Photo By Sgt. Maj. Alexander Burnett | Chief Warrant Officer (retired) Patrick E. McClendon salutes before boarding the Army...... read more read more
FORT EUSTIS, Va. - His career in the U.S. Army was long, prestigious and set him as a pioneer in the Army watercraft field. After serving in several military conflicts, he retired to continue working on civilian watercraft. After a 40-year absence, he finally sat behind the controls of an Army tugboat one more time.
Chief Warrant Officer (retired) Patrick E. McClendon and his family took a tour and short ride on the Army Tugboat 913 "Restore Hope" at Fort Eustis, Va., April 20.
McClendon’s son Chief Warrant Officer Bryan McClendon, an Apache flight instructor at Fort Rucker, Ala., coordinated with the 7th Sustainment Brigade headquarters and the 73rd Transportation Company to arrange this trip on an Army vessel. Patrick ‘Mad Jack’ McClendon was one of the first boating warrant officers in the Army and served as a watercraft operator in both Korea and Vietnam. In recent years, his health started to decline and one of his final wishes was to be on an Army vessel one more time.
“His health has not been the best and we are hoping that this will bring his spirits up,” said Bryan McClendon. “This is something I wanted to do for him, it’s been twenty years since he has been on a tugboat and even longer since he has been on an Army tugboat.”
Before boarding, Bryan gave the vessel’s crew his father’s pilot flag, which they flew on board immediately. Patrick arrived at 3rd Port with his family and the crew of the "Restore Hope" helped the 80-year-old veteran up two flights of stairs to the bridge.
“This is one of the most interesting boat rides and tours we have ever given,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Bonneau, the "Restore Hope’s" chief engineer. “Being able to talk to and hear stories from someone who pioneered Army sailing is a great opportunity for all of us.”
As Patrick "Mad Jack" McClendon sat on the bridge, the vessel’s crew explained how the ships had changed in recent years. They showed the new controls and instruments used in modern sailing and offered "Mad Jack" the chance to pilot an Army Tugboat for the first time in 40 years.
“Getting behind those controls again was definitely familiar,” said McClendon. “It was different than the boats I worked on, but after a few minutes it all fell into place again.”
As the boat ride came to an end, McClendon remained on the aft of the ship to talk to the crew. He discussed what port and vessel operations were like in Vietnam and what his contributions were to the development of the new Army tugboats. His final request to the crew of the "Restore Hope" was a photo with his pilot flag.
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2012 19:03 |
| Story ID: | 87201 |
| Location: | FORT EUSTIS, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 424 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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