Don Boyd | profile | all galleries >> Gallery of Memoriams >> In Memoriam - LCDR Michael "Mike" K. Van Doren, USCGR Retired | tree view | thumbnails | slideshow |
LCDR Mike Van Doren was born on January 24, 1951, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He was a pilot in my reserve unit at Coast Guard Reserve Unit Air Station Miami in the late 1980's through 1994 when our unit was disestablished and all of our members were transferred to numerous other reserve units in the Seventh Coast Guard District. Mike was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in the USCGR before he retired.
Mike was a really good guy and I liked him. He lived up in New Smyrna Beach and was a serious surfer at the beaches there, commuting to Miami for his weekend reserve drills and his trips working for American Airlines. Prior to his service in our unit, Mike served an unknown number of years in the U. S. Army as a helo pilot before he switched military branches to the U. S. Coast Guard. He served on active duty at Coast Guard Air Station Miami and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for rescuing four seamen 90 miles east of Miami in a difficult rescue in horrendous flying weather (see below photo and description).
After serving the required number of active duty years, Mike was released from the active duty Coast Guard so he could take a job with American Airlines as a pilot. He transferred to our reserve unit to finish our his years for retirement purposes. When he was in our unit he was First Officer on Airbus A300-600R aircraft based in Miami. Mike rose to be Captain on B767 aircraft, still based in Miami, before he retired from American Airlines in 2011.
Mike passed away on February 12, 2012, at 61 years of age from a brain aneurysm at home. Many other former unit members and I were shocked to hear of Mike's death at such an early age. We wish to express our sincere condolences and sorrow to Mike's family and friends.
Godspeed Mike, RIP!
In Memoriam - LCDR Michael "Mike" K. Van Doren, USCGR Retired - obituaries |
1984 - Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to LTJG Michael K. Van Doren, USCG |
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