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U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy sailor in his summer white uniform with large medals

CTT2 Thomas Elling, U.S. Navy – Deploying to Two Theaters as a Navy Cryptologic Technician

The active duty and reserve Navy consists of over 435,000 officers and enlisted sailors all doing their part to make the U.S. Navy the most powerful maritime force the world has ever seen. Most of the active and reserve sailors have traditional jobs, manning the ships, submarines, and aircraft that patrol on, under, and above the world’s oceans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Others, like Cryptologic Technician Technical Second Class (CTT2) Thomas Elling, provide niche warfare services critical to the success of the more traditional operating forces. Whether part of the active or reserve forces, they are highly trained, technologically advanced, and must always be ready to fill high-priority billets. Thomas Elling made two critical deployments, providing signals intelligence to U.S. Navy and Special Operations forces, helping project U.S. military power and resolve abroad. This is his story.

Carl searching for subs in the Med 1981

AW1 Carl F. Mottern, U.S. Navy Reserve (Retired) – Dedication and Hard Work Pays Off

Everyone has dreams for their life – things they would like to achieve. For most, translating those dreams into reality is the difficult part. It takes hard work, dedication, and sometimes a little luck. Without those elements, dreams stay just that. Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator First Class Carl F. Mottern, U.S. Navy (Retired), wouldn’t let his dreams die. When others dropped out because the barriers seemed insurmountable, Carl redoubled his efforts and kept at it, never giving up. His determination made leaders take notice and drove him to success as a search and rescue swimmer and Naval aircrewman. This is his story.

Navy Seaman Apprentice in uniform

SK2 Donald A. Chivas, U.S. Navy – Father Knows Best

Since time immemorial, children grow up and leave their parents, seeking to chart their own way. For most, that means learning life’s lessons the hard way as they find it difficult to accept their parents’ advice, even though their parents walked in their shoes not so many years before. Storekeeper Second Class Donald A. Chivas, U.S. Navy, bucked the trend and listened to his father, realizing his father’s wisdom could help him navigate a pivotal fork in the road. The result changed Don’s life forever. This is his story.

Dave underway - cropped

STG2 David S. Fones, U.S. Navy – Plan for the Worst, Hope for the Best

It’s easy to measure success in a basketball game or a race. Just look for the team with the most points or the runners with the fastest times. But what if your job is to be incredibly prepared for something you hope will never happen? Such was the case with Sonar Technician Second Class David S. Fones, U.S. Navy. He spent six years training to hunt and kill adversary submarines, ever vigilant and always ready to be called to action but hoping he never would be because it would mean the world was at war. Yet with all this responsibility, he always served as a positive ambassador for the United States in every foreign port his ships called. This is his story.

A Navy Sailor in uniform in Guam

AD3 Ignacio Rodriguez, U.S. Navy – Hunting Hurricanes and Protecting Pilots

Those who come to America seeking a better life have a long and distinguished history of serving our country. Beginning with the Revolutionary War and continuing in every war since, immigrants have served in every branch of our Armed Forces, willingly putting their lives on the line for their adopted home. Aviation Machinist Mate Third Class Ignacio Rodriguez continued that proud tradition, enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1964. He flew as an aircrewman on EC-121 Super Constellations hunting hurricanes in the skies over the Western Pacific and operating out of Da Nang and Chu Lai during the Vietnam War. He earned his U.S. citizenship the hard way – by serving our country during time of war. This is his story.

Jay Mastrud - Air Force Service Picture Featured Image

Episode 35 – Master Sergeant Jay Cyril Mastrud, U.S. Air Force

Welcome to Episode 35 of the Voices to Veterans podcast. This episode features the story of Master Sergeant Jay Cyril Mastrud, U.S. Air Force. Jay’s story is one of resilience and overcoming adversity. He first served as a sailor with fighter squadron VF-32 onboard the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), deploying in support […]

Navy officer in working uniform

Captain Jack E. Helmann, U.S. Navy: A Career on Navy Destroyers

Much has changed on Navy ships over the centuries – sail converted to steam, steel replaced wood, and missiles supplemented guns, just to name a few. Yet with all these changes, fundamental truths remain. Navy ships carry the U.S. flag to the four corners of the globe, serving as ambassadors in the countries they visit and as strong reminders of U.S. military power and resolve. Navy ships also require a team of special people pulling together to accomplish the ship’s mission, enduring the perils of the sea, the long separations from family, and the risks associated with war. Captain Jack E. Helmann, U.S. Navy (Retired), knows these challenges all too well, having served on five Navy destroyers over the course of his twenty-four-year Navy career. He also knows the strains and responsibilities of command, having been the Commanding Officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS Berkeley (DDG-15) for over two years. This is his story.

Master Chief Dave Leafer saluting in front of the flag

Episode 32 – Master Chief Legalman David S. Leafer, U.S. Navy

Welcome to Episode 32 of the Voices to Veterans podcast. This episode features the story of Master Chief Legalman David S. Leafer, U.S. Navy (Retired).Dave Leafer enlisted in the Navy in 1981 to see the world and see the world he did. Not only did he deploy to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea […]

Tom in Iraq in 2005 with Maryland Flag

Commander Tom Jones, JAGC, U.S. Navy (Retired) – Serving at the Edge of Law and War

When people think of Navy lawyers, the image of courtrooms and court-martials comes to mind, conjured up from movies like The Caine Mutiny and A Few Good Men. Although those images are accurate as far as they go, they paint but a small part of the picture. No career illustrates that better than that of Commander Tom Jones, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, U.S. Navy (Retired). Tom left the courtroom behind early in his career to serve with the Navy SEALs in Iraq, charting the course for all future Navy attorneys embedded with special operations units. Where others might see roadblocks, Tom saw opportunities. Throughout his distinguished twenty-year Navy career, he never avoided challenges – he embraced them. This is his story.

Lieutenant Alfred Sokolowski in his Navy summer white uniform

LCDR Alfred Sokolowski, U.S. Navy – Dreadnoughts to Destroyers: A Two-Ocean Sailor in World War II

Lieutenant Commander Alfred “Ski” Sokolowski, U.S. Navy (Retired), has experienced much over the last ninety-nine years. He had a front row seat in World War II as his ships plowed the North Atlantic, protecting convoys from German submarines. He fought on a destroyer in the Pacific, helping recapture islands lost to Japan at the start of the war, and then joined the fight again just five years later in the Korean War sailing off the coast of North Korea. As if that wasn’t enough, he took on the dangerous job of explosive ordnance disposal and managed weapons logistics in the western Pacific. He didn’t just watch U.S. history from a distance—he lived it over the course of thirty years. This is his story.

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