Carl "Mike" Leland Medley, Jr.

September 11, 1936 – November 25, 2024

We are saddened to share the passing of Carl "Mike" Leland Medley, Jr., a dedicated Firebird and respected navigator, who passed away at the age of 88 in San Benito, Texas.

Mike served as a Major in the 17th Special Operations Squadron in the mid-1970s, where he was known for his skill, leadership, and camaraderie. After leaving the Air Force, he returned to Texas and became involved in the guided hunting business. Many of his fellow Firebirds fondly remember his humor, mentorship, and dedication to his crew.

Among the memories shared by those who knew him:

• Mike was a highly decorated C-130 navigator with a sharp mind and a great sense of humor.

• He had an assignment at the Air Force Academy as a PE instructor, a position he left due to the rigid uniform requirements.

• Fellow crew members recall his quick thinking on a challenging flight, where he helped correct a navigation error that could have led them far off course—an effort rewarded with drinks for an entire tour.

• He had deep Texas roots, coming from a family of cotton and cattle growers in South Texas.

Mike’s legacy lives on through the many who served alongside him, and we honor his memory with gratitude.

Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/valleystar/name/carl-medley-obituary?id=56923023

Photos

Photo submitted – Gary Adnrejak & Steven Gibertson

The lounge in the BOQ at Sondrestrom Air Base (now Kangerlussuaq).

Page 1.  Row 1.  You all know the story on the sign.  If I remember correctly, Jim Banas and Jake Distin were involved.  That's Mike Medley and Mary.  Remember the "loud" shirts that were in fashion?  Mike was all class!

 Row 2.  That's John Nave (far left) and John "all dressed up.  BTW:  We shared the same birth date...13 Dec!

Notes from Friends

From Bob Snyder:

I appreciate the update, but sad news. As I recall, Mike didn't make major & was separated as a Captain.

From Mike Terrell:

John Nave was my hero. He said he was proud of doing 19 years in the cockpit without a desk job before they got him. That's what I wanted to do. A pilot's pilot.. We did a terrific Sondy rotation in July 1972. It staged through Point Barrow with astronaut Bill Anders. We did a midnight airevac to Reykjavik. We several Dye trips. He regularly beat me at tennis, I recall. We flew with another ski-bird to the highest point (71N 37W) on the Cap for Arctic Research two times, landing at 10,600'. We came back through Thule and air-dropped on T3 at 84N 83W. That was a cockup with weather below CDS mins and confusion with the scientists about DZ orientation. We were dropping on radar. On the third pass the load was released early and only part of the drop made it to the island. John was embarrassed. He took a lot of pride in his flying.

From Bill Hiatt:

Major Nave and wife lived in what was a new subdivision then in Anchorage near the airport. All the streets were named after locations in England, such as Cambridge Way, etc. Bachelor Ted Flesher frequently cornered the wife at gatherings for some reason. ??

I don’t remember flying with Nave though. Actually I don’t remember much of anything from that time. I do remember Joel Bloomquist tipping Don Smith’s bed over with Don still in it while sleeping at the Sondy BOQ. Too many Long Island Ice Teas I guess.

From Dan Brooks:

Mike was a Captain in the squadron. He was RIFed while in the 17th.

He had a tour at the Air Force Academy as a PE instructor.

He said he had to change from shorts to Dress Blues four or five times a day.

They wanted him to extend his assignment at the Academy and he wouldn't because of the uniform changes.

That decision killed his career, they gave him an 8.2 on his OER.

That 8.2 got him RIFed.

From Bill Drasky:

I think it was him that organized the basketball games in Sondy. Lots of fun. Such a nice man!

From Mike Headle:

I remember him well. He was from my area in south Texas. His family were cotton and cattle growers. I remember that I was so surprised to meet him because his family always farmed, etc. where my uncle was VP at the local bank. I think he was actually from Raymondville.

From Chuck Donahue:

Nice guy, miss his funny and highly interesting stories as a “Steely Eyed Thumb” !? on Gunships flying along the Hi Chi Minh Trail firing at N Vietnamese and Chinese trucks/ drivers. I believe he also had an assignment to the AF Academy Sports Dept at one point in his career. He invited Rader and I and a few other butter bars over for dinner a few times at his house off Muldoon. Good man. RIP “Spike”

From Gene Ramsay:

One dark night we were flying from EDF to Yellowknife or Sondy. He was in the Nav seat. Something (Radar?, Doppler?, LORAN?, N-1 Compass divergence?, Celestial, DEW Line NDBs?) indicated to hin that we were getting quite a bit off course. He asked me, probably a 1Lt at the time, to take a look. I soon discovered (this will only mean something to the Navs) that he was flying Convergence GRID on a Polar Projection chart or flying Polar GRID on a Lambert Conformal chart—I can’t remember which—but in either case—no bueno. We dug around in our Nav bags, found the compatible chart for the situation, plotted our track on it, and got back on course. Phew! No telling how it might have ended up. He bought me drinks for that entire Sondy tour. 

RIP Mike 

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