September–October 2001
September–October 2001
Flagship
Publication of Naval Aviation
The U.S. Navy’s Oldest Periodical, Established 1917
Volume 83, No. 6
September–October 2001
C o n t e n t s
De
p a r t m e n t s
10
Naval
Postgraduate School:
An
Investment in Naval Aviation’s Future
14
VS-57
and the Sinking of Japanese
Submarine
I-17
16
Aviation
“Sketch” Artist Profiled on
18
Minutemen
of Naval Aviation:
The
Naval Air Reserve in
2
You
Ought to be in Movies
4
Grampaw
Pettibone
6
Airscoop
26
People–Planes–Places
31
Professional
32
Flightbag
ibc
ANA
Photo Contest
COVERS—Front: In this self-portrait, artist Ted Wilbur
dubs Gramps a “cheapskate” for commissioning a portrait
at a fine art studio and then paying for only a small
canvas. Back: An SS
shot this dramatic close-up of an HSL-49 aircrew (LCdr.
Kevin Coyne, Lt. Dan Freedman and AW1(AW/SW)
Ross Malmberg) conducting a vertical replenishment
between the cargo ship and
Carlson captured two T-2C Buckeyes of VT-9
silhouetted against a color-streaked
F
e a t u r e s
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 3
RAdm.
Mike McCabe
Director,
Air Warfare
Published
by the Naval Historical Center under the
auspices
of the Chief of Naval Operations
Dr.
William S. Dudley
Director,
Naval Historical Center
Staff
Sandy
Russell Acting Editor
Wendy
Leland Acting Managing Editor
Morgan
I. Wilbur Art Director
JO1(SW)
Ed Wright Assistant Editor
JO2
Amy L. Pittmann Assistant Editor
JOSN
Dan Ball Assistant Editor
Associates
Harold
Andrews Technical Advisor
Cdr.
Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.) Book Review Editor
Capt.
Ted Wilbur, USNR (Ret.) Contributing Artist
Capt.
R. Rausa, USNR (Ret.) Contributing Editor
LCdr.
Richard R. Burgess, USN (Ret.) Contributing Editor
Naval
Aviation News is online as part of the Naval
at
http://www.history.navy.mil.
Email
us at nanews@nhc.navy.mil.
Personal
Subscriptions: To order this periodical for one
year,
cite “Naval Aviation News (NAVN)” and mail a check
or
money order for $21.00 ($26.25 foreign) or provide
VISA
or MasterCard number and expiration date directly
to:
Superintendent of Documents,
can
be made to 202-512-1800 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Eastern
time. Credit card orders can be faxed 24 hours a
day
to 202-512-2250.
Naval
Aviation News (USPS 323-310; ISSN 0028-
1417)
is published bimonthly for the Chief of Naval
Operations
by the Naval Air Systems Command and the
Naval
Historical Center. Editorial offices are located at 1242
(phone:
202-433-4407). Periodicals postage is paid at
Secretary
of the Navy has determined that this publication
is
necessary in the transaction of business required by law.
The
use of a name of any specific manufacturer, commercial
product,
commodity or service in this publication does not
imply
endorsement by the Navy. Photographs are U.S. Navy
unless
otherwise credited.
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to Naval
Aviation
News,
Contributions Welcome
NANews considers
for publication unsolicited
manuscripts, photo essays, artwork and general news
about aircraft, organizations, history and/or human
endeavors which are the core of Naval Aviation. All
military contributors should forward articles about
their
commands only after internal security review and with
the
permission of the commanding officer. Please DO NOT
SEND A DISKETTE unless
requested by NANews. For
YOU
OUGHT TO BE
IN
MOVIES . . .
While this may
look like a perfectly choreographed
movie set,
these “actors” are performing the real thing
as an F-14 Tomcat
taxies
to catapult one aboard
Constellation (CV 64) during
routine flight
operations off
the coast of
Constellation was on a
six-month deployment to the
Photo by PH3
George Branham
Power and Power Lines
A pilot and pilot under instruction (PUI) were on a
Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures
Standardization (NATOPS) check flight in a T-34C
Turbo-Mentor. The
PUI experienced difficulty executing
simulated high-altitude power loss (HAPL) descents to
an unprepared field. The instructor pilot (IP)
concluded,
but did not announce, that the flight was not going to
be
counted as a NATOPS check but rather as a NATOPS
warm-up. The PUI had reached the same conclusion and
announced, after several attempts at the maneuver,
that
he guessed he’d be “doing this again tomorrow.”
On a final maneuver of the flight, the PUI initiated
one more simulated HAPL to an unprepared field.
Bordering the eastern edge of the selected field were
power lines running north/south, extending to a
height of 126 feet. The PUI maneuvered the
T-34C to land to the south, paralleling the power
lines, with about 500 feet of lateral separation
from the lines.
The PUI neared the final portion of the
HAPL at 100 feet above the ground with 80
knots airspeed. He then executed a waveoff by
maintaining a 30-degree angle of bank to the
right and by pulling the nose up aggressively—
while NOT adding full power. The IP was
focusing on the power lines and evaluating the
projected touchdown point of the aircraft as the
PUI initiated his waveoff. The IP was not
“shadowing” the PUI on the controls during the
final stages of the maneuver.
On climbout, the rudder shakers activated rapidly
and the IP took the controls. He placed the power
control
lever full forward and rolled wings level. When full
power kicked in, the aircraft departed controlled
flight
with a left yaw and roll. After 60 degrees of turn in
the
departure, the IP regained control of the plane and
began
a climbout at 23 units angle of attack. The PUI called
out, “Power lines,” on the intercom. The IP, seeing
only
the power lines and not the tension wires which were
higher and smaller, said, “We’re climbing. We’re going
to clear them.”
The left wing impacted the tension wires which
caused the T-34C to roll inverted and crash into the
ground. The IP exited the aircraft and seeing the PUI
still
seated inside the plane attempted to open the canopy.
Crash damage required the IP to smash the canopy to
extract the PUI, who had suffered fatal injuries from
blunt trauma during the impact. The IP had minor
injuries.
Grampaw Pettibone says:
Woe is us! Basic air work and situational
awareness took a holiday. There were contributing
factors. The PUI had a documented history of
aggressive maneuvering while using less than
maximum available power during climbouts in the T-
34C. The IP, it turns out, did not receive adequate
standardized local training as a T-34C NATOPS
instructor. The PUI made incorrect control inputs in
the climbout—not adding full power—and didn’t
realize a stall was imminent. The PUI was allowed to
get too low and slow. The IP didn’t have his hands
resting on or around the controls, which increased
reaction time. And being very low to the ground, time
4 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
was a critical factor. Command doctrine had no
specified altitude minimums for the HAPL maneuver.
Also, why make an approach to a field so close to
power lines?
A sorry show—and tragic, too.
Over the Overrun and Into the Mud
The crew of an EA-6B Prowler was landing
following
a brief functional check flight. Winds were variable,
the
runway was wet and the Prowler was at heavy
gross
weight. The pilot decided to perform a minimum rate of
descent landing but touched down long and fast.
On the runway, realizing the aircraft was not
decelerating properly, the pilot called for the
electronic
countermeasures officer (ECMO) in the right seat to
lower the arresting hook. (The hook can be lowered
from
either crew position, but due to the Prowler’s nose
wheel
steering design and the position of the hook release
handle, standard practice is for ECMO 1 to lower the
hook during high pilot workloads, such as struggling
to
keep a jet on the runway in wet weather conditions.)
The
ECMO apparently didn’t hear this command. He also
thought the pilot would be able to stop the EA-6B on
the
runway and did not drop the hook.
After passing the long field arresting gear, the pilot
again called for the hook to be dropped. The ECMO
lowered the hook and the Prowler engaged the
overrun
gear, after which the aircraft left the prepared
surface and
sank eight inches into the wet ground of the overrun.
Continuing forward, the Prowler struck a
concrete
approach light fixture that was flush with the
surface.
This collapsed the nose gear and damaged the aircraft’s
nose, centerline store and engines.
Grampaw Pettibone says:
An old axiom goes something like this:
Don’t worry about what you’re going to do IF
trouble rears its ugly head. Worry about what you’re
going to do WHEN it does.
The pilot was high and fast for landing on a wet
runway, but it appears his aircrew had total
confidence in his ability to bring the bird to a safe
stop. That’s OK. But the landing “went sour” and so
did communications, while the red flag of
complacency went up the pole.
The EA-6B rolled past the long field gear and the
pilot called again for the hook, which was lowered
and, happily, worked as advertised in the overrun
area. Damage would have been minimal except for
the Prowler sinking into the mud. At least
nobody got
hurt.
Another note: on rollout, the pilot noticed standing
water at the intersection with another runway and
released brakes to avoid skidding until cleared of the
intersection. This contributed to increased stopping
distance. Turns out that standing water due to rain is
common at this airfield and other fliers routinely
release their brakes until they’re through it. The
caretakers have been asked to correct this.
In the meantime, expect trouble so you’ll be ready
for it. If it doesn’t arrive today, it may tomorrow,
or
the day after or . . . .
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 5
Three months after a Fleet Air
Reconnaissance Squadron 1
EP-3E Aries II made an
emergency landing in
Chinese F-8 fighter (see May–Jun
01, pp. 6–7), the plane was
released. Chinese officials refused
the
in
EP-3E was disassembled and
returned in pieces on board a
Russian Antonov-124 cargo jet,
arriving at Dobbins ARB,
Marietta, Georgia, on 5 July. The
fuselage will be repacked with
surveillance equipment and fitted
with a new tail section plus new
wings and engine nacelles. The
old nacelles will be retained in the
Navy supply system.
6 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
EP-3E
Returns
Home
AIRSCOOP
Edited by
Wendy Leland
Photos courtesy of Lockheed Martin
Aeronautics Co.
Following its release by Chinese
authorities, on 13 June Lockheed Martin
personnel began disassembling the
VQ-1 EP-3E Aries II that was damaged in a
midair collision with a Chinese
fighter. A cargo plane carried the parts back to
the United States.
Carriers Get Mid-Life
Boost
Nimitz (CVN
68) departed
Newport News Shipbuilding on 25
June, right, at the completion of a
three-year refueling and complex
overhaul (RCOH). After three days
of sea trials, the carrier returned to
her Norfolk, Va., home port. She
was the first Nimitz-class aircraft
carrier to undergo the mid-life
refueling, modernization and
overhaul. The ship was flight
deck certified in July, and in
August underwent a material
inspection conducted by the
Board of Inspection and
Survey. In late September, the
ship will steam around South
America to her new home
port in San Diego, Calif. In
early 2002, Nimitz will start
the last phase of RCOH,
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 7
PH3 Joshua L. Treadwell
IW O JIMA C OMMISSIONED
The Navy’s
newest amphibious assault ship, Iwo Jima
(LHD 7), officially joined the fleet following a 30
June commissioning at NAS Pensacola, Fla.
Iwo Jima is
the seventh of the Wasp-class amphibious
assault ships. At 40,500 tons, Iwo Jima is
larger than the
aircraft carriers that supported her namesake WW II
battle. She has a large flight deck for helicopters,
AV-8B
Harrier II jets
and the new MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor
transport aircraft. The ship also has a large
floodable well
deck to carry and deploy three air-cushion landing
craft.
LHD-7’s command, control, communications,
computers and intelligence system equips the ship to
serve
as the flagship of an amphibious readiness group. She
also
features a 600-bed hospital, complete with surgical
facilities.
“This ship is the right ship at the right time in the
right
place,” said General Michael J. Williams, assistant
commandant of the Marine Corps. “She’s going to sail
with a main battery of almost 2,000 Marines. Their
presence in friendly waters will reassure our allies,
and in
unfriendly waters they can ensure that the United
States
has the means to meet its goals anywhere in the world.”
While the ship represents the state of the art in “brownwater”
warfare, current plans call for her to be the last
Navy ship built with a conventional steam propulsion
plant. In the future, only nuclear-powered ships will
use
boilers and steam turbines to drive their propellers.
Other
new ships will use gas turbines or diesel engines.
Iwo Jima is
the second Navy amphibious warfare ship
to be named after the Pacific island battle in which
more
than 6,000 U.S. Marines and an estimated 20,000
Japanese soldiers died. The first Iwo Jima (LPH
2), the
lead ship in a class of helicopter carriers built in
the
1960s, was decommissioned in 1993.
Edited
by JOSN Dan Ball
Scott Hallford, Gosport
post-shakedown availability and
selected-restricted availability, to
complete all remaining work in
support of the ship’s next
deployment.
The second Nimitz-class ship to
undergo RCOH is Dwight D.
Eisenhower (CVN
69), which
arrived at Newport News
Shipbuilding in May. The major lifecycle
milestone marks the ship’s
only refueling in a 50-year life span.
The scope of the work is valued at
approximately $1.5 billion and
includes a major upgrade of the
island house, a new antenna mast
and a new radar tower. Both of
Eisenhower’s reactors
will be
refueled and modernized.
Remains Identified
The remains of a Marine Corps
aerial observer missing in action
from the Vietnam War were
identified. The O-1 Bird Dog in
which Col. Winfield W. Sisson was
flying crashed in South Vietnam on
18 October 1965.
For the Record
On 22 June the AH-1Z Super
Cobra, above
right, logged its 100th
flight hour in a test program at NAS
Patuxent River, Md. The previous
week, Lt. Gen. Fred McCorkle, head
of Marine Corps aviation, flew the
AH-1Z.
With the S-3 Viking (below) fleet
nearing its planned 13,000-hour
structural life, Lockheed Martin
Aeronautics Company began fullscale
fatigue testing of an S-3 on
26 June to determine how much
longer the platform can remain in
service.
Ingalls Shipbuilding received an
$81.3 million contract modification
on 2 July for continuation of work
toward the construction of an eighth
Wasp-class
large-deck multipurpose
amphibious assault ship.
Mishaps
An F/A-18C Hornet of Fighter
Attack Squadron 106 crashed in
Florida on 29 May, killing the pilot.
A T-34C Turbo-Mentor assigned
to Training Air Wing 6 crashed in
Alabama on 8 June, killing both
occupants.
On 22 June a Helicopter Combat
Support Squadron 8 HH-46D Sea
Knight operating
from Kearsarge
(LHD 3) crashed into the Mediterranean
Sea. There were no fatalities.
An HH-1N “Huey” assigned to
NAS Fallon, Nev., was damaged by
a hard landing in California on 8
July.
8 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
PH3 Michael J. Pusnik, Jr.
On 9 July a CH-46E Sea
Knight of
Marine Medium
Helicopter Squadron 365
crashed into the water at
MCAS New River, S.C., killing
three crew members.
Two F/A-18C Hornets
assigned to Fighter Attack
Squadron 151 were damaged
but landed safely after a
midair collision while
operating from Constellation
(CV 64) in the Arabian Gulf
on 14 July.
The aircrew of a Training
Squadron 21 T-45A Goshawk
ejected safely as the aircraft
departed the runway during
field arrested landing training
on 18 July.
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 9
Marine aviators and
maintainers from
MCAS Cherry
Point, N.C.,
completed four
months of familiarization
training
aboard NAS
Patuxent River,
Md., in the first KC-
130J. Among other
improvements, the
new model features
a glass cockpit,
right, with four
multifunction liquid
crystal displays
and two head-up
displays. The Navy
will receive four
more KC-130Js by the end of the year,
with three going to Cherry Point and
four to Pax for additional testing.
The aircraft’s initial operating capability is
scheduled for April 2003.
The flight test program for the
Boeing X-32B Joint Strike Fighter concept
demonstrator, above and below left,
concluded on 28 July at NAS Patuxent
River, Md. On 19 July, Lockheed
Martin’s X-35B demonstrator, right and
below right, transitioned in flight
from short-takeoff vertical landing
propulsion to conventional flight for
a supersonic run.
JSF TESTING CONTINUES
As Naval
Aviation moves into the 21st century,
several key acquisition decisions and program
changes are being introduced. Manned and
unmanned aircraft, standoff weapons and operating
systems are becoming increasingly complex, relying
more on bytes than bite. Also, the community as a
whole
is becoming more and more reliant on officers and
leaders who can analytically address today’s
challenging
defense problems in a rapidly changing environment.
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Monterey,
Calif., is positioned to provide the Navy and Naval
Aviation with the advanced education needed for its
10 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
NAVAL
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL:
AN
INVESTMENT IN NAVAL
AVIATION’S
FUTURE
By Rear Admiral David R. Ellison
officer corps in the new century. Future aviation
programs—as well as the Joint Strike Fighter, F/A-18
E/F Super Hornet (above), EA-6B
replacement, Multimission
Maritime Aircraft, CVN-X, SH-60R Seahawk,
advanced weapons systems and command/control
updates—will require Naval Aviators with strong
technical and managerial skills in systems engineering
and acquisition. The ability to articulate operational
requirements and to manage contracts to reduce cost
and
schedule is critical to the success of these programs
and
their support. Additionally, with long lead times for
these
major defense programs, it is essential that aviators
in
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 11
Photo by Ted Carlson
management positions understand the processes and
tools
that bring programs in on budget.
The Navy has embraced Joint Vision 2010, Joint
Vision 2020 and network centric operations as the
organizing principles for future naval developments.
These principles clearly imply that the future
operating
environment for our forces will be dominated by speed
and agility: the speed with which we can understand
our
environment, share that understanding and make
decisions; and the agility with which we can execute
to
achieve success. Naval Aviation is not unaccustomed to
working in a high-velocity environment. But today’s
technology-driven arenas will require a commitment by
Naval Aviation to the pursuit of advanced education if
it
is to stay at the leading edge of the envelope.
The key to future readiness in the aviation community
is officer and enlisted leaders who can effectively
deal
with changes required by new technologies, as well as
reduced manning and rapid innovation. By blending the
intellectual capital of resident faculty with
fleetexperienced
students, NPS has created learning programs
that cannot be replicated by any civilian university.
Complemented with guest lectures,
team projects and individual
research, the synergistic value of
NPS to the fleet equates to
2 x 2 = 5. Student-led research
projects are investigating the next
generation of ship self-defense
mechanisms, developing
navigation safety devices and
postulating conceptual generationafter-
next, sea-based tactical air
systems.
Joint Visions 2010 and 2020
recognize that well-qualified
people, innovative leadership and
the right organizational structure
are needed to prepare warriors for
the challenges of the future
battlespace. To develop the ideas
introduced in Joint Visions 2010
and 2020 for network centric
operations, the Navy, and
specifically Naval Aviation, needs
a high percentage of officers with
graduate-level knowledge of
science, technology and
management, along with a
thorough understanding of systems
engineering. NPS programs are
tailored to the warfighter by capitalizing on a
student’s
operational experience. Experience enhanced by a
thorough education helps NPS graduates expeditiously
integrate new technological capabilities into
operational
applications and evolving tactics and doctrine.
The Naval Postgraduate School has realigned its
education and research programs to achieve three major
goals. First, maintain academic programs that are
nationally recognized and support the current and
future
operations of the Navy and Marine Corps, our sister
services and our allies. Second, institute that focus
on the
integration of teaching and research in direct support
of
Joint Visions 2010 and 2020 and their enabling
technologies. And, finally, develop executive and
continuing education programs that support continuous
intellectual innovation and growth throughout an
officer’s career.
One of the keys to providing NPS students the tools
and the intellectual capacity to thrive in the world
of
Joint Vision 2020 is the establishment of institutes
that
integrate teaching and research, faculty and students,
and theory and application. These major institutes are
12 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
NASA
being built around the existing strengths of NPS
involving faculty and students from across the campus
that will cement a strong working relationship with
the
Navy’s Sea Based Battle Lab, the Naval Warfare
Development Command, industry and universities. What
will make these institutes unique is the integration
of
NPS students working with faculty on advanced
concepts to ensure that our forces remain dominant
across the full spectrum of military operations. This
effort is already reaching toward achieving our goals
via
fleet and industry partnerships, and projects such as
SEALANCE and CROSSBOW. Both projects address
the Navy’s need for faster and smaller surface
combatants to provide a sustainable combat presence in
the littorals.
Because of the increasing rate of institutional change
driven by technology, it is essential that NPS expands
its
range of continuing education for our senior
leadership,
flags and Senior Executive Service members. Our
Center for Executive Education will continue to
develop
a wider range of programs for these senior executives.
Concurrently, we are developing new continuing
education programs for higher level managers, officers
and civilians who are not able to attend NPS in all
phases of their careers. This is especially applicable
to
situations where there are temporary manpower
shortages. We will continue to develop professional
education programs for those who cannot afford to
study
in residence.
NPS employs multimedia technology to nurture and
sustain these efforts. Through the use of this medium,
students on campus and at remote sites, ashore or at
sea,
will be provided access to the faculty and facilities
on
campus. Telecommunications and tele-video education
will make it possible for NPS to have a virtual campus
through which it can provide education when and where
there is a demand.
Naval Aviation already benefits in several ways from
resident programs at the Naval Postgraduate School.
Today, test pilots are first sent to Monterey for
advanced
aeronautic degrees, and as a result NPS has produced
more astronauts than any other graduate-level
educational institution in the country. Nineteen
current
astronauts are NPS alumni—about one-tenth of the total
astronaut corps. The School of Aviation Safety grew
out
of the Postgraduate School to meet the specific needs
of
the aviation community. Most importantly, when Naval
Aviators in graduate programs rotate back to the
fleet,
they not only enhance fleet readiness and mission
capability but also provide forward-thinking leaders
that
the Navy will need to meet the challenges of aviation’s
next generation.
It has been determined that education is a key
generator of readiness. As the Naval Postgraduate
School continues to enhance its educational programs
to
meet the needs of the fleet, it
provides the Naval Aviation
community a substantial return on
investment.
RAdm. Ellison is the superintendent of the
Naval Postgraduate School.
Special thanks to LCdr. Greg Hicks, NPS
PAO, for his assistance with this article.
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 13
Opposite, according to the NPS, about
1 of every 3 flights
throughout the history of the space
program has had an
NPS alumni on board. One-tenth of the
current astronaut
corps is comprised of NPS graduates.
Below, the aviation
safety officer course is one of many
ways the school works
to meet the needs of the fleet.
Javier Chagoya, NPS Public Affairs
Lieutenant (jg) Robert J. Clinton received a visual
message sent by the New Zealand corvette Tui
indicating that it had established a submarine contact
and dropped depth charges. Clinton landed alongside
the gunboat to verify the contact and took off for the
unseen objective. Fifteen minutes later, Clinton
sighted the telltale periscope cutting the waves and
dove to attack.
Two depth charges exploded dead ahead of the
periscope. Clinton’s marksmanship was excellent, and
down went the big submarine, a trail of bubbles and
oil marking her path. But submarines die hard. This
one bobbed up five minutes later, bow first, at a
steep
angle. Clinton dove in to strafe, his machine gun
spraying the deck of the large submarine in hopes of
keeping the crew from manning the heavy deck gun.
But this success was short lived. When his machine
gun jammed, the enemy reached their gun stations and
filled the sky with antiaircraft fire. Clinton hovered
high above to keep an eye on his wounded prey and
called for assistance.
Four more seaplanes came in for the kill. The
surfaced submarine, circling wildly, was out of
control, but her large forward gun and antiaircraft
guns blazed deadly fire. Not a breeze stirred, leaving
the undersea raider shrouded in her own smoke.
Behind this cover, pilot Lieutenant Robert L. Gittings
maneuvered unseen into position astern to launch the
second attack. Two depth charges dropped swiftly to
their mark, but neither exploded.
Ltjg. Knut W. D. Lee came in to finish the job,
dropping a depth charge that exploded 30 feet aft of
the conning tower. As the sub’s gunfire increased in
intensity, Lee turned and dove again. His second
14 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
In 1943, the
threat that Axis
submarines posed to Allied
shipping and shore operations
in both the Pacific and the Atlantic
oceans was a primary concern to
the war effort. As a result, convoy
escort and antisubmarine efforts
were a key component of the
Navy’s presence in both theaters.
One of many Navy squadrons
stationed in the Pacific, Scouting
Squadron (VS) 57 flew OS2N-1
Kingfishers from
New Caledonia on routine sector searches to ensure the safety
of shipping in the area. On 19 August 1943, one of
these searches turned out to
be anything but routine.
By ASEC Jess W. Carr, USN (Ret.)
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 15
Facing page, an OS2N-1 Kingfisher,
shown here with floats, could also be equipped with conventional landing gear.
Top,
the I-17 was a I-15 class
Japanese submarine. This image was derived from an Office of Naval Intelligence
publication
produced in WW II. Above, officers
and men of VS-57 pose with one of their sturdy Kingfishers.
charge hit home, within 10 feet of the starboard
beam. The blast sent a spurt of water geysering 50
feet upward, and in less than 60 seconds the giant
sub disappeared for good.
Interrogation of the six survivors revealed that
the Kingfishers had sunk the notorious Japanese
submarine I-17, which had shelled Ellwood, Calif.,
on 23 February 1942. This sub and the scouting
seaplane it carried had annoyed Allied forces at sea
and ashore around New Caledonia for many weeks
preceding its sinking. But the efforts of VS-57
ensured that I-17’s mission that day was her
last,
leaving one less enemy under the sea.
Chief Carr retired from the Navy after 24 years of
service, which
included flying as a combat aircrewman in the Pacific
in WW II.
Special thanks to Robert L. Gittings for his assistance
with this article.
Work with
passion and not for glory and people
will notice. That might be an appropriate
maxim for the endeavors of Dr. Carlton
“Sketch” Eddy of San Antonio, Texas. The self-taught
artist has turned a simple pastime into a professional
hobby and attracted an evergrowing
fan base for his
paintings. Dr. Eddy’s art gives
insight to a world few ever
experience—the realm of Naval
Aviation. More specifically, it
captures the drama of people
and machines as they interact
on the windswept tarmac of
massive floating airports.
Naval Aviation News has long
recognized Dr. Eddy’s artistic
acumen and readers may recall
his work in past issues, such as
May–June 1998. The professor’s love of art combined
with his reverence for the Navy has resulted in a
series
of popular maritime aviation prints. His work has been
displayed in the National Museum of Naval Aviation,
Pensacola, Fla., and he serves as an official artist
for
the U.S. Coast Guard. Now, thanks to a recent Texas
television program, Eddy’s work is gaining wider
public attention.
“Texas Country Reporter,” a syndicated program of
the Lone Star State, profiled Dr. Eddy last spring and
captured the essence of the artist’s muse. Working on
the flight deck of the legendary
carrier Lexington (CV 16), now
berthed at Corpus Christi, Texas, Dr.
Eddy (left) was surrounded by
vintage naval aircraft. He knows his
critics in the Naval Aviation
community expect accurate
draftsmanship combined with
artistic realism. Painting aboard
Lady Lex inspired
Eddy. “Being in
the presence of my subject is far
superior to relying on photos or
conjuring up memories,” Eddy
remarked. “I can look at each plane,
capture every detail and create an authentic
portrayal.”
The Texas show highlighted an especially meaningful
turning point in Dr. Eddy’s artwork. When son Ethan
served in the Navy a few years back, Dr. Eddy
experienced a catharsis in finding both a way to
express
support and to relieve fundamental fatherly concerns.
To
16 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
By
JO2 Harrold Henck, USNR
Photo courtesy Texas Country Reporter
keep in touch, the elder Eddy began a series of
letters
adorned with hand-drawn Naval Aviation scenes. Sent to
Ethan while on board Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72),
the
meaningful missives found a following among the
carrier’s crew. In the November–December 1998 issue of
Naval Aviation News, Dr. Eddy commented:
“When a son or daughter joins the Navy, not only
does that individual enlist, but in a real sense the
entire
family goes Navy. To the family at home, a Sailor on
an
aircraft carrier is engaged in a little understood,
yet
poignant mixture of daily duty, faraway ports and
shipborne international peacekeeping and diplomacy.”
Dr. Eddy’s artwork so graphically conveyed his
feelings that every letter sent became a mail call for
the entire crew. Eagerly anticipated, the ship’s
company often gathered to see what new scene would
be portrayed on the envelope. Through art, Dr. Eddy’s
letters bridged a communication gap and celebrated
the work of his son and his shipmates.
The attention garnered from his imaginative
communiqués ultimately yielded an invitation to visit
Abraham Lincoln. While aboard, Eddy was awed by the
experience and commented in his TV interview that “a
carrier deck during flight ops is amazing. You really
have
to be there to appreciate the incredible seriousness,
danger and excitement of the action.” The artist took
full
advantage to paint what he saw. According to Eddy, the
“smells and colors [of the flight deck] are very
powerful
in conjuring up feelings” and inspiring artistry.
One visit led to another, and each visit furthered his
convictions. Describing a typical flight deck
environment, Eddy observed, “It’s an ever-changing
scene of drama and excitement in which man and
machine are locked in a complex ballet of incredible
precision and bone-numbing brawn—all set amidst jet
blast, whirling props, swirling steam, winds over the
deck and ear-splitting noise.”
Dr. Eddy has great admiration
for Naval Aviators. Through his
artwork, he pays tribute to them
and vicariously fulfills a personal
ambition. The artist dreamed of
becoming a pilot but his eyes
didn’t pass muster. Eddy instead
became a biomedical researcher
and is currently on staff at the
University of Texas Health
Science Center in San Antonio.
Despite his lack of flight
experience, Dr. Eddy has earned
the respect of those he depicts.
When asked by “Texas Country
Reporter” why veteran pilots
admire his work, the modest artist
waxed poetic:
“To be accepted by people who
do something very unique, and not
be considered just an outsider who
doesn’t understand, is extremely
satisfying. I think they see me as
an advocate who’s willing to give
them a pat on the back and
acknowledge what they do.”
Dr. Eddy’s acceptance is
probably best exemplified by the
casual, yet respectful appellation
his patrons have bestowed upon
him. Sailors and Naval Aviators
alike, many of whom now proudly
hang his work on their walls,
simply call him “Sketch.”
JO2 Henck wrote this article during reserve
active duty training on the Naval Aviation
News staff. In
civilian life, he is a social
studies teacher at George Ball High School,
Galveston, Texas.
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 17
Opposite, top, “Sketch” Eddy, left,
and son topside aboard Abraham Lincoln (CVN
72). Above, Eddy’s painting “Holding
on Amber” depicts son Ethan preparing to
launch an F/A-18C Hornet.
By
Hill Goodspeed
The citizen
soldier holds a distinguished
place in the annals of military
history—called to arms when needed by
the nation, then returning to civilian life when
the job was done. The same can be said for those
donning Navy blue. One need only look at the
fact that the bulk of Naval Aviators during WW I
served as part of the Naval Reserve Flying Corps
and that 83 percent of those on active duty in the
fleet at the end of WW II were reservists. Yet, it
was during the Korean War that the reserves,
particularly those wearing wings of gold, had
their finest hour and made lasting history.
In April 1950, Rear Admiral Austin K. Doyle,
Chief of Naval Air Reserve Training, penned a
letter to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral
Forrest P. Sherman, writing, “There is no
question but that the Fleet is immeasurably
strengthened right now by having our trained
reservists behind it, but I feel that there are too
many senior officers who have not witnessed
their operations.” That would soon change when
North Korean tanks rumbled across the 38th
parallel into the Republic of Korea on 25 June
1950 during an attack that took the world by
surprise.
Naval Aviation, having been locked in a bitter
interservice debate over its viability in the
18 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
MINUTEMEN
OF NAVAL AVIATION:
THE
NAVAL AIR
RESERVE
IN
KOREA
A formation of F4U-4 Corsairs of
VF-884 flies over
Boxer (CV 21) as she steams in the waters
off Korea.
These aircraft formed part of the
first all-reserve
carrier air group to operate over the
embattled
peninsula.
continued on p. 21
nuclear age and subject to reduced
defense expenditures under the
Truman administration, was only a
shell of the force that roamed the
Pacific with impunity during WW II.
Only 15 carriers of all classes
remained in commission, and on the
day of the North Korean assault,
Valley Forge (CV
45) was the sole
carrier operating in the western
Pacific. From a personnel standpoint,
the training command had turned out
only 688 pilots the previous year,
and though during 1950 this number
would nearly triple, the Navy looked
almost immediately to the Naval Air
Reserve to fill its depleted ranks.
In June 1950, the Naval Air
Reserve numbered some
1,700 aircraft, including
WW II types, a few firstgeneration
jets and an
assortment of utility
aircraft. Scattered at air
stations from Miami,
Fla., to Spokane, Wash.,
they were manned and
maintained by thousands of
reservists, most of whom
were veterans of WW II—a
talent pool that proved a
godsend to the Navy. For
example, at NAS Atlanta, Ga., all
but one of Fighter Squadron (VF)
671’s pilots were combat veterans,
including Robert Blyth who had
been an ace flying F6F Hellcats
from Princeton (CVL 23).
Commander Cook Cleland, skipper
of VF-653 based at NAS Akron,
Ohio, had flown an SBD Dauntless
in the famed return-after-dark
mission during the Battle of the
Philippine Sea in June 1944.
Some men went to war
enthusiastically. Even before the first
activation calls went out, the Navy
and Marine Corps had more than
3,400 requests from reservists for
return to active duty. However, when
the sudden attack by the North
Koreans prompted a quick call to
arms, men fully ensconced in
civilian lives were taken by surprise
when required to return to active
military service. Naval Aviation
News reported
a tale of one man
receiving the call in the middle of
his wife’s birthday party, and
another being flagged down on the
highway during his vacation! Two
reservists held jobs about which
every American boy dreamed,
playing baseball on summer
afternoons in Fenway Park, Mass.,
and Yankee Stadium, N.Y. Red Sox
slugger Ted Williams and Yankees
second baseman Jerry Coleman,
both Marine pilots during WW II,
ended up flying missions over
Korea, Williams in an F9F Panther
and Coleman in the cockpit of an
AU-1 Corsair. Between them, the
American Leaguers logged 99
combat missions. But not all were
happy with their new lot in life. For
example, the men of VF-884 based
at NAS Olathe, Kans., adopted an
insignia featuring an irritatedlooking
jayhawk wielding a bat. The
squadron nickname “Bitter Birds”
was a humorous reference to their
feelings about being recalled.
Throughout the summer and fall
of 1950, as United Nations forces
pushed northward toward the Yalu
River following the successful
landings at Inchon, reserve
squadrons honed their skills for war.
The units logged traps on board the
carriers Wright (CVL 49) and Cabot
(CVL 28), participated in gunnery
and rocket training in the desert
around NAAS El Centro, Calif., and
sent ground support personnel
through technical training schools.
The transformation of the Naval Air
Reserve from peacetime to wartime
was readily apparent at NAS San
Diego, Calif. A sign across the top
of the hangar assigned to VF-871
following their recall read:
“WELCOME WEEKEND
WARRIORS,” though someone
had crossed through the word
“WEEKEND.”
Patrol squadrons (VP)
were among the first from
the Naval Air Reserve to
deploy overseas. Recalled
to active duty on 20 July
1950, VP-892 reported to
NAS San Diego the
following month, and on
18 December logged its first
mission, the first by a
reserve squadron during the
Korean War. Eventually, seven
recalled patrol squadrons served
during the conflict, flying PBM-5
Mariners, PB4Y/P4Y-2
Privateers
and P2V-2/3 Neptunes. The crews
flew a variety of missions, including
long-range antisubmarine warfare
and reconnaissance flights in the Sea
of Japan and along the coasts of
China and North Korea. This could
get dangerous, as evidenced by the
experiences of a VP-731 crew
operating over the Yellow Sea off the
west coast of Korea. On 31 July
1952, two Chinese MiG-15 jets
attacked a squadron PBM-5S2,
killing two crewmen and wounding
two others. The plane’s pilot,
Lieutenant E. E. Bartlett, Jr.,
descended to low altitude, weaving
in an effort to avoid further attack,
and limped to Paengyong, South
Korea, where he made an emergency
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 21
Opposite, the tips of five-inch
high-velocity aircraft rockets frame an F9F Panther pilot of
VF-837 as flight deck crewmen prepare
his aircraft for launch from Antietam (CV 36). Note
his adorned flight helmet.
landing. Two squadrons, VPs 772 and 871, harkened
back to the days of the famous “Black Cat” patrol
squadrons by operating at night over Korea, dropping
flares to support night interdiction and close air
support
missions by Marine Corps aircraft.
While patrol aircraft were the first elements of the
Naval
Air Reserve to see service in Korea, the weekend
warriors
flying fighter and attack aircraft made a sizable
contribution
as well. Of the 24 deployments by fleet carriers
during the
Korean War, nearly one-third of them had at least one
reserve squadron operating from the flight deck.
The first carrier-based squadrons deployed to Korean
waters in spring 1951, and by November of that year
Naval Aviation News reported that “in a typical month,
every third American plane that flew over Korea on a
combat mission was piloted by an activated Navy or
Marine air reservist.” In March 1951, Boxer (CV
21)
deployed with an all-reserve air group (except for
composite and helicopter detachments). Of the 153
officers in Carrier Air Group 101, 133 were
reservists,
while 73 percent of the enlisted personnel were
reserves.
During the deployment, which lasted until 24 October
1951, air group pilots logged 23,627.4 flight hours,
8,567
traps and 8,833 combat sorties. Thirty aircraft were
lost,
including 18 to enemy fire. On the flight suits of
most of
the pilots, “USNR” followed their names.
The pattern of missions for the recalled reservists,
like
all Naval Aviators during the Korean War, involved
interdiction missions against supply routes,
marshaling
yards, manufacturing centers and power complexes in
addition to supporting troops on the ground with close
air
support. However, one reserve squadron engaged in an
unexpected departure from this routine on 18 November
1952, when four F9F-5 Panthers of VF-781 off Oriskany
(CVA 34) tangled with seven Soviet MiG-15s while the
ship operated about 100 miles from the Vladivostok
naval base. In a furious 15-minute dogfight, Pacemaker
pilots shot down two enemy jets.
continued on p. 24
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 23
Opposite, Ltjgs. Joe P. Massey, left,
and Paul M.
Boyer, pilots in VF-791 on board Boxer
(CV 21),
don their flight gear prior to
launching on a
mission over Korea. Above, aircraft
of Carrier
Air Group 15 start their engines on
the flight
deck of Antietam (CV 36) as
the ship prepares
to launch aircraft. All of the
fighter and attack
squadrons on board the carrier during
her
September 1951–May 1952 cruise were
recalled
from the Naval Air Reserve. Left, the
air group
commander and his squadron skippers
plot the
next day’s strikes on board Valley
Forge (CV 45)
during the ship’s combat cruise to
Korea. The
officer seated at right is VF-653
Commanding
Officer LCdr. Cook Cleland, a Navy
Cross
recipient during WW II and recipient
of the
Thompson Trophy as an air racing
pilot in 1947
and 1949.
With the signing of an armistice on 27 July 1953,
the Korean War ended. It was to a great extent a
reservist’s war in both men and material, as civilians
returned to uniform to fly from carriers that were
themselves pulled from mothballs. Without both of
them, Naval Aviation would not have been as
effective a fighting force as it was in the skies over
the Korean peninsula.
In 1953, when novelist James Michener’s classic
novel The Bridges at Toko-ri appeared on
bookshelves, Americans were introduced to the
central character, Harry Brubaker. Bitter about
fighting in a war thousands of miles from his
family, Brubaker dies at the hands of enemy
soldiers after being shot down over Korea. Upon
hearing the news of the pilot’s death, the character
of Admiral George Tarrant utters the immortal line,
“Where did we get such men?” It is fitting that
Brubaker, a 29-year-old lawyer from Denver, Colo.,
was a reservist like so many of the real-life heroes
who answered the call in Korea.
Mr. Goodspeed is a historian in the National Museum of
Naval
Aviation, Pensacola, Fla.
24 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
Above, the VF-781 Pacemakers pose
next to one of their
squadron F6F Hellcats at NAS
Los Alamitos, Calif. The
squadron had 100 percent of its
personnel volunteer for
service in Korea. Right, the island
of Antietam (CVA 36)
serves as a backdrop for the launch
of an F4U-4 Corsair
of VF-713. Antietam logged one
combat cruise to Korea
and later became the Navy's first
angled-deck carrier.
Awards
The individual and unit
Grampaw Pettibone Award
winners for 2000 are Lt. Ryan
Christopher of HC-5 and VAW-117,
respectively. The award is presented
yearly to the individual and
organization contributing the most
toward aviation safety through
publications.
VT-35 received the 2000 Vice
Admiral Robert Goldthwaite
Award for
training excellence on 11
May at the National Museum of
Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Fla.
The following 2001 CNO Search
and Rescue Excellence Awards
were presented to: Aviation Rescue
Swimmer of the Year, AW2 Todd J.
Simpson; SAR Unit of the Year,
NAS Fallon, Nev.; and Aviation
Rescue Crew of the Year, Firewood
Six SAR Crew, NAS Whidbey
Island, Wash. Recipients of the
award exemplify the selfless
commitment to others embodied in
the SAR motto: “So Others May
Live.”
Commander in Chief, U.S.
Atlantic Fleet awarded the 2000
Battenberg Cup to
George
Washington (CVN
73). This award
is presented annually to the best
overall ship in the fleet based on the
number of crew achievements.
The Association of Old Crows
(AOC) presented VQ-2 the AOC
Outstanding Navy Unit Award for
2001.
AW2 John Watson of HSL-48
was awarded a Navy/Marine Corps
Medal for
rescuing a Briscoe (DD
977) Sailor who fell from the flight
deck of the destroyer into choppy
water on 19 April.
26 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
Edited by JOSN Dan Ball
PEOPLE
PLANES
PLACES
Aviation Boatswain's Mate Airman
Roy Diaz hooks the launch bar to an
E-2C Hawkeye assigned to the
Liberty Bells of VAW-115 during
flight operations aboard Kitty
Hawk
(CV 63).
PH1 William R. Goodwin
VP-16 Lts. Matthew Willer and
Brian Cowell received Navy and
Marine Corps Achievement
Medals for
rescuing a father and
daughter from a rip tide at a beach
in Luquillo, P.R., on 11 March.
Correction to
Jul–Aug 01
Page 40: We extend our apologies to
the staff of Mech magazine for
inadvertently omitting their 1st Place
win in the 2000 CHINFO Merit
Awards in
the Publications for a
Specific Audience (Magazine)
category. Congratulations!
Scan Pattern
Some 200 Marines from
VMFA(AW)-533 deployed
to
Kadena Air Base, Japan, to train and
qualify as the first Marine
Expeditionary Unit, Special
Operations Capable F/A-18 Hornet
squadron. The unit will provide the
MEU with capabilities such as
airborne reconnaissance and
surveillance, tactical air control
airborne, forward air control
airborne, close air support, escort
and airborne defense of the
Amphibious Task Force, as well as
instant and decisive firepower.
The Chief of Naval Education
and Training (CNET) officially
opened the Navy E-Learning
website at www.navylearning.com
and www.navylearning.mil. The
site offers more than 800
information technology, 350
leadership/professional
development and 37 military
courses via a single integrated
portal on the World Wide Web.
Access to Navy and Department of
Defense training and education;
video teletraining course catalog
links to other education, training
and professional development
information; and other references
and links, such as the Navy
College Program and Navy
Advancement Center, are also
available on the site.
E-8 personnel in the aviation
storekeeper (AK) and storekeeper
(SK) ratings now use the title
“senior chief storekeeper” since
AK and SK E-9 personnel merged in
2000. Advances in shipboard
logistics practices and technology
made the consolidation practical.
The merger combines AK
responsibilities with the established
SK ratings. The conversion is
automatic and no individual action is
required. Newly converted E-8
personnel use the new title but can
maintain their AK rating badges
until advancement or 30 June 2003.
E-7 personnel will merge in June
2002, and E-1 through E-6 will
merge in January 2003. For more
information, call 703-614-6850 or
703-614-6649.
In a 26 June ceremony at NAS
Pensacola, Fla., Lt. Col. Stefan Kuhn
relieved German Navy LCdr. Dieter
Hagenuelken as Commanding
Officer, 2nd German Air Force
Training Squadron USA. The
German Air Force has been a part of
Training Air Wing 6 since June 1996.
The squadron is responsible for basic
training of Tornado and Phantom
weapons system officers and tactical
coordinators for the German Navy
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 27
An F-14D Tomcat assigned
to VF-2 launches from
Constellation (CV 64)
towing a target for air-to-air
gunnery practice during
WESTPAC '01.
Photos by PHAN Daniel J. McLain
Atlantic multipurpose
aircraft and
MK 41 Sea King helicopters. It also
instructs basic and advanced training
for German Navy helicopter pilots at
NAS Whiting Field, Fla., and NAS
North Island, Calif.
Records
On 29 June, a
VFA-137 F/A-18
Hornet landed
aboard
Constellation (CV
64), left,
marking the
375,000th arrested
landing in the ship’s
history.
Capt. George B.
Dom,
Commander CVW-7, made
his 1,000th trap on 20 July, on board
John F. Kennedy (CV 67).
HC-85 has
compiled 60,000
flight hours over 26 years without a
Class “A” mishap.
Rescues
A search for four missing boaters
that began on 5 May ended the next
day after another boater located the
partially submerged 17-foot sailboat
in the Chesapeake Bay near the
mouth of Virginia’s York River. A
CGAS Elizabeth City, N.J., HH-60
Jayhawk transported
the victims to a
nearby hospital. Efforts to revive
two of the boaters were unsuccessful
and they were pronounced dead at
the hospital.
Nine people were rescued about
two miles off the coast of Nahant,
28 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
SUPER HORNETS
SO A R WITH
THE EAGLES
The first operational F/A-18E Super Hornet
squadron, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115, NAS
Lemoore, Calif., was declared safe for flight
certification following a series of inspections and
reviews to satisfy Navy requirements. Nicknamed the
Eagles, the
squadron will train for its first deployment
with the Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Battle Group
and Carrier Air Wing 14 next summer.
Prior to certification, VFA-115 pilots and
maintenance crews trained with VFA-122, the Super
Hornet fleet
readiness squadron, for the arrival of the
Navy’s new Super Hornet aircraft. With an
inventory
of six aircraft, VFA-115 is now capable of operating
autonomously.
The Super Hornet is a multimission aircraft
that can
be employed as a fighter, bomber or tanker. The new
jet’s tactical mission spectrum spans from long-range,
sea-based air dominance to deep-strike interdiction.
Designed to carry every tactical air-to-air and
air-toground
weapon in the Navy’s inventory, the plane is
equipped with an enhanced radar system and an
advanced on-board sensor fusion capability. The Super
Hornet is
the Navy’s premier strike fighter aircraft,
planned to lead Naval Aviation in the 21st century.
For more information about the Super Hornet, go
to www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/aircraft/fa18, and
select shornet.html. To learn more about VFA-115, go
to www.lemoore.navy.mil/vfa-115.
Mass., on 6 May, after both
engines on their Piper Navajo
aircraft failed. CGAS Point
Allerton in Hull, Mass., sent two
47-foot rescue boats to the scene.
Expecting the worst, they were
glad to find the pilot and all of the
passengers safe in a life raft or
alongside. A CGAS Cape Cod,
Mass., HH-60 Jayhawk was
dispatched to the scene for rescue
and recovery.
Rescue efforts aimed at saving
the lives of 28 illegal immigrants
were aided on 23 and 24 May by
Marines from MCAS Yuma, Ariz.,
Search and Rescue HH-1N “Huey”
helicopters. The U.S. Border Patrol
called on the Marines after finding
four of the travelers in the 115-
degree desert. The efforts of the
pilots, aircrew and corpsmen helped
the Border Patrol agents get the
immigrants to the Yuma Regional
Medical Center quickly, which was
instrumental in saving many of
them.
Lts. Kirby Baker and Scott
Bracher of VS-32 saved the lives of
two young boys who almost
drowned in a pool in St. Thomas,
V.I., on 9 June. The lieutenants
heard the mother scream for help
and stepped in to assist. They were
able to get the water out of the boys’
lungs and then stayed with them
until an ambulance arrived.
On 21 July, Singapore tanker HL
Moogal called
the Joint Rescue
Coordination Center in Honolulu,
Hawaii, regarding a 32-year-old
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 29
By JO3(SW) Christopher C. Fowler
The NAS North Island, Calif.- based Helicopter
Antisubmarine Squadron Light (HSL) 41
Seahawks have
designed a program to
help bring college education to Sailors.
“For many Sailors, taking the first step
toward a college education is the most
difficult,” commented NCC Kenda L.
Robison, the Seahawks’ Command
Career Counselor and Education Service
Officer. At her request, Navy College
accessed the squadron ASVAB scores,
SMART transcripts, and educational
histories to help identify service members who
were close to completing college degrees. On 13 July
the squadron hosted an education fair that included
representatives from local colleges and universities,
financial counseling, and help with tuition assistance
and registration forms.
College courses benefiting the largest number of
Sailors are offered at the newly christened “Seahawk
University.” Instructors from a local university visit
the squadron and teach two or three days a week.
During the year the syllabus progresses
from introductory to more advanced
classes.
The classes are having a twofold affect.
“Since the command has demonstrated an
interest in its members, I have noticed a
real boost to command morale and
camaraderie,” said AW2 Shane Terrel, who
was among the first to enroll. “I’m
meeting people in my squadron I never
had a chance to talk with before. I have
even received phone calls from other squadrons
asking if there are positions open in my shop. They
want to transfer to HSL-41 so they can attend
college.”
Anyone wishing more information on Navy
educational opportunities should contact their Navy
College office.
HSL-41
LAUNCHES SEAHAW K UNIVERSITY
Commandant Naval District Washington
RAdm. Christopher E.Weaver honored
members of the 2001 restoration crew
of the T-28 Trojan display at Anacostia
Annex,Washington, D.C. Left to right:
AS1 James Cole, AMS2 Richard D.
McDonald, RAdm.Weaver, Marine LCpl. Clinton
J. Duclos and Mr. Dave
Devnew. Not shown: MSgt. Robert
Lacquay and TSgt. Christoper Coffelt.
JO2 Karen M. Golembieski
crewman who was suffering from appendicitis and needed
medical care. After consulting with doctors, the
rescue
coordinators recommended evacuation to the nearest
hospital.
The tanker’s position was 830 nautical miles southeast
of
Hawaii. It took a joint Navy and Coast Guard operation
involving SEAL Team 1, Lake Erie (CG 70) and
two aircraft
to get the patient to the hospital.
At 0200 on 22 July, four members of SEAL Team 1
parachuted with a raft out of a CGAS Barbers Point,
Hawaii,
C-130 aircraft, paddled to the tanker and administered
antibiotics to the sick man. Lake Erie got
underway just after
midnight, and later a CGAS Barbers Point HH-65
helicopter
landed aboard the cruiser to assist in the rescue.
When CG 70
was in range of the tanker, the helo crew performed a
nighttime hoist and returned with the victim to Lake
Erie for
the day’s ride back to Hawaii. When the cruiser was
100 miles
southeast of the island, the helicopter departed for
Hilo Airport
and from there an ambulance took the patient to Hilo
Medical
Center. A sucessful appendectomy was performed on the
crewman.
30 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
CCG-6: RAdm.
Steven J.
Tomaszeski relieved RAdm. Lewis
W. Crenshaw, Jr., 30 Jul.
Constellation (CV 64): Capt.
John W. Miller relieved Capt. Jamie
Kelly, 13 May.
CVW-1: Capt.
Stephen S.
Voetsch relieved Capt. Philip W.
Grandfield, 1 Jul.
CVW-3: Capt.
David L. Philman
relieved Capt. Joseph F. Kilkenny,
19 Jul.
HELWINGRES: Capt.
Daniel
B. Bell relieved Capt. Robert D.
Howell, 14 Jul.
HS-3: Cdr.
Lee W. Schonenberg
relieved Cdr. George A.
Chamberlain, Jr., 6 Jun.
HS-5: Cdr. Steve
Schrieber
relieved Cdr. Vincent Lamolinara,
31 May.
HS-11: Cdr.
Kerry B. Canady relieved
Cdr. John W. Smith, Jr., 4 Jun.
HSL-40: Cdr.
William Lescher
relieved Cdr. Wayne Tunick,
29 Jun.
HSL-41: Cdr.
Thomas H.
Webber relieved Capt. Earl L. Gay,
22 May.
HSL-49: Cdr.
Frederick T.
Blanchard relieved Cdr. William P.
Cuilik, 28 Jun.
NAES Lakehurst, N.J.: Capt.
Dwight L. Cousins relieved Capt.
Stephen J. Himes, 29 Jun.
NAMTRAGRU HQ:
Capt.
Frank J. Smith relieved Capt.
Steven B. Gibson, 15 Jun.
NAS Sigonella, Italy: Capt.
Timothy L. Davison relieved Capt.
Arne J. Nelson, 11 Jul.
RESPATWING: Capt.
David L.
Montgomery relieved Capt. Robert
A. Sinibaldi, Jr., 21 Jul.
TACRON-22: Cdr.
Steven A.
Malloy relieved Cdr. Wayne P.
Stamper, 31 Aug.
VAQ-136: Cdr.
Steve Baxter
relieved Cdr. Bud Bishop, 21 May.
VAQ-142: Cdr.
Mark W. Darrah
relieved Cdr. Peter B. Rush,
13 Mar.
VAW-125: Cdr.
Harry M.
Robinson relieved Cdr. Ralph H.
Ricardo, 4 May.
VF-101: Cdr.
Samuel B.
Richardson relieved Cdr. Luke R.
Parent, 29 Jun.
VFA-15: Cdr.
David C. Stewart
relieved Cdr. Scott E. Smith,
6 May.
VFA-83: Cdr.
Thomas A.
Meadows relieved Cdr. Kevin M.
Keutmann, 20 Jul.
VFA-87: Cdr.
Tushar Tembe
relieved Cdr. Tom Huff, 2 Jul.
VFA-203: Cdr.
Michael J.
Wellington relieved Cdr. Craig N.
McCartney, 9 Jun.
VMFA-235: Lt.
Col. Martin G.
Rollinger relieved Lt. Col. Lee P.
Futch, 22 Jun.
VMFA (AW)-224:
Lt. Col.
Thomas C. Moore relieved Lt. Col.
Stephen T. Ganyard, 18 May.
VP-5: Cdr.
Paul J. Frost
relieved Cdr. Timothy E. Boothe,
1 Jun.
VP-10: Cdr.
Kelly M. Johnson
relieved Cdr. Gene A. Summerlin,
8 Jun.
VP-94: Cdr.
Kirk E. Engel
relieved Cdr. William A. King,
19 May.
VQ-3: Cdr.
Brian T. Costello
relieved Cdr. Margaret D. Klein,
6 Jul.
VR-56: Cdr.
William A. Vaughn
relieved Cdr. Jose L. Romero,
23 Jun.
VS-31: Cdr.
Randy Wood
relieved Cdr. James Gregorski,
2 Jul.
VT-10: Lt.
Col. John S. Clark,
Jr., relieved Cdr. Brian R. Toon,
12 Jul.
CHANGE OF COMMAND
Former NANews Staffer
Demonstrates that Pigs
Can Fly
While stationed in Korea, Army
CW2 Blake Towler—a former JO2 and
assistant
editor of NANews—received his
unit’s coveted
“Stick Pig” patch for accumulation of
flight
hours.
Elward, Brad. McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. The
Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury, Marlborough,
Wiltshire SN8 2HR, UK. 2000. 192 pp. Ill. $52.95.
This latest
account of the “Scooter” is a good
overview of the A-4’s design and development,
with good photo selection. The pictures are large
and offer well-detailed views of the Skyhawk,
an
important source for modelers.
The main text is complemented by a variety of
sidebars that discuss specific topics, including
avionics,
ordnance, nuclear mission, terminology and a few
surprising revelations, such as the fact that TA-4Fs
went
to Southeast Asia aboard Hancock (CV 19) as
early laser
designators.
The Vietnam War period receives the lion’s share of
wartime coverage, with Navy and Marine Corps
operations being well described using several sources
and good photos. The author also provides statistics
on
aircraft milestones and production history.
Other A-4 combat experiences include the Argentines
in the Falklands War of 1982 and the hard-pressed
Kuwaitis in 1990 and 1991. The material on the
Falklands is especially interesting. Argentina lost
nearly
half of its deployed Skyhawk fleet to British Sea
Harriers, flak
and surface-to-air missiles, but it wasn’t
until the wartime embargo was lifted in 1993 that
replacements could be bought from the Israelis.
There are a few errors. Part of the preface is missing,
and El Centro is in California, not Nevada (p. 94).
VAQ-33 was not based at Norfolk, except perhaps on
detachment (p. 99). A-4s did not fly in the Six Day
War
between the Arabs and Israelis in June 1967. Skyhawks
did arrive by the end of the year and were quickly put
into intense operations as the War of Attrition of
1968–1970 heated up; of course, the half-dozen Israeli
A-4 squadrons bore the brunt of the terrible
groundattack
losses in 1973.
Overall, Brad Elward has done a good job in telling
the Skyhawk’s story, and I highly recommend his
book to
any A-4 buff.
Carroll, Ward. Punk’s War. Naval
Institute Press, 291
Wood Rd., Annapolis, MD 21402-5034. 2001. 225 pp.
$24.95.
We seldom review
fiction in this column, but we
did note Stephen Coonts’ ground-breaking
Flight of the Intruder when it appeared in 1986.
Historian Barrett Tillman has tried his hand at novels
with some success and, of course, there’s Tom Clancy.
Now comes another aspirant to the genre of Naval
Aviation fiction—Commander Ward Carroll, a
secondgeneration
Naval Aviator whose Marine father flew A-4s
in Vietnam. A 1982 graduate of the Naval Academy,
Carroll served as an F-14 Tomcat radar
intercept officer
(RIO) in five fleet squadrons, making several carrier
deployments to the Arabian Gulf.
There’s no doubt that the author is writing directly
to
his peers. The parallels and circumstances are too
sharply drawn to be anything but an insider’s
description of today’s Navy. And whether you like his
style or story, Carroll is eminently qualified to make
judgments.
This short novel addresses many issues pertinent to
the nonfiction Navy, namely: is the Navy, specifically
the
air Navy, bad enough to warrant leaving it, or just
how
tough and perhaps patriotic are you and how much do
you really want to fly carrier jets? Carroll’s
dedication
answers, “For those on the Boat right now, never
forget
what motivated you to walk through the front door of
Naval Aviation, and never allow your squadronmates to
forget, either.”
Does the author give adequate justification for such a
demanding challenge? It’s a good story, well written,
but
strongly colored with definitive opinions, especially
in
the never-ending saga of junior officers versus skippers
and senior officers, and youth versus age and
experience.
For example, in separate scenarios, the main character
Punk (a.k.a. Lt. Richard J. Reichert) has problems
with
the crusty maintenance chief, and the squadron’s
newest
Ltjg. RIO contends with two burly junior enlisted
security men who attempt to intimidate the young
officer
they find alone below decks.
The source of action is, of course, flying F-14s from
“the boat,” which is never named. The main focus is
the
cadre of junior officer aviators doing their best to
stay
sane and alive as they contend with mechanical and
political problems that are the core of squadron life.
The
only aspect of today’s Navy that Carroll does not
include, except in a passing mention of a female EA-6B
Prowler pilot,
is the arrival of women aviators. But
everything else is there: the tough pilot-pals, the
passedover
lieutenant commanders, the nearly maniacal
squadron CO and milk-toast air wing commmander.
These collective personalities set the stage for the
book’s last confrontation and nonresolution of the
problems that will inevitably continue as long as the
Navy flies from ships.
There are no errors here. The author knows the
subject, and it’s a good read. A sequel, perhaps a
movie,
may be in the future. But for now, Punk’s War is
the
newest entry in the arena, and Ward Carroll has the
field
all to himself.
Naval Aviation News September–October 2001 31
By Cdr. Peter B. Mersky, USNR (Ret.)
CLARA
Several readers provided some
innovative comments in response to
our query “Can you CLARA-fy this?”
(Jan–Feb 01, p. 40):
Cdr. Mike Enright, Operational
Test and Evaluation Force, offered,
“The term CLARA was an adaptation
of the brevity code word CLARA in a
publication covering terminology
used in different aspects of allied and
maritime operations. The use in
communications to the LSO was a
loose interpretation of its real
definition meaning that a radar scope
is clear of enemy contacts.”
Doug Carlson, Newport News
Shipbuilding, Va.,
took a different
viewpoint, “Maybe
this is close: Cannot
Locate And
Report
Acquisition.”
Retired Marine
Master Gunny Bob
Duerden found a definition
through the internet’s Ask Jeeves,
which stated, “CLARA (DOD): In air
intercept, a code meaning ‘Radar
scope is clear of contacts other than
those known to be friendly.’”
Former Naval Aviator Bill
McCarthy, who witnessed the advent of
the mirror landing system,
remembered, “I can tell you that the
mirror distracted you from the skillful
placement of your aircraft in the most
appropriate spot to expedite clearing
the foul line. Nevertheless, when the
highly skilled Naval Aviator arrived in
the groove, it was assumed by all that
he was in the ideal position to start
down the glideslope, and who would
challenge a Naval Aviator’s choice of
starting point? Therefore, if he did not
see the ‘meatball,’ he would address a
caution to the LSO, ‘I can’t see the
meatball and I’m obviously where I
should be, so Check Lens And Roll
Angle.’”
Dick Shrewsbury added another
note from the past, “In the early days
of the canted deck, the Fresnel lens’
stabilization system was primitive,
and would often get lost for no
apparent reason. (We’d then revert to
flat paddles passes, which we
preferred anyway.) Also, in those
early days of TV, there was a kids’
show character named Clarabell,
whose routine was to get lost a few
times during each broadcast. So
someone started asking, ‘Where’s
Clarabell?’ when the meatball
strayed. And now you have . . . the
rest of the story.”
Locator
I am researching WW II torpedo
squadrons and would like to
communicate with any children or
other surviving relatives of John C.
Waldron and George H. Gay from VT-
8 and Douglas M. Cossitt and W. A.
Miller from VT-6. Contact Cdr. Don
M. Drysdale, USNR (Ret.), 610
Newport Center Dr., Suite 700,
Newport Beach, CA 92660-6498; 949-
760-9677; dmd@donmdrysdale.com.
Reunions, etc.
VP-45, 11–13
OCT, San Diego,
CA: POC: C. B. Caldwell, 1061
Arnold Way, Alpine, CA 91901-2721;
619-445-5072; cbc@cts.com.
“Coalition Air Warfare in the
Korean War” symposium, 17–18
OCT, Andrews AFB, MD. Hosted by
the Air Force Historical Foundation
in conjunction with the Air Force
History Office and the historical
centers and foundations of the Navy,
Marine Corps and Army, the
symposium is part of a series of
events marking the 50th anniversary
of the Korean War. To register, visit
www.afhistoricalfoundation.com or
call 301-736-1959.
NAS Trinidad, 4–6
OCT, San
Diego, CA. POC: Franklin
Barrett, HC-33, Box-13,
Witts Springs, AR
72686, 870-496-2285;
barrett27@alltel.net.
VP-24, 4–6
OCT,
Waukegan, IL. POC:
Richard Powell, 816
Highland Ave., Oak Park,
IL 60304; 708-848-1568; rpowell@
ci.river-forest.il.us.
Salisbury Sound (AV 13), 11–13
OCT, Branson, MO. POC: Marian
Bruce, 813 Branding Iron SE,
Albuquerque, NM 87123; 505-293-
3841; brubru@nm.net.
VR-56, 13
OCT. POC: Don
Zaremba, 757-444-3916;
vr56admn@cnrf.nola.navy.mil.
WW II Navy Aviation Repair
and Overhaul Units, 15–17 OCT,
Chattanooga, TN. POC: Gene Lowe,
4324 Cherokee Trail, Gainesville, GA
30504; 770-536-4008; gblo45@
cs.com.
Sicily (CVE
118), 16–19 OCT,
Annapolis, MD. POC: E. G. Smith,
POB 369, Centreville, MD 21617-
0369; 410-758-1659.
NAS New York, 25–28
OCT,
Virginia Beach, VA. POC: Chet
Atkinson, POB 62066, Virginia
Beach, VA 23466; 757-495-1338.
Constellation (CVA/CV 64),
26–29 OCT, San Diego, CA. POC:
Paul McGehee, 711 Ogle Dr.,
Richland, MO 65556; 573-765-4788;
hooah-p5@prodigy.net;
www.ussconstellation.org.
32 Naval Aviation News September–October
2001
Mr. Jan Scott of Lovettsville, Va.,
submitted this photo of an LNE-1
glider. Seventy-four production
versions of the two-place trainer
were
built for the Navy in 1942–1943 by
the
Pratt-Read Company, a piano factory
in
Deep River, Conn. A handful survive
in
museums and private collections. This
one (BuNo 31561) is flown regularly
from a private glider field in
northern
Virginia.
PHAN
Daniel McLain won the bimonthly
ANA
photo competition with this moody shot
of
a Sea Control Squadron 38 S-3B. The
Viking
is secured in front of Constellation’s
island—displaying
CV 64’s hull number in red,
white
and blue lights—during the carrier’s port
call
in Fremantle, Australia.
For
deadline, submission and award details for
the
ANA Photo Contest, call 703-960-2490.
May–Jun 01
Page 30: The National Intercollegiate Flying
Association championship competition is held in
Grand Forks vice Fort Union, N.D.
Corrections
July–Aug 01
Special thanks to HSL-51
Maintenance Officer LCdr.
Jeffrey Barta (piloting this
helo) for catching the incorrect
photo caption on page 3. It should have read: an SH-
60B Seahawk of HSL-51 Det 4 operating off of
Chancellorsville (CG 62) conducts underway
replenishment in the Gulf of Thailand.
FIRST HELO
TRAP?
A historian in the Naval Historical
Center’s Aviation History
Branch came across this interesting
photo.We would like to
know if any of our readers
participated in or witnessed this
amazing event. Note the landing
signal officer’s location!
A
N A P H O TO C O N T E S T