BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. — Scott Hunt served his country in the Coast Guard for an amazing 30 years, from 1984 to 2014, retiring as a chief warrant officer. 

 

He grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., and did his basic training in Cape May, N.Y. 

 

"My future mother-in-law talked me into the Coast Guard and I went in as a telephone tech — next thing I knew, I was jumping out of helicopters," he recalled. 

 

He would go on many missions in the highly dangerous role of helicopter and rescue swimmer.

 

Hunt's first assignment was on a Coast Guard cutter out of Alameda, Calif., on Alaskan patrol.

 

"It was an interesting and difficult mission. We dealt with foreign fishing vessels in U.S waters," he said. "A highlight was when we had to detain a vessel and bring it back to base in Kodiak, Alaska." 

 

He faced danger and death on every mission and I asked him if he was ever afraid. 

 

"I don't know if I was ever scared or afraid. I was in the 'Perfect Storm,' the one they made the movie about," Hunt recalled. "I was right at our door, ready to jump out in the water. Our pilot decided that it was too dangerous for me. ...

 

"We were supposed to rescue men from an Air National helicopter that ran out of fuel and ditched in the water. One guy died and the rest got picked up by a Coast Guard Cutter." 

 

What is the mindset of a rescue swimmer?

 

"Everything you do involves your checklist — checklist through your mind — so many things involved in search and rescue, everything in my mind was controlled by my checklist," he said. "Never thought about the danger or death until you get back from the mission. You performed like you were taught, it's all about your training. We had different crews on every mission so your training is vitally important and just kicks in."

 

He shared a story about a mission while he was posted to Kodiak when a plane hit the side of a cliff in fog.

 

"They were going bear watching, that and fishing are big in Kodiak, and I was being lowered toward the wreckage and assessed the damage," Hunt said. "The plane and bodies inside were burning. I was on the walkie-talkie when I heard screaming. A guy was ejected and was pinned under the wing, I lifted the wing off and got him on the litter [basket] and raised him up to the helicopter, then medi-vacced him to a hospital. He was Swiss and had broken his back but he lived." 

 

When asked about a mentor, he didn't hesitate: "Tom Carr, chief at Air Station Cape Cod. Everybody loved him, he took really good care of his people. Everyone looked up to him." 

 

He also spoke of the great camaraderie that he and his crews shared. 

 

"It was so, so very important because of the stress. You don't realize the pressure and stress until after you retire," he said. "We'd play pranks on each other all the time to keep the atmosphere loose. One time, the guys had sewn the arms and legs of my uniform short, so I couldn't get it on." 

 

Thoughts on service? "I feel blessed to spend that many years in. I came from nothing, barely made it through high school, but found the Coast Guard," Hunt said. "I rescued people and the Coast Guard rescued me." 

 

He was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal and several other Coast Guard achievement medals. He is married to Lisa and is the proud father of Jeremy and Tyler.

 

Chief Warrant Officer Scott Hunt, thank you for your service to our great country.

 

Wayne Soares is the host of the popular new veterans cooking show, "The Mess Hall" that airs Saturdays on NBC's NECN at 9:30 a.m. He also entertains our troops around the globe and is the host and producer of the Vietnam veterans documentary "Silent Dignity – The Chapter That Never Ends." He can be reached at waynesoares1@gmail.com.