Against All Odds

About the Book

Against All Odds chronicles Wayne A. Kuschel's life from his early childhood through his career in the Air Force. His adventures have taken him through out the U.S., from Washington to Texas.

All was accomplished with an 8th-grade education. After pilot training, he received a high school GED and a Bachelor's degree in 1956.

About the Author

Wayne was born in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, on 6 December 1923, during the early years of the Depression era. He was fortunate and attended good schools from the 1st through the 8th grades. Bernice Pace, his teacher in several grades, was the sole reason Wayne did so well in his endeavors. She poured academic knowledge into his brain, and Wayne received his eighth-grade diploma in 1938.

Mrs. Pace wanted him to attend high school, but he thought himself too smart for that, and didn't need any more education. He worked on several farms for $6 per month, with room and board. In the early part of 1940, he was driving a cattle truck when he noticed a billboard advertising the U.S. Army plastered with "see the world, adventure," etc. He was sworn into the army on 12 June 1940 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was 16 years old.

Wayne retired from the army in 1960 with the rank of Major. He accepted a position with the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command, Saint Louis, Missouri, a short time after his retirement from the Air Force. He held several executive management positions with the agency and retired from there in 1979. His wife Dorothy died in January 2002. Wayne lives in Henrietta, Texas.