Your Prayers are Needed
Fellow Admirals:
I’m soliciting your prayers for two of our fellow classmates:
Xavier Carter
I just received a telephone voicemail from Mr. Leonard Carter, father of Xavier Carter (c/o 1983). Xavier was involved in a very serious motorcycle accident a few days ago and is currently at a trauma center in Norfolk, VA. Mr. Carter informed me that he is still in critical condition, however, he is progressing well and the doctors “have removed quite a few tubes from him.” He is currently conscious. At the moment, he cannot have visitors due to infection risks. I’m attempting to get a mailing address to which you can send cards. As soon as I get further information, I’ll pass it along to you.
Frank Melhaff
It is also with sadness that I announce the recent passing of Frank Mehlhaff. According to Al Melhaff (Frank’s Dad), Frank took his life on 26 Feb 2005. The following bio was provided by his father a few days ago:
Frank was born in Bremerhaven Germany 14 July 1960. He was a 7 lb 12 oz baby. His mother the former Ines Woest of West Germany and me enjoyed having him, he was such a joy. In January 1961 I transferred to Skaggs Island CA. He took his first steps on his first birthday in my parents’ house in Sacramento. We then moved to Key West, followed by Fort Lauderdale (I was assigned to the USNS Sgt Joseph E. Muller out of Port Everglades). He attended a preschool there.
I then got orders to VQ-2 and we moved first to Chipiona, then on base. Frank completed his first 4 years of school in Rota. Then I got reassigned to the NSG ELINT TGU in Newport RI, and then I transferred to the sub base in Groton. At that time his mother and I split up.
I then received orders back to VQ-2 and Frank came back to Spain with me. He always wanted to go back; I believe that is what he considered home. He arrived there to start his Junior year in HS and was very proud to be an Admiral. Even though the wins were non existent he loved to play football. When he graduated, I sent Frank back to Sacramento to attend Junior College at Sacramento City College. I even went back on leave to see him play football, etc. He later moved to San Diego where he attended San Diego State for a brief period of time.
His first love in work was teaching and being with kids. He found a job at an education center in Boston. He moved to Boston and taught there until he joined the Army. He served a 2 year enlistment where he met his wife and future mother of his children. She was a military dependent wife (Carol Petrus) from Youngstown Ohio. Frank eventually transferred back to CONUS and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood. He visited Carol and her son (from her previous marriage) regularly. After leaving the Army he moved to Youngstown and attended Youngstown State U. where he finally got his teaching degree. Frank’s first daughter, Hannah was born in Sept 1991 and his second and youngest Lindsay, was born in March of 1993 during a blizzard. Frank called me from the hospital room to tell me about both of the births. The second one he kept exclaiming "Dad, she looks just like you" knowing Frank and his wanting to joke I finally said okay what is the punch line and he said she looks just like you, she has no hair and no teeth".
His first job offer came from Las Vegas and he accepted a position at an elementary school. He did a couple of years in elementary schools and then moved to a middle school. He later transferred to another Middle school. Both Middle schools were in very poor areas, and with kids who had no desire to neither learn nor do anything for themselves. I being a substitute teacher in Las Vegas taught in his school and found that his kids would do all they could to be in class on time and excel in their work. Many of these kids would sometimes cut the entire day except for Frank’s class. He was well respected by his students, their parents and the teaching staff.
I remember one Saturday morning I got a call from the VQ-2 quarterdeck wanting to know if I wanted to go see Frank play ball. The team was playing in Zaragosa and had left the day before to play up there. The squadron was sending a plane to Germany with a spare engine for one of our planes that needed a new engine. So about 4 of us VQers went to Zaragosa to see our sons play ball. We were sitting in the bleachers when the teams came out on the field. At half time we went down and walked with our sons to the gym for the halftime meeting, Frank seemed disturbed, and asked me if Coach West had called me. I told him no and asked why, then he told me the story of him and someone else mooning a La Guardia Civil plain clothesman that had been following them. I still get a chuckle out of that.
I also get a chuckle out of his first football game. The team was flying up to Madrid to play one of the teams up there. Coach West had told them that no player could have his hair sticking out of the helmets. Frank and others had a plan that they could keep their long hair and not have it show outside of the helmet by wetting their hair, combing it up over the top of their heads then put their helmets on. When the team arrived back in Rota that evening, about 4 of them had their hair cuts to the shape of football helmets. It seems Coach West was wise to their tricks and got them when they got to the dressing room. If any remember Franks moped it had a very distinct sound. Frank ended up with a Masters in Counseling but never got to apply it as a counselor. |
