Born in Ecuador in 1940, Dorian de Wind departed that country at the age of ten and lived in Curacao (The Netherlands Antilles) and in the Netherlands where he graduated from High School. After immigrating to the United States in 1957, Dorian enlisted in the US Air Force in 1958.
During his four years enlisted service, Dorian flew as an Airborne Radio Operator with the 551st AC&W Squadron, Otis AFB, Ma. and for the 3rd Air Force Special Missions unit at RAF Northolt, England. While in England he met and married his present wife, Carol, and was also selected to attend OCS Class 63A in February 1962. While in OCS, Dorian’s and Carol’s first son was born.
After his commissioning, Dorian attended navigator training at James Connally AFB, TX., and Computer Maintenance Officer School at Keesler AFB, MS. After graduation, Dorian served as a Computer Maintenance Officer at the Adair AFB, OR and Stead AFB, NV SAGE Sectors. In 1966 Dorian was assigned to the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex as Communications Electronics Officer.
In 1967, Dorian was selected to attend Texas A&M University under the AFIT program and graduated Suma Cum Laude with a degree in mathematics in 1969. He then served as SPACETRACK Chief of Maintenance at the 73rd Aerospace Surveillance Wing, Tyndall AFB, FL.
While at Tyndall, Dorian completed SOS at Maxwell AFB, AL. Subsequently, Dorian served as Site Engineer at the 412L system, Borfink Bunker, Germany. While in Germany, the DeWind’s second child, Tanya, was born.
Upon return to the US in 1972, Dorian attended the Communications Electronics Staff Officer Course and Air Command and Staff College at Keesler AFB, MS, and was retained at Keesler as an Instructor/Instructor Supervisor until 1975.
While at Keesler, Dorian obtained a Masters Degree in Telecommunications Science at the University of Southern Mississippi and served as Section Chief at the Vietnamese Refugee and Relocation Center in Alabama. Dorian’s final USAF assignment was Chief, Communications Programming at the Communications Computer Programming Center, Tinker AFB, OK.
Dorian retired in February 1978 at the rank of Major. His decorations include three AF Commendation Medals and two Meritorious Service medals. Immediately after retirement, Dorian continued to work towards a Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Oklahoma and to teach undergraduate courses at Oklahoma State University.
In the fall of 1978 Dorian joined the Lockheed Corporation where he worked for 17 years as Chief, Systems Engineering and Director of Marketing at Ontario, CA; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Austin, TX; Brussels, Belgium; and London, England.
Dorian retired from Lockheed Martin in 1995 and has continued to consult for Lockheed on aerospace projects in the US and in Taiwan. Dorian and Carol now reside in Austin, TX. His hobbies include tennis and his three-and-a-half-year-old grandson.
