ADM FLUCKY Posted on 4/4/2021 at 03:29:46 by ed Tipshu
Regarding Rear Admiral Flucky Medal of Honor 3 navy crosses holder
I had the pleasure of meeting him at a joint Navy League and USNA
Alumni chapter columbus joint meeting where he talked about his career. I bought a copy of his book ”Thunder Below” he inscribed with nice things about me and
Sandy who he met there he was with his second wife. The book resides with my son Jack in Little Rock
All profit from the sale of his book goes to the
Barb submarine crew Association.
man who managed the
fund drive for the USNA Navy
Marine Corps Memorial, he created a lottery within the
Navy & Marine Corps for donations and one prize was a
Volkswagon Beetle.
Regards to that; I was the operations officer of a battalion of Marines our Battalion Adjutant (Admin & Personnel) ) was a reserve 2d Lt IRBY who was a on active duty and he was itching and planned to get out after the end of his obligated service (Vietnam was going on then) and my job was to get 100 % of the battalion to donate to the fund drive. the lottery helped.
But Second Lieutenant lrby was adamant about not donating and
I continuously badgered him to donate and he finally did, buy a
‘lottery ‘ ticket donation. just to get me off his neck and when he donated he said “I will be very happy to never to ever return to this place
Camp Lejeune, after leave for Georgia home.”
A few months later the winners of the NMC Memorial Stadium Drive lottery was announced. Lt Irby won the
volkswagon beattle. so he had to return to
Camp Lejuene to pick it up I was sorry to not be there to see him to return but I never heard from him .
During the great
depression and its reduction of military strength mandated that graduates were not needed to fill up openings in the fleet.
One requirement for USNA graduation during the Great Depression and going into the fleet your eyes had to be perfect and pass a very strict vision test.
(not so current) Midshipman Flucky had not passed a few preliminary eye tests his graduation and passing and going into the fleet as an Ensign was questionable.;
He devised a way to ultimately to pass the rigorous eye test. What he did he started wearing whenever he could glasses made to the exact prescription to oppose his poor vision problem. The top optics specialist on reviewing his tests and care at Bethesda Naval Hospital Naval asked Flucky what he had done to improve his vision and pass the rigid vision test. The Optics specialist at Bethesda told Flucky if he told how Flucky improved his vision and be able to pass the test and made a deal, to be allowed to pass the test and graduate and he was passed on vision. As hewas up to par on vision requirement and ulitimately the USN got a highly innovated Sub Skipper and later an Admiral.
When later in a conversation with Adm Burke CNO was told this tale, Burke remarked “its the most amazing sea story he ever heard”
Adm FLUCKY Ashes are inurned at the USNA cenmetery Columbarium
