Military honor: Pine-Richland teacher celebrates father's 80th birthday, service to his country

It was May 1967.

Navy E-5 Petty Officer Second Class Charles Elliott Mickey was aboard the USS Magoffin that left San Diego, transporting 500 Marines across the Pacific Ocean during the Vietnam War.

As the vessel was pulling into the harbor in the middle of the night, Mickey recalled hearing a loud boom caused by a floating mine.

The next thing he knew, he was in a hospital bed on the ship. He found out later that 47 Marines and one of the engineers who were in a smaller boat bringing them to shore had died.

“It was one frightening experience,” said Mickey, who suffered leg damage and a broken kneecap when part of a radio fell and hit him.

After being treated, he returned to duty and received a Purple Heart. The Purple Heart is awarded to military members who are injured or killed in combat, through an act of terrorism or by friendly fire, according to military.com. It acknowledges the physical sacrifice of service to the nation.

Purple Heart Day is Aug. 7.

In later years, Mickey gave his Purple Heart to his aunt for a shadow box for his Uncle Charlie. Mickey said he wasn’t sure whether his uncle, who served in the Army during World War II, ever got his Purple Heart.

Serving his country means the world to Mickey.

For his 80th birthday on June 11, his daughter, Leticia Harshman of Pine, who teaches at Pine-Richland High School, had a replica Purple Heart medal made.

Attending the celebration were students from the JROTC from Pine-Richland and Mars Area high schools; Harshman and her husband, Michael, and their two children; three cousins from Uniontown; and a long-time friend from Trinity Lutheran Church in Richland, who also is veteran.

Junior Aya Vainshtein, a member of Pine-Richland’s JROTC, presented the medal to Mickey during the surprise birthday party at Northland Heights Retirement Home in Ross, where Mickey resides. Several residents of the retirement home also were on hand to celebrate.

Joining Vainshtein was Reagan Kirik, a Pine-Richland senior and cadet commander.

“I did this event as it was a chance to give back to a veteran who sacrificed so much for this country,” Kirik said. “It was a small way to say thanks.”

Added Pine-Richland sophomore Giovanni Zottola: “I did it because I got the opportunity to meet a war hero.”

The students presented the colors. There was the playing of the national anthem and the sounding of taps.

“It was special,” Mickey said. “It was great they took the day out of their summer to do this.”

Mickey entered the service on Oct. 18, 1963. He devoted 26 years to the Navy, dedicating his life to protecting and serving others, his daughter said. He traveled the world on big gray ships, navigated oceans, conflicts and decades of history, she said.

Part of his military career was as a communications expert who talked to people all over the world.

Mickey retired as an E-7 chief petty officer in February 1990.

“My dad served our country with great honor and humility,” his daughter said. “The recognition he earned doesn’t fade. His courage — both then and now — deserves to be honored.”

His story isn’t just one of military valor — it’s a story of a life fully lived, she noted.

The Navy took Mickey all over the world, including Puerto Rico, Argentina, Italy, Maryland and Florida. He is known for growing the biggest tomato plants — 6 feet tall — in Puerto Rico. He learned that skill while being raised on his grandparents’ farm in McClellandtown, near Uniontown.

He milked cows at 4:30 a.m. before going to school and then walked a mile to catch a school bus. He said he misses the farm.

“You can’t be lazy and be a farmer,” he said. “There are no holidays.”

Mickey always had an unshakeable sense of duty to his wife and daughter, Harshman said. Mickey and his wife, Patricia, married in December 1975. She died in 2017.

“He’s the kind of father who would wake up early to get the coffee ready,” Harshman said. “And also stay up late to make sure everything was taken care of. He taught me to drive, how to catch a ball or what a full count is in baseball. He also taught me to be resilient. He taught me that I am stronger than I know.”

Another lesson she learned from him is that when you are driving a car always get under the traffic light so you will be in position to “move forward.” And to turn off lights when you leave a room to save on the electric bill.

Mickey can fix anything, his daughter said, from broken appliances, loose screws, jammed locks and electronics.

“You name it and he could always take it apart and bring it back better, including my go-cart,” Harshman said. “He has a kind of genius that says: ‘Give me a problem, and I’ll figure it out.’ ”

Mickey loves dogs, including the newest canine in the family, Buddy. Her father’s favorite snack is a bag of pretzel rods. He makes the best scrambled eggs — light, fluffy. He’s a faithful fan of the Pirates and the Steelers, no matter the score. He never misses an episode of the show “Gunsmoke,” his daughter said.

“We didn’t just celebrate his birthday, we celebrated his story,” his daughter said. “My father lived his life in service to others, and he’s shown me how to live mine. I respect my dad, and I admire his service to his country.”

Mickey said he never drank or smoked, and exercised when he had time while on the ship. The birthday party brought him back to an emotional time, he said. He chose the Navy because he had an older cousin in the Air Force who told him the Navy had the best schools and training.

One of his proud moments has been wearing his uniform, which still fits, and attending three Army versus Navy football games in Philadelphia. He remembers when a ticket cost 50 cents.

Mickey said if he had to do it again, he still would choose the Navy and serve in Vietnam.

“You have to be a good swimmer in the Navy, and if you don’t know how to swim they will teach you,” Mickey said. “We did it. It was our duty. It wasn’t always easy. I want people to remember Americans as die-hard people and never-give-up people. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”