April 17, 2014
William Finnie Comments at GEOINT 2013
Dadwasmyhero.Sotodayisvery,veryspecialtotheentireFinniefamily.
First,IwanttothankfourpeoplethatworkedcloselywithDadatDMA,weresuccessorstohimatDMAandwhoseeffortswereinstrumentalinmakingthis event areality:
Twoofthemareheretoday,andIwouldlikethemtostand:AIAnderson and LarryAyres.
Lastyear'sLundahlAwardrecipient,RedGilliam,and BillRiordan wereunabletomakethetrip.
Thereisasecondreasonformydeepappreciationforthesemen.
Untilayearago,Ididn'thavearealunderstandingofwhatDaddidforhiscountry.He didnot...andcouldnot...discusshisjobwithhis family or others.
IdidnotknowDadwasatMissionControlduringthe1969Moonlandinguntilthe summerof1999,30yearstotheweeklater.I washelpinghimboxsomebooksand cameacrossan officialalbumwith24largeglossy photographsofthemoonlanding.Iaskedhim howhegotit.HesaidhewasatMissionControl...andthenkeptboxingbooks.
AyearagoAlAnderson,LarryAyres,RedGilliamandIspentadaytogether being interviewedforthevideoyoujustsaw.Talkingtothesemenandwatchingtheirhour longinterviewswastrulyarevelation.
Oneotherpoint:on Tom FinnieArtLundahlandTomFinnieledparallellives.They bothgraduated fromcollegein1939andbothwereinvolvedinaerialphotographyinthePacificduring WorldWarII.ButArtLundahlwasintheintelligencesideofdefenseandTomFinniein themappingchartingside.Theirinteractions werelimited.Ithinkitiswonderfulfor NGAthatArtLundahlandTomFinnie,atlonglast, areunited.
Twonightsago,I readTheAdventoftheNationalGeospatial-IntelligenceAgency,the2011historyofNGA.Itisanamazingstoryofhowmilitary,technology, economic and politicalrealitiesledtothemergerofverydifferentcultures.
DadlovedworkingwithLt.GeneralHowardPenneyand a dozen others tocreateDMA,sohewould haveappreciatedthemanagement challengesassociatedwiththecreationofNIMA andthenof NGA.Hewouldbedelightedwithallthebrilliant, dedicatedpeoplewhohavecreated today'sNGAtechnology.Dadwasfocusedonidentifyingwhatsolutionswereneeded toeffectivelyaddress thebiggeststrategicchallenges,andhewouldbetotally impressedwithNGA'smanysuccesses.AndDadwouldbedelighted,atlonglast,tobe closelyassociatedwithArtLundahl.
Thankyou so much!