment. I
ultimately landed a job with Howard Foundry’s
Investment Casting Division in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

We moved to an apartment in Skokie within two blocks of
the North Shore Railroad to lessen the burden of
commuting to Milwaukee.

The reason for the Howard Foundry job offer was to help
them win a manufacturing technology contract from the

material labs at Wright Patterson AFB to develop