Gary Young - Life-long interest in science, energy and water resources USofA

To: John Dunn, MD JD C.R. Darnall Army Medical Center Fort Hood, Texas, USA December 31, 2019 Dear John, As an 8 year old I had met the Univ. of Colorado Physics Facility at my Grandfather’s funeral. He was a retired railroad machinist when they hired him to build a cyclotron.

In my youth I read every science fiction book I could find. Then I pestered the 9th grade physics teacher for books to see what was real science. Interestingly, more now is real than was the case in the 1950’s. So I wanted to be a physicist.

Fortunately I won a Navy NROTC scholarship and off I went. A few years into the program I realized that there were few jobs for physicists unless they had a PhD, which was not much better. So I transferred into Mechanical Engineering where I had been a student employee of B. Tom Arnberg at the university Experiment Station measuring mass flow of gasses. Tom had me help design a course in Theoretical Physical Metallurgy. It was all about what happens at the atomic and molecular level. I found it to be the single most useful body of knowledge in my skill set even proving to be the segue to understanding how CO2 absorbs infrared light.

The Navy was one continuous learning experience include nuclear power, submarines, acoustics, physical oceanography, tactics, strategy, War College, marine engineering, which I taught Midshipmen, and more secret stuff which if I told you---well, you know the ending of that. Fortunately, I picked up the habit of continual learning, and the corollary of realizing what I didn’t know. As I look back, my really serious education started when I became the General Manager of several Technology Centers. My technical staff included many with degrees in science and engineering. I studied my tail off for years to earn and keep their respect.

When I retired I felt I needed to do something so after introspection of my skills and interests, I focused on Energy Policy. At first it was consulting with private equity clients. It then branched into doing “backgrounders” for politicians and then articles for a Colorado think tank. Attorney Dave Kopel introduced me to The Chicago Manual of Style and helped me learn to write; still a work in progress.

So here I am ready for a good fight to bring about rational energy policy.

Sincerely, Gary Young Fort Collins, Colorado, USA