I was born and raised along the Des Moines River in Van Buren Co. Iowa. My parents were Bruce and Doris Blackburn. Dad and Mom both worked in Ottumwa for years.

I spent 25 years in the airline business, and retired again in 2011 from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. I published my first book, "UNLIKELY WARRIORS: The Army Security Agency's Secret War in Vietnam 1961-1973," in May 2013 and currently spend most of my time writing and researching my next book.

I have researched my family history and am related to the BLACKBURN, MORRISON, COX, ANSON, RIGSBY, HOLLEN, FRANKLIN, MCINTOSH, HELLYER, PEERY, and HALES lines, among others on my father's side, mostly in Van Buren County, Iowa.

On my mother's side, some of the names are: RITZ, QUIGLEY, NOEL, DEMUTH, and DOWNING, mostly in Davis County, Iowa.

I was born and raised along the Des Moines River in Van Buren Co. Iowa. My parents were Bruce and Doris Blackburn. Dad and Mom both worked in Ottumwa for years.

I spent 25 years in the airline business, and retired again in 2011 from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. I published my first book, "UNLIKELY WARRIORS: The Army Security Agency's Secret War in Vietnam 1961-1973," in May 2013 and currently spend most of my time writing and researching my next book.

I have researched my family history and am related to the BLACKBURN, MORRISON, COX, ANSON, RIGSBY, HOLLEN, FRANKLIN, MCINTOSH, HELLYER, PEERY, and HALES lines, among others on my father's side, mostly in Van Buren County, Iowa.

On my mother's side, some of the names are: RITZ, QUIGLEY, NOEL, DEMUTH, and DOWNING, mostly in Davis County, Iowa.