STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of CWO2 Jon Nolan, U.S. Coast Guard (1988-2011)

I was working for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department. While on patrol, I heard a Coast Guard advertisement on the radio and remember thinking to myself…Hey, I’ve heard of them. I wanted to leave for the Sheriff’s Department and return to action. I took a chance and never looked back.

I loved high school and wanted to go to college. My parents were divorced, I have a twin brother, and we had no money, so I needed help getting into college. I was in the process of applying for the US Air Force Academy, but as that process was ongoing, I thought there was no way I could go from a senior in HS to a freshman in college.

So, I decided to enlist in the US Navy. The Navy because that’s the service my Dad was in during WWII. I became an Operations Specialist because I wanted to control airplanes; it would have taken two years to wait at the Navy’s Air Traffic Control School. I made First Class in my second unit in Pt. Mugu CA. I decided to leave the Navy after nine years because of the downsizing, and I could not get orders that I felt were the best for my family and me.

I was honorably discharged in August 1997, and we moved to Texas, and I became a police officer working for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department. While working at the Sheriff’s Office, a coworker mentioned the National Guard.

I enlisted, keeping the rank of E6 (Staff Sargent), and became a MOS 13E; Fire Directions Controller. It was fun and exciting, but I wanted to go on active duty, and as fate would have it, I enlisted in the US Coast Guard in June 2000 and retired in June 2011. I loved the Coast Guard!

My fondest memories are of the Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin (WHEC-721) June 2000-May 2002. A lot of reasons for this: I was new to the Coast Guard and was caught off guard that I was only 1 of 12 E6s in the CG to be on a ship; the people on board were terrific. All of our patrols were in the Caribbean, with amazing port calls with a lot of scuba diving. Also, they were counterdrug operations/interdictions, and the mission was exciting. (so were the SAR missions).

My least favorite duty station was USS Gridley, and I was on that boat for four years, ten months, and three days. Underway was 6 hours on and 6 hours off, which equaled 18-hour days for months on end. In port, you had 24-hour duty every fourth day, which equaled three consecutive days of 0600-2200. That ship aged you. I did meet my wife while assigned to her, and for that, I’m grateful.

From your entire military service, describe any memories you still reflect on to this day.

In the Navy, I think about all the schools and places I visited. In the Coast Guard, I think of the people, places, and the things we did together and the difference we got to make daily, such as saving a life and arresting a bad guy. I think about Charleston, SC, Astoria, Oregon, Seattle, WA, and all the friends we made and left. Going to Australia and diving the Great Barrier Reef returning from Antarctica? I mean, who gets to do that? I was 19 years old from nowhere, Texas, when I arrived in San Diego, CA, and was amazed by the beauty.

I don’t know if it’s normal, but I think about my career a lot, even though there were some gruesome and challenging events.

Becoming an Air Intercept Controller (NEC 0319) 1992. Hitting my 1000 intercept ‘Old School’ (no synthetics)

Being a career E6 (Navy, Texas Army National Guard, and the US Coast Guard) LoL.

Making Chief in 2003 and Ultimately Chief Warrant Officer in 2007.

Becoming an EMT and actually saving people’s lives.

Learning to jump out of Helicopters.

My first Navy Achievement Medal. I was an E5, and my ship was in the yards at South West Marina in San Diego. Another ship, the USNS HH Hess, was across the pier from mine. She had a fire on her aft mast. I took the nozzle, and my closest friend (Chris Clark) at the time took the hose, and the two of us climbed the ladder, putting out the fire that was all around us.

Our Command was furious and wanted to put us both on report for not following the standard R&A procedures, but they couldn’t because the Captain of the USNS HH Hess put us in for the NAM and the shipyard through us a huge party.

It pains me to say this, but nobody on the USS Gridley stands out. The size of the ship and crew and the fact of being so far removed from anything that didn’t require me with a sponge in my hand, I had little inspiration. At Pt Mugu, OSC Robert McCarthy was very much hands-off and let OS1 Kent Huff handle most of the day-to-day. I admired Kent and continue to stay in touch with him. It’s funny, life after the military, Kent and I have crossed paths a few times, both professionally and personally. It was 1995 when we were at Mugu together.

Rich Mankin and everyone on the CGC Gallatin, Rich introduced me to the Coast Guard, and he was always positive. In 2002, he and I were both negotiating orders; our spouses were close, and we had thought about following each other. To do that, we would have gone to EPIC El Paso. After long talks, we decided to go our separate ways, I can’t remember where he went from the Gallatin, but I went to the Pacific Northwest, where I stayed until I retired.

In Oregon, there was Senior Chief Jeff Gearhart, LT Troy Fryar, CDR Moore, OS1 Bemis, OSC Summerland, and so many others. Each one was dedicated and valued. On the CGC Polar Sea, we had a substantial Chief’s Mess, my dive buddy LT Phil Baxa, BMC Campbell, ETC Lipman, and on and on. Arduous duty and everyone nailed it.

My CO LCDR Scott Benson and my best friend CWO Brian Mackey at MSST Seattle. Inspiring leaders and even better people. Brian passed away in April 2013 from brain cancer. I think about him every day.

OS2 Geovanittie USS Gridley. New Threat Upgrade school together and the spades tournament at lunch. OS3 Harley Voss. After he got out, I saw him in 1994 or 95 a couple of times; then, in 2018, a common friend found me, RM2 Jay Gal, and gave me Harley’s phone number, so I called and said hello. Harley and Jay were my pals. I stay in touch with Jay from time to time to say hello. I miss Chris Clark’s GMM2 type. We are friends on Facebook, but we don’t share much.

I wish I could find Stephen Hines and Marty Parkins off of the Gallatin. They fell off the earth. They were good friends. OS1 Aaron Bemis from Astoria. He was on Facebook, and we stayed in touch, and just like that, he’s gone. OSCS Jeff Gearhart, at the time he was crazy, miss having a beer with him.

WOG day

I retired from the Coast Guard to take a job as a Flight Test Specialist (Mission Controller, Range Safety Coordinator, Air Intercept Controller); it has various meanings in the Department of the Navy. I took a little sabbatical for three years and went into Emergency Management, but I’m back now.

To take pride in your part of the mission. What I miss most is the people. The interactions you have at work and in the backyard were amazing, and you can only find that from like-minded folks.

Enjoy, embrace, and go for it.

It simply makes me ponder.