Milt Pugsley Biography

Milt was born in Hart, MI on September 24, 1924. His father was Circuit Court judge for many years. He married Barbara Fuller on August 26, 1946. They have two sons, Paul and Richard. His property on Pentwater Lake was purchased by his father 85 years ago, for $1200. The purpose of the purchase was to have a place that the family could gather, and it has served that purpose ever since.

Education:

Milt graduated from Hart HS in 1942 He attended Michigan State University for 1 semester, then enlisted in the Navy. After the Navy, he completed his BA in Business Administration at MSU

Navy

Milt’s first tour of duty with the Navy was from 1944-1945. He trained many places, including Corpus Christi, TX and Pensacola, FL. He flew as a Scout Observation Pilot on the SS California, in the South Pacific. The plane was a single engine, 485 hp, propeller-driven float plane. The plane was catapulted from the rail toward the aft-end of the battleship, using a blank 5” shell. The plane usually didn’t have enough power to clear the water, so the pilot would bounce off of the water surface. The purpose of the flights was usually to help aim fire from the ship’s guns, although they sometimes hunted for submarines, and were trained for the rescue of downed pilots.

All navigation was by dead reckoning. Wind direction and velocity were estimated by looking at the water surface, and was vectored in using a plotting board that was held on the pilot’s lap. The plane was landed behind the ship, and steered onto a wire rope mesh. Hooks on the pontoons (usually) caught the mesh. The ship would then lower a hook, which was attached to an eye forward of the windshield. These were coupled by having the pilot stand on the plane’s seat, and lean out over the windshield. Milt flew a total of 40-50 times, with many adventures.

An excellent story about the OS2U plane, by author James Noles, was published in the March 2005 edition of Air&Space Smithsonian. It is published here with the author’s permission. Thanks, Mr. Noles. Several pictures from Milt’s collection are here.

After completing his MS, Milt worked for 2 years in Hart for Barb’s father, who was a cherry packer. He was recalled by the Navy for the Korean War, and spent the next 9 years in a utility squadron at Quonset Point in Rhode Island, and as a flight instructor in Pensacola. During this time he flew fighters, torpedo bombers and transports. He retired with the rank of Commander.

Milt said that when he entered the service, he promised his mother that he would have no tattoos, and would finish college. He kept both promises.

After the Navy, Milt declined an offer to fly for United Airlines, and, instead, flew corporate aviation for Continental Oil for 9 years. He flew weekends for the Navy Reserves.

Chrysler Aviation was being organized at this time, and Milt worked for the Senior VP of Engineering (Ringheart Bright) who had been a bomber pilot in WW!!. Milt became close friends with Lee Iacocca. When Chrysler had financial problems, the company started doing brake overhauls, then charter flying in a Gulfstream II. When Chrysler borrowed money form the US government to avoid bankruptcy, the company was spun off into Pentastar Aviation, with Milt as President. No money could be transferred from Chrysler. However, Gulfstream had crashed a plane it was delivering to the Togalese government. Milt flew a replacement Gulfstream for that government, and Pentastar purchased the salvage rights to the crashed plane for $25,000—the Toga government had planned to scrap it. It was shipped back to the US, and overhauled for parts. Because the parts had not yet been certified, the US Loan Guarantee Board appraised the plane as having no value. After the plane was overhauled, it had a value of $1.5 million, which was enough to fund Pentastar. The company grew from 9 employees to more than 250.

During the bankruptcy proceedings, Lee Iacocca had several threats on his life. He couldn’t safely fly commercial airlines, so the Loan Committee allowed him to lease an airplane. Pentastar supplied the pilots, with Milt being one of three who flew Mr. Iacocca and many others throughout the world.

One famous passenger was Frank Sinatra. His mother had been killed in a Lear Jet crash. Milt’s company helped develop a Terrain Avoidance program, which measured the rate of terrain change. He demonstrated this to Sinatra. The program would have prevented the fatal crash, and Sinatra offered to provide funding, although this was not needed.

Milt flew Bob Hope on several occasions. He recalls that he had flown Hope from Detroit to Chicago, where he was to catch a flight to Paris. They were waiting on the tarmac when a couple of ground crewman told Milt that they were Viet Nam war veterans, who wanted to thank Mr Hope for his entertainment shows. Bob Hope left the plane, and spent 30 minutes in the rain with them, and 10-12 others who gathered.

Pentastar developed several other safety innovations, and received several safety awards. They were the first in corporate aviation to present safety videos to passengers. This included water crash survival.

Milt was president of Pentastar from 1976 until he retired in 1991.

VFW

Milt joined the Pentwater VFW when he returned to Pentwater in 1991, and has been named Commander for the year starting June 15, 2006. He has been active in the post’s flag activities, a project which was the idea of San Cluchey. They have placed flags in all Pentwater School rooms, and have provided all other flags flown at the school. They also place the flags that line Hancock Street for all national holidays. The group also supplies Blue Star banners for families of service people serving in harm’s way, and Gold Star flags for families of service people killed.

Milt has worked for the VFW with the Ocean County Girl Scouts on their annual program to have Christmas stockings for deserving children, and with the Boy Scout support provided by the VFW. He was chairman of the committee which helped provide funds to the Boy Scouts. He continues ot chair the annual Bill Duncan Red Cross Blood Drive.

Friends of Pentwater

When the Village of Pentwater was given options on property on Pentwater Lake, Milt worked tirelessly to make it possible for that property to be used to expand the village marina. He founded the Friends of Pentwater, a group which underwrote loans to extend the time for the Village to raise the required funds. Unfortunately, this project was not successful.

DNR and DEQ

Milt has worked as a volunteer with the Michigan DNR and DEQ. Projects have included swan population management and Eurasian Milfoil management. He and Mike Flynn have worked to safeguard the local eagle nests, and have participated in the DNR’s annual eagle survey.

Pentwater Service Club

Milt has been a long-time member of the Pentwater Service Club, and has been active in many of its activities.

Township Planning Commission

Milt served on the Pentwater Township Planning Commission for 4 years, from May 1996 to June 1999.

Pentwater Lake Association

Milt was one of the original directors of the Pentwater Lake Association, and has worked measuring water quality since its inception. He has worked with the Grand Valley University research center on this project. He also worked with the [conservation dept] on the Pentwater South Branch watershed.

Fly fishing

Milt has fly fished in Alaska, Scotland, New Zealand, Chili, and throughout the western United States. He worked with Orvis on an experimental program in Austria. He recalls that the place he enjoyed most was the back country of Yellowstone Park. Milt has, of course, spent many days fishing local

Bird watching

Milt and Barbara are avid birdwatchers and Audubon Society members.

Others

When Murph Schader cooked Thanksgiving dinner, Milt was one of those to deliver dinners to shut-ins. This was very satisfying.

As a child, Milt often walked around the edge of Pentwater Lake to the Lake Michigan beach. His father taught him to ask permission to cross other people’s property, and his mother told him that it was a privilege to live in Pentwater. Milt continues to appreciate that privilege.

David Roseman, MD

June, 2006.