POWERGRAMS

SALUTING OUR VETERANS which, in this case, were icebergs. But because they only traveled about a half-mile before exploding, the glide bombs were not as successful as the winged torpedoes, McKellar said. Although he never fought overseas, McKellar, the radio operator for his squadron in Newfoundland, still had a close call. While experimenting with the glide bombs, it was not unusual for McKellar and his comrades to fly up to 12 hours a day, sometimes traveling as far as Alaska and Greenland. McKellar said after they had been flying for a few hours one day, the pilots fell asleep, forcing the mechanic to take the controls. "We were so used to the roar and vibration of the plane. But we were flying along that day and everything got quiet," he said. "When the pilots went to sleep, the mechanic turned off the engine for a couple of minutes while he took over, and it liked to scared everybody to death. We thought we were about to go swimming in the ocean." McKellar said one of his greatest honors while in Newfoundland grew out of a tragic accident. The rain and fog were persistent in the region. Blinded by fog, one of the other crews flew into a mountain, killing everyone aboard the plane. Afterward, McKellar was among the squadron members selected to escort the bodies to the funeral and burial at Arlington National Cemetery across from Washington, D.C. During the ceremony, he presented the U.S. flag to the widow of the man who had been his charge on the long train ride to Arlington. After nine months in Newfoundland, McKellar returned to NAS Patuxent River, where he worked with his unit on the winged homing torpedoes until his tour of duty ended in 1955. He then used the GI bill to attend the University of Tennessee, graduating with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Cathy said the two of them made a lot of friends while her husband was in the service. "I always say every time Chuck came home on leave I got pregnant," said Cathy, who gave birth to their two daughters while McKellar was in the service. McKellar said he was proud to serve in the military. "I learned a lot in the service, and it helped me, as far as running a crew at Alabama Power," he said. "I love working with people. I liked my crew, and they liked me. We took care of each other." 4 U.S. Navy P2-V antisubmarine aircraft at Chincoteague NAS Virginia in the early 1950s. McKellar retired as Jasper District superintendent. McKellar joined the Navy as a 20-year-old. PHOTO BY PHIL FREE

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