• CAPTAIN JOHN C. “JACK” ENSCH

United States Navy (Retired)

Captain Ensch graduated from Illinois State University in 1964 and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy the following year, upon completion of Aviation Officer Candidate training at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

After receiving his wings and designation as a Naval Flight Officer in January 1966, Captain Ensch was assigned to Fighter Squadrons ONE TWENTY-ONE and TWENTY-ONE, where he completed two combat deployments to Southeast Asia in the USS CORAL SEA (CVA-43) and the USS RANGER (CVA-61). He then served as Admiral’s Aide to Commander, Naval Air Test Center, NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.

Following F-4 “Phantom” aircraft refresher training in January 1971, Captain Ensch was assigned to Fighter Squadron ONE SIXTY-ONE, making two more combat deployments to Southeast Asia in the USS MIDWAY (CVA-41). After being credited with two confirmed MiG-17 shoot-downs and completing 285 combat missions, Captain Ensch was shot down over North Vietnam by a surface-to-air (SAM) missile on 25 August 1972. He was held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi until he returned with the last group of repatriated officers on 29 March 1973.

Following convalescence at Balboa Naval Hospital, San Diego, in January 1974 Captain Ensch was assigned as Executive Officer of Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) at NAS Miramar. In April of 1976, he reported to Fighter Squadron ONE TWENTY-FOUR, for F-14 Tomcat transition training and later that year was assigned to Fighter Squadron ONE, where he completed two Western Pacific deployments in the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65). In January of 1978, he received a Master’s Degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.

From June1979 to June 1982, Captain Ensch served as Executive Officer of Fighter Squadron ONE TWENTY-FOUR and ONE FOURTEEN and then assumed command as Commanding Officer of the latter, with which he deployed in the USS AMERICA          (CV-66) to the Indian Ocean.

Upon graduation from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., in June 1983, Captain Ensch served two years on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. In August 1985, Captain Ensch was assigned to Carrier Group SIX as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and completed Mediterranean deployments in the USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) and the USS FORRESTAL (CV-59). From July 1987 to July 1989 Captain Ensch served as Operations Officer on the staff of Commander Fighter/Airborne Early Warning Wing, Pacific at NAS Miramar. He was Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station, Key West from July1989 of July1991 and was then assigned to the Chief of Naval Education and Training at NAS Pensacola as the Inspector General. In June of 1993 he assumed command as Commander, Naval Training Center San Diego, from where he retired in November 1995.

Following retirement from the Navy he joined the San Diego Padres Baseball Club that same month as Director of Military Affairs and established the only military affairs/marketing department in all of sports, which featured more military support programs than any other sports franchise in the entire country. After over fifteen years with the club, he retired from the Padres in January 2011. From 2011 to 2019 he served as a military affairs consultant to the Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball Club.

During his Navy career, Captain Ensch accumulated over 3000 flight hours and over 800 carrier landings in F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat fighters. He has been awarded the Navy Cross (2^nd highest award for valor in combat after the MOH), Legion of Merit (three awards), Bronze Star with Combat “V” (two awards), Purple Heart (two awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Air Medal (18 awards), Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V” (three awards), Prisoner of War Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and numerous other individual, unit and service awards. Additionally, he has been inducted into the Sacred Heart-Griffin High School Hall of Fame in Springfield, Illinois; the Military Aviation Hall of Fame of Illinois; the San Diego Fleet Week Foundation Hall of Fame; the Palm Springs California Air Museum Hall of Heroes, was awarded an Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from Illinois State University and was a recipient of the 2017 USS Midway Museum American Patriot Award.

Captain Ensch is married to the former Kathryn Ubben of Pekin, Illinois. They have three daughters, Elizabeth, Rebecca and

Christine and five grandchildren, Sydney, Ryan, Matthew, Emily and Damian.

KATHY ENSCH

Kathy Ensch is a mother, grandmother, educator and unpaid Navy senior officer’s wife ombudsman and wives social leader.

She was raised in Pekin, Illinois and graduated from Illinois State University in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education. She has taught school in Illinois, California, Virginia and Florida over the course of her husband’s 30-year naval aviation career.

Kathy endured the trauma of learning her husband was shot down during the Vietnam War and having to console and raise her three young daughters on her own.

Once he returned, she was thrust into the role of XO/CO wife where she was expected to and successfully led squadron wives groups during long cruise separations. Later she led social activities as the commanding Officers wife at NAS Key West, Fl and again at the San Diego Naval Training Center.

In 1995 she helped establish a reading tutor program for the San Diego Country Office of Education called “Everyone a Reader.” She then administered the program for ten years - training and placing community volunteers as reading tutors for 2^nd and 3^rd grades in elementary schools throughout San Diego County. She is currently on the staff of the USS Midway Museum’s Education Department, where she teaches students