Navy Fighter Pilot Recounts Combat Missions & Life: Stories of Brotherhood, Sacrifice & Healing
Finding Courage in the Skies: A Navy Fighter Pilot’s Journey
Last year, while traveling in my RV, I stumbled upon a Harvest Host in the middle of nowhere in Kansas – dead smack in the middle of the United States. For those unfamiliar, Harvest Hosts are unique camping locations, often on farms, vineyards, museums, or homesteads offering RVers a peaceful place to park overnight.
Just the night before, I had stayed with a lovely Amish family and gotten closer to God through conversations over supper and trusting my intuition. Now I was in the backroads of Kansas, on dirt roads, with high winds swirling around me like a scene out of The Wizard of Oz. Upon arriving, I was told that not too long ago, a high-wind twister had passed by and taken out a nearby town.
This particular stop turned out to be a lot more than just a quiet night’s sleep. There, I met a retired Navy fighter pilot who was quietly enjoying the evening with his cats, cows, and barnyard. We struck up a conversation that soon evolved into an interview. He began to recount his journey from high school to the cockpit, sharing stories he hadn’t told anyone in over 20 years. You can listen to the full interview below.
He needed to talk, and I needed to listen. It was as if fate had brought us together because we both needed to connect over something deeper than ourselves. The brotherhood and camaraderie that bind military families run deep, and this pilot had never felt ready to share his war stories until now.
The Journey Begins
From the very beginning, this Navy fighter pilot's story captivated me, it starts in High School with his retired Navy SEAL history teacher recounting tales of disarming mines before the fleet's arrival. Hearing firsthand accounts of disarming explosive devices in the high school classroom plants the seeds of a military career for this pilot, not to mention his father was also a fighter pilot following in his footsteps.
He joins the service and earns his wings. Flying Lockheed Martin P-3 Orions, four-engined turboprop planes designed for maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare, he became a skilled pilot with five-thousand hours of flight time. But flying isn't just about hitting the skies and completing missions. For him and many others, it's about brotherhood, camaraderie, and facing life's toughest challenges together.
The Toll of War
During his career, the pilot experiences the heart-wrenching loss of comrades. He recalls returning to base only to receive a distressing phone call: "LD-2 is in the water." LD-2, the squadron's plane, had crashed. He’d just flown the night before and was designated to be on this particular mission but we’ll get into that shortly. Within moments, he learns that his friends – pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and others – are gone.
Over five years, his squadron loses 13 P-3s, each with a crew of 12, except one tragic case where a plane carrying 22 souls went down in the Strait of Gibraltar, a channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, lying between southernmost Spain and northwesternmost Africa.The loss is felt deeply, as many of these crew members were husbands, fathers, and brothers. One, Reggie, left behind a 3-month-old child and a wife he’d married just 15 months before.
Brotherhood and PTSD
Despite the danger and loss, the bond among pilots remains strong. This pilot shares how his father, also a veteran and fighter pilot, wouldn’t talk about war experiences except during reunions with fellow servicemen. "You haven't been to war, so who are you?" his father once told him. "I can describe it, but you won't understand it until you've been there." This is exactly how many combat veterans feel when they sit down and try or are forced to open up to VA therapists, psychologists, and/or psychiatrists. This can be translated between the difference between actually going out and living life versus reading about it or watching videos of others “doing it”.
My advice, “Go out and live your best life, it's the best medicine out there.”
Even today, veterans struggle with PTSD, finding solace/peace only among their brothers and sisters in arms. For some, like the pilot's friend from Korea, talking to the VA seems impossible. His friends keep him engaged in projects to lift his spirits, but when the work dwindles, the mind inevitably drifts back to darker times.
In the interview below, I open up to hinm and mention how Loki, my service dog, gave me the courage to speak freely about my experiences and mindset. Sharing stories without guilt or remorse becomes a lifeline, finding meaning in the chaos of combat.
A Story of Unspoken Sacrifice
Among the many stories of loss, one remains particularly close to the pilot's heart. Reggie, one of his closest friends and fellow pilots, had filled in for him on a mission because he was sick. Tragically, LD-2, the squadron's plane, crashed, claiming Reggie's life and those of the entire crew.
Reggie's sacrifice is a touching reminder of the unbreakable bonds forged in the heat of battle. "Reggie had a 3-month-old at home," the pilot recalls, "and had been married just 15 months. He filled in for a guy that was sick." That guy was him.
This story isn't just about combat missions and losses. It's about the importance of remembering, honoring, and connecting with those who've served. It's about the power of storytelling to heal wounds and build bridges across generations. Not all of us have gone to war overseas, but one big takeaway I've learned traveling in my RV across the U.S. is that we're all battling something emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual.
The pilot talks about the heavy burden of survivor's guilt, how it can warp one's thinking and life for a long time. This guilt, a branch of PTSD, is something many veterans live with daily. The thought that it should've been you instead of them, or that somehow, you didn't do enough, can be consuming. For this pilot, the weight of Reggie's death loomed large. "It's like one day they're here, and one day they're not," he reflects somberly.
Even after flying thousands of hours and facing life-and-death situations, this pilot finds solace in sharing his journey. He believes talking about it openly is a crucial step toward healing.
Finding Hope and Support
If you know a veteran or anyone for that matter struggling with PTSD, encourage them to seek help. Sometimes it's a matter of finding the right person to talk to. As the pilot advises, "Bring him by, I'll talk to him." Veterans need support networks, whether from friends, family, or professional counselors. One person in your friend/family/work group needs to step up to the plate and be the “game changer” its the only way we thrive together in this ever-more isolated world.
The Importance of Remembering
The pilot’s story is about the importance of remembering, honoring, and connecting with those who've served. It's about the power of storytelling to heal wounds and build bridges across generations. Even after flying thousands of hours and facing life-and-death situations, this pilot finds solace in sharing his journey.
So, next time you see a veteran, or someone who needs to speak his/her mind- take a moment to listen. You might just hear an inspiring tale of courage and camaraderie that will deepen your appreciation for those who've served. Sometimes we need to take the spotlight off of ourselves every now and then to remind us of gratitude.
Stay empathetic, friendly, and cool.
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