Cliff Penrose

The Cliff Penrose Story

I was born in Henderson, Nevada in 1943, into a military family. My Dad was participating in desert training in preparation for deployment to Africa, so he thought was the plan. My Mom and I left just a few months after I was born. We went to Polk, Nebraska, my mom’s hometown. I ended up spending a big part of the first sixteen years of my life on the farm five miles north of Polk.  Polk, Nebraska is my hometown.

Growing up in the military gave me a lot of opportunity to get in trouble in school. So, in my freshman year in high school, the administrators suggested I might be better off if I did not come back. My Dad and Mom decided I needed something different, and that would be in the form of Military School. I was enrolled at Randolph Macon Military Academy in Front Royal, Virginia.  It was a difficult but rewarding experience.  It got me back on the right track.  I only attended Randolph Macon for one year because we were transferred to Italy....     (continued below)

High School ~ I graduated from High School in Vicenza, Italy and then started college in Munich, Germany.  After two years of college at the University of Maryland in Munich, I went back to the states to attend The University of Wichita. I graduated in January of 1967. By that time, it was Wichita State University.  While at school, I met Linda Ferris (we have been married for 57 years).  I also became interested in ROTC and the military. I was fortunate to become Commander of the Pershing Rifles Company at WSU and then graduated with a Regular Army Commission.

As an Army Officer, my branch selections were Infantry, Armor, Artillery. I wanted to join Special Forces. In the military’s best judgement, I was commissioned Regular Army, Transportation Corps. Go figure.  I was detailed to Armor for two years and assigned to Ft. Knox, KY.  I served as a Platoon Leader in a tank company.

When I was nearing my time to transfer to Transportation, I called weekly to branch to try to get Airborne, Ranger, and Special Forces. No luck.  Late one evening, I received a call from the Major I had been dealing with at branch. He informed me that none of my desires mentioned above could be arranged but that he did have a Fixed Wing Flight Class starting in four weeks and he would hold a spot for me for three days. I needed to decide fast.  We decided to give it a yes. I received my orders a few days later to report to Ft. Stewart, GA in three weeks!

With just a week left at Ft. Knox, I was serving as the Assistant Berm Officer with my Company Commander, Capt. Jan Gardner as Berm Safety Officer. It was VIP/Family day and Linda was in the stands along with numerous VIPs and Military family.  All was going well until two Huey’s touched rotors and crashed. Fourteen were killed. It was a horrific seen. I had duties and had to leave Linda on her own.  I had to remind her that we were on our way to Fixed Wing Flight Class!!

Nine months later I graduated Fixed Wing Flight at Ft. Rucker, AL!  A great time.  As we were all getting our assignments, I was left out of the list until the Major turned to me and told me that I would we staying at Ft. Rucker for Rotary Wing Transition! Helicopters!!  Well, Linda took it well. She was and still is a 'trooper'.

I loved helicopters from day one. How lucky was I. After Basic Rotary, I was sent to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA for AH-1, Cobra, transition. From there to Ft. Eustis, VA for Aircraft Maintenance Officers Course and Helicopter Maintenance Test Pilot Course.  Then finally to Viet Nam in 1970.   (continued below)

In Vietnam, I was first assigned to the 335th Transportation Company, Aircraft Direct Support as the Executive Officer. Three and a half months later I transferred back to Armor and was able to get assigned to the Aviation Section, Division Artillery, Americal Division. We were the largest aviation section in the Army. We had eighteen OH-6 'Loaches' and twenty pilots and fifty enlisted. I was the Executive Officer (XO).

It was a great unit because our missions ranged from VR (visual recon), Artillery support, Special Forces support, River recon for the Navy, Naval artillery support from destroyers, and low-level spotting for the Air Force...   (continued below)

After Vietnam, I attended the Armor Officer Advanced Course. I was then assigned as a Tank Company Commander in Germany. It was an interesting time in the military, and I was undecided on where I would fit in going forward.

I was then faced with a decision; the Army was experiencing a Reduction in Forces (RIF) and for the first time in years the offer applied to Regular Army Officers who would volunteer to apply. Linda and I talked it over and I took the RIF with no obligations. I did join the Illinois National Guard and Commanded an Assault Helicopter Company for three (3) years.  It was great and I truly wish I could have stayed in but my career at Xerox was moving rapidly forward and that is where I decided to put my efforts.

I missed the military but had a great civilian career.

I was fortunate to have been in sales, sales management and General Management. I was an executive with the Xerox Corporation and Region Vice President. After leaving Xerox, I had the opportunity to be President/COO of three (3) different companies. I have been on the boards of two private companies and three non-profit organizations. I have also served in leadership positions in my church.   -    Cliff

After the Military

Cliff and Linda Penrose now live here in Soleil Laurel Canyon