My early years were spent in a very bad section of East LA. Both of my parents were in the military during WWll and I spent most of my childhood in Alameda, CA. When the war ended my parents moved to Hollywood and I went to Michealtorena Grammar School until the 7th grade. Then my parents moved to the Burbank and then I started and ended my three years of junior high at Jordan JH.

After graduation, went to Valley JC for one year then to Chico State and then my junior and senior years at University of Arizona. Unfortunately I was delayed in my education in 1958 by getting run over by a boat while water skiing at the Salton Sea. Spent almost a year's total time in hospitals & after seven operations all moving parts are almost normal. Actually with the aid of different types of leg braces over the years I have played in several 6ft.and under basketball leagues in the Valley, Rugby in the Bay Area and then later Senior Tennis in Florida.

Started my career in the motion picture industry in 1958 at Technicolor on a part time basis and then full time in 1961. Went to USC for their cinematography program for two years at night. I then went to Europe and Northern Africa and worked as a Camera Assistant for several independent production companies. In 1965 I joined Local 659 (Cameraman's Union) and got my Camera Operators Card in 1970. Married in 1968 and still married to the same lovely lady 37 years later. Two sons and two grandsons. One son has a Construction Company in Lake Tahoe and our other son is a Cameraman in Orlando.

From 1970 to 1979 I worked mostly at Desilu and Paramount Studios on Television and Motion Picture Productions. Spent a great portion of that time working with both of the Stuntman's Groups at that time. Those were wild and crazy times. After spending so much time away from home, I went into post-production in 1979 and managed several companies until 1990. In 1990 I was offered a Management position at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Prior to 1990 I had worked on several classified government programs dealing with the space program and because of that relationship I was offered a job, which later developed into a Project Manager Job on a Documentation Contract. This Contract required photo acquisition and documentation of all pre-launch, launch and post-launch of all Shuttle and Rocket Launch activities at KSC & Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. In 1998 I retired for the first time, got bored and formed a Construction and Remodeling Co. in 2003. Still actively involved at this time but looking forward to more time at home and taking up Golf once again.

Phillip Bills