I was born into a family whose father served in the US Air Force. My father was a gunner in the Strategic Air Command and served through the Korean Action, the Cold War and Vietnam War. I mention this as I have lived in many states of our United States because of this. Specifically, I was born in California and subsequently lived in Puerto Rico, Arkansas, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Virginia. My mother was Japanese and my Mom and Dad married in Japan back in the 1950s. About 7 years ago I relocated to Pennsylvania and current live north of Philadelphia in Bucks County, PA.
I did go to high school in Pennsylvania living in a small town in northeast PA. I went to Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh PA and receive a BS in Physics and Mathematics. I worked for Computer Sciences Corporation as a contractor at Goddard Space Flight Center where I worked as a Satellite Attitude Determination and Control Specialist. I then went back to school and went to University of Cincinnati where I received a MS in Physics. After this I went to work at a company in Northern Virginia where I worked in Radar system design, Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) and the Gyroscopes and Accelerometers that go into an INS. I supported the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. I have also worked in laser systems for aircraft defense and Radio Frequency (RF) navigation.
When I was living in Arkansas, I was attacked by a group of slightly older kids as I rode my bike by them. They yelled “Jap go home” multiple times and threw a chunk of concrete that hit me right on the top of my head. So that gave me some sense of what it is to be the subject of hate. I still have a bump on my head to remind me of that. I also lived in South Dakota and have been to Wounded Knee. This as well as having friends who are part Sioux Indian has given me a strong appreciation for the plight of the American Indians, especially the Sioux.
For a short period of time in my employment I worked on the Ronald Reagan “Star Wars” program. This program wasted more money than any other program I was ever working on. However while working on this program I did fly out to Seattle Washington, to attend an Automatic Target Recognizer (ATR) workshop. This is when I became very aware of the clear cutting and rapaciousness of the lumber industry, especially in the west. I also hiked in the Hoh rainforest in Olympic National Park where I saw the results of clear-cutting right up to the edge of the National Park and the regrown forests on the western and southern sides just outside of Olympic National Park. I also drove east out of Seattle into the Cascades and saw the clear-cutting there except where recreational facilities were located. The clearcuts went right up to the ridgelines but not over so when in the recreational sections the mountains were fully clothed in trees. This made me a very strong advocate for saving the old growth forests of the west and what remains of the small segments in the east.
Over time I have become a fierce liberal in most senses of the word. While in Pittsburgh I researched the history of the labor movement in that city and the steel industry of which that was the home. I also have supported the women’s right to choice.
I have voted in the vast majority of elections that I have been alive for. I cannot say I have voted in every election, but I have voted consistently and in almost all of them. I have also volunteered to do canvassing both in Virginia and also in Pennsylvania. I am also attending and active in my local community Democratic Party organization. This latest election has galvanized me to join a local indivisible group and to run for office in my local community. I hope you will give me your support.