"Let me tell you something about this Jazzy. It's absolutely terrific," said Mike. "It does exactly what you want it to do, when you want it to do it. It reminds me a lot of helicopters from my time in the Army. The way the Jazzy drives with the joystick, the response and performance, it's more like flying a chopper."

Mike uses a power chair due to peripheral neuropathy, which doctors attribute to exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam, and has severely limited his mobility. "I served in what was known as the ‘Iron Triangle,' Northwest of Saigon, and the area was very heavy with Agent Orange," said Mike. "I was in Vietnam from 1971 to 1972 and I first got sick in October of '71. It wasn't until much later, in 1992, that a neurologist looked back and thought that was the beginning of my trouble."

Today, Mike receives treatment and therapy from the W.G. Heffner Veterans Administration Medical Center, Salisbury, North Carolina, VA Hospital, where his therapist, Norah Gaynor, was instrumental in choosing Mike's Jazzy 1113 ATS. "She's a great lady," said Mike. "When she mentioned a power chair, my obsessive/compulsive nature kicked in and I started trying to learn everything about every power wheelchair. She told me to slow down, work with her, and she would help me through the process. She's been doing this a long time."

During that consultation process, Norah asked Mike what he felt was his most overriding need. "I told her I'm trapped in my home and I can't stand it," he recalled. "Now, that's no longer the case. Just last night, I took a ride on a mile loop where my wife and I used to walk. That might be the best, most therapeutic, thing about the Jazzy. Even when I'm not using it, I can just look at it and think, ‘I'm not trapped in the house any more.'"

Norah said Mike's active lifestyle played a large role in picking the Jazzy 1113 ATS. "Mike doesn't require any specialty seating or other high-end options, so we wanted a power chair that would let him be as active as possible," she explained. "He had done research on his own and had a pretty good idea of what he wanted. Mike is a very detail oriented person and he was concerned about being able to get just the right product for him and his needs and lifestyle. It's a tribute to the Jazzy 1113 ATS that he's a very satisfied customer."

That attention to detail can probably be largely be attributed to Mike's Army career. He remained on active duty until 1992, serving in Honduras, during the conflict between the Contras and the Sandanistas, as well as in Panama, participating in the military action taken to oust dictator Manuel Noriega, before his symptoms forced him from active duty. After receiving a medical discharge, Mike taught middle school students with behavioral and emotional challenges in Greensboro North Carolina, having previously earned a Master of Education degree while in the Army.

His military background served him well in that endeavor, as Mike found that by instilling basic discipline he was able to get his students to achieve, rather than using their challenges as an excuse for nonperformance. It remains a source of pride for Mike today.  "I ran the best program of its kind in the county," said Mike. "I had determined that my kids were going to learn, not just sit and watch videos."

Mike retired from teaching in 1999, when his condition had progressed to the point that he was experiencing severe, painful tremors, which required extensive treatment, including various medications.

"Besides the peripheral neuropathy in my legs, I have what's called a caped neuropathy in my chest, and a number of other issues," explained Mike. "This has all been attributed to the Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam."

As a result, in 2001 Mike was received the Order of the Silver Rose, an independent award given to veterans who were affected by Agent Orange, since they remain ineligible for the Purple Heart under military regulations. The Silver Rose organization is currently lobbying congress, the military, and others to change the policies and regulations that will not allow Agent Orange victims to receive a Purple Heart, but in the meantime have designed their own award to ensure some recognition.

According to information from the Order of the Silver Rose, the award consists of a numbered certificate, a medal, and a copy of the Silver Rose poster. Both the certificate and the poster are suitable for framing and displaying. Each certificate is signed by Order of the Silver Rose National Director Gary J. Chenett and is lettered and embossed with the Silver Rose crest, which features the scales of justice over a ribbon.

Mike remains retired from teaching and now enjoys cooking, fishing, and spending time with his wife, Susan, and their cat, Lafite, who is named after the couple's collection of chateau. "He's aging well," Mike joked about the cat. "But I don't think he'll ever be drinkable." On cooking, Mike brings the same single-minded focus he brought to his military and teaching careers. "I'm actually a very good cook," he said. "I'll make whatever you want, all my own sauces, soups, and stews. I de-bone and cut meat, fish, or fowl and I have a smoker outside and a Sterling range/grill. It's something I enjoy a lot."