Lockheed Martin at 100: A Pioneering Employee Shares a Centennial

Roy Greenough's memories are the stuff of history

as told to Chris B.

Roy Greenough traces his love for aviation to the age of seven. He was in a spellbound crowd that watched the legendary Glenn L. Martin touch down on an airfield outside Cleveland, Ohio. Later, Greenough would move to California to attend aircraft technical school where he learned skills working on Lockheed Electras.

At 27, Greenough accepted an offer from the Glenn L. Martin Company in Baltimore, Maryland, to work as a riveter on the aircraft manufacturing line on the eve of World War II for 45 cents an hour.

It’s only fitting that, as Lockheed Martin celebrates its Centennial, Roy Greenough celebrates his 100 years. History can be seen in his collection of hand-built wooden models of Lockheed Martin aircraft from the past century. Greenough uses poplar because, “Poplar hardly ever cracks.”

Greenough offers a unique company perspective, from the innovation and dedication that kept crucial PBM aircraft assembly lines moving around the clock during World War II to technology that produced jet aircraft, missiles and rockets. His memories as an employee from 1939 to 1970 are the stuff of history: supervising new female industrial workers, symbolized by 'Rosie the Riveter'; testing new jet aircraft of the post-war years; and working on missile programs at Martin Marietta’s Orlando facility.

Greenough recalled how aircraft, manufacturing and testing techniques, working conditions and salaries changed dramatically. What changed even more, Greenough said, was the human capacity to adapt, to overcome and to innovate. “It’s the people. You get ahead by helping others,” he said. 

Photo 1: History is seen in his amazing models.

Photo 2: Greenough can trace his love for aviation to childhood.

Tire Tracks in the Sand

Opening the door for exploration from Goshen, Alabama, to space and beyond
by Warren W.

It was one of those quiet, lazy days that offered delicious anticipation to those children willing to take on an adventure. The year was sometime around 1920 and the location was rural Alabama, near the little town of Goshen.

Typically, families of that era were large, and my father’s family was no exception. On that particular day, my father Woodrow and several of his Wilson siblings decided to take a walk down the dusty, dirt road over to the main road to view what to them would be a worthy reward for their effort.

It was nearly a three-mile walk in one direction, but that didn’t matter to the young explorers. There, mixed in among the buggy and wagon tracks at the well-traveled main road, the youngsters hoped to find the thing they sought – an automobile tire track. The hardy group was completely satisfied simply to see evidence where one of the new automobile contraptions had passed.

Many decades later, my father used this story from his early childhood to illustrate to me just how far technology had come and the profound way it had changed all of our lives.

Recently, I stood as a spectator on a sandy beach in Florida and watched as Space Shuttle Endeavour launched skyward. At first the craft was a giant, roaring beast eager to escape the bonds of earth.  Then moments later, it was reduced to a tiny speck disappearing in the distance.

When the spectacle was over, I began to walk across the beach in the direction of my hotel. As I pondered what I had just seen, thoughts of Dad came to me. I wondered about those feelings of awe experienced by him and his barefoot companions after their long trek to view simple tire tracks in the sand. Could their emotions experienced so long ago match those I felt after viewing a launch into space of the most sophisticated flying machine ever built?

Deep in thought, I continued my path on the beach and almost overlooked what surely must have been a sign from the past. There, in an out-of-the-way spot where a few scattered weeds pushed their way through an area of hard-packed sand, someone had driven onto the beach and left something behind – tire tracks in the sand.

A Piece of Space Program History

Technological innovation and exploration are in this family’s genes
by Jon W.

A piece of space history, circa 1962.  These are the signatures in the order signed: 
Gus Grissom, Deke (Dix) Slayton, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter,
B. G. MacNabb (my grandfather’s boss) and Alan Shepard.

Convair, an American aircraft, rocket and spacecraft company founded in 1943, designed, deployed and manufactured high-technology aerospace products. Two its most famous products include the B-36 Bomber (used by the United States Air Force between 1949 and 1959) and the Atlas missile. The Atlas missile was the foundation for space launch vehicles and is used in part today to launch satellites and other equipment into space.

In 1953, Convair was purchased by General Dynamics. The Space Systems division of Convair was then sold to Martin Marietta in 1994. A year later, Martin Marietta merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. Given where we are concerning space exploration, I decided to scan a piece of history from its beginnings.

This is my grandfather’s ticket (front and back) to a party to celebrate the seven astronauts of Project Mercury. These men shaped the future of the space program and become a significant part of human history. They knew my grandfather Bob Goldinger personally, as he was one of the lead engineers for Project Mercury. Five of these seven astronauts attended the1962 dinner dance. Each signed his ticket. The sixth signature on the ticket is my grandfather’s boss.

A Focus on Flight

Proud to be a part of aviation history

Bitten by the aviation bug in college, it’s been a wonderful career for
this flying enthusiast.

 In 1962, I had to decide between pre-med or aeronautical engineering as a sophomore at the University of Illinois. I read an article about the Lockheed A-12/SR71 in Aviation Week, and it made my decision. I received degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and went on to complete graduate school also. In 1970, I went to work for the Lockheed California Company and retired 30 years later after working on many Skunkworks projects. During the last ten years, I was manager of product engineering for the F-117A Avionics Division.

During college, I took all of the computer courses offered, which were very limited at that time. These then were the basis of my career with Lockheed Martin and my leading many software and systems development projects. The most challenging was being project engineer for the Weapon System Simulation Center (WSSC) at Rye Canyon, which was a key to winning the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) demonstration and validation (Dem/Val) contract for the F-22 Raptor.