Most people never know what it is like to fly in a helicopter. But one local educator got to experience that thrill as part of Fleet Week.
The annual military tradition sees ships dock in San Francisco Bay with a host of spectacles such as air shows. Cathy Thornton works at the Santa Clara Unified School District. One of the classes she teaches is career skills at Wilcox High School.
Through a special invitation, Thornton got to fly to San Francisco in a chopper and witness the festivities. Having grown up with a father in the Navy, Thornton sings the praises of military service as a career path.
“My father joining the Navy changed the trajectory for my family,” she said. “We wouldn’t have been in California if not for the Navy.”
Eating tiny white crackers and Dramamine, Thornton said she worried she would get sick. Despite that, getting to participate in Fleet Week, seeing all the sailors dressed in their finest, learning about what their life was like aboard a naval ship was a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said.
Donning her father’s Navy baseball cap, Thornton got a bird’s-eye view of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The whole experience was emotional, bringing a tear to her eye.
When her father died last year, Thornton said the Veterans Administration was really supportive.
Although she had been on naval ships as a girl — those narrow metal steps — Thornton said seeing the medical bay particularly impressed her, even if she wasn’t prepared for all the oil flying around the deck.
Unlike in other areas of the county, Thornton said serving in the military doesn’t get its due credit as a career path. Not only does the government provide excellent benefits, training and advancement opportunities, it also teaches valuable life skills, she said, skills like having a commanding presence and a firm handshake.
“I would never push a student to do one thing or another … the military is a viable one, whether it be benefits, the adventure or the experience you can get,” she said. “I do think it should be something that should be talked about more.”
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