Our Newest Better Angels

Two stars are brighter tonight than a week ago. The twin stars of Gemini are one of the Northern Hemisphere’s Zodiac constellations and are named for the twin brothers Castor and Pollux of Greek mythology. It’s easy to locate the stars of Gemini by drawing a line from the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus to Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. It is prominent in the winter sky and visible for the entire night. The stars of Gemini burn brighter tonight because two of America’s sisters were called home.

Lyndsay and Serena wanted to be Naval Aviators for as long as they could remember. Both were thirty-one when their EA-18G Growler went down. Both were from California. Lyndsay was born in Sacramento, while Serena grew up further south in Palmdale.

In 2020, Serena spoke about her visit with E.E. & Jovita Mireles Elementary School students in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“When I was young, I saw the Blue Angels and thought they were superheroes, but I never thought I could do what they do. I didn’t know you could fly jets for the Navy as a career. No one told me. I didn’t learn until later that anyone can be a pilot if they’re willing to put in the work. I’m so excited to have had the opportunity to talk to the kids because maybe they’ll remember that. Who knows? We might see these kids in the fleet down the road.”

According to Commander Zach Harrell, spokesman for the commander of Naval Air Forces, in a 2023 interview with Military.com.

“The overall percentage of women in the sea service is around 20%, but the percentage of female Navy pilots is between 7% and 12% depending on the year.”

Lyndsay and Serena were at the top of the game. They had just returned in July from a nine-month deployment to the Red Sea and Mediterranean aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Aircraft Carrier. They were part of the EA-18G Growler, Electronic Attack Squadron 130, also known as “Zappers.”

The Growler is a carrier-based electronic warfare attack aircraft. Their mission is to disrupt enemy communications and, more importantly, jam incoming missiles. Many an attack pilot owes their safety to the heroism of their Growler crews. While deployed, Lieutenant Commander Lyndsay P. Evans was a flight officer otherwise known as an Electronic Warfare Officer or “Jammer.” She executed multiple combat strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and implemented new warfare tactics as the squadron’s training officer focused on deterring Houthi aggression in Yemen. Lieutenant Serena N. Wileman is a Naval Aviator (or pilot, if you only speak Air Force). She oversaw all detachment operations in support of Operation Prosperity Guardian to safeguard vessels in the Red Sea and Operation Inherent Resolve to combat the Islamic State.

According to the Navy, Evans and Wileman are among the few women in the service who have conducted combat missions. Evans earned two Single Action Air Medals for her “exceptional performance” during strikes in January 2024 and three Strike Flight Air Medals for missions conducted in December 2023 and March 2024. Wileman also earned three Strike Flight Air Medals for her role in combat missions in December 2023 and April 2024.

On October 16, 2024, LCDR Evans and Lt. Wileman were on a routine training mission from their home base Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island. They were killed when their EA-18G Growler crashed just east of Mt. Rainer. While the wreckage of the plane was spotted almost immediately, the location of the two Naval Aviators was hampered by the steep rocky terrain and heavily forested area of the crash. Soldiers from the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) based nearby at Joint Base Lewis-McChord stepped in to assist with search and recovery operations.

Whidbey Island is the largest island in Washington State and about 30 miles north of Seattle. The island forms the northern boundary of Puget Sound. Oak Harbor is the largest town on Whidbey and home to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. By any measure, Oak Harbor is a small town. A small town that embraces its Navy community. Many of the residents are or were in the Navy and stationed there. Residents will hold vigils in the town parks. The churches will arrange extra services. Students from the high school and middle schools will have special assemblies. The teachers won’t have an explanation, but grief is an emotion better shared than explained.

Frank is a retired Marine and owns Frank’s Diner in Oak Harbor. He said he’d be out of business if he gave a military discount.

If you ever watched a Growler takeoff or land, you’d notice that they’re loud. Extremally loud. This mandates that all the personnel who work on base live somewhere else. For those who live on base, the housing, an NEX, and a Commissary are located at the Seaplane base across town.

NAS, Whidbey also has one of the prettiest R.V. parks in the country. Sitting on a bluff overlooking the San Juan Islands, the park is meticulously maintained by a camp host who is also a Master Gardener. For several years, Lillian and I would take our camper and capture our grandsons to spend a week or two exploring the beaches and riding bikes along the cliffs.

We’d also spend a not-so-quiet lunch watching the Growlers doing touch-and-goes. A few picnic benches are set up at the end of the runway for base personnel to watch the show. Taking off over the water from atop a bluff allows the aviators to build speed without gaining too much altitude. The F-18s go fast, very fast. They are barely 30-50 feet above ground when they reach the benches. You sense you can reach up and touch the aircrew as they rocket past. Xander, our oldest grandson, and his brother Sebastian would stand on the top of a table and render salutes.

Head straight, chest out, left arm glued to their side—the fingers of their right hand at a perfect 45% angle. At the precise time the jet passes overhead, their right arm races down as they yell at the top of their lungs, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

And thank you for your service, Lieutenant Commander Lyndsay P. Evans and Lieutenant Serena N. Wileman. Your stars burn bright tonight. You are our better angels.