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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Phylis L. Wilson

Carl entered the United States Navy in September 1965. After completing his boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, he was assigned to Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland, AEWTRALANT Airborne Early Warning Training Atlantic. It later became OASU Oceanographic Air Survey Unit, also at Patuxent River NAS, serving there for approximately 9 months. During this time, he received training in the AMH Aviation Structrual (Hydraulic) Mechanic rating, working on the hydraulic systems of several aircraft: NC 121 aircraft, better known as the Super Constellation with upper and lower radomes; and R-5 aircraft, which was a 4-engine reciprocating aircraft (the squadron had 1 of these and 6 or 7 of the super Connies). These were used for different special projects:
- Project Jenny, which was an airborne radio and television transmitting aircraft deployed to Vietnam. He was temporarily assigned to Andrews Air Force Base, MD to work on Project Jenny for 3 months in 1966. He helped transfigure and set up the aircraft for radio and television transmission as was appropriate for his qualifications at Airman level.
- Project Birdseye, which was an ice patrol mapping and other tasks.
- Project Magnet, which was a magnetic surveying of the earth.

He also did all the training of the early warning squadrons for the Atlantic region. All of the aircraft used cartoon figures such as the Roadrunner and El Coyote which were painted on the orange and white aircraft by Warner Bros.

He was promoted to E-3 Airman at this duty station. Also he got his qualifications in and took his E-4 Navy- wide Petty Officer exam.

He transferred to Memphis Naval Air Training Center and Station, NATTC. He was there 4 months going thru Navy Aviation Structural Mechanic Hydraulics (A) School, completing it and becoming a designated Airman Stricker Hydraulics. During this period he found out that he had successfully passed the E-4 Petty Officer exam and would be promoted at the next duty station. He got married and went on to his next assigned duty station, Naval Air Station Newfoundland at Argentia.

In Newfoundland he was assigned to the Transit Line. This included taking care of all the transit aircraft coming and going to Europe and Iceland. Later he was assigned to the (AIMD) Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Department, structures and hydraulics shop. He received his E-4 Promotion to Petty Officer at this time. He was promoted to E-5, 2nd class Petty Officer in January of 1968, 6 months before transferring to his new duty station, Patuxent Naval Air Station, MD.

Once back at Patuxent Naval Air Station, he went to P-3 Orion (Lockheed Aircraft) flight engineer school while in VP-30 Squadron. It was 6 months going thru class room, flight simulator and actually flight training flights. He qualified for flight engineer on P3 Orions. Then he was transferred to permanent duty assignment in the VP-44 (Patrol Squadron) permanently assigned to Patuxent Naval Air Station, which was on deployment to Reykjavik, Iceland. He spent many hours doing surveillance in the states and on deployments to other countries, such as Azores, Sicily, Germany, Spain, and Puerto Rico and also to Bermuda looking for and chasing Russian submarines. He also took part in Operation Springboard which took place every spring. This was a training exercise performed with US Navy Submarines. They also performed medical evacuations taking military dependents from Iceland to Germany for treatments.

Carl spent both active duty and active duty reserves from 1965 - 1988, retiring with an excellent record of Navy duties as an E-6 Petty Officer.

After leaving the Navy, Carl eventually took a job at Trans World Airlines in 1987, where he worked in the gear shop, carpentry shop and metal structures. He remained with American Airlines when it bought TWA, retiring in 2004. This completed his almost 40 years of working with various aircrafts.