Honorable Mention: AAIII Kat Sticklin

James Wright, PPSII

Mr. Wright enlisted in the Navy in June of 1962, right after graduating from high school.  He started his training at the Great Lakes Training Center in Illinois. He then went on to Electronics School and since he already had an Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Vermont he was able to challenge the class, was ranked first in his class, and was promoted to E-4.  Because he was first in his class he was sent to Interior Communication School and was first in his class at that training. He was promoted to E-5, and was sent to Radar and Sonar School and was first in that class. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and then went to Submarine School in Connecticut.

He served aboard the USS Fulton which was a Squadron 10 repair ship, the USS Nautilus, the USS Kipjack, the USS Skate, the USS Halfbeak, the USS Intimidator,  the USS Bang, and the USS Sailfish; all fast attack submarines conducting anti-submarine warfare.

In the spring of 1966 Senior Senator Akin from Vermont gave him an appointment to Annapolis. He attended Officer Candidate School graduating from the US Naval School in Annapolis in 1966 as a Warrant Officer (designation only given in wartime). After graduation he went to Special Forces Training (code name Underwater Repair School) prior to being deployed to the north Pacific.  He participated in the Vietnam Conflict in 1966 and conducted numerous search and destroy missions with an Underwater Demolition Team deploying from a submarine located off the North Vietnam coast.

During one of his missions, he and several others were dispatched to rescue a squadron of trapped soldiers inside Vietnam. He spent three harrowing days and nights in the jungle with an injured soldier barely evading capture several times before being rescued.

After getting injured in the Vietnam Conflict and receiving a Purple Heart, he returned to the Squadron Headquarters in Connecticut and continued his service to his country until 1972. He followed his ten years of active Navy service with four additional years of reserve service.

In addition to the Purple Heart he received numerous campaign ribbons and naval commendations to include the Navy Commendation, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Combat Ribbons, a Presidential Unit Citation, and the National Defense Service Medal.

Shortly after discharge from the Navy, Mr. Wright worked as an electrical engineer at Conn Yankee Nuclear Plant during the construction phase. This was the first nuclear generating plant in the United States.

Mr. Wright moved to the Safford area of Arizona in early 1990, and continued his service to his country by joining the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) local chapter 10385 and has held various offices in this organization including Commander.

In November 2007, he represented ASPC Safford on the ADC Float in Phoenix.  In May 2008 as a member of the VFW, he assisted in bringing the Traveling Vietnam Wall to Safford.