In July, 1967 I completed the US Navy's 18 months advanced jet flight training in Kingsville, Texas, and got my wings. I'm not sure what it was that made flying so easy and fun for me. It may have been my ski-jumping days. With good flight grades I got my first choice of aircraft and duty station. The orders were to join Fighter Squadron VF-11 home-based at Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
But first.
To learn to fly this aircraft I was sent to Key West Naval Air Station, and for 4 months learned the ins and outs of flying the F-4B Phantom, which, thanks to Mick is pictured below, #2295.
That duty was my best Navy orders ever, bar none. The Key West FL-based RAG VF-101 (Replacement Air Group) had it's own fishing boat available to reserve and when that was busy, we drove to the docks and for $3.50 or less join a party boat and invariably caught fish from the Gulf Stream for dinner. It was my own
Fern Hill.
Returning to NAS Oceana I was welcomed into VF-11 commanded by 39 year old Commander David "Dawg" Davison, a larger-than-life personality who, when at sea with a glass of whiskey, would invariably recite Kipling's
"Gunga Din" from memory. I was inspired by his interest in poetry. My favorite has become the works of W.B. Yeats.
That's about the time Mick Sumnick and I met. We were gearing up for a long deployment on the USS Forrestal CVA-59. Two Fighter Squadrons were scheduled to go, VF-11 and VF-74.There were lots of land-practice carrier landings day and night. Finally we flew to San Diego for carrier qualifications, both day and night, on the USS Constellation. The night landing was something I'll never forget. My feet were shaking so badly I could barely keep them on the rudder pedals; my RIO at that time was Norm Cannella and I hesitate to think how he felt!
I recall sitting in the Ready Room of the Constellation when it was announced on TV that Lyndon Johnson had ordered a temporary suspension of the bombing of North VietNam. There were seasoned air crews aboard the Connie along with our group from Key West. When the cease fire became known to those who had experienced VietNam there were loud complaints which surprised me. The logic was that the enemy could now rebuild their SAM (surface to air missile) sites making future flights over the North much more dangerous. This news had its effect on me. We were at war with VietNam and that reality hadn't occurred to me until that moment.
How this all happened, we go back to 1969...
After 9+ months at sea we returned home in May. That month in 1969 Mick received orders to Kingsville TX as a flight instructor, and I had orders to the next cruise.
We soon would return to the Mediterranean Sea. Then something happened to change my mind:
We were on an ORI (operational readiness inspection) off Jacksonville, FL when I was forced to eject my RIO Tom Dater and myself from a doomed aircraft on a 2.5 second catapult shot (total hydraulic failure).
( More detail
here.) I asked Mick if he would be interested to switch orders and having thought about remaining in the Navy as a career, he said he would. We spoke to Dawg Davison our Skipper and got the nod. I went to Kingsville as a flight instructor, and Mick went back to the Mediterranean Sea.
On my 9 month cruise USS Forrestal traveled the entire Mediterranean
Sea. The ship rotated from being at sea for 20 days, to then anchoring at a new liberty Port for 10
days, then back to sea for another 20 days, etc.. On our cruise we visited Barcelona, Marseilles, Gulf Juan, Nice, Genoa, Naples, Taranto, Venice, Athens, Thessaloniki, Istanbul, Libya (several squadron A/C flew to Libya; there was no liberty), and finally, Malta and Palma, Majorca. The squadron would rent an apartment at many of these cities providing those ashore a place to visit. Altogether one couldn't find better duty.
Back to today... I had emailed Mick
saying I could possibly stop by where he and Susie had their home. Mick
said "Come on ahead!" and so on June 30 I rang their doorbell and met my friend I had not seen for 52 years. Mick & Susie Sumnick live on the Atlantic coast in Virginia Beach,
VA.
We shared a stateroom on a deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal CVA-59,
June 1968 to May 1969, crossing to and sailing the Mediterranean Sea.
 |
Fighter Squadron VF-11 1969 |
Mick later had
a storied career in the Navy making multiple deployments here in his own words:,
"Third
deployment was emergency sortie to Viet Nam in 1972 as CAG 3 LSO,
flying with VF 31---128 combat missions. My 4th deployment was in F-14s
aboard Nimitz in VF-41. We were sent to the North Arabian Sea from Naples
via South Africa, Made the trip in 14 days. Average Speed of Advance was
36 kts, including slowing down to beat up on the pollywogs who hadn't crossed
the equator before. I was supposed to fly to Tehran to support the ill-fated
rescue attempt. They wanted our 20MM's in case of trouble. We were at sea
144 days without going into any ports. 5th and 6th deployments were XO and CO
time aboard Ike (USS Eisenhower) in VF-142."
Following the Navy, Mick flew for United
Airlines. We swapped email for years before we met again when I arrived
June 30, 2021.
That evening Mick had a church board meeting where
the pastor's future was the issue. He returned saying they had found a
solution that worked for all. While he was out Susie took me up to their 3rd floor porch with a close-up view of the Atlantic. We chatted. I offered her my apologies for taking Mick away for another year on
cruise. She quickly dismissed that saying she traveled to Europe and
frequently met the ship. Susie cooked a fine meal and we shared a
glass or two of wine and chatted into the night.
Oceana Naval Air Station now sports two golf courses, and I wanted to return to the home base of VF-11, the Red Rippers. Mick setup a round of golf and after 18 holes we returned to their home where Mick & I cooked pizza. We visited their daughter's home nearby. It was a full day! On the third day I woke a bit late, and prepared to continue my trip which would be a drive to Appomattox, VA.
Raised on a Nebraska farm he had 10 aunts & uncles on his father’s side most of whom were engaged in farming or ranching. In 1932 President Roosevelt chose his grandfather’s farm as a model success for the "New Deal". Mick has a vintage 3-4 minute film of FDR arriving at the Farm, remaining in the back seat of his car, but vigorously shaking his grandfather’s hand, giving a short speech, then smiling broadly as the entire family gave their praises to the "New Deal". Rural electrification was also part of that project.
Mick provided a link to that piece of history.
