Veteran Salute: Splitting 24 years in the Navy

TOPEKA (KSNT) - First Class Petty Officer Mike Schmidt served a total of 24 years in the Navy as a Navigator, Parachute Rigger and beyond.

“My dad was in the Navy, World War II," Schmidt said. "I had two uncles in the Navy, World War II. One of my favorite uncles was in the Navy, and he retired from the Navy. There was never any question that I wasn’t going to go into the Navy.”

With plenty of family serving as inspiration, Schmidt joined the Navy between his junior and senior year of high school in the Naval Reserve, going active duty following graduation.

“When I went on board ship, I was an undesignated striker, a chip painter," He said. "I struck for quartermaster, which is ship’s navigation. I was on a fleet oiler. The quartermaster’s, when ships would come alongside to take on fuel, would steer the ships, and that was my job.”

Schmidt would be tested on his ability to steer, after an unusual circumstance limited one of the key senses.

“I was in after steering which was down in the engine room type, where the steering gear was," Schmidt said. "It was hot, noisy and greasy down there. They lost steering control on the bridge, so they had to shift it to me down there. I like being able to see the other ship’s alongside me, I couldn't see anything down there. I was down there, I steered for about four hours until they got steering back to the bridge.”

After his time as Quartermaster came to a close, Schmidt ended his service with the Navy. He wouldn't stay landlocked for long though, re-enlisting nearly a decade later for another role.

“They call us parachute riggers, but our job description is the survival of the air crewman," Schmidt said. "Anything to do with their survival was our job.”

Ensuring their survival included working oxygen regulator repair, fleet command, as a drug and alcohol program advisor and everything in between.

“Oh it meant a lot," he said. "I had two pilots actually punch out of an F-14, eject from an F-14 up at Fallon Nevada, and they both survived. Of course they were over the desert when they did it, but they both survived. I like to think myself and the guys that worked for me, worked with me, helped them do that, survive.”

After his time in the Navy truly came to a close, Schmidt worked as a Veterans Service Officer for the Missouri Veterans Commission. He'd serve in that role for 13 years.