Anthony Oates Biography

After graduating from Pampa High School in 1957, I attended Texas Tech College for one year. The following three years were spent at the University of Texas in Austin where I graduated with a BA degree.

One day when I was walking to class at UT, I noticed a Navy recruiter. With no specific idea of what I wanted to do after I graduated, I spend a lot of time talking to the recruiter. The end result was my signing up for a tour beginning immediately after graduation in 1961. So off I went to Newport, RI where I went through a painful 6 month boot camp. It was difficult for a good old farm boy like me to comply with all those rules and regulations. Needless to say, I spent a lot of hours on Saturdays marching off my demerits. But I stuck to it and was sworn into the Navy as a brand new Ensign on 2/9/1961. I liked the Navy so much that I made a 20 year career out of it, leaving the Navy 12/31/1981. My first assignment was on the aircraft carrier, USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63. And did we ever sail the Pacific Ocean! We visited the Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and others I can no longer remember. After I was on a total five ships and worked my way from a brand new Ensign in the Navy to Commanding Officer if a Guided Missile destroyer with the rank of Commander. I, also, managed to graduate from the Navy’s Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA in 1968 with a MS degree in Underwater Physics. I managed to get a few shore billets including a tour in the Pentagon working on procuring missile systems for Navy ships. I completed my tour of duty with the Navy on Dec 31, 1981, and left with the rank of Commander (O-5).

I went to work in the Aerospace business after my Navy tour where I was involved with providing better defense systems for the US Government, especially against attacks on our US Navy ships. This lasted until 2002 when I finally decided that I had worked long enough.

Since that time, I have spent much of my free time teaching Senior Citizens how to use computers. The courses are provided by the SeniorNet organization in hopes of getting senior citizens up to speed in the computer world.

My hobbies include running (one marathon), walking, fishing, and enjoying my wife, and our Rottweiler puppy.

I’m sorry that I can’t make the get together, but a back operation has precluded my flying or driving to Texas from California.