Thinking of you Charles on this day of memorial to you. So many passed years, so often in life, my thoughts extend to you and Peg. Here's to you Gunner, with love and admiration.

One of Gunnar's many jobs on our Wespac Cruise was to straighten out us young, very inexperienced (and some might say smug) college boys.  He did his best to square us away; and we did our best to resist - I think for the most part he won.  I was the youngest of those junior officers (OK, the youngest who didn’t become an Admiral), and therefore the most in need.  He instilled in me a most profound respect for the military, its traditions, and its place within the surrounding world of civilians.  I must admit, however, that when attending our not-frequent enough reunions, I kept my Civilian-Navy Navy-Civilian Foreign Dictionary at hand, the better to communicate with him.  He will be sorely missed.

I met Charles "Gunner" Mitchell when I served as Communications Officer aboard the USS Wiliam H. Standley deployed to Westpac on an around the world cruise in 1971.  I was newer to the Navy than Gunner and had the good sense to listen to him even thought we came from different worlds and had different styles of leadership. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of how to get things done and how the Service worked. We wore our rough edges off on each other and came away with mutual respect and affection. Our friendship has been constant since 1971 and Gunner was a vital part of our reunions and the communication system that kept us all in touch with each other. I always admired his intelligence and the versatility with which he switched services and job assignments --always eager, always productive, and always accomplished. Gunner was a complex personality and a career patriot.  If you took the time to understand him and invest in the relationship, the rewards of his friendship were considerable.

Our first Standley reunion was in Depoe Bay, Oregon when my daughter Bianca was approximately 6 or 7 years old.  Gunner brought an alarm clock which he placed in one of the common rooms each evening and which erupted at O dark thirty each morning with James Brown singing "I feel good......" After several days of this, my daughter liberated the alarm clock during covert night operations and placed it right next to his bedside. Gunner was nearly ejected from the bed the following morning to our assembled delight. The two formed a friendship of mischief and when we left Bianca gave Gunner her small  Little Mermaid figurine. Years later Peg told me Gunner had kept it on his dresser at home since the reunion. Just over a year ago Gunner sent the figurine back to Bianca and we both got the message.  She still keeps the memento.

May we all keep our separate ones of him going forward.


I am his niece, Vicki.  I remember when I was a small child, I got out of the hospital with pneumonia.  He and Aunt Peg sent me a Little Golden Book, Bambi.  I still have the book and I'm 56 yrs. old.  Even though I didn't get to see him or talk to him does not mean I don't love him.  I love you Uncle Charles. You will be missed by many.  

Gunner epitomized the term "Shipmate" where "Shipmate" means a Sailor who works side by side with you every day.  More importantly, a "Shipmate" will put themselves in harms way for what they believe in--a person who you entrust your life.
Gunner was the Missile Fire Control Officer on the USS Wm H. Standley during a Westpac deployment in 1971 while I served as Missile Officer.
As Division Officer for FM Division, Gunner and his men were responsible for seeing that our missile fire control radars and computers were functioning.  Saying that this equipment was "troublesome" would be putting it mildly.  It seemed that every time we needed a part to repair the system, there was no part to be had.  I lost count of the number of times Gunner and his chiefs came up with the needed part "outside" the supply system.  Standley had two live fire opportunities during our deployment.  Both were successful and earned Standley a Navy "E" for excellence and efficiency.  Our accomplishment was due in large part to Gunner's dedication and determination to see that our mission was successful.
Even years late when we were no longer serving in the Navy, Gunner's dedication and interest in his shipmates continued as he helped organize reunions for Standley's officers and crew.
Gunner was one of the most dedicated and unselfish people I have had the pleasure of knowing.  It was an honor knowing him and serving with him.  He will be missed by all who knew him.  Thank you "Shipmate"!

OBITUARIO

Charles Frank Mitchell

31 octubre, 1938 – 22 noviembre, 2019

Cotten Funeral Home

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