United States Coast Guard
Dane Walker
GA-ASI is a military contractor and subsidiary of General Atomics that designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles and radar systems for the U.S. military and commercial applications worldwide.
Dane joined the U.S. Coast Guard on April 1, 1968, a few years after high school. He originally wanted to be a deejay and went to announcing school for a little over a year.
“At that time I had a FCC first class radiotelephone license, I had an amateur radio license and was active in an Army MARS R & D group. I knew when I was drafted I would more than likely be put into the Army and the Armed Services Radio,” recalls Dane. “I was able to join the Coast Guard and that gave me a little more control of what might happen to me.”
He started with search and rescue at Belle Isle station in Detroit, Mich., then did the 1969 shipping season at Detroit River Light Station before next heading to the Navy photography school.
After that, Dane was stationed on the Wind Class Ice Breaker USCGC Burton Island and South for operation Deep Freeze in 1971. On return he went to USCG D-11 as senior photographer.
“I got out in 1972 and started back into electronics with Hughes Aircraft Co. for over 30 years as a field engineering manager for its Microwave Products Division until General Motors broke up Hughes,” says Dane. “I ended up at General Atomics ASI working on Predator Drones (11,000-pound plus drones) and did three deployments to Iraq, three to Italy for the IAF and NATO and a number for CBP.”
Service runs in the family as his parents both served in WWII, his father in the Navy and his mother in the Army.
“My grandfather on my father’s side served in WWI and WWII and retired as a Master Chief and he liked to joke that I joined the ‘Hooligan Navy’ but I was proud to serve my country,” says Dane.
It was his time doing Search & Rescue and later boating photography that made him question people and overpowering their boats with no training required, that kept him away from boating for a few years.
Married over 30 years to his sweetheart Peggy, boating continues to be a major factor in their lives as summers are now spent on their 25-foot Premier pontoon. And though he may be retired, he still enjoys helping others beyond just towing in stranded boaters.
“I have always been a teacher and I like teaching the basics as you get a look at applying basics in many different fields,” explains Dane. “I have a simple rule, I maintain my car as if it were my boat and my boats as if they were my plane. Your car quits, you pull to the side of the road; your boat quits, you float; and your plane quits, you might fall a great distance before that sudden stop!”
As performance pontoons have evolved, Dane continues to enjoy his 25-foot Premier pontoon with a 130hp Honda outboard that is plenty fast for him.
“Back in the 1960s, recovering bodies due to boating accidents made one think a bit differently about boating,” says Dane. “With my background I just smile at the 80 plus mph pontoons.”
The Walkers went from a 15-foot inflatable with a 15hp engine to a Wellcraft 21SL that he said served his family well for years.
“As I started getting into my mid 60s I noticed it was harder getting in and out of the 21SL and Peggy thought a pontoon would be better,” says Dane. “So we found an 18-foot Bass Buggy with a 40hp four-stroke. It was fun, but like I tell people, if you get an 18-foot boat you will overload it on day one.”
The couple ended up with a 25-foot Premier that gives them all the room, power and accessibility they need, plus a VHF radio, GPS navigation system and dual batteries.
“A couple years back I installed a front ramp for Peggy and our dogs love it too,” recalls Dane. “With the Honda four-stroke, our Premier does what we want a boat to do. If I want to go fast, I’ll get out on the Sea-Doo GTX Limited 325.”
Regardless of what boat he’s in, if you happen to break down on the water, you know you can count on Dane for a tow. He can’t help it; helping others is just part of his DNA.