John Mitchell Is March Veteran Of The Month

John D. Mitchell was honored as Jefferson County Veteran of the Month for March 2022, by Jefferson County Commissioners at a meeting in the Courthouse on Tuesday, March 1.In addition, Mitchell was presented with a Quilt of Valor and a Vietnam War Commemoration Lapel Pin. The Jefferson County Veteran’s Service Office has joined with the United States Department of Defense as a Commemorative Partner in December 2021. Jefferson County will be presenting a Vietnam War pin to each veteran of the month who served during the Vietnam War.In February of 1957, having developed a dislike for formal education, Mitchell and two friends decided to quit school and join the Navy under the Navy’s “Buddy Plan.” This would ensure that they would remain together during basic training. That lasted a week. Mitchell later observed, “So much for promises.”Following boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, he was assigned to electrician’s school and then to submarine school. After submarine school, Mitchell was sent back to San Diego, CA and assigned to the submarine SPINAX SSR 489. While on the Spinax, they made two deployments to the Western Pacific. The first deployment took them by way of Pago Pago, Samoa and Suva, Fiji, both which are south of the equator. Those who have not yet crossed the equator were nicknamed Slimy Pollywogs. The Slimy Pollywogs had to endure the line crossing ceremony in order to officially be called Shellbacks. The final act of the ceremony was kissing the shiny belly of King Neptune’s Representative, then being tossed overboard.Upon leaving the Spinax, Mitchell advanced to electronics school in Great Lakes, Illinois. After graduation, he was assigned to the USS Pickerel in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He remained aboard the Pickerel for six years, making three deployments to the Western Pacific. This was during the Vietnam Era and one of the many operations they were involved in was picking up Army Special Forces Units in Okinawa. After leaving the Pickerel, Mitchell went to instructor’s school in Great Lakes, Indiana, then to reserve submarine USS Rasher in Portland, Oregon. While in Portland, Mitchell was selected to participate in the Personnel Exchange Program, a program to promote goodwill between the Italian and US Navy. Twenty sailors from each Navy were involved in the exchange. Through this program, he worked in Brindisi, Italy for two years serving in a small landing craft division of the Italian Navy. While in Italy, he had the opportunity to visit his old sub, the Pickerel, which had been sold to the Italians. In 1975, back in San Diego, Mitchell served as Chief of the Boat on the USS Tang for two years. Following, he went on to recruiting school and was assigned as a recruiter in Americus, Georgia.After three years of recruiting duty, Mitchell finally retired and transferred to Navy Fleet Reserve in July 1980.

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