Grieving the loss of a shipmate.

Navy Chief

Navy Chief

Senior Member
This may not be the best place to vent such things, but for me, today is a horrible day. I found out last night that my best Navy buddy killed himself. I am beyond sad. I feel like I got a gut punch, and am devastated. His name was Francis S. McHale, AT1. He was my Leading Petty Officer in the Line Division that I was the CPO for, of VQ-1.
Aside from being the finest natural born leader that I ever had the honor of serving with, he was my friend. A few years after he transferred from VQ-1 to the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kawai, Fran developed a brain tumor. They removed the tumor, but it left the side of his face partially paralyzed, and affected his hearing. He never quite recovered from it, mentally. By that, I mean he felt less of a man (regardless of how people tried to convince him otherwise.). He was forever troubled by that change in his life. His family did not see this coming.

Heck, I spoke to him last week. No sign of a problem. Fran leaves his loving wife, a daughter and son. My life was made so much better for having known Fran McHale. I will miss you, shipmate. Your friendship, your wonderful sense of humor...... Rest in Peace my friend.
In this picture, Fran is in the white shirt. Photo taken at my retirement party in '96.
FB_IMG_1720724313608.jpg
 
Navy Chief said:
This may not be the best place to vent such things, but for me, today is a horrible day. I found out last night that my best Navy buddy killed himself. I am beyond sad. I feel like I got a gut punch, and am devastated. His name was Francis S. McHale, AT1. He was my Leading Petty Officer in the Line Division that I was the CPO for, of VQ-1.
Aside from being the finest natural born leader that I ever had the honor of serving with, he was my friend. A few years after he transferred from VQ-1 to the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kawai, Fran developed a brain tumor. They removed the tumor, but it left the side of his face partially paralyzed, and affected his hearing. He never quite recovered from it, mentally. By that, I mean he felt less of a man (regardless of how people tried to convince him otherwise.). He was forever troubled by that change in his life. His family did not see this coming.

Heck, I spoke to him last week. No sign of a problem. Fran leaves his loving wife, a daughter and son. My life was made so much better for having known Fran McHale. I will miss you, shipmate. Your friendship, your wonderful sense of humor...... Rest in Peace my friend.
In this picture, Fran is in the white shirt. Photo taken at my retirement party in '96.
View attachment 151704
Click to expand...

My sincere Condolences for the loss of your Friend and fellow Shipmate. :confused::cry:
 
NC, Condolences on the loss of your friend and shipmate. I hope you can mourn with others that knew him. Throughout my military aviation career covering several losses both to combat and simple training accidents, suicides are especially difficult to find closure with when it can be seemingly out of the blue, no answers. Next to last OEF deployment a crew chief of mine passed in his barracks room over an apparent drug OD. We had just returned from the year long trip, his spirits seemed high and he had just purchased a 69 Camaro that I was desperately trying to buy from him. Great guy, always upbeat and a hard worker.Big prankster on/off duty, left a high paying corporate job to enlist(even with a degree). On my last SDO shift a few years ago, I had an E-5 take his life in the headquarters building. I did not know him,but I remember checking the small office bathroom door during my midnight rounds as the last of the night-shift troops were headed home following flight ops, eerily to think he was in that small room.
 
Chief - as you know, losing a shipmate, past or present is a painful thing; especially when not from natural causes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top