Senior Chief Tom Wynn Jr. Second of Three Generations Coasties
Thomas W.Wynn Jr. I joined the Coast Guard on the 26th of July 1972. I was 17½ that summer and felt it was time to go see the world and start a career. My father, a USCG AT1 Tom (Billy) Wynn Sr., had trained me most of my life to think about the future and what I wanted to do in life. At the young age of 12 he started asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. What job or field of work did I like. I remember telling him that I liked electricity and science.
After just 5½ months in the Coast Guard and serving on board a 378 Foot Coast Guard Cutter, The USCGC Rush, I started AE school (Aviation Electrician-mate) in Jacksonville Florida. After a busy 6 months, I finished the Navy AE School (The Coast Guard didn't have their own school until years later in Elizabeth, North Carolina). After school I was transferred to Coast Guard Air Station Mobile Alabama. I married my high school sweet heart, Mary (Lyn) Evelyn Ferguson in October of 1972, on Boot Camp Leave. We have a grand total of four children, Tracy Lyn; Christopher Thomas and Aaron William and a son who lives in England Robert Thomas, 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren at the present time.
I completed over 20 years of service to my country saving lives for a living. I retired in November of 1992 at the rank of E-8 or Senior Chief Petty Officer. I was on the list for Master Chief when I retired. Orders to Alaska just sounded to far to retire from. Wewahitchka Florida was calling me (God's Country) almost daily by then, with its beautiful beaches, lakes, forests, and fishing. Fun in the sun on the Emerald Coast, the hidden secret of Florida was singing to me in the morning on my first day of Retirement, a Bird was in the tree next to my bedroom and woke me up at 5 AM... I just smiled, and rolled over.
Rest and family time was the course for me for the next few years, or so he thought.
During my time in the service I received an Air Metal, for rescuing 22 people off two collided burning and exploding ships with my life and the other Helicopter crewmembers lives in danger, Expert Rifleman in the M-16, Marksman in the Military 45 pistol, 5 USCG good conduct metals, 2 national defense medals, 2 Antarctic Service Medals, several letters of commendation and a Coast Guard Achievement Medal for writing a new Alcohol referral program before retiring from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida. I was the Alcohol Aftercare program coordinator and the CEA (Command Enlisted Advisor to the Commanding Officer of the Base) for the last three years of my career. I sewed on my fifth gold strip three months before retiring for a total of 20 years 3 months and 4 days. I retired happy and in good spirits, I had reached all my personal goals. This is copyrighted material TWjr.Jun2011
