The Wings

Nearly 6 years ago, my husband was getting ready to retire from active duty. While most Navy pilots are winged at the conclusion of flight school and keep those wings forever, Wayne’s story was a little different. He was given wings that had a history~ once belonging to Gerry Carroll who had been winged in 1971. Retired LCDR Carroll was a highly decorated pilot who flew 198 combat missions — many in Beirut in 1982 and 1983 and in Grenada in 1983 — and was awarded many medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.  In Vietnam, Gerry Carroll flew H-3s off of small boys in the North Gulf of Tonkin. He single-handedly wrote the book on Combat Search & Rescue for the Navy. He routinely would go inland into hostile territory, sometimes UNESCORTED, to save downed Navy pilots who were flying attack missions off of the coast. The small boys would position themselves very close to shore to give Gerry the most range over land. He is a legend. So, you see, the wings my husband proudly wore for 20 years are packed full of history and honor.

Spurred by his best friend, author Tom Clancy, Gerry began writing as he neared retirement from the Navy in 1990 and that led to a novel, “North SAR,” (NORTH is for the North Gulf of Tonkin…..SAR is Search And Rescue….the term Combat Search and Rescue hadn’t been coined yet) that was published in October 1991. His second novel, “Ghostrider One,” was published in 1993. By the time Gerry Carroll retired, my husband had already received the passed down wings; the 5th pilot to wear them.

Clearly, it wouldn’t have been right to keep them in a shadow box and so Wayne had the responsibility to find someone to continue their legacy. That person became very clear as my husband served at the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) with a retired Colonel by the name of Lynn Stull. Lynn Stull was no ordinary man~ he was, in many mens opinion, the face of Special Forces from decades past. A warrior; a trailblazer; and a “man’s man”. He was a Special Forces warrior when it was not popular to be in the military. It turns out that Lynn had a daughter, Paige, who was an ROTC student at Penn State and considering a career as a Naval Aviator. There were many reasons why this was the perfect fit but as time passed and Paige neared the completion of flight school, we were invited to attend the ceremony in Pensacola and the wings were removed from my husbands chest and placed on hers.

The Stull family were so inclusive and kind to us~ Paige, Lynn, his wife Carol, the entire family. I remember spending the evening celebrating at a restaurant somewhere in Pensacola and watching Paige and so many newly winged aviators, reminiscing about my journey as a Navy pilot’s wife over the previous 20 years. That’s the sign of life quickly passing;  when you see a glimpse of your past from 20 years prior and it seems like it was yesterday.

Since that time, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Paige, Lynn and Carol a few times over dinner and drinks. They’re just easy, you know what I mean? Lynn, this seasoned veteran who had seen more than I could ever imagine, this man’s man, this Special Forces machine, was as kind as the day is long. His wife is just one of those beautiful people (inside and out) who make you feel like she’s known you forever and Paige is a petite little blonde with a firecracker personality like her parents. The last time I saw them all together was last fall. Paige was in town and Lynn wanted us to have dinner at Carraba’s with them. We had friends visiting from Jacksonville and, of course, Lynn said “bring ’em!” and so we did. Typically, Lynn stole the check when it arrived and paid for everyone. Again. There was no way we were going to win that fight. 🙂

Lynn Stull passed away last weekend. Far too soon. Unexpectedly. It was Paige who tearfully broke the news to Wayne. He and I drove to northern Georgia for the service and can I just say this? A man has lived his life well when so many gather together to pay tribute. There were people from all over the country and one gentleman from Thailand! The service was beautiful and the wake was held at an Irish pub (no wonder I admired him so much!). When the family asked for those in attendance to share their stories about Lynn at a microphone, the line formed. So many stories, memories, laughs, and tears. From his little granddaughters to men much older than he had been…anecdotes flowed. When my husband, a gifted speaker and storyteller, shared the story of his wings and how his friendship with Lynn Stull had been the catalyst, I’ve never been more proud. I’m honored to be intertwined in that family, though my part is small.

You will be missed, Lynn. Your impact on this world will continue. Thank you for being so kind and generous in spirit to me, personally. I really will treasure the time I got to spend with you, Carol and Paige. The wings may have been the reason our families came together but you, Lynn, were the reason for the continuing friendship and you will be the reason why we will always consider your family part of our own.

Be blessed,
Amy