Mike was inspired to fly when he was just a kid watching the Blue Angels perform. It grabbed him. He pursued Naval aviation, endured the difficult training and danger associated with it, and successfully qualified in the E2C Hawkeye by age 22. His 1979 deployment took him to the South China Sea where he aided in the rescue of “boat people”, southeast Asians escaping death at the hands of Pol Pot and oppressive regimes. In November of 1979, an Iranian revolution was underway and American hostages were at the center of it. Under orders of President Carter, Mike’s fleet was deployed to the Persian Gulf to train and prepare for a hostage rescue. The days were long and dangerous as aircraft and aircrew launched and landed off the USS Eisenhower. In a combination of fatigue and the dangerous nature of the job, Mike witnessed the loss of 6 friends in training accidents. One, a commander who earned the respect of Mike and others, vanished into the ocean without explanation.
In January 2022, Mike was featured on a local TV broadcast and his story resonated with a local woman. One with a unique connection to Mike’s story.
Thank you Mr. Shears for sharing a portion of your story and journey with us. God bless you sir and your family. And thank you American Warriors for continuing to bring us these stories from true American heroes and warriors.
Tonia Borowski, YouTube Viewer
