Charles Everett Southwick

Charles Southwick enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve on May 26, 1953, and entered active duty to attend Aviation Cadet Training at NAS Pensacola, Florida, on September 3, 1953. He transferred to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, in October 1954, and was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and designated a Naval Aviator on April 13, 1955. His first assignment was as an FJ-3 Fury pilot at NAS Moffett Field, California, from May 1955 to March 1959, followed by service at NAS Alameda, California, from March to May 1959. Lieutenant Southwick returned to NAS Moffett Field in June 1959, where he served as a Weapons Training Officer and Combat Flight Instructor until joining VF-141 (redesignated VF-53 on October 15, 1963) at NAS Miramar, California, in September 1962. He served as an F-8E Crusader pilot with VF-141/VF-53 from September 1962 to September 1964, and during this time he flew combat missions in Southeast Asia in July and August 1964. Lieutenant Commander Southwick next served with the Bureau of Naval Personnel from September 1964 to September 1966, and he then attended F-4 Phantom II Fleet Replacement Pilot training at NAS Miramar from September 1966 to March 1967. His next assignment was as an F-4B pilot with VF-114 at NAS Miramar, and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) from March 1967 until he was forced to eject from his stricken aircraft over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on May 14, 1967. Before his shootdown, Lieutenant Commander Southwick was credited with the destruction of a Mig-17 over North Vietnam on April 24, 1967.