In Recognition of Veterans Day - Coffee with Vets [Image 5 of 25]

BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES

08.28.2019

Photo by Thomas Alvarez 

Idaho Army National Guard

Mike Powell, 69, U.S. Coast Guard, 1971-75.

Powell was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah where he eventually enlisted in the Coast Guard. His first assignment was aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Winnebago conducting patrols in the Pacific Ocean.

After sea duty on the Winnebago, Powell was assigned to a LORAN station in the Hawaiian Islands. LORAN stations provide long range navigational assistance for aircraft and ships. From Hawaii Powell was reassigned to Portland, Oregon where he served as a boatswain’s mate, taking charge of a 40-ft boat patrolling waterways from the mouth of the Columbia River to an area just off-shore of Lincoln City, Oregon.

Powell said he really enjoyed his time in the Coast Guard. He remembers his initial sea sickness when he was first aboard the Winnebago, but he gradually became accustomed to it. Later he began coaching new shipmates how to relax and roll with the motion of the waves.

In the years following his enlistment in the Coast Guard, Powell married and moved to Twin Falls, Idaho. He made his living installing fire suppression systems inside buildings. A few years ago, he suffered a stroke, and in this last year he lost his wife to Cancer.

Powell is an active resident of the Idaho State Veterans Home, and a loyal fan of his favorite college football team, the Boise State University Broncos.

• Date Taken: 08.28.2019
• Date Posted: 11.08.2019 10:29
• Photo ID: 5897811
• VIRIN: 191101-Z-XK920-0005
• Resolution: 2700x1800
• Size: 1.62 MB
• Location: BOISE, ID, US