A Lifetime of Surprises, Adventures and Happiness

As a decorated Marine Corps pilot, Brigadier General William Arthur “Art” Bloomer of Wichita has had an adventurous life — one he says is thanks in large part to his wife Sue, who was with him every step of the way.

From being a flight instructor (think Tom Cruise in “Top Gun”), to helping evacuate thousands of people at the end of the Vietnam War, to carting the U.S. Secretary of the Navy to Antarctica and other far-off destinations as an aide-de-camp, Art’s 91 years are worthy of a book. And indeed he has written a memoir, “The Iron Workers: On Leadership, Legacy, and a View from the Clouds,” available on Amazon. 

Sue, 89, had her fair share of adventures, relocating time and again with the couple’s three children to support Art’s military career, working alongside Elizabeth Taylor at an event for children with multiple sclerosis, and dancing on the bar with astronaut Alan Bean, who had just returned from the moon and drank champagne from Sue’s slipper. 

“It was a real shock when he said he was going to fly airplanes, because I was scared to death of airplanes.” — Sue Bloomer

It’s been a wild ride for the farm boy from Lebanon, Kansas, and the girl from Emporia. On May 30 they celebrated 70 years of marriage. The two credit their marriage’s longevity to having a strong commitment to one another, attending church regularly and sharing hobbies (bridge and bowling, among others). Sue’s go-with-the-flow attitude has no doubt played into the equation. “He gave me a lot of surprises,” she said. “But he knew what he was doing, and it all turned out for the best.”

The surprises started early on when the two were dating at Emporia State College and Art decided to join the Marines. Both thought it would be a short-lived endeavor because Art planned to be a school teacher — but when he was offered the chance to fly, his journey with the Marines took a different course. 

“It was a real shock when he said he was going to fly airplanes, because I was scared to death of airplanes,” Sue said with a laugh.

Daring Rescue on Aircraft Carrier USS Midway

One of the highlights of Art’s career was serving as senior aviator on the aircraft carrier USS Midway during the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975. While serving on the famous aircraft carrier, Art achieved some 77 carrier-arrested landings, several of which were during the evacuation itself. The carrier was prepared to handle about 500 extra people during the evacuation, but about 2,000 Vietnamese citizens crammed onto the ship. 

After the refugees had been transported to other ships, the USS Midway received a call from a pilot with the Vietnamese air force who was trying to leave South Vietnam and had commandeered a tiny two-seater aircraft. He had squeezed his wife and five children into the little plane — with only an hour's worth of fuel remaining. The Cessna was too fast to land on an aircraft carrier, but the ship’s captain made some gutsy calls to help slow the plane to enable it to land, including flying helicopters above the aircraft carrier to create wind resistance and pushing a Vietnamese helicopter into the ocean to make room.

“Major Buang landing on the USS Midway was one of the most exciting things I ever witnessed in my life,” Art wrote in his book. “There was pandemonium as they got out of the plane, but everyone on the Midway was just grateful for a safe landing.”

Art retired as a Sr. Brigadier General in 1986 after 31 years of active duty. He then began a successful civilian career with American Protective Services, Inc. In 2004 the couple moved to Wichita, and today they live at Presbyterian Manor. They have seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

“They’re all good kids,” Sue said. “It’s pretty wonderful to see the legacy.”