Biography

Looking out across the alpine woodland and ice cap Mountains in Basel, located at the knee of the Rhine River where France, Germany, and Switzerland meet, Herman L. Giger can remember as if it were yesterday. The moment he fell in love with the United States of America and its people.

At fourteen years of age, Herman was captivated by the humanitarian efforts of President J.F. Kennedy in Berlin, the ambitious explorations of the USA space program, resulting in Neil Armstrong’s moon landing and the enthusiasm for life Americans enjoy.

As many Swiss people before him had done, Herman immigrated to New Glarus, Wisconsin, “Little Switzerland of America”, established in 1845. He later relocated to Chicago where he applied his skills in electronics as a radio and television technician.

Years later, Herman wanted to serve in a profound and patriotic way, he volunteered in the US Army in many functions and units. As a French translator, as radar technician, rotorcraft flight dispatcher and infantryman in the Airborne Infantry. Units: 8^th Infantry Division, 1^st CAV (US Army Sky Cavalry) and Berlin Brigade.

It was also in the US Army where Herman in his recreational OFF time realized the opportunity to follow the footsteps ELVIS PRESLEY ,what brought him into square- and rounddancing.

He also then joined the US Army Aero Club of the 1st CAV in Finthen (Germany) and received his Private pilot certificate issued by the F.A.A.

In 1972, while on leave, he toke the opportunity to travel around the globe onboard US Navy and US Air Force aircrafts “jump seating”. Usually the GI’s on leave state their destination and the dispatchers then would arrange the seats on the flights. Herman went the other way around, he asked where the next eastbound flights are going to and he toke the seat.

After finishing his studies and becoming an electrical engineer in Switzerland again, he took advantage of the GI – Education Benefit known as GI-Bill and further his flight training as a Commercial Pilot and Airline Pilot with Flight Instructor rating where he met another Flight Instructor ,whom he married 1989. Still today they hold a gold seal flight instructor rating. He is committed to the happiness of his wife and their two children (daughter and son).

Herman enjoys his life as a Pilot and Engineer and has the experience of transporting head of state PM’s, celebrities, the late Anna Nicole Smith on her last journeys, and the public throughout Florida, the Bahamas and Europe mostly on his favorite Jet of his choice: The Hawker Siddeley 125-800, he still has another dream. Herman wants to serve the State he loves most and has made his permanent home; Yes, Herman L. Giger for Governor of FLORIDA 2010. Let the sun continue to shine in Florida …and stay in touch!