This photo of Greg is at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Ariz., standing next to a T-28 airplane he flew in 1960. From the tail number on the plane, Greg identified this plane as one he had actually flown!
Jan Christensen
Since Greg Byrne had always enjoyed challenges, he thought the Marine Corps was the best branch of the military that would offer him the most challenges. With a list of serving in many locations such as: Parris Island, S.C.; Pensacola, Fla. (his favorite location because he liked the flight training and made some life-long friends there); New Iberia, L.A.; El Toro, Calif.; Beaufort, S.C.; and Iwakuni, Japan, Captain Greg Byrne stated, “I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
Greg joined the Marine Corps after two years in college, serving eight years of active duty from 1959 through 1967. He was selected for pilot training and an officer’s commission after boot camp.
When Greg was stationed in Japan from June 1962 to June 1963, his squadron flew KC-130 transports in Vietnam to support Marine helicopter squadrons and advisors. One of their duties was to refuel aircraft in flight. It wasn’t considered a “combat zone” then (U.S. combat troops did not arrive in Vietnam until 1965), but his squadron was still shot at during this time.
Another challenging experience Greg had in Vietnam was landing on runways that were only 3,000 feet long, which is less than half the usual runway length for military aircraft. To top it off, there were many potholes! Greg still has the map he drew of all the potholes so he could steer around them during landing and taking off.
One of his most memorable experiences, and another challenge, was when he was chosen (or as he says “plucked”) out of the squadron to be a “temporary lawyer” in Iwakuni, Japan, the Marines’ largest airbase in the Pacific. The base’s legal officer had been transferred and Greg took his place until the position was filled by a “real lawyer.”
Greg’s most challenging experience was landing on an aircraft carrier. “Unless you have done it, you don’t know how small a carrier looks from the air!” But Greg added it was the most fun he had in his career. “It’s an adrenaline junkie’s dream!”
After being discharged from the Marines, Greg used the GI Bill to complete college at the University of South Carolina in economics and then went on to receive a law degree from Harvard. Perhaps his stint as a “temporary lawyer” played a part in his decision to earn a law degree and practice law in Portland, Ore., for 45 years!
Greg and his wife, Debra, both play golf, love to hike, and play pickleball. Debra also enjoys Glasshoppers and painting. Most importantly, Greg says,” We moved to the Ranch because we saw the Ranch as a community. We wanted to live near friendly people with similar interests.”