Francis A.E. Micara

Captain Francis A.E. Micara passed away on January 8, 2024 at his home in Daytona Beach Shores. He was 100 years old. Francis Anthony Edwards (Frank) Micara was born on August 5, 1923, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY, to Anthony and Josephine Micara. Reared in the East Flatbush Neighborhood of Brooklyn, he graduated from Public School #208 in 1937 and Erasmus Hall High School in 1941. An alumnus of Duke University, Durham, NC, he earned the Baccalaureate Degree in 1944. On campus, he was President of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, President of the Honorary French Fraternity, Tau Psi Omega, and President of the Hoof ‘N Horn Club where he sang with the “Singing Boys” and danced in the “Dancing Chorus”. He was also a substitute Pianist with the Blue Devils Band.

Postgraduate study was pursued at Duke University (French and Spanish) and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Institute of Languages and Linguistics (Russian and Italian). He held the certificate of interpreter and translator of the Russian Language from the Naval Intelligence School in Washington DC. He was multilingual: Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, German and Japanese. He was married to Ann Katherine Skamarycz of Gardner, MA, a retired educator from the Montgomery County (MD) Public School System.

Upon graduation from Midshipmen’s School of the University of Notre Dame, he was commissioned as an ensign in 1945, after which he attended General Line School in Hollywood, FL and Communications School at Harvard University. Subsequent assignments were in communication positions: HQ 8th Naval District, New Orleans; Staff Commander Battleship Division Three aboard USS Alabama (BB-60); HQ 12th Naval District San Francisco, and Personnel Separation Center, Lido Beach, NY.

Released to inactive duty in September, 1946, he joined the Organized Reserve where he was Communications Officer aboard USS Millard County (LST 987) in Washington Navy Yard. In June 1948, he was recalled to active duty during the Korean war.

Ensuing duty assignments in Operations and Communications included: Navy Department (OP-20C) in the Pentagon; Navy Security Station, Washington, DC; Armed Forces Security Agency (predecessor of the National Security Agency), Arlington, VA; Naval Radio Station, Wahiawa, O’ahu, Hawaii (pre statehood); Staff Commander Seventh Fleet aboard USS New Jersey (BB-62) as Officer in Charge of the Naval Security Group Detachment during the Korean War; National Security Agency, Fort Meade, MD; The U.S. Logistics Group Detachment 28, Karamursol, Turkey; Staff Commander Atlantic Command/Commander-In-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet/Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (NATO) with Naval Security Group Atlantic in Norfolk, VA; Staff, Senior U.S. Liaison Officer London, England, as Deputy Head and Senior U.S. member of the combined U.S./U.K. Naval Party, Cheltenham, England, HQ 4th Naval District, Philadelphia; Commanding Officer, Naval Security Group Activity, Key West, FL in close liaison with Commander Key West Force during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960’s; Executive Officer, Navy Field Operational Intelligence Office, Fort Meade, MD; Assistant Commander, Naval Security Group Command for Plans and Policies, Washington, DC.

Following retirement in 1970, he was a volunteer teacher’s assistant teaching English as a second language to foreign students at Farmland Elementary School in Rockvile, MD, for which he received a Certificate of Recognition from the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools in 1990.

His medals and awards include: Naval Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device (“V”); Combat Action Ribbon; China Service Medal; American Campaign Medal WWII; World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal (One Star); Korean Service Medal (Two Stars); Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Naval Reserve Medal; Korean Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon; United Nations Korean Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. He also received the Ambassador of Peace Medal from the Republic of Korea.

In 1992, the Micara’s settled in Daytona Beach Shores, FL. Captain Micara was a member of the U.S. Naval Institute, the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, the Military Officers Association of America, the Korean War Veterans Association, the Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association, the Association of Retired Persons, the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Port Orange Retired Travelers, the Sigma Chi Fraternity and was a plank owner of the U.S. Naval Memorial in Washington, DC.

His wife of 42 years, survived him, as well as his sister Carmel Wertz of Raleigh, NC and brother Edward of Daytona Beach Shores, FL and numerous nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces.

Requiem Mass will be celebrated on January 18th at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Port Orange, FL. He will be laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.