Greetings from Tom Cadenhead

Tom Cadenhead 2010

Unlike a lot of other folks, who went straight-a-way to the top, on an 
unerring line that promoted them to the annals of the country's list of 
heroes and political moguls, I've been muddling along on my own path, 
looking for success in all the little crannies I passed.  It's been a 
long, but interesting trip so far. 
 
 From a study of Entomology at the University of Georgia and a couple of 
years burning up testosterone racing  motorcycles, I did a stint in the 
Navy.  Went to boot at Great Lakes Training Center, Sonar School in Key 
West and then on to an old Fletcher class destroyer, the USS Eaton 
DD-510.  I spent my time churning circles in the Atlantic, chasing 
Russian submarines.  But, there was a high point.  We were chosen to 
represent the United States in Barbados when they declared their 
independence.  That was mighty special to me. 
 
Getting out, I worked for a The Ft. Pierce News Tribune as a 
photographer, sports writer and eventually a free lance photographer, 
covering events for Dixie Cycle News and helping to cover Daytona 
Speedweek for Cycle World. 

Then, to make a little money, figuring that I wasn't rolling in it in 
the news profession, I went to Florida Technical College and learned 
Computer programming, etc.   It was a difficult time finding work 
afterwards, so I bought a small boat and started commercial fishing 
while filling in some daytime hours moving pianos and working on musical 
instruments for a music company in Ft. Pierce.

Tom with his sawmill

Then it was off to RCA 
Computer Division, until they went out of business and then to a company 
called Carnett-Partsnett, the computer division of Southeast Toyota 
Distributors Inc.  Retiring from there in 1988, as Director of Computer 
Operations,  I bought a sawmill and started a portable sawmill service 
business, mostly within fifty miles of the house, but occassionally 
traveling as far as three-hundred miles for special jobs.  It was one of 
the most fun things I've ever done.  I've sawed many locally historic 
trees and sawed for many locally famous farmers and furniture makers in 
North Florida and South Georgia.  I got hooked up with a company called 
Historic Trees and sawed "The Spyglass Oak",  Ohio's champion cottonwood 
tree,  Trees planted by Washington, Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.  I 
also had the honor of sawing the cedar tree, beneath which it is 
reported that the bugle call, Taps, was written. 
 
I got sick in the end of 2008 and have been spending my time, up until 
now, trying to recover.  It's slow, but positive and I hope that I will, 
again, be putting saw to log. 
 
This down-to-earth profession has taught me that there are many 
important and intelligent people living in the background of the 
Headlines and I feel very special to have had the opportunity to rub 
shoulders with them.  I've met WW II war heroes, Korean war heroes, Viet 
Nam War heroes, Ranchers, loggers, and swampers in the Okeefinokee, 
among those for whom I've sawed, as well as hundreds of men and women 
that have no medals to tout, but are the fabric that has held this 
nation together.

Cadet Cadenhead c. 1960