Cal

Chicago-born, Phoenix-raised, West Point-trained. Twenty-five years in the payments industry, a stable of motorcycles, and a lifelong soft spot for beagles.

Growing up in Phoenix

Mark and Mary — Mary and Mark (later known as Cal)

Chicago gave way to Phoenix early on, and Arizona is where the childhood memories really start - desert adventures, a beloved dog, and a lot of sun. We were born in Chicago but moved early in our lives to Phoenix. Notice the Arizona style bolo tie.

My boyhood dog was Troubles, a dachshund/beagle mix. We had many an adventure on the desert - he loved to dig in the snake holes. Once he was bit by a rattlesnake, and I had to feed him baby food for a week. Troubles demonstrating the ability to sit upright and beg for peanuts, usually received from my dad.

Troubles the beagle

West Point, 1975 to 1979

Headed to West Point in 1975. Looking pretty young just out of high school. Four years that reshaped everything - discipline, friendships, and a direction for the rest of my life.

I had great responsibility carrying the Army flag as part of the Color Guard. If that flag dropped I was dead. It was sooo hard to hold at an angle during the Star Spangled Banner.

Field training — Obviously taking our military training very seriously.

I really did enjoy the field but was considering Armor at this point in my career. Training in the field eventually led me to the Infantry.

"West Point taught me to take the harder right instead of the easier wrong"

Cadets and grandmother — Cadet Cal is on the left and Chris Wegmann on the right. In the middle is Mary Jordan, my mother's mother.

My grandmother was very proud of her grandson going to West Point. She was very small and even smaller between two six foot cadets.

Swearing in at Patton's statue — Finally, the last day. Cal is on the far left.

Always impressed with Patton's military skill, therefore, it was easy to select this place to be sworn into the Army. But instead of the Armor I was headed to the Infantry.

An Infantry Officer

Went Infantry, which means a trip to Ft Benning, GA. Several schools first Infantry Officer Basic then Ranger School as a leg (no Airborne Wings) which was unusual. Because there were only a few of us we were able to stay together for the duration. An Honor Graduate training was not done, on to Airborne School to get parachute wings.

After all that training off to Schweinfurt, FRG. There Cal served in various company positions in the 2/30th in the 3rd Infantry Division. Cal also grew a mustache which was all the rage in the 1980s. The mustache became part of the Cal style for the rest of his life. Germany was a great assignment.

We were in the field quite a bit in Germany. Before the Iron Curtain came down we were in the zone where it was thought the Soviets would attack. Reforger exercises were especially fun as we played Army across West Germany.

During the promotion party to Captain in 1983 Cal and Virginia Ann Danial met for the first time. After Infantry Officers Advanced Course we were married and moved to Ft Riley, KS, home of the 1st Infantry Division. Married life in the Infantry and a staff job (S1) in the 5/16th convinced us to exit in late 1984.

Ranger squad wall plaque — Ranger Cabin Wall Graffiti

A 2nd Lieutenant was between Ranger classes and was assigned to help tear down the cabins at Camp Darby up in the mountains. He was a graduate of USMA and, as he chain sawed the cabins, kept an eye out for USMA squads who had written their squad names on the walls. He looked up some names in the phone book and found our number. He wanted to know if we would like the section where Cal's squad had written their names. It now hangs in our home office.

TSYS and the payments industry

picknic — Enjoying a concert at Callaway Gardens

We returned to Columbus, GA. There I happened on to a new company who offered a job as one of twenty programmers writing credit card applications. Now there are several companies and several thousand developers at Total System Services (TSYS). I stayed for 25 years or so, remaining in the payments industry ever since until retirement.

At a leadership conference in Sedona, AZ the team took a gentle horse ride before a great steak dinner. Fortunately years of motorcycle riding prepared me and I was able to walk the next day - several friends did not recover for days.

Retirement

In 2020 Cal retired and began the next phase. Relaxing with Riley on the front porch. Cal focused on photography and maintaining CalAndVa.com. Cal and Virginia Ann would continue to travel enjoying the new cultures all over the world.

Cal enjoying a birthday cake in 2023 at 66.

Cal riding his Harley at Daytona in 2002.