'Famous' former Airman recalls his service

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chris Vadnais
  • Air Force News Agency
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) --  An actor, writer, and the original entrepreneur behind the Famous Amos cookie brand visited pre-schoolers at Hickam Air Force Base's Child Development Center Sept. 10 as part of Air Force Week Honolulu.

Wally Amos, a staunch literacy advocate, volunteered his time to read books to the children. 

One of these books was Margery Cuyler's "That's Good! That's Bad!," which weaves its main character through good and bad situations. As Mr. Amos read, he urged the children to participate.

Just when it looked as if things were dreadfully impossible, Mr. Amos read, "That's bad," to which he coached the kids reply, "No, that's good!" On the next page, the disaster would turn out to be a stroke of luck.

Mr. Amos's life story could be written that way. Before he sold his first cookie, Wally Amos was an Airman. A high school dropout, he enlisted in 1953, and was stationed at Hickam AFB from 1954 to 1957.

During his single term in the Air Force, he managed to earn his GED. However, he also wound up in his share of trouble, and that's bad.

No, that's good! One of his punishments was reportedly a sentence to the kitchen, where he was required to make cookies. Perhaps it was then and there that the Famous Amos and Chip & Cookie brands were born.

"I grew up in the Air Force," Mr. Amos said. "I learned to be responsible, I learned to take care of me, I learned what it meant to make a commitment to someone and to honor that commitment, so I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Air Force."

After leaving the Air Force, Mr. Amos worked at the William Morris Agency, first in the mail room, and eventually representing acts like Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and Simon and Garfunkel.

In 1975, a friend convinced him to leave the entertainment business and open his first Famous Amos cookie store in Los Angeles. The company prospered for 10  years under Mr. Amos's direction, but in 1985 it changed hands, and the brand is now owned by the Kellogg Company. That's bad.

No, that's good! Mr. Amos was able to use his celebrity and focus his efforts on promoting something he said he's always been very passionate about: Literacy. He has also found time to write more than 10 books and to build another successful brand, Chip & Cookie.

Mr. Amos is just the kind of person Pacific Air Forces officials wanted to help celebrate Air Force Week Honolulu. His success story, which begins with service to the Air Force, is an inspiration to the young and the old. And as the children at the CDC found out, he reads a very nice story, too.

"Wally Amos is a Hawaii icon," said Lt. Col. Tracey Saiki, a coordinator for Air Force Week Honolulu. "Air Force Week Honolulu is about celebrating 60 years of heritage, and Wally Amos is a part of that legacy. We're proud to have him participate in our celebration, and his cookies are delicious too!" she said.

And Mr. Amos is glad to give back.

"The Air Force has been a blessing to me," he said.

Air Force Week Honolulu runs through Sept. 15. For more information, visit http://www.pacaf.af.mil/library/airforceweekhonolulu.

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page