NIEL CHRISTENSEN

NIEL CHRISTENSEN (755-1988) was a US Navy SEAL sniper in the jungles of Vietnam. On his return to civilian life, his luck turned down for him and it appeared that no matter how hard he tried, the black cloud was always over his head. His health was not the best and so he had trouble finding and keeping a job. He was finally working for the state of Florida but because of his failing health, was always in a jam with time and money.

He needed a kidney replacement badly, and he thought he would be able to beat this problem when many of his VFW friends came forward and offered their kidney for NIEL. No such luck, as the government said that only a blood relative could give an organ to him, not friends. If the friends wanted to donate a kidney, it would go to the next person on the waiting list. They wanted to make sure nobody sold body parts and no matter how they protested, the government was firm and NIEL still waited for a kidney.

He had other health problems as well and who knows – did his time in Vietnam contribute to his failing health or was it just the way he was destined to live his short life? We will never know.

Some years ago, he came here for a visit and rolled out his sleeping bag on the sofa and was quite comfortable. He was a good guy, and when HARRY last spoke with him, NIEL asked that we pray for him. Sorry to say, it didn’t help and he is gone.

We realize that death is a part of life; from the moment someone is born, they are destined to die. We expect this of people who have lived a good and long life. We do not expect people who have not really reached what is normally the mid-point of life to leave us.

Sail on in peace NIEL. We’ll miss you.

ARTHUR HUNTLEY

ARTHUR HUNTLEY (2283-1992) was sonarman aboard USS DAVID which was sunk by U-546 under command of PAUL JUST (206-+-1986). Other American ships quickly sank U-546 and the survivors of both the American and German warships were rescued by those units. That was normal at that time, but what followed many years after the war was not.

ART and PAUL became fast friends years after the war. ART had his home on a large piece of property in California and PAUL JUST put a travel trailer on the property. He and his wife would spend winters with ART in sunny California where the friendship was as warm as the California sunshine.

Mrs. Just passed away some years ago and PAUL was not able to make the twelve-hour flight from Germany, then he began his Eternal Patrol a short time ago…..and now it is ART’s time to go on his Eternal Patrol. I suspect these old friends are back together now, talking about the memories of the war years, maybe even meeting up with former shipmates of both navies……

We wish fair winds and following seas to ART.

MATT HORVATH

During the Christmas holidays, we received a tearful phone call from the wife of MATT HORVATH (3281-1993), telling us that MATT had passed away. He certainly was not anywhere near the age when one is expected to die – he was only in his 40’s. He was with us on our “Patrol” in Chicago in 1994 for the re-enactment of D-Day on the shores of Lake Michigan. He worked for the production company that made the Hum-V for the American military and he got us a photo of a Hummer, hand-signed by the US Army general in charge of their production.

MATT was a great guy and for a decade, was a solid supportive Member of Sharkhunters. We will miss him.

We wish you fair winds and following seas MATT.

JAMES MYRICK

JAMES MYRICK (6601-2002) was a fairly new Member, but very involved in Sharkhunters and this history of the U-Bootwaffe. We had talked many times over the telephone and he had sent many photos and pieces of information.

In late 2003, he came down with this flu that ran across America and a good part of the world, so he decided to take a hot bath to ease the symptoms. He got out of his chair to run his bath, and collapsed on the floor – dead at only 42 years of age.

Sail on in peace JIMMY, your voyage here was cut far too short.