Leonard Fallscheer
 

Drafted by Uncle Sam – February 4, 1969 sent to Fort Ord Basic Training, then sent to Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas with a civilian-acquired-skills MOS 84B20 –still photographer and assigned to the signal corps at the US Army primary helicopter training center. After two weeks of processing film and prints in the darkroom, I spoke to the Information Office about working for the Fort Wolters Trumpet newspaper as a photojournalist and they accepted. I was awarded a secondary MOS 71Q20, and then I submitted the paperwork to switch my primary and secondary MOS’s. Within a week, I was given orders to Vietnam with 84B20 PMOS, but I lucked out as I was sent to JD in Phouc Vinh, not to the signal corps. I spent 1 month with 3rd Brigade in Quan Loi, then called to Phouc Vinh to run the photo department. I moved the darkroom from Bien Hoa to Phouc Vinh, and worked on improving the quality and quantity of photos produced by the 1^st Cav PIO. By the time JD left in April 70, I moved to 2^nd Brigade at Song Be and went into Cambodia many times during May and June. I left Vietnam in October 70 and received a 4 month “early out” of the Army.

In 1971 I worked as a writer/photographer for the Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, CA, and then took a job as the maintenance supervisor for the Mark West school district. In 1974 I moved to Perth Australia and worked as a Porsche and VW mechanic and machinist, then moved to Chico, CA in January of 1976 to get a teaching credential. I finished the credential and a masters degree by December 1978, and was offered a job teaching at Chico State in January of 1979. I received tenure as a professor in 1986 and teach in the Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing department. My primary area is CAD to CAM integration, industrial automation (robotics and PLC programming), CNC programming, and various courses in Computer Science.

What happened to photography you ask? Lots of family photos! Married in 1981, daughter born in 82, and another daughter born in 85. Marriage ended in 2001, but we still talk a lot. I still have a working darkroom at the house for B&W photography, and do a lot of digital color work on the computer.

I plan to teach for 4 or 5 more years, then I plan to travel a lot and get back into photography. Maybe publish articles on “special places” in the world. So far I have been to more than 50 countries, and every state in the US except Alaska.