Santa Rosa County FlArchives Biographies.....Wright, Mack March 11, 1923 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Kay Kelly kay_kelly@bellsouth.net August 31, 2009, 3:43 pm

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Commander Mack Wright, USN(Ret)
(A Mustang in the League of the Least Likely)
On the cool day of March 11, 1923, a child was born to Effie Esther
and Seth Wright in the farming community of Jay, Florida. Mack was
the third child of a family of twelve children. Early in life, he
demonstrated his ability to make choices. He was named "McClenny",
but by youthful fiat, he referred to himself as "Mack", and Mack
became his legal name. As the oldest boy in a farm family during the
depression, he undertook various tasks of daily farm life. Picking
cotton early in the morning - when the dew was still on the plants -
and "looking at the south-end of a north-bound mule", as he walked
behind a hand plow were just a few of his activities. This was sufficient
motivation for him to seek another occupation. He set his face toward
working at a "filling station" in Milton, Florida.
One day in Jay, he saw a pretty, eight year old girl, with long curly
hair, wearing a blue coat, and his life took a serendipitous turn. The
meeting dramatically changed his life and he decided that she was
going to be his wife. While attending a county fair, a few years later,
he saw her again and followed her around the fair. This time, she
asked her cousin to tell him that she wanted his photograph. So, Mack
gave her one.
WWII was declared in 1941. Mack interrupted high school and
convinced his dad to help him enlist in the United States Navy. He
trained in San Diego, California and was assigned to the Pacific
theater. He became a photographer's mate and attained the rank of
PH1 in less than four years. After serving overseas continuously for
about 39 months, he came home and married the, now grown up, long
curly haired little girl (Eula Merle Cooley) with whom he had kept in
contact for years by speedy U.S. mail. He trained at the Naval School
of Photography (NATTU) in Pensacola, Florida and attained the rank of
chief petty officer before he was entitled to wear two hash marks - one
for each four years of service. Prior to the ceremony, he sewed on the
second hash mark, because he didn't want to stand with other men
who had been in service for many more years than he, before
receiving a similar promotion. As an instructor at the school, he
assisted in the organization of the PH(B) course of advanced training.
He left NATTU in 1952 and served aboard the USS Kenneth Whiting
(AV-4) in the Korean area. In 1955, he reported to NAS Memphis as a
technical writer for the photographic mate training manual. Shortly
thereafter, he completed the Electronic Officer School, NATTU
Memphis, and was appointed a warrant officer photographer, then he
served with the Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 (VAP-61) and (VAP-
62) in various capacities, among which, was photographic officer
aboard the USS Essex (CVA-9) until 1961. Mack went to the South
Pole with the Antarctic Development Squadron (VXE-6), was promoted
from warrant officer II to Lieutenant, and served as a Limited Duty
Officer (LDO). Upon his return, he was assigned to Naval Photographic
Interpretation and Naval Reconnaissance and Technical Support
Centers in Washington, D.C. during the "Cuban Missile Crisis". From
this assignment, Mack served with the Light Photographic Squadron 62
(VFP-62) where he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. In 1967,
he served with Fleet Air Jacksonville, Florida and Heavy Photographic
Squadron (VAP-62) and from there, he was assigned to Guam with
photographic duties in Korea and Vietnam, until 1969, when he was
appointed Director of the NATTU, Pensacola, Florida where he was
promoted to Commander.
He always spoke admirably and highly of both his superior officers and
the persons who worked with him during his many tours of service. In
1979, Mack received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost while attending
services at Antioch the Apostolic Church that was founded by his son,
Bishop, Chester Mack Wright, in Arnold, Maryland. He accepted GOD's
calling into the evangelistic ministry and established the Ekklesia
Revival Center, during which time, he and his wife lived a number of
years in their HMC motor home that he referred to as his "Home
Missions Church". He returned to Florida and was promoted to pastor
of the First Pentecostal Church of Jay, Florida. He thanks Rev. Paul
Welch and other church board members for entrusting him and
commissioning him as a Minister of the Gospel.


Additional Comments:
He is buried at Berrydale United Pentecostal Church Cemetery.  
He didn't have a headstone the last time I was there, but
there is a small fence with lots of flowers with patriotic themes.
Mack was a photographer in the Navy.  He was pastor at Jay United Pentecostal Church when he passed away


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