“Remembrance” *
Clyde Tuomela was the mainstay and organizer of the West Coast Flying Midshipmen reunions for many years while he was still on active duty at the U.S. Navy P.G. School as Professor of Aviation Safety. He continued to "run" the reunions after retirement when he became employed with the California Agriculture community in Sacramento; commuting between Monterey and Sacramento in his own turbo-prop airplane.
Clyde was instrumental in obtaining use of the P.G. School's BOQ for use of the reunion group during the 'down-time' between teaching periods. Many of us remember those 'bleary' Sunday mornings sitting in the BOQ hallways, sipping champagne and rehashing the previous night’s revelry - amongst other things!
Clyde was co-pilot for Ort Rudd (FMA Executive Director) flying "splash and go" PBM Mariners in VP-42 in Korea in 1950. He later went ''bad'' (according to Ort); flying F-14's after graduating from Test Pilot School and was the F-14 'missile-mating' officer at Point Mugu.
Clyde was killed in a crash of his aircraft several years ago in Palm Springs while on a search mission to locate a site for the annual Agriculture convention.
Clyde's widow, Shirley, still resides in Carmel.
* Busse, Bill, “FMA West Coast Reunion 2002;” © 2002.