SSgt "Rock" Hudson enlisted just before his 19th birthday in order to have the benefit of Basic Training before going to Aviation Cadets. He had been approved for a class starting six months later when he would be old enough. However, as military forces worldwide upgraded fixed frequency radios to tunable ones all the services saw an exponential increase in the need for linguists to monitor activities. USAF Security Service (USAFSS) drafted any and all basic trainees with any foreign language background who could get a security clearance. When USAFSS made it clear Rock would not be released until he made SSgt, he married his high school sweetheart, Ann, later that year (1955). After duty as a Korean linguist in Japan and at PY-do, a small island off the coast of North Korea, and a year at USAFSS Hq in San Antonio Rock knew he would have to go back overseas to make Staff. He went back to Army Language School at Presedio Monterey, CA to learn Russian figuring that would bring an assignment to Europe. Europe turned out to be the northern tip of Japan and the second of what would be four tours to that country. (Readers should remember that Ann is blonde, not Japanese, so none of these tours were as a volunteer.) From this Wakkanai, Japan tour Rock joined Cocoa Flt in September 1960. In December, OC Maj Hudson assumed command of "Friendly Fourth" sqadron. Rock graduated tenth in our class and headed for "Willie" for pilot training. At Dover AFB, DE, Lt Hudson flew C-124s, a large, 4-engine aircraft that sometimes flew on three motors and, once, on only two, Rock recalls. Rock's next base was McChord, WA in C-124s. Here he recalls picking up classmate Bill LaRock at Shemya, AK, "after doing a snake-dance down an icy runway that was too slick to walk on." Rock admits his decision to take off again was not the wisest decison since a high speed abort would have been disastrous. He also tells the tale of a young, inexperienced copilot getting vertigo and attempting to fly inverted while holding over Taipei. ". . .I'm the only pilot to ever roll a C-124 and lived to tell...." Rock says. Low/slow (albeit, acrobatic) 124s were replaced by high/fast (powerful) 141s as Rock checked out in the Starlifter. Capt Hudson's next duty was at Yokota AB, Japan as ACP controller (still attached to McChord for flying), he flew C-54s his last year in Japan. Next stop, still in the command post business, was Saigon. Rock finished his SEA tour as MAC Detachtment Commander, Bien Hoa. In 1971, Maj Hudson was tapped for Air Traffic Control and quickly transited Holloman and Myrtle Beach en route to Cannon AFB, NM as Cmdr, 2040 Comm Sq. Rock was promoted to LtCol and earned his BS while at Cannon. Then it was back to Japan. While working on his master's thesis, Rock identified serious air traffic problems around Tokyo, the correction of which earned Rock many honors. It was at Scott AFB, IL, while assigned to AFCC, that LtCol Hudson decided to retire in 1984 when the first of many chemo treatments for bladder cancer caused permanent grounding and medical restrictions barred any further promotion. Rock sums it up, "We are all so thankful to the Almighty; modern medicine has so far been able to keep it under control and ... kept it from spreading." Rock and Ann have three sons and five grandkids.