Chris Engel

Period 5
12/18/14
Richard Engel
He is the most active and unstoppable grandpa ever. Richard Engel, my grandfather, was
born on July 7, 1936 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the 5th child of 6, with two older
brothers. He fought in the Vietnam War after he graduated from Naval Academy at Annapolis in
1958. He married Susan Cheston and together they had two kids. He has dedicated his whole life
to serving and volunteering for the benefit of other people. He doesnt remember much about his
early life, but I do know some facts about after college.
Richards childhood was spent entirely in Minneapolis, attending local schools and
studying diligently to get good grades. He liked to build model airplanes and ships, listen to the
radio, and read books in his spare time. He was on his high school tennis team, for which he
proudly wore the letterman sweater. In the summer he got a job as a garage mechanic, which
started him on a lifelong hobby of tinkering with automobile engines. The family vacationed at
some of the many lakes near their home, fishing or swimming with his brothers and sisters. His
father passed away when he was fourteen, and in order to afford college the Naval Scholarship
program was an attractive option. He said, I wanted to go to college, but it was too expensive.
My brothers really encouraged me to go to the academy. Even though he wanted to be a pilot,
he decided that the Navy was the opportunity to achieve his dream.
Richard Engel is a courageous man. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1959 with
a degree in aeronautical engineering and became an officer in the Navy. He was following his
brothers footsteps, both of whom also graduated from Annapolis. He wanted to be a pilot and in

the Navy that meant that he needed to be trained and certified for carrier operations. He was one
of the first Naval aviators trained on the A6 bomber as a combat jet pilot. He became a bomber
pilot in the Vietnam War, and bravely flew over Vietnam hundreds of times in hostile conditions.
Being in a war itself took courage, let alone flying a deadly machine that was far from perfect.
Before the war started, his oldest brother, who was also a pilot, was killed in an accident while
making a routine take-off from another carrier. This experience brought home the very real
dangers of flying for the Navy. He flew at night over harbors dropping mines to prevent the
enemy from getting supplies. He would fly at treetop level to destroy bridges and concealed
trucks. During those missions he sometimes had to avoid missiles that came at him. On one
occasion another pilot in their sortie yelled over the radio, Break left, left left! and his reflexes
took over, saving his life as a missile passed just under his right wing. He worked for decades in
the Navy. He had enough courage to do all of these dangerous things and I think that is amazing.
Now my grandfather is retired, yet, he continues working by volunteering as a docent and
security officer on the U.S.S. Midway, which is docked on permanent display as a museum in
San Diego harbor. He actually flew off the Midway a couple of times early in his career during
training, and now he is once again working on a ship that has been in war. He knows a lot about
the ship. For the museum, he is proud to have designed and decorated the pilot ready room so
that people can see how pilots would get briefed for their missions. He said he enjoys the
company. It is fun to meet people and tell them about my experience in the Navy, he says. As
part of his work he walks around a lot and seems to have a lot of energy. Outside of his shipboard
activities, he also volunteers with the San Diego police as a RSVP - Retired Senior Volunteer
Policeman. His responsibilities include checking abandoned vehicles, patrolling for suspicious
activity, and directing traffic at parades and other events. This year he received the Best RSVP

award for his service and dedication to the police. I think that he is a stalwart person for serving
people even after he has retired.
My grandfathers life has been dedicated to serving others. He is always willing to
contribute to society and finds his happiness in it. Even though he is old enough to retire and he
could just sit back and relax, he prefers spending his time working for others. He may not be
famous, but he is making a difference. I believe his positive attitude helps him stay young and
healthy. I admire him, I want to be like him, and I am proud to be his grandson.