Service Stories

From 1942 to 1946 I was attached to the AOG (aircraft on ground) unit at NAS Alameda. I helped set up a stock control system whereby we could search the supply system in the USA and expedite parts urgently required in the forward area to repair grounded aircraft in the Pacific area. Commodore Durham was CO of the entire unit. My CO was Lt. Richard Frank who is deceased. To move parts quickly we used the MARS flying boats to send supplies to Pearl Harbor.

In June of 1943 I was assigned to a newly formed CASU #8 unit in Hawaii, and we were transported to the Solomon Island area via the sea plane tender the USS Pocomoke. Departing the Pocomoke, in Numea we transfered to an LSI and transported to Guadalcanal. Over a period of the next 13 months we maintained carrier land based aircraft, and others from the Russell Islands, Munda New Georgia, Green Island and the Treasures. Our operational aircraft consisted primarily of F4F, SBD, TBF, F6F, Australian P40s, F4U Corsairs, P38s-rigged as night fighters, P39 Bell AirCobras,and occasional B25s rigged with 75mm breach loaded cannons and few F8 aircraft. We returned to the States in late July of 1944. Our last major support was for aircraft striking the major Japanese base at Truk.

I was stationed there in around 1970, with VWA 133, I was on the flight line working on A4's at the time. There was a fleet week show in the bay area when I think #3 of the Blue Angels crashed in the bay. I helped get out the pilot from the water and bring him to sick bay, but all he wanted to do was go back up, so with uniform still wet he climbed back up another A4 and joined his bud's in the sky. I'm 60 now and that time was the best time of my life. I was a MARINE, so keep the beer cold & the lady's hot.

Of one of the most humorous and potentially embarrassing stories that happened while I was there involved my Lieutenant and his ID card. He'd ridden into PT on his bicycle (which he'd done often) and tucked his ID card into the sleeve of his sweater while doing PT. I was the last one out of the gym and so I picked up the sweater, knowing it belonged to someone in our unit, but not knowing who. (nor did I know the ID card was in the sleeve.) I brought the sweater back to my barracks, took a shower and brought it to muster that morning. The Chiefs told me the sweater belonged to the Lieutenant, so I gave it back to him. The ID card was missing, so I retraced my steps to go find it. When I got back to the barracks, low and behold there it was laying in the middle of the hallway floor. We all got a good chuckle out of what might have happened if the BEQ staff (or some other officer) had found this Lieutenant's ID card in the hallway of the enlisted women's barracks!!! "Really Captain, it was quite innocent circumstances sir!"

I remember serving as an escort for single ladies in attendance at a gala event celebrating an anniversary of the Air Station in which Admiral Chester Nimitz was in attendance. If I recall correctly I was in the NAVY League at the time. I can't remember what anniversary it was. All I remember was WOW FLEET ADMIRAL NIMITZ and I got to salute him!