SENIOR NAVAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER KENNETH D. CRANDALL, USN (RET.)
Born in Snoqualmie, WA and raised North Bend, he attended Mount
Si High School followed by four years at Central Washington State College (now
CWU). He graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and
History.
He joined the Navy Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate program
during his junior year at Central. Following graduation he completed the program
and was commissioned an Ensign in the fall of 1970. Following commissioning he
attended ARMED FORCES AIR INTELLIGENCE TRAINING CENTER in Denver, CO.
Ensign Crandall’s first tour was with ATTACK SQUADRON TWENTY TWO
as their Intelligence Officer. His first cruise was to the Gulf of Tonkin
onboard USS Coral Sea (CVA-43). Following this cruise he participated in
Operation Homecoming the debriefing of returning Vietnam POW’s. Before leaving
VA-22 he completed a second peacetime cruise with VA-22 again onboard USS Coral
Sea.
LTJG Crandall’s next tour was to Hawaii where he served as Photo
Interpretation Division Officer at FLEET INTELLIGENCE CENTER PACIFC. While in
Hawaii he earned a Master of Arts degree Business Management from Central
Michigan University. In 1978 LT Crandall reported to the USS Kitty Hawk
Intelligence Center. He completed one extended cruise during which the Kitty
Hawk supported efforts to free American hostages held by the Iranians.
In 1981 LCDR Crandall began a four year tour of duty at
Headquarters United States European Command (HQUSECOM) in Stuttgart, Germany.
LCDR Crandall had two more duty stations, Surface Warfare Officer School Command
(SWOSCOM) Newport, RI and Center for Naval Analysis in Alexandria, VA.
He retired from active duty in 1991. In 1992 he began working
for Eagle Hardware & Garden where he held a number of positions including
Training Manager. In the fall of 2000 he began instructing NJROTC at Liberty
and Issaquah High Schools. In the summer of 2002 he began instructing
exclusively at Liberty High School.
LCDR Crandall is married to the former Judy Lee of North Bend, Washington. They have three grown sons, Donald, Kevin and Michael.
NAVAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR
AVIATION MACHINIST MATE, USN (RET.)
Chief Torstenson graduated from Kent Meridian High School, June of 1960 and
joined the Navy shortly after graduation. After the usual recruit training in
San Diego he was ordered to Aviation Machinist Mate School (Reciprocating) in
Memphis, TN. Upon graduation he was ordered to the Naval Station Sangley Point,
Philippines, where he spent the next 19 months. He was promoted to Petty
Officer 3rd Class during this tour.
He was then ordered back to Memphis for a follow on tour at advanced Aviation
Machinist Mate School. Upon graduation he was promoted to Petty Officer 2nd
Class and ordered to Naval Air Station Guantanamo, Cuba. This tour proved to be
very demanding as this was just after the Cuban Missile Crisis and the situation
was still very tense. During this tour he was awarded his first set of gold
Aircrew wings, flying 4 different types of aircraft. Also during this tour,
Torstenson was assigned to an aircrew that took part in the invasion of the
Dominican Republic.
He was next assigned to VR-22, flying the C-130E. It was during this tour Torstenson was first introduced to Vietnam. For the next 2 years he flew in and out of Vietnam, loaded both ways. Many of the flights were conducted under fire. For these operations he was awarded an Air Medal.
After his assignment with C-130’s he was assigned to VP-17 flying the SP-2H
anti- submarine aircraft. Once again he found himself back in Vietnam flying
Operation Market Time missions. As one might expect there was the usual risks
involved with flying in a combat zone. During this tour Torstenson was awarded a
field promotion to PO1. Due to the needs of the Navy He was transferred to VP-2
and right back to Vietnam, doing the very same mission and flying the same type
of aircraft. He was awarded a 2nd Air Medal during this tour.
On a personal note he also had started a family. (two small kids) Time away from his family became a driving force and as a result he decided to accept a discharge and the opportunity to attend college.
After graduation from Eastern Oregon College with a B.S. in Secondary Education
he was offered an opportunity to join a farming operation. That continued for a
number of years, but the country’s economic situation made that situation very
undesirable. So on to many other situations, including teaching in a small
district in Eastern Oregon.
The call of the Navy, and flying large aircraft is very strong and it continued
to be a factor. As a result, Torstenson joined the Naval Reserve and was
assigned to VP-69 where he became a P-3 flight Engineer. As luck would have it
he was asked to fill a full time position with the Naval Reserve. A chance of a
lifetime.
After completing a tour with VP-69 at Whidbey Island, Torstenson was ordered to VP-64 at NAS Willow Grove, Pa. still flying P-3’s. During this tour he was selected for promotion to Chief Petty Officer. As is the custom in the Navy, newly promoted Chiefs are transferred to a new duty situation shortly after promotion, which put Chief Torstenson in the Nation’s Capital for a tour of duty with VP-68.
After a very exciting tour with VP-68 he was transferred back to Whidbey Island
for a final Navy tour. He was assigned to VR-61 flying DC-9’s.
This tour found him flying all over the world doing a wide variety of missions,
including many missions into the war torn countries of South Eastern Europe.
Finally the day came (December 31, 1997) and Chief Torstenson retired from
active Naval Service. He was hired at FlightSafteyBoeing as a 767 maintenance
instructor, instructing the aircraft mechanics of the world’s airlines on how
the various systems functioned.Once again the economic conditions in the country
forced him to make a career change. That change brought him to the JROTC
program here at Liberty High School in the spring of 2002.
Chief Torstenson is enjoying a wonderful marriage with Gloria James. Between them they have five children and 7.5 grandchildren and are living on a wonderful farm in Maple Valley.