Bob Ulin

My wife Terri and I will attend the 65th Class reunion. Wow, 65 years, where has the time gone?

I was interviewed in 2023 for a veterans' oral history project of the Johnson Country Community College, Overland Park, Kansas.

Hi Classmates:
On the home front, all is well. I now have four great grandchildren. In May 2020 I was inducted into the Officers Candidate School Hall of Fame. I was commissioned in 1966 from the California Military Academy and a year later I was in Vietnam. I retired in 1992 from the faculty of the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Photo below was placed in the Hall of Fame.

I regret I cannot attend the 60th reunion this year. I will be in Washington DC on business that week.
Now for an update. Published my fifth book in 2017--not very exciting stuff. It's a self-help book on how to manage a mid-career transition.The title is TRANSITIONS 2.0 which is available on amazon.com. Had my 77th birthday on 7 June and started a new part-time job on 10 June restructuring a 13 year old nonprofit that supports a military graduate school. It keeps me intellectually stimulated and I love the challenge. I've been working with nonprofits for the past 30 years. So sad to hear that so many of our classmates have passed.
In the battle of life, none of us will get out of this alive so we have to make every day count.
My best to all,
Bob

Bob, So proud of you writing is my full time job now but you are finishing books and publishing so difficult with Screenplays and novels that I am editing now. Every waiter in Hollywood and every guy who ever was a cop or soldier or worked in some "Cuckoo" field says he is "writing a book"...but one out of thousands ever finish the Albatross. Of course many if not most are fabricating never applied their asses to a chair and sweat through the mind bending ordeal of completing the job...but you did it man...SO PROUD OF YOU.
P.S. I AM EDITING 5 PAGES A DAY "INSIDE SAN QUENTIN" VOL. 1 EXECUTIONER'S APPRENTICE WHILE ON 6 MONTHS MEDICAL LEAVE NEW TITANIUM SHOULDER. Bob let's plan to meet at a reunion and swap books in person you look great...let's do it while we are "still young". I just got surgeon's release to start lifting weights again 3 months since 3rd shoulder operation. This was the big one replacement 100% success. By the way Montel Williams you know were in Middle East with him ex-military had breast cancer perhaps miss diagnosed had double mastectomy still around Academy grad. I had a chance to go with Dad Marine Step-Dad Navy flyer could not pass physical rupture eardrums vertigo bad back unstable right ankle Asthma etc. etc. But the good old Army drafted me anyway...cliché right way wrong way and "The Army Way". Hey we went Army Bob and did ok in life and it is "A Wonderful Life". Love to All, Bill McCraw Christensen Fairfax

Posted on: Mar 20, 2015 at 7:26 AM

Published a new book: TRANSITIONS: A Field Guide for Military Professionals and Veterans Seeking Leadership Positions in the Business World.
Available now at www.authorhouse.com or www.amazon.com

Tickets in hand. Looking forward to the reunion. Some good memories from high school. Would like to recycle back to my senior year knowing what I know now. However, in life, no mulligans.

Posted on: Sep 22, 2014 at 2:28 PM

33 years Bob so proud of you I was a college grad in basic at Ft Jackson busted my ankle twice and tried to stick it out was Platoon Guide E-5 temporary arm band Sergeant scheduled to go to Viet Nam in of all coincidences: Armor Intelligence. Our paths may well have crossed in the Army incredible that you did more than 30 years... I also spent 30 years on and off in Para-Military organizations San Quentin Folsom SF Probation department and last 13 years as Youth Counselor all the while in lots of physical altercations with inmates. I only fired my 25/35 rifle once at San Quentin but dozens of crazy convicts and inmates assaulted me. Martial Arts big part of my life started with Judo and Jiu Jitsu at San Quentin then trained with Byong Yu 6 time World Champion in the 70's then with Don Buck in 78 gave me Honorary Black Belt then went through ATA system for a legitimate Black Belt and won National Championships as blue and Red Belt and was Runner-up Black Belt in 1988 Grand Nationals in Little Rock then represented USA in 1989 World Taekwondo Championships where I place 3r in Sparring. I got the crap beaten out of my a lot as a skinny kid in high school so pumped iron to compensate. I am still thinking about fitting in reunion Barbie Thompson and I sat together at 50th and we even danced together. Later, Bill

Posted on: Sep 20, 2014 at 7:47 AM

Bill:
Good to see you're still in shape. Hope to see you at the reunion.
Best, Bob

My wife, Terri, and I enjoying dinner in California wine country, 2009

Golan Heights, Israel with Syria in background, 2009

Dinner with General Dave Petraeus in his office in Kabul, Afghanistan, Feb 2011

I travelled to Afghanistan in February 2011 with Montel Williams, and my friend Mark "Ranger" Jones to conduct a battlefield rotation to visit the troops.

Posted on: Aug 30, 2014 at 1:10 PM

Lived abroad for 20 years in Vietnam, Germany, and Belgium. Conducted missions in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Kenya, and South Africa,. Traveled to Dubai, Afghanistan, Israel, the Cape Verde Islands, Thailand and Taiwan.