Throughout my life along the way, I have at times come across someone that leaves a lasting impression on me. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to speak with a man whom I found to be

articulate, intelligent and interesting to talk with. It is not often at a first meeting to decide

that someone is special. But even with those abilities, he was real and approachable.

And what was even more surprising to me was the fact, this person wore the collar of

the St. Vincent Catholic Church. His name, Bill Klug.

Remembering his ability to communicate and be very personable, I decided to ask him

to speak to the members of the New Martinsville Rotary. Without hesitation he texts me

back, “I would be pleased too.”

Last Wednesday at the Rotary regular weekly meeting, Bill took time out of his valuable

day doing church business and came before the group. It did not take long for the

members to realize; Bill had a world of experience. And his time away from the town of

New Martinsville, had taken him to places most of us only see in adventure movies

written by Tom Clancey.

His life after New Martinsville began at West Liberty with three years of college. He then

enlisted in the Air Force and later applied to officer’s candidate school. His father was

not pleased that he had not completed college and enrolled in the military, but always

supported him in this decision.

His first assignment took him to Grand Forks North Dakota, a state that probably

had more missile silos at that time, then any other state. He soon realized that he was in

the middle of a place if things went wrong, they would be first to launch minuteman

missiles to defend the country and prevent any future attacks. He explained several

times during his talk, about how he often thought about the fact he came from a small

town in West Virginia and was now in a place that would defend America with massive

weapons.

By some twist of fate, he was reassigned to command a Navy ship in the Pacific. The

ship’s mission was to provide radar support to the Strategic

Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Bill explains that one day his ship was approached by

the Mexican Navy. His ship was in international waters. Up to that point, he had not even realized Mexico had a Navy.

The Mexican Patrol boat captain, instructed Bill to stand down, and prepare to be

boarded. This was done with a heavy fifty caliber pointed at his vessel. His unarmed

radar ship had no real defense, but Bill knew if he turned the two massive radar emitters

towards the patrol boat, he would quickly convince them to turn away. A few minutes

later, microwave popcorn began popping as the Mexican boat sped away.

Shortly thereafter he had reached his 35th birthday. With being a year older, he

was moved to Washington DC, reporting to the Joint Chiefs of staff working out of the

PentagonWhite House Military Office. That was during the Presidency of Bill Clinton.

Following that assignment he was reassigned to the NSA.

He was also at the White House there in the first year of George Bush’s Presidency.

However, on the morning of September 11, 2001, while working for the NSA, he was

running late for a briefing at the Pentagon. Suddenly as he was heading down the

hallway to the conference room, the building shook violently and the hallway before him disappeared. Smoke and fire were

everywhere.

Over the next 24 hours, everything changed and his world became very busy.

In the morning, he was heading down the same hallway at 3 in the morning. Everything was

covered in soot. As he walked, he turned and looked behind at the darkened hallways.

The only footprints were his on the blackened floor. I believe from his words; it was at

that point in his life he began looking for answers. Why a boy from West Virginia was

late for a meeting that saved his life, why a boy from West Virginia had been part of

strategic war planning. This is not the life his education or plan had brought him too, and

yet he found himself in the middle of history.

Following that time, Bill was assigned to Omaha Nebraska. There he was at the center

of strategic planning. He also realized that his education at Magnolia and West Liberty

and Fairmont State prepared him for this life, even if that was not his intent. His MNBA

gave him knowledge of how to turn data into useful information. That helped to plan the

defense for America.

After Omaha Nebraska he moved to Minot North Dakota to assume command of a

Strategic Missile Squadron. Now he was responsible for a squadron of intercontinental

ballistic missiles and the 120 men and women assigned to the unit. Eventually Bill

retired after being selected for Colonel, He again returned to Washington and

served the White House during the Obama administration. Later moving to work as the

Chief of Staff for Nuclear Operations for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In

2020, he again moved to begin working with

and has been working with the National Guard in the Cybersecurity field.

Bill was asked, “How did you find your way into the service of God?” He explains that it

was not so much a rush to a calling, but something over his career, things he saw and

experienced. He wanted to find a better understanding, and better way. Over a four-year

period with the help of the church, he gained the right to wear the collar of a deacon.

Throughout his talk he kept referring to the opportunity’s young people have. And how

sometimes fate comes along, and your life travels down an unseen path like his, a young boy from West Virginia never saw it coming as he looked Through the Lens.