Heroes Among Us: 'This Country Is Unlike Any Other': U.S Navy Veteran Paul Thiesen

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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – Now to a weekly segment you will only see right here on CBS4.

Every Friday, in partnership with the Florida Panthers, we put the spotlight on a hero among us, men or women who have gone beyond the call of duty for our country.

Today, we're meeting Navy Retired Senior Chief Petty Officer Paul Thiesen.

Thiesen enlisted in the Navy in 1983 and served until 2007.

He got started in the advanced electronics field in the Navy working on everything from computers to weapons fire control systems but over the years he became a missile technician on submarines.

Thiesen says it takes a special breed of people to work in submarines because it is very tight quarters and at times work for some 18 hours a day.

In all his years with the Navy they went on many missions but he says it was after 9/11 when they were forced to make changes.

"9/11 we were underway, there were a lot of things going on really quick and a lot of decisions had to be made that people had not made in a long time. You execute what you're supposed to do in accordance with the instructions. There's a submerged platform of weapons no one really knows where they're at including the commanders of the United States. This country is unlike any other and it's something to be proud of," said Thiesen.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Paul Thiesen was honored at a recent Florida Panthers game and with his family by his side he stood taking in the sights and sounds of a fan filled arena as they honored this hero among us.

On behalf of the Florida Panthers and CBS4 we would like to say thank you Senior Chief Petty Officer Paul Thiesen for your service.