Biography

Preface

The year was 1968. Richard Nixon was in office. The nation was in a space race and cold war. In a few short months Armstrong would be putting man's first footprint on the moon. It was also the year I was born to William H. and Carole A. Clapp. I arrived in this world in La Jolla, California and soon was on a journey that has been to say the least, an adventure.

To understand me, you may want to get to know my folks. My dad was adopted into a loving Wisconsin dairy farmer's family and grew up to appreciate hard work and ingenuity. He built muzzleloaders, skinned his own deer, learned to fly and build airplanes by college. He met my mother at Bethany Bible school in Minnesota and were married. As Christians, they dedicated their lives toward preparations for the ministry as a pilot/mechanic family. My dad attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL and studied theology and aviation. While studying there, my sister, Dawn, was born. Also born during this time was a desire to rebuild airplanes. While living in a small trailer my father rebuilt a Taylorcraft which he flew to his graduation from the Moody Aviation program.

Continue to Chapter 1