Biography - Anton Karol Kleparek
Anton was born 23 March 1981 in Coupeville, Island County, Washington and was raised at his home in Freeland on South Whidbey Island. From 1986 to 1989 he attended South Whidbey Primary school grades K through 2 and then from 1989 to 1992 he attended South Whidbey Elementary School grades 3 through 5. He was a studious youngster participating in many extracurricular activities including soccer, T-Ball, and music. He performed regularly with the South Whidbey Island Strings on his violin. From the year 1992 through 1995 he attended Langley Middle School involving himself in sports such as track and cross country. He was also on the Middle School jazz band. He spent one year at the South Whidbey High School from 1995 to 1996, grade nine, before his family moved to Pleasant Grove, Utah. There he attended Pleasant Grove High School for three years before graduating in 1999.
Several special performance awards were presented to Anton while a student in elementary and high school. To name a few: �Eager Listener� award from the Regional Library, �All Star Speller� award from his elementary teacher, and �Spirit of the Team� award from his high school track team.. While in high school he was nominated to be included in the 32nd annual edition of Who�s Who Among American High School Students 1997-98. Anton also attended one year of college at the College of Eastern Utah from 1999 to 2000 maintaining a high GPA. He received honorable recognition for his activity in high school and at college singing with the Baroque and chamber choirs. He has a beautiful voice and enjoys singing.
Anton has always been goal oriented. His interests included mountaineering, hiking, cycling, and running. During his school years he took several hikes in the Olympic and Cascade mountains. Each year he wanted to complete some high adventure activity. At age 10 he got his own 10-speed bicycle and rode with his dad on the 200 mile Seattle-to-Portland bicycle classic. At age 11 he took a four day 200 mile bicycle tour to Canada. At age 12 he rode his bicycle from Seattle, Washington to Clearfield, Utah. At age 13 he and his dad hiked a section of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Columbia River to White Pass in Washington State, a distance of about 110 miles. At age 14 he rode his bicycle round trip from Pleasant Grove Utah to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. At age 15 he did another bicycle ride of 1000 miles from Seattle to Pleasant Grove, Utah. And at age 16 while active in scouting he completed a 120 mile trek through the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.
Besides those major activities throughout his pre-teen and teen age years, Anton continued to fulfill other personal goals. He was active in scouting from age 8 through 18 (1989 to 1999) completing some 32 merit badges including communications, geography, engineering, journalism, and aviation. It was getting his aviation merit badge while in scouting that sparked his interest in flying. In May 1997 he received his Eagle Award, the highest award in scouting. His Eagle project was the planning and construction of a wheel chair trail and overlook at South Whidbey State Park. It was his interest in track and cross country while in high school that inspired him to run is first marathon in 2002.
His interests also include family history and genealogy. This has seemed to play an important part in his decision making throughout his life. He has been a devout Christian maintaining high moral and personal standards. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints he has attended to his church meetings faithfully and has held several various leadership positions within the church structure. For his four years during high school Anton had attended special seminary classes. He rarely missed regular attendance at school, church, and seminary .
In May of 2000 when he reached the age of 19 he left the confines of home life to dedicate two years to his religions conviction by serving a foreign mission for the church in St. Petersburg, Russia. He studied hard learning the language and customs of the country. He was commended for his church service and dedication. He was released in May of 2002. He used this experience as a prerequisite for joining the U. S. Navy as a language specialist. His father, grandfather, and uncle had all served in the U. S. Navy and he felt the inspired patriotic duty to carry on that family tradition. He joined the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) in July of 2002 helping to man various events for his local recruiting office at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
On 6 January 2003 he entered active service in the U. S. Navy and attended boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois. In March he was transferred to the Monterey Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He excelled in his military service calling by completing his Class A Phase I technical schooling . He moved on to complete his Phase II schooling in San Angelo, Texas the following year, 2004. While in Monterey Anton met and married a beautiful young lady who shared his same religious beliefs and personal goals. After being transferred to Fort Meade in Maryland he wanted to add to his talents by get his pilot�s license. Anton, with his own money and time, spent some two hundred hours training and in 2005 obtained his private pilot�s license.
Anton Karol Kleparek is a trustworthy individual; loyal and understanding of others. He has always been a kind and cheerful individual, obedient to his superiors, and a high achiever. He has always wanted to serve others in various capacities. It is with great pleasure that I present him for this latest in a line of personal achievements.
Family Update: December 2006: Anton has had a life long desire to fly. This past year he has pursued that goal and has successfully been selected for the new Navy program called the Flying Chief Warrant Officer Program. He was commissioned on December 1st with follow-on orders to attend Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, Rhode Island. The Flying Chief Warrant Officer Program is a new initiative designed to provide the Navy with career pilots, and to create a new class of Naval Aviators different from the traditional career paths. For the past year and a half he has flown over 45 hours in his spare time to earn his private pilot�s license and currently has over 100 hours of flight time. He is one of only 10 sailors selected across the board from the 83 candidates Navy-wide competing for this position. His wife, Amanda, and children, Ella and Alex, will meet him in Pensacola, Florida in March 2007 where he will begin his training.
>
>
>
>