SAN DIEGO – A 2012 Northampton High School graduate and Northampton, Pennsylvania, native is serving aboard the WWII namesake warship, USS Spruance.
Ensign Zachary Michael is an electrical officer aboard the San Diego based ship, a guided missile destroyer.
As an electrical officer, Michael is responsible for being in charge of coordinating and leading sailors, electrician's mates, for all safety of electrical work conducted on Spruance.
More than 300 Sailors serve aboard the ship, and their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
Michael has carried lessons learned from his hometown into his military service.
“I played hockey growing up on multiple teams and through my experiences, I've found the teams that are most successful are the ones that have teamwork and a strong work ethic,” he said. “I like to use these same experiences of hard work to portray to the sailors within my division and department to be successful as possible.”
Destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. They are about 510 feet long and can be armed with tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, variants of the SM missile family, advanced gun systems and close-in gun systems. Destroyers are deployed globally and can operate independently, as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, or amphibious readiness groups.
Spruance is armed with long range missiles intended for air defense to counter threats to friendly forces posed by manned aircraft, anti-ship, cruise and ballistic missiles.
It was commissioned in 2011 and named after Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. He was a key naval commander during WWII, leading U.S. naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: Battle of Midway and Battle of the Philippine Sea. He later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
At Midway, Spruance scored the first major victory for the United States over Japan; generally considered to be the turning point of the war in the Pacific.
“USS Spruance is responsible for 22 mission areas, with 350 people onboard each Sailor actively supports multiple missions, said Cmdr. Joshua Menzel, commanding officer of Spruance. “As a member of the Pacific Fleet, the crew of USS SPRUANCE patrol the same waters and trains to perform the same missions as the Sailors Admiral Spruance commanded during WWII.”
Michael has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandfather served on a carrier during the Vietnam War before he transferred to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard to serve out his last 20 years,” he said. “It's an honor and privilege to serve in the Navy just as my grandfather did and to be able to bond over our experiences.”
Michael ’s proudest accomplishment was earning his commission into the Navy.
“It’s not only important to me but to my family as well because I am the first to commission as an officer,” he added.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Michael and other Spruance sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
“I am part of an organization that very few Americans can ever say they are a part of and it is a privilege to serve with such high-quality people,” said Michael. “It truly is a humbling experience.”