I am a Vietnam Era Veteran who served in the US Navy from 1974-1978. I spent most of my time aboard the USS John F Kennedy working in Primary Flight Control (The Tower). I started on the stat board which kept info on each “sortie” (airborne aircraft). I then moved up to Assistant Supervisor and eventually, Tower Supervisor, where my job was to monitor all support personnel in the tower and assist the Air Boss.
During Flight Operations, I monitored aircraft coming into the flight pattern to make an arrested landing, while making sure the arresting gear and fresnel lens were set for each type of aircraft for landing.
I was then assigned as LPO (Leading Petty Officer) of V-O Division, which manned primary flight control and the Air Department Office; also spending time on the flight deck as Safety Petty Officer. I was deployed five times to different regions, including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the North Atlantic where I went across the Arctic Circle, which makes me a Blue Nose! During my time in the Navy, I enjoyed seeing different countries that I would never have seen otherwise.
Before leaving the Navy, I reached the rank of Petty Officer Second Class and received: a Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, a Navy “E” Ribbon, a Navy Good Conduct Medal, and a National Defense Service Medal.
When I returned home, I did a variety of jobs including factory work before getting into the bar business for ten years. After that, I settled into truck driving for the resto of my career and retired as a concrete truck driver.
I have been battling kidney disease since 1988 and have been diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a disease where scar tissue develops on small parts of the kidneys that filter waste, which leads to kidney failure. Starting peritoneal dialysis (PD) in May 2025 is what is keeping my body functioning and keeping me alive.
A little over two years ago, I was blessed with the discovery of a daughter and two grandsons of whom I had previously known nothing about. This is why it is important to me to live longer so I can make up for lost time. My daughter, Carrie, is 43 and a social worker for the local school district in McPherson, Kansas where she also owns her own private mental health practice. Her husband, Dave, is a school administrator and they have two sons, Nolan 12 and Adam 7.
I need a living kidney transplant so I can continue to make memories with my family. To watch my two grandsons grow up to become men. To get to know my daughter and watch as she and Dave make a difference in the community. To regain my health again and get back to gardening and fishing! I would love to find a parrot rescue organization to volunteer my time and to learn more about these wonderful birds.
For medically cleared donors, giving the gift of life through living kidney donation has been proven to be very safe. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save Philip’s life with the other!
Your support, whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, can make a profound impact on his life and the life of his family!
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-1611