In 1968, fresh out of high school, Garry McCarthy did what many young men of his generation did. He enlisted. But Garry didn't just join any branch. He chose the United States Marine Corps, signing on for a six-year commitment at a time when most recruits served two.
That decision changed everything. While his peers headed directly into the jungles of Vietnam, many never to return, Garry was identified for his exceptional aptitude in electronics. The Marines sent him through school after school: electronic engineering, aviation avionics, and eventually, the Navy's elite calibration program, where he became one of the few Marines trained to calibrate the most sophisticated instruments in the fleet.
By the time Garry reached Vietnam in 1971, serving on an air station with F-4 Phantom squadrons, he had accumulated more technical training than many engineers receive in a lifetime. He is one of the only survivors among the 15 to 20 men he enlisted alongside.
When Garry left the service, he carried with him an electronic engineering degree, world-class avionics training, and the unshakeable discipline of a Marine. He wanted to put those skills to work in aviation, but the economics of the time pointed him elsewhere. In 1978, he founded Calypso Marine Electronics in Fort Lauderdale, bringing military-grade precision to South Florida's growing yacht community.
Forty-seven years later, Garry is still on the docks. Still diagnosing problems. Still taking electronics to his bench for component-level repair when every other shop would simply swap and replace. He has worked on vessels ranging from 40-foot cruisers to the private fleet of Alexander Andriadis, cousin of Aristotle Onassis, an engagement that spanned eight boats, eight years, and generated $30,000 to $50,000 in monthly revenue.
He's not slowing down.