Correspondent photo / Amanda C. Davis Walter “Walt” Zyvith, 80, of Boardman, talks about his time aboard the USS Enterprise, an aircraft carrier that withstood a major fire and series of explosions in 1969 off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. More than two dozen died in the explosion.

BOARDMAN — For a boy who had been only as far west as South Bend, Ind., Walter Zyvith’s time in the military opened up a world of possibilities.

Growing up on the East Side of Youngstown, “Walt,” as he’s known to family and friends, said he didn’t spend much time thinking about life outside Ohio, but at the age of 80, he’s grateful he got a chance to experience it.

“I guess I look back on it and say that I was pretty lucky to see all that I did,” he said. “It was a broadening experience.”

During his time in the Navy, Zyvith traveled to four continents and more than 10 countries and said Venice and Rome topped the list of cities he visited.

“In 1966, I completely circumnavigated the world,” he said, during a recent interview at his home. “I crossed the equator twice.”

He retired as a senior chief petty officer in 1980 and said a defining moment in his military career — and life — came while onboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

The ship was carrying a rocket that accidentally exploded Jan. 14, 1969, sparking a massive fire off the coast of Honolulu. Zyvith said historical accounts of that day list 28 men who were killed and hundreds who were injured aboard the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Zyvith said he remembers the terror of that day, hearing explosions and seeing people killed right before his eyes.

“My head was telling me to look out for the men first,” he said, “but my feet were telling me to get out of there.”

He stayed to assist in the recovery operation and said his squadron lost only one man that day.

There were 5,000 people on board the Enterprise that day, Zyvith said, and the ship was heading to the Tonkin Gulf near Vietnam when it was sidelined by the tragedy.

What he remembers most is the bravery demonstrated by so many, along with the adrenaline rush that preceded a long nap after the ship was finally secured.

“I remember being exhausted, just wrung out,” he said, explaining he had PTSD “for awhile after that.”

Zyvith said his biggest regret is not keeping a journal to document all the experiences and people he crossed paths with during that time.

The 1960 East High School graduate was in charge of maintenance on 12 F-14’s at the end of his Navy career. After retirement, he stayed in the San Diego area, where he worked 24 years for Xerox, first as a technician, then managing a team of technicians.

Zyvith returned to the area in 2005 to care for family and settled in Boardman, reconnecting with a childhood friend, who later became his wife.

He and his wife Judy, both widowers, have known each other their whole lives and their mothers were friends since they were 12.

They’ve been married 11 years and recently had their first argument, which passed quickly, they said.

“We disagree, but we don’t really argue about anything much,” she said.

Zyvith has a daughter, Brenda, a granddaughter and two great- granddaughters. He said being surrounded by women his whole life showed him how to be patient. “I don’t sweat the small stuff,” he said, “and it’s all small stuff.”

Zyvith is a range safety officer at Lowellville Rod and Gun Club and enjoys landscaping, crossword puzzles “to get his head straight” and fixing things in his spare time.

He said his time in the military made him who he is. “It strengthened me and gave me more insight into the world and people in general,” he said.