Lilley Blossoms At NJ Transit

"I always wanted to be an artist," he says.

In 1970, though, after completing his second year, the whole direction of his life changed.

"I was interrupted by this slight little altercation that happened in Southeast Asia—called Vietnam," he drolly recalls. "I knew I was going to be drafted."

He decided to beat the army to the punch and enlisted in the Army Security Agency. After making it through one tour in Vietnam, Lilley was able to put his education to use in the army.