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Volunteer moves full steam aheadBy TERRY JONES
He also has piloted many of the smaller craft at Disney, anything with passengers. "I drove almost all the boats they had," he said. "Disney provides very little pay but lots of passes and benefits." Since graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1941, Engle has not slowed down much. He was stationed aboard the cruiser USS Salt Lake City during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The ship entered the harbor only minutes after the last bomb was dropped and was able to help with the rescue operation. "Flames and smoke were still rising as we pulled into harbor," Engle said. "After the raid, we were sent out with other ships to try to overtake the Japanese fleet, but they were too far away." In 1943 Engle was transferred to the East Coast to command the destroyer escort USS Rinehart. There he met and worked with former Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes, who made the Buckeyes a national gridiron power. Hayes was the executive officer for Engle aboard the Rinehart. After three wars, Engle retired in 1965. He still stays active in his community in Sun City Center. He is a member of the Amateur Radio Club, the Organ Club, the Sailing Club and the Emergency Squad. His wife, Shirley, 78, is active as an artist, and both are part of the Camping Club. "We have a small camper trailer, and we usually go north when the leaves change and west in the spring," Engle said. "Although we have slowed down somewhat, we still stay busy. That has been part of our lifestyle from the beginning." One of the most responsible activities Engle is involved in is volunteer work with the Sun City Center Emergency Squad. He started out driving an ambulance, became an emergency medical technician and at one time was captain of one of the emergency teams. "The squad is a very valuable part of our community, and the people who volunteer are trained well," he said. "There was too much paperwork involved in being a team captain, so I now volunteer only as an EMT. Hillsborough County requires and provides an extensive training program of more than 100 hours to qualify." He said the volunteers all work well together and often find things to laugh about with each other, but the job is not humorous at all. He says he will never forget his first call when he started out with the squad. "That was almost 13 years ago," he said. "A resident shot himself in his own bed, and it was a real mess. Besides the gory suicide scene, his wife was hysterical. That picture will always be with me." After retiring from the Navy, Engle and his wife spent three years in Europe, traveling around and enjoying the sights. Then the couple settled in McLean, Va., where for 17 years he worked with a shipbuilding firm, helping design ships. The Engles moved to Sun City Center in 1986 and hope to remain active Floridians for many more years.
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