A proud USAF veteran, (retired in 1986 as a CMS) David Michael (daVe) Leininger was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Bloomington, McLean County, Ill., Aug. 24, 1940. Shortly thereafter he moved to Varna, Marshall County, Ill.with his mother, Betty Frances Elizabeth Broaddus and his father Donald Bruce Leininger, to the ancestral home of his mothers family. At age 17, he left this small town (population 375) to join the Air Force and seek his fame and fortune, while attempting to find his niche in life. As of July 20th 2008, he is still on that search.

During this long journey, Dave completed a 28-year career in the USAF, (28 years 2 months and 28 days), retiring in 1986 as a Chief Master Sergeant followed by 11 more years providing contractor support to the US Government (in Germany and Washington DC).

His Air Force career also included many "part time" jobs with which he supplemented his meager military income allowing his family to live in a style that they were definitely not accustomed to. In turn he was a bartender, auto mechanic, door to door pill salesman, airplane gas jockey, CB radio sales, service and repairman, auto parts counter salesman, aircraft radio installer (Beechcraft and Gates Lear Jet) and was also a microcomputer programmer (Commodore, apple and IBM). In his post USAF years he was an 11 Year employee of a contracting firm supporting the US government in all sorts of intelligence related computer work. He has also made time for his hobbies, recycling, genealogy and recently, amateur radio.

Dave spent over 20 years in Germany. He claims Stuttgart as his "second home" where for nine years he was assigned to the United States European Headquarters (USEUCOM) at Alexander Patch Barracks. He has also hung his service cap in San Antonio, Texas (twice); Denver, Colo.; Omaha, Neb.; Goose Bay, Labrador(loved the folks there!); Council Bluffs, Iowa, Walton, Kokomo and Peru, Ind.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Bexbach in the Saarland (Germany); Washington DC; and Mahomet, Illinois, his current home.

Dave and his wife of almost 40 years, Edna May O'Neal Leininger (May 7 1940-Feb 20, 1997) raised five children, David M II, Betty Lucinda, Patrick Lee, Joseph Kelly and Ann. (Dave and his youngest daughter Ann are shown in the above picture taken at his nephew's wedding in 2003.)

Along his journey, Dave also managed to find time to further his education, accumulating over 192 hours in various disciplines ranging from electronic and computer engineering and the study of the atmosphere to business law, marketing and the philosophies. He also dabbled in history and western civilization and recently completed studying Geographic Information Systems tecnology.

Dave is a member of, and currently the Registered Agent for the Vermilion County Amateur Radio Association. He has completed the ARRL level 1, level 2 and level 3 courses in emergency communications. In order to qualify for EMA work, he has also taken and passed ICS 100,200,244,700 and 800. He is also an OES/IL. His interest in amateur radio goes back more than just a few years. It first “sparked” his interest at age 15 when helping “Corny” (W9QKL) by getting his 10 meter rig up and running after he (corny) had an accident. Shortly after that, he met a newly retired Air Force master sergeant (and a radio operator), Clinton Keedy, K9ATD (SK) who got him even more interested in joining the Air Force.

Dave is a lifelong Varna United Methodist Church member, lifetime member of Randolph Masonic Lodge #1268 in Schertz TX ("Where it all begins”) and dual member of The Order of the Eastern Star. (Illinois and Germany)

Both Dave’s daughters are past Grand Worthy Advisors in the International Order of Rainbow for Girls, (a Masonic sponsored organization). He is also a member of MOAA, Amvets, the American Legion, Royal Ark Mariners and Scottish Rite (SJ), the Twin City Amateur Radio Club of Champaign/Urbana Illinois, and finally!,(AGAIN in case you missed it the first time) the registered agent. 2nd ice President and webmaster of the Vermilion County Amateur Radio Association of Danville Illinois. http://www.vcara.org

Dave is a member of the Champaign County ARES and RACES team and is a qualified member of the “Storm Watch” community.

http://www.wa9res.org/

Dave currently makes his home with his youngest daughter, Ann (W9EML, EXTRA Class), in Mahomet Illinois. She is a 1998 University of Illinois graduate, who went on to work for the ISGS in Savoy. She also assists him in repairing and recycling computers as well as the care and maintenance of the other members of the family: “Tiny”, a really feisty seven year old rat terrier, and “Princess”, a 6-year-old long haired “Wiener” dog.

Two of Dave's grandsons are also amateur radio operators David III (W0DML) and Timothy (W0TWL)

Dave says, "I am proud to be a member of the ARRL and will to the best of my ability, continue to work for the betterment of the organization".

PHONE

217.531.7880.Vonage