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Asked & Answered
Lacy Mitchell: Belen High School NJROTC instructor, world traveler and movie enthusiast
Lacy Mitchell, LCDR USN (Ret.) is the senior Naval science instructor at the Belen High School NJROTC — Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. He has held that position since 2011.
Mitchell lives in Albuquerque with his wife, Donna Mitchell. They have four daughters, Tiffany, Krystal, Channda and Brandie; and six grandchildren, Capri, Sophia, Andres, Mila, Luca and Mateo.
He served in the U.S. Navy for 27 years and received a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in business from the University of New Mexico. Mitchell played outside linebacker for the UNM Lobo football team.
Q If you became invisible for the day, what would you do?
A “I would go to the movie theater and walk in and out of all the movies.”
Q What’s the weirdest thing you believed as a kid?
A “I would see the tall chimneys of the factories pumping out smoke and say that they were making clouds. I called them Cloud Makers.”
Q What does your ideal weekend look like?
A “Spending time with my family, yard work and watching football.”
Q If you could only have three things on your bucket list, what would they be?
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A “Owning a cabin cruiser boat. I would like to go on it and travel up and down the coastline, fishing and stopping at the local harbors for lunch.
“Learn another language. I took Spanish in high school and German in college, but I am not proficient in either.
“Go scuba diving off the coast of Australian Great Barrier Reef. I was stationed on the West Coast, where I snorkeled off an old Navy supply pier and saw a brain coral as big as a Volkswagen.”
Q Do you have a secret talent? What is it?
A “I can play the trombone. I was in my high school band, The Booker T. Washington Baby Ocean of Soul.”
Q Have you ever seen a ghost? Where?
A “I’m not sure, but sometimes I think I might have. I do believe in the Holy Trinity — the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
Q If your dog, cat or other pet could talk, what’s the first thing it would say?
A “My dog, Olivia, would say, ‘Hey pick me up and take me for a walk.’”
Q If you could have a lifetime supply of anything (except money), what would it be and why?
A “I would have an unlimited energy source. The source would be adaptable to anything. Gas for my vehicles, electricity for my devices and food for me.”
Q You’re granted three wishes. What are they? (And you can’t ask for more wishes.)
A “Health and happiness for me and my family, money to pay off all my bills and the ability to go on vacations whenever I want.”
Q Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A “I see myself retired and playing golf or sitting on the beach in Florida.”
Q If money didn’t matter, what job would you have?
A “I would have a little hot dog cart.”
Q Is there anything about you that people are surprised to learn?
A “I am a big sci-fi fan. I love ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Star Trek’ and any Marvel or DC super hero movie.”
Q If you could pick a day to relive again and again, which one would it be?
A “It would be the day I met my wife; it was a magical day.”
Q Would you rather spend a day without your phone or without speaking? Why?
A “I would go without speaking, I could do a lot of things with my phone, including communicating without saying a word.”
Q What is your biggest pet peeve? Why?
A “When someone sits on a desktop or table, where people put their hands or eat.”
Q What is that moment in your life you will always remember?
A “When my wife said ‘Yes.’ We were pool side, and I hid the ring in a Cracker Jack box. When she opened the prize packet and saw the ring she jumped for joy and almost dropped the ring in the pool.”
Q If you woke up as your 16-year-old self tomorrow, what would you do?
A “I was in high school, and I would join the garage band I was asked to join.”
Q What’s the strangest purchase you’ve made (or almost made)?
A “I don’t think I ever made a strange purchase, but I almost bought an underwater scooter.”
Q Where was your most unforgettable vacation?
A “When I went on a Mediterranean cruise with my family.”
Q If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
A “I would travel to Naples, Italy. I was stationed there and met a lot of friends.”
