I was born in a very small community, Garland, North Carolina, on September 27, 1925. I have five sisters and one brother. I spent most of my growing years in Durham, North Carolina. I joined the U.S. Navy in June 1943 in Raleigh, NC. I was taken to the Navy Base at Bainbridge, Maryland for my boot camp training, and became a radio operator. Later I was transferred to Little Creek, VA for training in the amphibious forces. I was assigned to a small Landing Craft Control boat and then shipped over to the Mediterranean Sea area, passing the Rock of Gibraltar at the mouth of the Mediterranean. The war in Europe ended soon after that and I was sent back to the U.S. I received my Honorary discharge from the U.S. Navy in December, 1945. Upon returning from the war, I was able to attend college under the GI Bill. I attended and graduated from North Carolina State College with a degree in engineering. Having moved to Santa Monica, CA, I met my wife, Elizabeth, and we married on May 3, 1952. We have three children, a son, Sam Jr., a son Robert (Larry) and a daughter, Deborah (Debbie).