Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1974 Lucky Bag:

Randy Andrew Mikal

Cruising through the granite gates of the Boat School made Elmhurst, Illinois, and York Community High School, distant shores for Randy. There were NEW HORIZONS lying ahead…an operations analysis major, 3 years of varsity football, 3 varsity football letters, a win over Army (N*73), an original member of the Hogs (Mick, Max, Leo, Jumbo, Gar, Tego, & Elli), 34th Co. Culture, a roommate named Gar, friends (Gary, Tich, Teddy, Munnso, Sparky), the Pines, hot ham’s, Mother B (and all her hassles), formations ala-many, 6-n days, youngster afternoons, the rack, homework, late lights, exhaustion, bells, mail, a love letter, weekend liberty, seasonal holidays, family and friends, returns, the dark ages, lonely days, lonelier nites, June Week, GRADUATION!, Navy Air and Joanie…and many more memories…Cruising again, out through those granite gates, leaving more distant shores behind. Randy seeks those NEW HORIZONS lying ahead.

Loss

Randy was lost on November 2, 1978 when the S-3A Viking he was aboard crashed into a mountain near Cubi Point Naval Air Station.

From The Day, New London, Connecticut on November 4, 1978

MANILA, Philippines (AP) – A U.S. Navy antisubmarine jet warplane crashed into a mountain near the Subic naval base and all four crewmen were killed, a Navy spokesman reported Saturday.

He identified the victims as the pilot, Lt. Cmdr. George W. Kelly of Coronado, Calif., and Lt. William D. Blanton, Lt. Randy A Mikal and Petty Officer 3rd Class James C. Mentink, all of San Diego, Calif. Blanton was the co-pilot, Mikal a tactical coordinator, and Mentink an aviation antisubmarine warfare operator.

The spokesman said the Lockheed S-3A Viking crashed Thursday night on Mount Slanging, two miles southwest of the Cubi Point Naval Air Station, which is part of the U.S. Navy facility at Subic. The twin-engined submarine-hunter had taken off from the Cubi airfield seven minutes before on a training flight, the spokesman said.

He reported it took Filipino and American rescue teams more than 9 hours to reach the crash site. Cubi is 50 miles northwest of Manila.

The four men were attached to an antisubmarine squadron aboard the carrier Constellation, which has San Diego as its homeport.

Other Information

Randy played left guard for the Navy football team.

Randy is buried in Elmhurst, Illinois. The Class of 1974 column in the January-February 1979 issue of Shipmate mentioned his loss and said “He was a fine guy and a friend to us all. Our deepest sympathy Robin.”

Photographs

1970 Graduate of York Community HS, Elmhurst, Illinois. All State Football. Randy's teammates continue to present (32 years running) a scholarship to a selected varsity football player in his honor.]] Source

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William Blanton, Jr. ‘72 was also lost in this crash.