College of Continuing Studies (CCS) newspaper
Winter 1970
Bootstrap Program Attracts Family
The "American Dream" is coming true for Captain Gerald H. Kasperbauer, the third of three brothers to attend UNO on the military "Bootstrap" program.
Captain Kasperbauer entered the University this fall - just missing his brother, Patrick, who graduated in March. An older brother, James, received his degree from UNO in 1965.
A fourth brother, Lonnie, also in the military service, is presently completing paperwork for a one or two year education tour - also at UNO.
The four brothers come from a family of nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. John S. Kasperbauer of Manning, Iowa. Mr. Kasperbauer was a farmer (now retired).
This perpetuation of the "American Dream" of getting ahead through means of obtaining a good education has certainly been exemplified by this grassroots family.
The eldest of the nine children, Michael, 40, has a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Iowa State University. He is presently working in plant research at the University of Kentucky.
The next, Marian, 38, is a registered nurse and housewife; mother of five children.
Patty, 36, graduated from Iowa State Teachers College, taught in the elementary grades for several years, and is now a housewife living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Larry, 34, also has a Ph.D. in Sociology from Iowa State. He is Dean of Education at the University of Guam.
Next in line: Jim, 33; Jerry, 30; Patrick, 28; and Lonnie, 23 are all officers in the military services. Jim and Jerry are in the U.S. Air Force; Patrick and Lonnie, in the Army.
Linda, 23 (Lonnie's twin) will graduate from Iowa State next spring with a degree in Home Economics.
Jerry, the sixth child, and presently enrolled in the College of Continuing Studies at UNO, is working toward a Bachelor of General Studies degree with major areas of concentration in Psychology and Sociology.
He is an Instructor Pilot from Williams AFB, Arizona, to which station he will return next year as a T-38 Instructor (the T-38 is a supersonic jet trainer used during the last six months of training Air Force pilots).
Captain and Mrs. Kasperbauer have two children; Charles, 6 and Kelly, 5 months old.
"My reason for selecting UNO as my school for degree completion," said the Captain, "is partly because of the fact that brothers Jim and Pat attended UNO."
"Upon completion of my degree requirements, I will have fulfilled a long-time dream of getting a college degree, as my parents were unable to assist any of us nine children in our college endeavors."
Captain Kasperbauer's long-range plans include studying for an advanced degree in Psychology "probably in the human factors area."
Since their graduation from UNO, Jerry's two brothers have done very well. Jim, who graduated in 1965, is presently stationed at Great Neck, Long Island, New York, with the Sperry Company. He has been selected by the Air Force for a nine months' education program in private industry running from August 1970 to June 1971. He expects an assignment to Southeast Asia as a combat crew navigator during the summer of 1971. His future plans include graduate work in the Business Administration area.
Patrick, the March 1970 UNO grad, is presently on his second tour of duty in Vietnam. He is stationed in Saigon with USARV-C-E. When he returns to the United States in May 1971, he is planning on an ROTC instructor's job with the chance to complete work on a master's degree while attached to his ROTC unit. He is married and has a one-year-old daughter, Kimberly.
The fourth Kasperbauer to arrive at UNO in the near future, Lonnie, enlisted in the Army in 1966 after one year at Northwest Missouri State College. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Artillery in 1967. He completed Army fixed-wing aviator training in 1969 and flew an 0-1 Bird Dog as forward Air Controller (FAC) in Vietnam until May 1970. He is presently stationed at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, with an artillery unit.
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Kasperbauer living out their "Sunset Years" in their Iowa home must certainly be proud of their offspring. Such fine children could only have developed through excellent parental motivation and character training.
The Kasperbauers are to be congratulated on the fine Americans they have contributed to their country.