Veteran of the Month – E-7 Chief Petty Officer Arthur W. Melycher

Name:
Arthur W. Melycher

Place of Birth:
Danbury, CT

Date of Birth:
11/5/48

Military Branch of Service:
U.S. Navy

Enlisted, Commissioned, or drafted?:
Enlisted

Service Dates:
August 1967-August 1989

Highest Rank:
E-7 Chief Petty Officer

Military Jobs Held:
Executive Officer
Command Chief
Officer Recruiting
Drug & Alcohol Counselor

Unit, Division, Battalion, Group, Ship, etc.:
USS Compton DD 705
USS Zellars DD777
USS Eugene A Green DD 711
Region Readiness Command 20
Naval & Marine Corps Reserve Center, Hartford
Naval Station, New Orleans
Staten Island, New York

War, Operation or Conflict served in:
Vietnam era

Locations of Service:
Destroyers, Norfolk, VA; Newport, RI; Boston, MA

Decorations:
Good Conduct
Meritorious Service
Expert Pistol
Expert Rifle
National Defense
Navy & Marine Corps Medal

Name of Post:
American Legion Post 43 Tuttle-Burns

Volunteer Experience:
Winsted town volunteer for the American Legion Soldiers and Sailors Marine’s Fund: http://www.alctssmf.org/

Bio/Memorable Events:
Arthur Melycher, a Winsted resident, joined the military in 1967, right out of high school during the Vietnam War. As a graduate of Henry Abbott Technical High School in Danbury, Melycher wanted to take his experience learning to be a machinist to the Navy. While he never ended up working as a Machinery Repairman, he did rise in the ranks in a job he loved.

Melycher first went to boot camp in Great Lakes, IL and was then assigned to an aviation squadron at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. For 9 months he made flights to Vietnam for deliveries to soldiers. He was then transferred to a destroyer ship in Boston. While stationed on various destroyers, Melycher worked in administration and escorted three squadrons across the Atlantic Ocean, once even making a trip through a hurricane. In his role, he worked directly with the captain and others in command, which kept him “in the know” at all times.

After the war Melycher continued serving. He worked with POWs for 6 months and then became active in recruiting, especially for the medical field. He had a 22 year military career before retiring in 1989. After retirement, it was important to Melycher that he stay involved. He found his way to military honors and began performing military funerals, which he continues to do to this day. He has also been a commander of his American Legion Post since 1990 and is the Winsted town volunteer for the Soldiers and Sailors Marine’s Fund.

Melycher says the highlight of his career has and always will be helping other veterans.