2011
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.JPG)
Steven
J.
Pelehach
was
born
and
raised
in
Nanticoke
Pennsylvania,
a
small
coal
mining
town,
a
son
of a
coal
miner,
whose
parents
died
at a
young
age.
Steve
promised
his
dad
that
he
would
not
work
in
the
mines
and
just
after
graduation
in
1954,
Steve
entered
the
U.S.
Air
Force.
Steve
lost
his
dad
a
year
later
to
Black
Lung
followed
not
so
many
years
by
his
mom
who
passed
with
a
heart
attack.
Steve’s
sister
still
lives
in
the
old
home
place,
like
most
rural
folks,
she
loves
their
home,
family
and
friends
and
rarely
move
away.
.jpg)
Steve
watched
people
come
and
go
and
thought
it
was
unusual
that
women
were
not
there
(yet)
but
they
came
along
and
found
their
way
into
the
job
over
the
next
few
years.
Steve
was
a
mentor
to
not
only
staff,
but
to
Inmates
as
well.
His
maturity
and
good
natured
common
sense
was
always
a
resource
to
supervisors
and
fellow
staff.
Steve
worked
everywhere
at
one
time
or
another
over
the
next
22
years,
regular
dorms,
confinement,
warehouse,
dining
hall
and
recreation.
Even
before
extended
day
operations,
Steve
used
pushups,
and
motivation
exercises
to
teach
and
manage
Inmates
under
his
charge.
He
mixed
good
humor
and
fair
mindedness
to
communicate
effectively
and
always
displayed
the
potential
to
do
good
and
succeed
to
the
inmates
he
came
in
to
contact
with.
He
knows
that
because
of
many
of
the
senior
staff
and
their
fair
treatment
of
inmates
at
Brevard
that
there
were
many
young
lives
changed
to
the
better.
Uwe
Schwersensky
was
born
in
Berlin
Germany
on
October
4,
1934.
Ski,
his
brother
&
sister
grew
up
in
Germany
during
one
of
the
most
difficult
times
of
the
20th
century.
Ski’s
father
was
a
social
worker
and
at
the
beginning
of
the
War
and
had
to
leave
his
job
as
he
was
identified
by
the
government
as a
half-Jew.
His
entire
family
was
subject
to
arrest
and
detention
if
found.
His
father’s
boss
tipped
his
father
of
the
situation
and
helped
Ski’s
dad
by
employing
him
as a
courier
delivering
movies
to
theaters
all
over
the
Berlin
area.
His
dad’s
boss
had
taken
a
post
as a
movie
distributor
and
was
within
the
loop
of
information
about
SS
and
other
police
efforts
to
round
up
those
persons
identified
as
enemies
of
the
state,(
as
movies
and
propaganda
were
very
important
and
valuable
and
were
moved
in
liaison
with
such
activity),
which
was
ongoing
throughout
the
war
in
the
Berlin
metropolitan
area.
Ski’s
father’s
boss
would
have
him
move
his
family
when
information
would
be
provided
of
police
action
in
the
area
where
the
Schwersensky’s
lived.
Ski
said
that
they
moved
so
many
times
from
Berlin,
to
Saxony,
to
East
Prussia
and
then
again
to
Berlin
always
in
advance
of a
sweep
in
each
section.
The
Schwesensky
family
was
blessed
to
have
all
survived
this
terrifying
existence,
coupled
by
the
constant
allied
bombing,
ongoing
sweeps
by
the
secret
police,
and
finally
near
the
end
of
the
war
the
shaking
and
rumbling
of
Russian
tanks
roaring
down
the
streets
in
front
of
the
family
home
entering
Berlin.
Ski
related
that
they
spent
so
much
time
in
the
fortified
deep
basements
during
these
periods,
but
were
thankful
for
surviving
the
War.
Ski
first
came
to
the
United
States
as a
teen
exchange
student
in
1952
and
was
hosted
his
senior
year
of
high
school
in
Bucks
county
Pennsylvania
where
he
graduated
in
1953.
He
returned
to
Germany
as
his
student
visa
had
expired.
In
1955
Ski
returned
to
the
United
States
to
become
a
citizen
and
joined
the
United
States
Air
Force
where
he
completed
basic
and
Tech
school
graduating
as a
USAF
photographer.
Just
after
finishing
Tech
School
in
1956,
Ski
was
sent
to
West
Germany
through
1960.
In
1960
he
returned
to
the
US
working
at
White
sands
test
range.
Ski
was
then
moved
to
Denver,
CO.
where
he
was
injured
in
an
auto
accident
and
after
recovering
he
was
sent
to
school
and
certified
as a
master
-
Instructor
and
taught
class
sections
in
skills
in
developing
and
handling
of
high
altitude
recon
films
and
camera
systems.
In
1966,
Ski
volunteered
for
Viet
Nam
and
served
in
Saigon
as a
Photography
support
in
recon.
Ski
was
awarded
the
Bronze
Star
during
his
participation
and
action
during
the
Tet
offensive.
In
1969,
Ski
was
sent
to
Japan
TDY
Okinawa
along
with
the
SR71
aircraft.
In
1972,
Ski
was
sent
to
cross
training
in
Hawaii,
as
the
SR
71
program
was
ending
for
him
and
he
became
a
Security
Police
Officer
and
was
a
“cop”
for
the
next
couple
of
years.
By
1979,
Ski
was
returned
to
the
US
and
stationed
in
Michigan
and
was
preparing
to
retire.
His
wife’s
sister
lived
in
Cocoa
and
checked
the
local
job
market,
along
with
Patrick
AFB
being
near;
Titusville
was
a
good
choice
for
a
place
to
live.
As a
result
of
Ski’s
sister
in
laws
efforts,
George
Lee
(also
an
USAF
retiree)
a
new
Personnel
Officer
at a
newer
prison
located
in
the
rural
community
of
Sharpes,
Florida
called
Ski
and
asked
if
he
would
like
to
come
to
Florida
to
work
and
in
1979,
Uwe
Schwersensky
started
his
career
as a
Correctional
Officer
with
the
Florida
Department
of
Corrections.
Ski
worked
the
Main
Unit
(mostly
the
third
shift)
as
well
as
opened
the
Work
Camp
in
1990
and
then
before
retiring
finished
up
at
the
Main
Unit.
Sergeant
Schwersky
could
always
be
counted
on
and
was
a
valuable
asset
to
his
shift.
Ski
worked
from
1979
till
he
retired
in
1997.
.jpg)
R
(At
that
time
you
couldn’t
get
in
to
the
Army
unless
there
was
a
vacancy).
Finally,
on
2/9/40
R.L.
was
sworn
in
to
the
US
Army
at
Ft.
Benning
Ga.
For
the
next
20
years,
5
months
and
23
days
he
served
his
nation.
Once
in
Brevard
County,
he
went
to
work
in
Civil
Service
at
Patrick
AFB
where
he
served
11.5
years.
He
left
on
disability
with
a
battle
with
cancer
in
1975.
After
about
a
year,
being
a
cancer
survivor,
R.L.
again
went
back
to
Patrick
hoping
to
return
to
work.
Unfortunately
his
position
was
no
longer
available.
BREVARD
CORRECTIONAL
INSTITUTION
in
the
Food
Service
Department.
R.L.
became
the
standard
for
food
service
at
Brevard
CI.
His
extensive
military
expertise
and
good
common
sense
was
always
an
asset
to
the
agency.
He
wielded
that
damned
spatula
like
a
light
saber
and
moved
those
chow
lines
and
taught
inmate
workers
more
than
they
could
have
learned
at
any
college
about
food
service.
“Go
that
way!”
was
a
familiar
line
to
those
lingering
in
front
of a
server
for
any
extra
portions
or
favors.
Smitty,
as
we
all
called
him,
became
the
Food
Service
Sergeant
and
later
Vocational
Food
Service
Instructor.
But
he
made
it
happen
every
day
he
walked
in
those
gates.
After
retiring
from
Brevard,
Smitty
worked
as a
security
officer
for
the
USA
newspaper
in
Melbourne
for
8
years.
R.L.
then
retired
and
subsequently
built
a
home
in
Maggie
Valley
NC.
In
2000,
Mrs.
Smith,
R.L.’s
wife
of
57
years
passed
away.
R.L.
sold
his
home
and
moved
into
the
Armed
Forces
Retirement
Home
in
Washington
DC.
After
about
a
year
and
a
half,
he
decided
to
transfer
to
the
Gulfport
Mississippi
location
just
in
time
for
Hurricane
Katrina
and
R.L.
found
himself
without
a
place
to
live.
He
moved
to
Lake
City
Florida
where
he
lived
temporarily
with
his
sister.
R.L.
became
involved
in
the
local
Church
and
subsequently
met
his
current
wife,
Bonnie
Timrick.
R.L.
and
Bonnie
live
outside
of
Lake
City
and
enjoy
the
quiet
pace
of
country
living.
Bill
Rickenbrode
was
born
in
Wichita
Kansas
and
raised
in
Hope
Kansas
with
his
brother
and
sister,
graduating
from
Hope
Rural
High
School
in
1960.
Bill’s
dad
was
an
auto
and
diesel
mechanic
and
then
a
truck
driver
for
a
large
agricultural
chemical
company.
His
mom
also
worked
for
the
same
company
as a
PR
printer.
James
(Rip)
Collins
was
born
and
raised
in
Chatham
New
York
with
his
4
brothers
and
2
sisters.
Jim
served
in
the
US
Navy
from
1948
to
1955.
Jim
married
Nancy
in
1951
and
started
their
family.
Jim’s
first
job
after
the
navy
was
with
the
Chatham
Telephone
Company
from
1955
–
1956.
In
1957
Jim
and
Nancy
relocated
to
Florida
and
he
went
to
work
at
R.C.A.,
G.E.,
MARTINCO
and
BOEING.
Jim
remained
active
in
Veterans
Affairs
after
his
service
years.
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