I was born to the children of Polish immigrants in 1954 near Boston, Massachusetts, USA in the mid-1950's. My father initially worked as a machinist producing aircraft engines then served in the Navy crewing landing craft in the south pacific (but oddly now I am not much interested in modeling aircraft or ships). I caught interest in modeling from an older brother who lost interest due to girls. Due to the antiwar movement in the 1970's, girls, music like Pink Floyd, love for Nordic skiing and camping, and work I too lost interest in modeling, but occasionally dreamed of going back to it. Many of my model airplanes were blown up on the front lawn with firecrackers!
In the 1980's I graduated college with a degree in Geology, worked as a ship's officer and hydrographer for the US Coast & Geodetic Survey. Presently I work for the state of Maine, Department of Environmental Protection responding to oil & chemical spills, specializing in oil storage tanks (wherever I go there seem to be 'tanks'). In the early 1990's with the birth of two children, a new house in Durham, Maine, USA and full time work I returned to modeling with full encouragement of my wife (a decision she oftentimes regrets when the VISA bill arrives in the mail!). My first kit was an ESCI SdKfz 250/9 kit and I fell in love again. I presently have about 90 built models, finish about 10 a year and have about 300 unbuilt kits, not including a dozen or two 1/35 that I should dump as I'll never build them.
Our phone receptionist at work gave me the nickname of 'Tank Whisperer' because I am good at finding old underground oil tanks and I have decided to carry it over as a modeling nickname too.