Michael lived in the same apartment building in Queens all his life, until he joined the Navy, said a longtime neighbor. She remembered that he was an artist whose family often boasted about him. In fact, his mother and grandmother, both of whom lived in the same apartment building, would hang up samples of his artwork in the lobby. "He was very happy in the service," the neighbor said. "He was going to make it his career."
A superintendent in the building said he had some of Noeth's paintings. "He was very talented, very bright. He was very proud of what he did. He had a big future."
Michael Allen Noeth
Illustrator/Draftsman Second Class Petty Officer
Awards and Decorations: National Defense Service Medal, Navy "E" Ribbon (3),
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2), Meritorious Unit Commendation, Good
Conduct Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Joint Service Achievement
Medal
NWS13mar-13.
Wasp DM's art exhibited
with professional works
By JOC(AW) Regina Adams,
USS Wasp Public Affairs
USS WASP, At Sea (NWS) -- A draftsman stationed on board
USS Wasp (LHD 1), recently found himself among the elite.
DM3 Michael Noeth was able to display his personal paintings
during a recent art exhibit held at the Montserrat Art
Gallery in New York City.
"I was so nervous about attending the show in New
York," Noeth said. "I felt that I would either be successful
or I would bomb. If I bombed in New York, I felt I would
bomb everywhere else."
However, the evening was not a bomb for Noeth. During
his exhibit, he sold five of his paintings. He considered
this quite an accomplishment for his first show.
"Most new artists never sell their paintings during
their first show," he said. "So I am really proud." This is
a huge achievement, considering he wasn't interested in
painting as a child.
"When I was little, I liked to draw," Noeth said. "I
never had an interest in painting until I bought an oil
paint set for $2 when I was 12 years old."
When Noeth was a teenager, he would sneak out of
high school classes to attend the Art Student's League
of New York where he studied human anatomy. After he decided he really wanted to pursue painting, Noeth began taking classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology in
New York City.
Painting became mundane for him after 11 years. So, in
1994, he decided he needed a change. Noeth enlisted in
the U.S. Navy as a deck seaman in 1994. This also
afforded him the opportunity to make some money.
No more than a year after joining the Navy, Noeth was
bitten by the paint bug again. This time, on board USS
Russell (DDG 59).
After noticing one of his paintings in an official U.S.
Navy photo, All Hands magazine's then-art director
JOCS Cary Casola expressed an interest in Noeth's art.
Noeth was temporarily assigned to the All Hands
magazine production staff for six months, having many
of his paintings published.
One of his paintings was reproduced for the cover of their
1998 "Year of the Ocean" April issue.
Noeth credits Norman Rockwell for inspiring him to be a
better artist. "He is one of the greatest American artists
ever," said the New York native. "His work captured the essence of the way every day people lived." Noeth
adopted Rockwell's style, painting Sailors in their working environment.
"I paint Sailors to show the world that we don't just
ride ships to see some really cool foreign countries," Noeth
said. "I want people to realize that their freedom and
protection comes from the sweat of the Sailors on board."
For more information about USS Wasp, go to:
http://www.spear.navy.mil/ships/lhd1
-USN-
USS Russell Creates Memorial for a Hero
By Lt. j. g. Phillip Hochgesang Jr., USS Russell Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Many families lost friends and loved ones in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. USS Russell (DDG 59) was one such family.
A Russell plankowner and talented artist, Draftsmen 2nd Class Michael Allan Noeth, of Queens, N.Y., was lost in the attack on the Pentagon. Noeth served as a deck seaman aboard Russell from March 1995 through September 1998. He was then transferred to USS Wasp (LHD 1) and was later assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon.
Russell's crew honored their former shipmate by dedicating the crew's training room to him. The Noeth Training Room displays one of his paintings entitled "The FOD Walkdown." It is displayed next to a picture of Noeth on the forecastle of Russell.
The dedication ceremony was hosted by Cmdr. Bill Kearns, commanding officer of Russell, and Capt. Scott Anhalt, commanding officer of USS Lake Erie (CG 70), who commanded Russell during Noeth's tour.
Advertisement
Anhalt was among the first on Russell to recognize Noeth's talent and proved instrumental in helping him transition into the draftsman rating. Russell's crew was honored to have Noeth's mother, Merrilly Noeth, and his grandmother, Muriel Kuhn, present for the dedication.
"He was so proud to wear his uniform," said Kuhn. The Noeth Training Room will serve to inspire present and future Russell Sailors.
His Mother Remembers:
"He was absolutely fascinated by the Titanic. It started when he was just a baby and saw some cartoon about it that I can't recall. He was still in diapers. After that, nothing. Then, at 6, it became a real fixation. He read everything he could about it. He built models of every conceivable size, in paper, plastic, wood. You name it. When he was able to get his piece of the Titanic [given to him by his grandmother Muriel Kuhn], he just flipped out."
Merrilly Noeth, mother
Source: The Washington Post
Pentagon Blast Felt Close to Home
By Journalist 1st Class (SW) Sherri Onorati,
USS Wasp Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- This past week, terrorists attacked
the United States in its own backyard. The nation's sense of
security was destroyed, its innocence truly lost. Never did
America really believe such a thing could happen.
As citizens across the country watched in disbelief, the
twin towers of the World Trade Center were destroyed. Then,
as Americans continued to watch in horror, the Pentagon, the
center of America's "military might," was attacked by a
commercial airplane filled with innocent Americans. It is
unthinkable to Americans, such madness and barbarism can
still exist in the modern world today; that terrorists could
use American-made hardware and civilians in such a manner
against the nation.
As all of America weeps in pain and stares in disbelief
at the images flashed across television sets, Sailors of USS
Wasp (LHD 1) also feel the pain a bit closer to home. A
former Wasp crewmember, Illustrator/Draftsman 2nd Class
Michael Allen Noeth is among the missing and presumed killed
in the Pentagon attack. Noeth, of Jackson Heights, N.Y., was
an extremely talented artist, was recently transferred to the
Pentagon to paint portraits of the former Chiefs of Naval
Operations.
"He was so proud of himself when he received those
orders," said Petty Officer First Class Saundra Harris. "He
thought it to be a great honor to be asked to paint portraits
of the former CNOs."
Noeth, an accomplished artist known for his naval-themed
paintings, found himself among the elite last year when he
was invited to display his personal paintings during an art
exhibit held at the Montserrat Art Gallery in New York City.
During his exhibit, he sold five of his paintings.
While enlisting in the U.S. Navy as a deck seaman in
1994, Noeth's paintings were soon noticed by the art director
from the Navy's "All Hands" magazine, who expressed an
interest in his work.
Noeth was eventually assigned temporarily to the All
Hands magazine production staff where he had numerous
paintings published. One of his paintings was reproduced for
the cover of the All Hands April 1998 "Year of the Ocean"
issue.
Noeth was assigned to Wasp from October 1998 to October
2000, and left many friends and shipmates aboard to feel his
loss.
"Mike was a funny, friendly person. He was a riot during
the Med Cruise talent show, and would do impressions of the
taxi drivers in New York, that always made you laugh," said
Journalist 2nd Class Kory Deur.
Americans and Sailors will weep and mourn for their lost
shipmates. But Americans and Sailors will rise in defense of
the country when freedom is threatened. Yes, the nation is in
tremendous pain, but throughout America's history, adversity
has made the country stronger.
Noeth used to say that he painted pictures of the Navy
because he wanted people to realize that their freedom and
protection comes from the sweat of the Sailors on board. To
the shipmates he has left behind, his visions of naval life
at sea, will always be a constant reminder of his dream.
