Gary Henkel
Gary Henkel: Navy Electrician, Minesweeper Ops, and a Vietnam-Era Generation’s Sense of Duty
Gary Henkel (he says “Gary Henle” at the start, but uses Henkel later in the title) was born in Maryland and later became “from” Pinellas County, Florida—in the sense that Florida is home now.
Why he joined (1964)
Gary joined in 1964, with Vietnam escalating and the country “pushing people that way.” He’s clear: it wasn’t that he had to join, but he felt it was “a good thing to do.”
He looked at multiple branches—Marines and Army—and jokes he doesn’t know why he didn’t look at the Air Force (“better food”). He chose the United States Navy.
Rating / job
His Navy rating was straightforward:
Electrician (he corrects the interviewer: “rating” vs “rank” language)
Duty stations and deployments
He was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, where his ship was based, and deployed to:
Cuba
The Mediterranean
Ships and platforms: minesweepers
He specifically names:
USS Skill (MSO-471) — a minesweeper
A ship he calls “the Pandemis” (unclear spelling from transcript), plus a couple of smaller minesweepers
He also makes the classic Navy point: don’t call it a boat—call it a ship.
Minesweeping humor shows up immediately:
“You hope you’re not the one getting swept.”
Most memorable mission: searching for USS Scorpion
His standout story is operational and emotional.
On the way home from the Mediterranean, his ship got called back to help search for the USS Scorpion, a U.S. Navy submarine that was lost at sea. He describes being six months at sea already—yet nobody complained about being extended, because:
they were looking for their comrades
That line is one of the clearest “Navy brotherhood” moments in this interview.
Length of service and how he felt about it
He served 3 years and 8 months.
He’s candid: he was anxious to get out. Different era, different Navy, and it wasn’t a “do 20 years” mindset for him.
If he could do it again?
No — he’d choose a different branch and “do it differently.”
Transition to civilian life: marriage, college, computers
While in the Navy, Gary got married. After separation, he returned to Maryland, eager to get home—specifically to his wife and to the life he’d left behind.
He went back to school at the University of Maryland, earning a degree he summarizes as computers (and later references an early MIS / information systems master’s track around 1970, describing himself as part of the early wave of computer professionals).
He and the interviewer share the “whole room computer” contrast versus modern handheld power.
Why Florida (and Pinellas County)
Gary moved to Florida because he loved it—especially the warmth and being outdoors. He was a big tennis player and wanted year-round outdoor life.
Timeline:
Florida since 1978
Pinellas County since 1987
Personal life: 58-year marriage and legacy
A major emotional center of the interview is his wife.
He reveals:
His wife passed away in March of that year
They had 58 years of marriage
He calls her “the most wonderful person,” “perfect,” and says the secret to the marriage was simply: “My wife.”
And also: enjoying each other and wanting to be with each other
Family:
3 kids (a daughter and two sons)
grandchildren and great-grandchildren
He jokes with his oldest grandson Hogan about giving him “another grandkid.”
His “message to camera”
He uses his closing seconds to honor his wife Terry, crediting her for the family and the life he feels lucky to have lived—ending on the same theme: gratitude and legacy more than medals or rank.