After 10 years, a welcome home
Capt. Mindy Yu was greeted at the Sonoma County Airport by friends and her father, Johnny, center. (John Burgess / Press Democrat)
By NINA LARAMORE / SANTA ROSA CORRESPONDENT
On Tuesday, Captain Mindy Yu was stationed at Gelenkirchen Air Force Base in Germany, where she was the command and control duty officer. On Thursday, she stepped off the plane at Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport as a civilian.
More than 20 friends and family members were on hand to welcome her home after a 10-year Air Force career.
Unlike others whose children become casualties of America’s wars in the Middle East, Johnny Yu was there to celebrate his daughter’s triumphant return.
“With so many, after they are away at war there is nothing,” he said, “no one coming home or no recognition of what they have done. We need to support our children and the troops even if you cannot support the war.”
A Piner High School graduate, Yu enlisted in 2001, served two tours of duty in Iraq and ended her military career working with NATO in Europe, responsible for base communications.
Yu’s years in Iraq were the hardest for her loved ones. but they were some of the most rewarding for her.
Yu’s parents said they didn’t hear from her very often because the lines of communication were difficult. Benita Yu joined Moms of Military, making care packages and praying. Johnny Yu sent his daughter 100 pre-paid phone cards, for her use and the 60 others who were under her command.
“Every time the phone rang when we were not expecting a call it was scary,” he said. “She didn’t tell us how dangerous it was until she was done.”
Now 30, Yu said she encountered heavy combat and daily small arms fire during her first tour in Iraq. “There were lots of IEDs being used. It was a frightening time.”
The second tour was better, during which she focused more on humanitarian work, she said. She and many others didn’t think the military action would work, but by then she could see what a difference it had made.
“The Iraqi people we had trained started taking the lead,” Yu said. “People are now saying that about Afghanistan, that they don’t see it working. But I saw the 180-degree turnaround.”
With the Combat Camera unit, she took images that were distributed to the media and aired on CNN. And as the highest-ranking person in charge of Joint Combat Camera-Iraq, Yu saw the full extent of U.S. military operations.
Her troops were responsible for capturing images of every aspect of the military and humanitarian efforts there, and she routinely traveled to different bases throughout the country.
While obtaining images for the Department of Defense, she traveled to Pakistan, the Republic of Georgia, Thailand after the tsunami and the Golf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
Yu was interested in the military because her grandfather, Winston Lee, was the first Chinese-American to enlist in the Navy after Pearl Harbor.
“He was proud of the military and always spoke highly of the experience,” Yu said. “He served on a PT boat hunting submarines during the war and was patriotic all of his life.”
From the time she was young, Yu wanted to fly planes. Her father got her a job at Dragonfly Aviation so she could see if she really liked it, and she did. At 16 she had her first solo flight, then left for college at UC Berkeley, where she earned a degree in physics and joined the ROTC.
Two years later she faced what she described as “the most disappointing day of my life” when she learned she was too short to fly for the Air Force.
That diverted her plans “a little,” she said, but it didn’t derail them. “I discovered a new path in mentoring and leading troops.” Yu no longer sees flying as part of her life, but said she will always be happy to have served in the military.
“I’ve had the chance to do things and go places most Americans will never experience,” she said. “I have rappelled out of helicopters, lived in Asia and Europe, traveled a lot and worked with some of the most amazing and dedicated people.
“I’ve been shot at, and I’ve shot back with a camera.”
What’s in her future? Yu plans to spend two or three months relaxing as a civilian before completing her Masters in International Relations. Eventually she will look for a job with the federal government.
And several weeks a year she will become Captain Yu again when she takes command of the military reserves.
“I’ve had to ‘Welcome Back’ Mindy so many times in the last 10 years,” her mother said. “This time it’s ‘Welcome Home.”
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- Mindy Yu’s grandfather, Winston Lee, was the first Chinese-American to enlist in the Navy after Pearl Harbor.
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- Captain Mindy Yu in Iraq.
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- Captain Mindy Yu in Iraq.
Captain Mindy Yu in Iraq.
Mindy Yu's grandfather, Winston Lee, was the first Chinese-American to enlist in the Navy after Pearl Harbor.
Captain Mindy Yu in Iraq.
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Nice to see a story about a young person that returned home safely. We are lucky to have stable and smart people like Mindy in the military.
I’ve known Mindy Yu from the day Johnny and Benita brought her home from the hospital; I married Johnny’s sister Eva Yu, so I’ve been Uncle Paul all her life. I may have had some doubts early on about a career in the military for my niece, Mindy, but she proved all these doubts wrong. I’ve watched her grow and mature from a young lady to a battle hardened veteran. Some of my scariest days were when we all knew she was “in country” and often in harm’s way. All I could do during these times was to keep Mindy and her troops in my daily prayers.
I cherished the few times that I was able to visit Captain Yu while she was stationed in Japan. My job took me to Hachioji Japan a Tokyo suburb within about 10 miles of her air base. Whenever I came to Japan I would take time to have dinner with my niece and catch up. I got to go with her and tour the air base with several of her pilot friends and was able to get to see what life looked like in her world. On one of my trips I arranged to sneak her dad into Japan with me, and when she came to meet me for dinner her dad popped out from behind a corner, a few tears were shed that day.
After she had spent her first tour in Iraq, the entire family came together for a welcome home dinner on one of her breaks. You could tell she had been changed, affected by what she had seen. She shared some of her pictures from the Combat Camera crew she led in country. There were pictures she could not share with us because they were classified.
No matter what your opinion on War and Conflict, everyone must realize it is infinitely personal; there are real people with large extended families. Every one of these people is constantly concerned for their loved one. While I may not personally support the War effort, having known Mindy, having seen a little bit of what she has been through, I have always supported her and the troops. I can only imagine how tough it was on Johnny and Benita, especially when she was on tour.
This beautiful niece of mine has come back to us a strong, confident leader with capabilities we can only imagine. I am so proud of her and of the sacrifices she made as well as her parents; I have been known to brag about her a lot. Mindy is a driven woman, sure of herself and she has nothing but an amazing future in front of her. When she finishes her master’s degree I know she will find a future in an organization where she can shine.
Thank you Captain Yu, for your service to our country and your sacrifice to make our country a safer place.
Love Uncle Paul
If you know Mindy like i do, You’ll know what I mean when I say I sure am glad she is on our side.
it is so easy to forget sometimes how much we are indebted to the people of the armed forces and take our national safety for granted. Her commitment and dedication to “make a difference” were not just words to her. She planned, trained and prepared herself methodically and then went out and did it. It was always a big get together whenever she came home even though she could talk so little about what she did.
I remember when she volunteered for her second tour of duty, Though everyone I know of respected her decision, it was pretty hard to take for us, and especially Benita.
Her humble welcome home party, though short of fanfare was filled with love and joy to finally have Mindy home.
I would also like to applaud the Press Democrat for recognizing her dedicated service as she is one of our True American Hero’s
Uncle Alec
I am deeply moved that Mindy is in the company of dedicated and amazing people throughout the world. I am still trying to understand the courage she’s known and the bravery she’s shown.
I am still trying to understand the courage she’s known and the bravery she’s shown.
Not only is Mindy a dedicated, capable young person who has served our country well, her parents deserve our praise and admiration, too. They, like all parents and relatives of our service personnel, have to endure the worry and anguish of their loved ones being in harm’s way for our country. Johnny and Benita Yu supported their daughter in ways large and small, day in and day out during her 10 years of service. Their love and courage is inspiring. I’m sure Mindy feels it. Welcome home, Mindy; enjoy your wonderful family.