The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the March 2021 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of Sarah Fellows, Navy Wife of Rear Admiral Frederick Gale Fellowes, Jr. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Sarah Fellows, at the Vinson Hall retirement Community in the Summer of 2019.

Sarah Fellows began her interview sharing childhood memories of life on the home front as World War Two raged across the Atlantic and Pacific. Fellows recalled, "the thing that I learned about living in Mobile and World War Two was that there were German submarines in the Gulf of Mexico." Mrs. Fellowes first met Rear Admiral Fellowes who at the time was attending the United States Naval Academy. Rear Admiral Fellowes had a passion of flying and graduated from the academy in 1953. The couple married soon after and Rear Admiral Fellowes reported to flight school in Corpus Christi and was ordered to Jacksonville Florida with a squadron. Mrs. Fellowes recalled each experience of their Navy journey. Rear Admiral Fellowes progressed in his Naval career and was part of different squadrons and assignments which led to the USS Ticonderoga and the Vietnam War. As a fighter pilot over the skies of Vietnam, Mrs. Fellowes recalled the experiences of her husband and families overseas. She shared the horror of learning that her brother in-law was captured and held as a POW for seven years. Captain Jack Fellowes would eventually be released, and his capture weighed heavily on his brother who was flying combat missions during the same time. After the Ticonderoga, Rear Admiral Fellowes was served as the executive officer of VF 102 on the USS America.

During his second tour, the commanding officer of VF 102 was shot down 2 weeks after arriving off the coast of Vietnam. Rear Admiral Fellowes became the squadron commander and took over, commanding his men through perilous situations while attacking enemy targets in support of ground efforts. Following the conclusion of the war and both brothers being reunited, Rear Admiral Fellowes continued leading squadrons and was eventually named, Executive Officer of the USS John F. Kennedy and Commanding officer of the USS San Diego and aircraft carrier, USS Hancock.

The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Sarah Fellows, Navy Wife of Rear Admiral Frederick Gale Fellowes, Jr, featured within this series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service.

To view this interview please visit the Vinson Hall Collection on the Navy Memorial Stories of Service page.