Dramatis Personae
Jean-Claude (Rod) Simone
Julie Phillips Simone—Rod’s wife
Nanette Marie Simone—Rod’s daughter
Major General Hank McCluney, US Army Air Corps—Rod’s (deceased) adoptive father
Mary McCluney—Rod’s adoptive mother
Washington DC
Ambassador T. Edward Phillips—Rod’s father-in-law
Francine Phillips—Rod’s mother-in-law
Colorado Springs
George Delante—Land developer and co-owner, High Country Construction
Elizabeth Delante—his wife
Fred Delante—his son
Jim-Tom Henderson—Co-owner, High Country Construction
Darius Moore—ex-El Paso County DA; Legal Counsel, Colorado Technical Associates
United States Air Force Academy
Captain Bobby Andrew—Executive Officer, Department of Theoretical Mechanics
Brigadier General Stanley C. Beck†—USAFA Commandant
Raf Garcia—waiter
Mrs. Gail McComas†—Cadet hostess, 1955 to 1977
Ben Martin†—USAFA football coach
Colonel Maas—Department Head and Permanent Professor, Department of Law
Brigadier General Robert F. McDermott†—USAFA Dean of Faculty
Brigadier General Robert W. Strong, Jr.†—USAFA Commandant
Colonel L. Bradford Whitney—Department Head and Permanent Professor, Department of Theoretical Mechanics
Rod Simone’s USAFA classmates
Nino Baldacci†—Cadet (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Sylvester “Sly” Winston Jakes—(Boston, MA)
Jeff Goldstein—(New York, NY)
Manuel Rojo—(Albuquerque, NM)
George Sanders—(Fort Worth, Texas)
Other Locations
Captain Charlie “Rhino” Banner—Instructor pilot
“Beast”—Squadron Commander, 3525th Pilot Training Wing, Williams AFB
General “Speedy” Beaumont—Major General Hank McCluney’s WWII wingman
Captain “Jazz” Ferguson—Rod’s F-4 GIB (Guy-In-the-Backseat)
Major Tom Ranch—F-105 pilot, Rod Simone’s ex-ATO and ex-AOC
Professor Clifford Rhoades—Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, Stanford University
Barbara Richardson—Stanford graduate student, newscaster
†—Denotes an actual historical figure