Semper Gumby wasn’t just a joke. It was John “Sticks” Hall’s real motto. This episode is 88% dedicated to the man who lived it.
Pete and Fig open with a hard truth. This summer dealt the “So There I Was” crew three losses in a row. Sticks always said it comes in threes. He wasn’t wrong.
Semper Gumby: The Man Behind the Callsign
Jeff Manternak, Sticks’ brother-in-law, delivered the eulogy at John’s celebration of life. It reduced a Marine attack pilot to tears twice.
John graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. Its motto is “Acta Non Verba” — deeds, not words. Consequently, that phrase became the throughline of his life. He was an Eagle Scout, EMT, Merchant Mariner, Maritime Investigator, Naval Aviator, and Nurse Practitioner.
However, his official Coast Guard motto, Semper Paratus (Always Ready), got a personal remix. John joked his real motto was Semper Gumby — always flexible.
Furthermore, RePete reads two paragraphs from the memorial on just how brutal Coast Guard rescue pilot training actually is. That includes the helo dunker, spatial disorientation drills, altitude chamber hypoxia training, land survival school, and primary flight training in the T-34.
Tyler Hall, callsign “Chock” (Episode 176), was with his dad when the engine quit. Sticks gave him that callsign himself.
Tyler wrote a letter for his father’s memorial. He gave RePete permission to read it here. It’s raw, grateful, and funny — exactly the way Sticks would’ve wanted. Actually, Tyler credits fellow pilots for helping him get back on his feet. He lists his dad’s many roles, then lands on the one that mattered most: Dad.
The episode closes with a submitted “So There I Was” tale from “Stretch” (Larry Curran, Episode 201). It’s a tense night divert from the USS Midway into Yokota Air Force Base. He was flying an EA-3 Whale in 1975-76. The go-around didn’t go according to plan.
Stay Connected: Got your own “So There I Was” tale? Submit it — 2 minutes or 20, we’ll play it. Find us at sothereiwas.us, and if Venmo’s your style, you can now schedule recurring gifts instead of one-offs (more of it reaches us than through Patreon or DonorBox).
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