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. 

By Mark Carter 

I joined the Navy because I liked the idea of serving my country.  It’s also a tradition in our family. My uncle fought in World War II as a tail gunner on a bomber and was shot down over Burma, when he was just 22.  My dad was in the Navy, as was my brother and my nephew, who is still serving. We also have a family story about an ancestor that died defending Boothbay against the British in the War of 1812. So, we have a long tradition of service to our country. It was a bit of an adventure, too. I knew I didn’t want a Navy career, but I wanted to see a bit of the world before coming home to Boothbay.  

I enlisted at 18 before I graduated from high school under a delayed entry program. I had the summer off after graduation and then left on Sept. 4, 1985. Communication was so different then. I wrote letters home to my parents every two weeks, and my mom saved them all. She had given me a nice Pentax camera to take with me, which was great because I was able to take a lot of photos of my time away.  

I went to boot camp and the follow up school, A School in San Diego. In A School I trained as a machinist and did well, 2nd in my class, so after I graduated, I had a choice, I could either stay in San Diego or get stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. I decided to stay in San Diego and was assigned to the USS Lang. I felt it was kind of like fate that I was assigned to the Lang as the keel of the ship was laid on the day I was born.  

The USS Lang was a Fast Frigate – not a large ship, so I got to know everyone on the ship. Our role was to hunt and neutralize enemy submarines. Helicopters would take off and locate the submarines using special sonar, giving us the coordinates for our ASROC system.   On the ship I was part of the Flight Ops group, part of the firefighting team. Another responsibility of the Lang’s was drug interdiction, looking for boats smuggling drugs into the US, stopping them, arresting the crew and then calling the appropriate government agency to bring them in. We also assisted with burials at sea.  

I had some great experiences in the Navy. We cruised up and down the west coast, generally going out for two weeks at a time, going to the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Vancouver, and places in between. During my four years, I was stationed in San Diego for two years and then in San Francisco for two years. Some of the fun things I did were: 

--Going to the World Expo in Vancouver in 1986. Lang was the flagship for the US and we got to see all the sights.  

--When I was in San Francisco, I did a lot of hiking and want to a lot of sporting events. The Navy encouraged us to go out and do things like that.  

--I got to see Hawaii and Australia. When the ship was doing offshore training in Hawaii, I had some leave accumulated so I was able to go on shore and see the sights. Before I was discharged, I again had some leave built up so I flew to Australia on a cargo plane and spent a few weeks there.    

--I was able to experience the offensive firepower of the 5 inch/54 caliber gun and the ASROC missile launches, along with the phalanx CIWS 20-millimeter gatling gun.  

The travel I got to do was a great experience and being in San Diego and San Francisco, I was also able to understand what it was like to live in an urban area. It was fun, but it made me appreciate the Boothbay area much more – more relaxed, less crime and danger. I also enjoyed the camaraderie in the military, which I think is true in every branch of the service.  

If I were giving advice to a young person, I would recommend the military, and for them to go into it with the intention of learning a trade or skill that you can translate to civilian life. The military is a great place to learn about a science or engineering trade. The military teaches you how to learn and how to be successful in life. Overall, I think it makes you a better person.   

I had a busy four years in the Navy and would definitely do it again, if I was 18.