Mike Whittaker:  

Life Enlisted in the United States Navy ten days after high school graduation. Attended boot camp in San Diego. Graduated from a 48 week aircraft avionics/electrical technical school in Millington, TN. Worked on eight types of fighter/attack/helicopter aircraft. Professional duties including as supervisor/manager in my technical field, quality assurance, maintenance control, and avionics divisions managing up to 458 people. Flew as a naval aviator for many years on A-3 and H-53 aircraft. Attended numerous leadership and counseling schools. Facilitated many types of seminars. Overseas campaigns included Vietnam, Libya, Iranian Hostage Mission, Afghanastan, sinking of the Iranian Navy, Persian Gulf, and relief efforts in Africa. Visited 34 foreign countries and 153 foreign cities. Awarded 33 medals and ribbons during my 22 year naval career. Retired from the Navy as a Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8) in December 1991. Selected as regional vice-president with the A.L. Williams Insurance Corporation within a few months. I was also in the top 50 of 850 NCOA counselors in the world for many months. One of eight counselors who won a six month world-wide sales competition. Electrical/avionics supervisor with Raytheon and Boeing Aerospace. Our team was chosen as one of eight teams for the Boeing Aerospace Golden Globe Award world-wide competition. Served the community for many years as a Boy Scout leader, Boy Scout Troop Committee member, Junior and Senior Vice Commander of a VFW post (won the annual national competition for best youth program), and raised funds for hospitals overseas. Presently I do errands for elderly people who are not allowed to drive. Additionally, I am very active with the Roseville River of Life Fellowship and conducted bible studies in the Philippines. On January 12, 2005 I had neurosurgery and I am on total disability. December of 2006, to my dismay, I was informed by my surgeon I will never be able to perform gainful employment again. I was married to my lovely wife, Laura, on March 24, 2007. We have seven wonderful children and ten grand-children who keep us on our toes! School I went to Woodlake Elementry, a junior and senior high school I believe doesn't exist anymore, Valle Vista and Norte Del Rio respectively. My favorite teacher at Woodlake was Mrs. Hillgrove who taught 4th grade. Laughing here....I got paddled by Mr. Schaffer, the principal, once! My favorite teachers at Valle Vista are Mrs. Wilson, Mr. Rau, and Coach Strickland. At Norte they are Mr. Streeter (Electronics) who provided the influence for my career in electronics, Mr. Nuezel (Junior English)who provided me with the courage to always try and do my best, the counselor Mr. Brown, coaches Youngstrom and Tarrow (Gym), and Mr. Costello (History). There was a black male teacher who taught U.S. History and Social Economics but for the life of me I can't remember his name. My good friends in high school were Dennis Parker, Ken Miller, Lee McDaniels, Peter Kyper (the tall giant), Johnny Chin, the Nunley kids, and Frank Morrisette. I still think of them often to this very day. If I have forgotten anybody I truly apologize. I don't have any of the year books to reflect back to names. There is one childhood friend, Terry McIntosh, I have remained friends with for almost 52 years. Currently we live just a few blocks from each other. I still keep in contact with the Plank sisters, Marty and Debbie, who are just wonderful friends. We attended church together as teens. I still remember Mark Comstock, the varsity quarterback, who graduated before I did. I ran into him a year after my graduation. We were both attending the same technical school in Millington, TN, and rented a two bedroom mobile home together. I haven't heard from him in years. I run into Eddie Belknap every once in awhile. We are good friends today, but were foes in high school. I take my hat off to Eddie and Lorraine who are still married to this day. Later in life I became good friends with members of the DaVega and Gonzalves families. I guess I can let the cat out of the bag! The girl I had the biggest crush on from elementry school all the way through high school was Donna S. I believe she is married to Manual. I hope they are still together and are having a wonderful and rewarding life together Most of the girls I dated resided in different school districts. A young lady, Neva Perguson, who I took to the Senior Prom. One of the funniest memories I have is on senior cut day six of us guys went to Immigrant Gap. It was in late spring, the sun was shining, and it was a beautiful warm day. We all took our shirts off while playing on the slopes in the snow. I got the worst sun/snow burn and so did a couple of other guys. It was so sunburnt so bad I couldn't participate in gym the next school day. I think the biggest honor I had in high school was when I was selected by the faculty as one of the top 50 seniors. I was probably number 50! Another honor was serving on the human relations council and battling the worms in the passage ways...(laughing here). I'm sure Peter Fong remembers that! The one thing I wish I would have done in high school is to have taken more college prep courses. That would would have prepared me for all the education I pursued after entering the military. I guess I was sort of out of the mainstream during those school years. As some would say not part of the clique or in crowd. Maybe it was my own personality that caused it. I have had a wonderful life so far. Lots of defeats and victories. That is what allows us to grow and mature. College For approximately a year and a half I attended technical training eight hours a day. The curriculum was electronic enginnering based. We took math classes that included calculus. I also completed many extension classes of Golden Gate Baptist Seminary including philosophy, ethics, religious studies, and humanities. To date I have aquired 122 college credits. I wish I woul...Expand for more