If you want to see the battleship Gary Vankirk lived on for nearly four years in the U.S. Navy, try watching the old classic war movie “The Bridges At Toko-Ri.” On Tuesday, Kosciusko County commissioners honored Vankirk for his service through a presentation that recapped his military career. Vankirk joined the Navy in 1963 as the Vietnam War began to intensify. His initial plan was to attend submarine school, but that didn’t work out because of an inner ear problem, so he was assigned to the Destroyer, USS Putnam, DD757. That battleship became his home for nearly four years and he was assigned to the forward engine room, where he worked as a “throttleman,“ in which he was responsible for controlling the speed of the vessel. Among the ports he visited included Italy, Spain, Nova Scotia, Cuba and Jamaica. The battleship was featured in the old Korean War movie “The Bridges At Toko-Ri,” which starred William Holden, Grace Kelly and Mickey Rooney. Vankirk said one of the most concerning moments of his service was when he and his crew were “buzzed by a Russian Mig” while they were in the Black Sea. Vankirk left the Navy after four years of service and returned to Warsaw, where he began 30 years of work with the company that eventually became known as Sprint. He is the father of three children and his 10th grandchild was born this week. Vankirk was given a framed certificate by the commissioners, who thanked him for his service.
