I really began intensely writing during my 4 year stint in the US Air Force. My first songs were written during technical training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX, after Basic Training. That was a 3 month training period. On arriving, I purchased an inexpensive guitar and started learning it in earnest … being as a piano was not handy or portable enough (at the time).
From there, I was assigned to Eglin AFB in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. During the 18 months that I spent there, I wrote a large quantity of songs. I also bought a motorcycle (or two), which help me get away from Base and expand my experiences (and song subjects).
Next stop was Vietnam. I spent 12 months there stationed at Cam Ranh Bay Air Force Base, with temporary duty at Bien Hoa Air Base. Lots more writing done there. I also started recording them on cassette tape and sending them back home.
Finally, I ended up at Andrews AFB, outside of Washington, DC. I didn’t write a lot there. But, the most significant song was “What’s the Cost of Freedom” which has followed me in different forms over the years.