As Boothbay Harbor prepares to celebrate the 64th annual Windjammer Days, this year’s theme proudly honors the past, present, and retired members of the United States Navy who have served our nation with dedication and distinction. Throughout the coming weeks, we will feature a series of profiles highlighting local Navy service members—sharing their stories, experiences, and the lasting impact of their service. These articles are a tribute to the men and women whose commitment to duty reflects the maritime heritage at the heart of Windjammer Days and the deep appreciation of our community. Unfortunately not all current or former Navy service members in the area can be individually featured. To have a Navy veteran or active-duty member mentioned on the Windjammer Days webpage, please email Friends of Windjammers (www.boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org). Please include name and rank. 

I joined the United States Navy at 17 years old because of a deep sense of patriotism and a belief that I had from a very young age: some people are put here to protect others and eliminate bad people from the earth. I always knew I would fight. I always knew I would stand up for what I instinctively knew was right.

My parents played a huge role in that. I watched my father get up every morning at 4 a.m. and come home at 5 p.m., sometimes seven days a week for months at a time. I watched my mother work nonstop as a waitress, sometimes coming home crying after an out of state customer mistreated her. My parents worked tirelessly to raise me and my three siblings, and that work ethic is burned into me. They are my heroes.

I enlisted right after graduating high school. That summer I worked as a lifeguard, running every morning, swimming constantly, and preparing myself physically for what I knew was coming. I enjoyed it. I liked pushing myself.

I was trained in the Navy as an electrician, then went to BUD/S — Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. After passing, I went through advanced training, static line jump school, freefall training, and was assigned to SEAL Team Four in Virginia Beach.

My specialty was breaching — opening blocked doors and gates either manually or with explosives.

My service took me all over the world. I deployed multiple times to Panama and Colombia training indigenous forces, which gave me the opportunity to learn jungle warfare, riverine operations, and how to survive off the land. That included swimming in shark-infested waters and experiencing more than one near-death situation. I later deployed to the Middle East three times, with stops in multiple other locations.

The day that stands out most was the day I was ambushed — a twelve-hour firefight. We were packing up to head back to Baghdad from another city when troops in the area came under contact. We were the closest unit, so we were called in. As soon as we arrived, we came under heavy automatic weapons fire, sniper fire, and mortar fire. The rounds were snapping by my head and the mortars kept landing closer and closer. We took our first injuries early on.

After six hours we pulled back to reload and were sent right back in. This time we were engaging the enemy as close as ten feet away. At one point I was certain I was going to die, but my only thought was to take as many with me as I could. Later, the fight opened up to distances of 100 to 200 meters and beyond. I spent most of the day on a vehicle-mounted .50 caliber machine gun. My vehicle took over 100 rounds, many of them coming very close to me. I have no idea how I survived other than by the hand of God. I felt it on me that day and many times since.

As the sun went down, five or six Apache helicopters flew overhead, firing missiles simultaneously and wiping out the entire line of enemy combatants. I remember thinking how unbelievable the day was, how alive I felt, and how grateful I was to still be breathing. That night I sat on the roof, smoked a cigarette, looked up at the sky, and felt completely at peace — a deep sense of accomplishment and appreciation for life I have carried with me since.

The Navy turned me from a motivated young man into a highly-focused one capable of whatever I set before me. It took the work ethic my parents gave me and taught me how to harness it, rebuild myself, and endure anything. Even after my Navy service and later work supporting national security missions through 2015, that mindset never left me. No matter how hard life gets, no matter what breaks, I will stand tall until God decides my time is over.

When it comes to advice for young people, I tell them this: find something you are deeply passionate about and go all in. Don’t let your own mind talk you out of it. Most people will doubt you, the only opinion that actually matters is your own. Protect it at all costs. I don’t automatically recommend the military. I recommend a peaceful life, living consciously, building a family, and surrounding yourself with love. In the end that’s what life is all about. But if you feel the calling, who am I to dissuade you? I believe that a calling is God-given. Some people are put here for the sole purpose of protecting everyone else. To sacrifice themselves so other may have peace. I was honored to do it during my time.