While onboard the U.S.S. Mars I was a forward winch operator. 

My first try at the Controls sent a cargo net full of eggs slamming

across the U.S.S. America’s flight elevator!  Needless to say they

didn’t let me near the controls for quite a while after that!  I also

stood watch and even piloted the Mars into position amongst the

Amphib Fleet.  Captain Knutson said to me “good job Seaman

Toda” to which I later asked how the Captain did know my name. 

As we had never met!  But that was typical of “The Duke” 

Departing the Mars in Oakland, CA in 1973 I reported to VP-31,

NAS Moffett Field, CA.  I was assigned to the training department

for P3 Orion aircraft.  The P3 Orion was the Navy’s premier anti

submarine warfare plane.  I became a member of the Training

Aids Department.  As a DM “Illustrator Draftsman” we were

responsible for all the graphics, slide shows, Charts and TV

production for training programs dealing with the training of all

P3 Orion Aircraft personnel domestic and foreign. 

With 2 operational squadrons across the field and NASA’s Ames

Research center  on the Base there was never a dull moment. 

Every morning NASA’s “High Altitude Ecological Research

Plane” commonly known as a U-2 spy plane, it would leave the

runway at 6 a.m. sharp every morning, but I would never see it

return.  But again there it was the next morning taking off.  

On one morning a strange black plane appeared in our hanger

and disappeared as mysteriously, by the next morning.

I later found out it was one of the SR-71 Black Birds!

I was on station when we had one of the worst mid-air collisions

in Navy history when one of our training P3’s collided with

NASA’s 990 Flying Laboratory.   Everyone  on base was at the

crash sight within minutes.  There was only one survivor of the

crash, an aft observer who was thrown clear of the wreckage.

After completing my tour of duty I was discharged from the Navy

in 1975.  Staying in California, I took advantage of the free college

education provided by the state.  Returning to my home town of

Hubbard, Ohio in May of 1977, I found that nothing had changed

much in my six year absence.

I went back to work at the steel fabricating shop until it closed,

as did many of the steel businesses in 1983.  I had several jobs

since, the last being a plant manager for a vehicle wash system

manufacturer.

After leaving there I decided to strike out on my own getting into

the trucking business. I then went into the Income Tax and

Accounting Business were I have now been for the last 20 years. 

I had been married  for 10 years at that time.  I divorced in 1995

and have no children. 

I spend my time touring the U.S. every other year on my

motorcycle.  I have logged over four hundred thousand miles,

crisscrossing this beautiful country on my bike.  I visited family

and friends from Ohio to Washington, California, Florida and

then back.  I will be attending our ship’s reunion in Pittsburgh,

PA if at all possible.  I hope this finds my shipmates doing well

and in good health.

 

Until the reunion,

 

 

 

 

Mike Toda