WWII Navy Vet Gets Special Tour Of Guided Missile Cruiser During Fleet Week

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - It was a very special Fleet Week for a former U.S. Navy vet who served during World War II.

This week Joan Mueller, 95, got a personal tour of the USS Hue City, a guided missile cruiser named after a Vietnam battle, that was docked at Port Everglades. Mueller, who lives in North Miami, was a Parachute Rigger during the war and was stationed in Hawaii.

"I had a college education but I wanted to do something, so I enlisted which was so unheard of. I learned how to pack parachutes so that's what I did in Navy, I packed parachutes," she said.

Mueller got a surprise when she met the ship's commanding officer Captain Jake Douglas. He too had packed parachutes and showed her pictures of him and his crew parachuting.

"It is amazing to meet one of the ladies who joined the armed forces, showing that women are more capable than just staying at home. We can get down and dirty and we are smart enough to tackle any type of task. It was just amazing to meet her, I feel truly blessed that I got that opportunity," said FCA2 Kayla Protopapadakis who gave Mueller a tour of the ship.

Mueller said she would expect women to serve in the armed forces because they are a lot more capable than people think.

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