Naval Gazing

Having a busy summer - ran across this article of interest from the Wall Street Journal

Sea World 2007

Visited Sea World, San Diego a couple of weeks ago with kids and grandchildren. The prelude to the Shamu show was a great tribute to the military. At the end they requested all veterans stand. The applause was gratifying. My thanks to Anheuser-Busch!

A Naval Aviator's Blog

Fighter pilot stuff of a different generation - but it brings back WestPac memories.

March Comments

US Military Leaders Deny Reality?

Ralph Peters (NY Post)

Gene A supplied this one. I think Mr. Peters is on target if direction from the top is as he indicates. Anyone care to tell me why I should disagree with him?
BK

More on Walter Reed

The Walter Reed Fiasco
The Army fired the one guy who can fix it.
BY DANIEL HENNINGER


Does anyone else get the impression that guvmint is imploding?

February Comments Post

F-35C
Dave C. sent this link to an SU-30 performance video circa 1997. His comments ended with the hope that China did not have that aircraft - well they do. Our vectored thrust 'competitors' are the USAF F/A-22 Raptor and the F-35C (Joint Strike Fighter variant) shown above.

VS-23 History Project

Update: The Navy Historical folks advise that historical reports were not required in the missing time frame, below. They suggest a source of info may be ship's logs; hence, if any of you can supply the name of the carriers and approximate VS-23 deployment dates during the '53-'56 period, I'll try to get some info that way.

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More:
USS Bairoko: Jan 53 - Aug 53
USS Princeton Nov 54 - June 55
USS Boxer July '56 - Jan '57

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I found some historical data on the squadron which I apparently downloaded in 2000. It's missing the time period 1/53 - 6/57 and I have written the Navy Historical folks in hopes of getting the whole story. Meanwhile here's some of the info and I hope to be able to come up with more for a narrative (the pre-S2F ops were a bit hairy to say the least):

1947 April VA-3E Commissioned NAAS Oceana
1948 September Redesignated VC-23
1950 April Redesignated VS-23
1950 June Arrived NAS San Diego
1951 February NAS Atsugi
1951 August NAS San Diego
1953 - 1957 Missing Information
1954 November Black Cat Insignia (S2F's)
1957 February NAS Los Alamitos
1958 June WestPac (USS Princeton)
1958 December NAS Los Alamitos
1962 March NAS North Island
1968 September VS-23 Dis-established

Aircraft Carriers (Qualification and Deployment)


USS Sicily
USS Mindoro
USS Philippine Sea
USS Bataan
USS Bairoko
USS Rendova
USS Badoeng Strait
USS Boxer
USS Princeton
USS Yorktown
USS Kearsage
USS Hornet

I had forgotten this tidbit which I extracted from one of the records:

"During the 1958 WESTPAC cruise, VS23 set a precedent for continuous operations by flying around the clock for 30 days while protecting units of the Seventh Fleet engaged in the [second] Tachen Islands evacuation."

January Comments Post

Status of the World

Currently, there are four major transformations that are shaping political, economic and world events. These transformations have profound implications for American business owners, our culture and our way of life.

Read on .....

From Dave C. to J.F. to post.

History from Captain Ron. G.

I reported to AirPac and was assigned to VS-23 in September 1953. The squadron had just returned from WestPac aboard the USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116) and I was the first of many replacement Ensigns to report aboard. The aircraft in use were
TBM-3S2 and TBM-3W2. The first S2F arrived in April 1954 and we started FCLP on 10 May 1954. I had 13.5 hours in type. Day carrier qualified 16 Jun and night qualified a month later. LT Bill Young was our LSO and Ltjg Kenneth Miller, Ens Danny O'rourke, and Ltjg Jim Winnefeld were LSO trainees.

In early Aug 1954 the squadron sailed on the USS Princeton (CVS-37) to Seattle to participate in the annual SeaFair Festival. Departed for WestPac on 1 Nov 1954 and returned to North Island in May 1955. I left VS-23 in Oct 1955 for VU-7 at NAAS Brown Field and got some time in the JD-1 and F9F-5.

Surprise orders came from BuPers to NAS Seattle as a TAR. Arrived there in April 1956 and was assigned as VS Asst Flight Training Officer. AF Guardian aircraft were in use. I brought the first S2F to NAS Seattle Week-end Warriors in June 1956. I was released to inactive duty in Dec 1957 and immediately joined the Reserve and began an airline career that lasted for 34 years flying DC-3, F-27, and DC-9 aircraft.

YES INDEED, LIFE IS GOOD ! R. G., Captain USNR(RET)

I have attached a copy of the VS-23 Squadron Patch that was in use until the S2s arrived and the Black Cat was adopted.

The Pucker Factor

The F3 Demon this pilot flew for carquals was noted for its slow engine response in a landing pattern. For a number of reasons, it was not in the fleet very long. I think this guy's description of the first night launch and landing represents many Naval Aviators' experiences. I think this is the best writing on the subject that I've read.

Read on ...

From Gene A. to John D. to J.F. for post.

US Naval Power

For the first time in over 20 some odd years, three carrier strike groups got together in formation for a great photo op.















From top to bottom are the aircraft carriers, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, KITTY HAWK, and RONALD REAGAN (also shown above).

We even had Air Force planes fly-over, see the B-2 Stealth Bomber, below. The only warships not seen in the photo are the 4 nuclear powered submarines standing guard. WOW!


Stand By. Execute!
Operation Valiant Shield 2006, the largest joint exercise in recent history. Held in the Guam operating area (June 19-23, 2006), the exercise involved 28 Naval vessels including three carrier strike groups, more than 300 aircraft and more than 20,000 service members from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. (From S.D. to B.K. to J.F. to post.)

Life Is Good

I joined VS-23 in March, 1957 and went inactive in January of 1959; thus, I know about half of Bob's mailing list. I did a brief stint with VS-774 ('61-'63) at Los Alamitos with Danny flying 'fam' flights.

Got married in 1963 and still am, to Iris whom some of you have met. We had 3 kids - girl, boy, boy. The latter has boy/girl twins age 3 1/2. We retired to Ashland, Oregon in 2002 where our daughter had been teaching school for several years. Grandchildren live in Morro Bay, CA so we see a lot of the I5 corridor. Going to Legoland the last week in March. - anyone know of a San Diego area house/condo rental available for 7 adults and 2 small kids?

VS-23 highlights: A single-engine GCA at Los Alamitos on Christmas Eve of 1958, a vertigo inspired attempt to buy a North Island farm after a Quebec exercise further South, foiled by co-pilot Ken E., chasing holes in the sky with the USS Princeton after an S&R flight on the '58 cruise, using Kobi Sho for navigation and last but not least - a check ride trying to decipher El Toro's Able/Nan with O.T.

Modern technology and VA meds keep me chugging along and "Life Is Good".

Jo F.