John Paul Elcik, III served in the United States Navy for twenty years. His official rating was that of a communications technician. Based on family recollections, his work likely involved cryptography.
In a rare unguarded moment, he once remarked that with his rating, he could have been assigned to the USS Pueblo. The Pueblo, a U.S. Navy intelligence vessel, was captured by North Korean forces on January 23, 1968, in what became known as the Pueblo Incident. To be clear, John never served aboard any ship, but the comment raised questions about the true nature of his assignments.
His promotion to Chief Petty Officer came with a memorable initiation. As part of the hazing ritual, officers fed a duck a laxative, and John spent the day cleaning up after it. The duck eventually came home with the family, ensuring the story—and photographic evidence—survived.
Another family episode involved a school science project that required the dissection of a caribou’s eye. Jacqueline objected not to the biology, but to the smell of the formaldehyde. Parenting priorities can be surprising.
Life Abroad
John’s Navy service took the family to several formative locations. One of the earliest was Guam, where some of the family’s earliest memories were formed. The island’s distinctive red clay stained the exterior walls of their housing unit, leaving a lasting visual impression. It was common to see rain falling in the front yard while the sun shone brightly in the backyard.
Japan was another significant station, and it is where their son Jeff was born. Japan does not grant citizenship by birth, so Jeff does not hold Japanese citizenship.
While stationed in Japan, John climbed Mount Fuji and famously slid down the backside on volcanic ash—an event well documented by photographs. The family watched sumo wrestling, attended Japanese puppet theatre, and fished at a stocked pond for rainbow trout using bait that resembled cheese.
Sake was served to adults while workers prepared the fish. Years later, the family would learn what “real” fishing in Maine looked like.
Family
John Paul Elcik, III and Jacqueline Skillin had three children:
- John Paul Elcik, IV
- James Stacy Elcik
- Jeffrey Lee Elcik
One photograph is believed to be the first image of all three boys together. In a later comparison photograph, Jeff—the baby in the original—had the least hair in both images. Only one son inherited John’s non-receding hairline.