Page 94 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2023 - Online Magazine

Exceptional

SENIORS

On Life, Love, and the

U.S. AIR FORCE

Margaret Mary McCullough

by Jane Bromley

Sacred Heart High School, she years later, Don was sent to Supreme
was hired at the USMA Registrar’s Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
office as a secretary/stenographer, (S.H.A.P.E.) in Belgium. It was the
where she met many outstanding family's favorite assignment—located
young men. A cadet named Don near Paris, Amsterdam, Germany,
McCullough caught her eye just Luxembourg, and Switzerland. The
after she caught his. Many months McCulloughs enjoyed “four fabulous
later, she was pinned under years” before Don was selected for Air
“Kissing Rock” on the campus War College in Alabama, then sent to
of West Point. The day following Lackland in San Antonio and Randolph
Col. Don McCullough Don's graduation, June 5, 1958, they AFB, where he was promoted to
were married, surrounded by their Colonel. Life was busy and exciting, and
families from New York and Iowa. Margaret Mary loved making friends
he following is an attempt to and experiencing new cultures.
cram a very full life story of joy, The brand-new Air Force Academy had
Tsorrow, love, and laughter into a not yet had a graduating class.
very small space, much the same way it Don was one of the 25% of West
has been packed into the petite Margaret Point graduates selected for the
Mary Davis McCullough. Air Force, and the newlyweds
were sent to Moore Air Base in
The story started happily in 1936, when south Texas where Don attended
Margaret Mary Davis was born into a pilot training and eventually
lovely Irish family in Highland Falls, became a navigator. Margaret
NY, just next door to the U.S. Military Mary embraced her new life and
Academy at West Point. It took a sad made friends everywhere Don was
turn when her mother realized that her stationed: Webb AB in Big Spring;
one-year-old baby girl couldn't walk. Grand Forks AFB (ND), where
For years, the physically challenged little son Michael was born; James Margaret Mary with her five children
girl endured taunts because of an injury Connally AFB, Waco;
at birth. When she was 13, her dad then Dover AFB (DE)
took her to the hospital for a successful where James, Theresa,
surgery, and her life took a happy turn. and Michelle were born,
Margaret Mary discovered that she was and Scott AFB (IL) where
good at sports—especially basketball, Pamela was born. The
volleyball, cheerleading, roller- skating, next assignment was the
and twirling. Pentagon.
As a teenager, she earned money Don and Margaret Mary
babysitting for West Point families— moved to Maryland with
including Major John S. D. Eisenhower, five little ones under
son of then-President Dwight D. the age of six. Life was
Eisenhower. After graduation from nothing if not full. Seven

94 Lubbock Senior Link