VC-12/VAW-12 Newsletter
December 2005
Website: www.vc12vaw12.org All the old newsletters are there;
for members list: www.vc12vaw12.org/members/members.html
Chairman: Seykowski, Edward CWO4 607 N 70 E Valparaiso, IN 46383 219-462-3636 edseykow@juno.com FAX 219-462-2168 1959-1962 AT2 Karen
Treasurer, Scribe, & Membership Chairman for dues:
Roger G. Smith, MD Office: 256 SE 2nd Av. Hillsboro, OR 97123
503-648-7126 office 503-628-2229 home; FAX 503-648-9179 rgs@coho.net Joan
Dues are $10 a year for those who get the newsletter by post. New year starts at the reunion. Make check out to VAW-12.
Many who get the newsletter by e-mail offer dues and we are grateful. We send e-mail newsletter to all who wish to see it regardless.
We are nearly 1500 members. There are a lot of people we have not found.
We have listed groups by detachments. Send me your request and I'll share your detachment list with you so you can contact the guys you want to meet at reunion. Tell us who you remember and let us help you find him/them.
2005 VC-12/VAW-12 Reunion (8th annual) Fort Walton Beach, FL
Present:
John & Noelle Adkins Independence 1962
Rev. Jack & Ruth Becker Intrepid 1965
Dick & Joyce Bray Saratoga 1959-61
Ray Coller Bennington 1955
Charles Dalton Midway 1955
Bill & Doris Denni Leyte, Valley, Intrepid, FDR, Forrestal 1957-60
Lee & Molly Edmonston
Dick & Patty Frederick Independence and Saratoga 1962
George Gedney Lake Champ 1955
Dana & Nelva Greenleaf Wasp, Sara, Intrepid 1959-62
Hon. Richard Greenwood Coral Sea 1953
Terry & Virginia Hays Randolph 1956
Dennis & Bonnie Hergert Forrestal 1964
Bob & Carol Howard Saratoga 1960
Wm H. “Jake” Jacobs Forrestal 1965-6
Joseph & Vonnie Keltner Wasp 1958
Lee Roy Knott Saratoga, Randolph 1960-62
(He answers the phone, “Knott here!”
Ralph Lord fm Jackson, MS
Capt Billy Lovett Randolph 1965
Frank & Wanda Lukasik Midway 1955
Bennie Mardis Independence 1965
Larry Martin Forrestal 1957-8
Donald E. Martin Tarawa 1953; Ticonderoga 1955
Darwin Miner Independence 1962
Capt Al Oldham Wasp 1958
Louis Rell & Governor Jodi Rell Saratoga, America 1965-6
Robert & Kris Reutenauer Saratoga 1957
Captain Joe Rezzarday 13th CO of VAW-12 1965
CDR Ortiz-Marty was gracious enough to invite him to visit VAW-120 in Norfolk as an honored guest. We were thrilled to have one of our 3 still living former COs join us.
William (Speed) & Lawanna Ritzman Forrestal 1958-60
Richard (Red) Sargeant Saratoga 1960
Joseph & Judy Schneider Enterprise 1962
Ben & Hildreth Schweining Saratoga 1958
Capt Stan & Edith Schwartz Intrepid 1955
Capt Frank Sequeira Ticonderoga 1955
Ed & Karen Seykowski Lake Champ 1958-9; Essex 1960; Saratoga 1961-2
Dr Phil (Flip) & Cicely Shoemaker Essex 1960-2
Capt Laurence & Roberta Short 1955-7
Billy Simpkins and dtr Lori Ticonderoga 1955
Dr Roger & Joan Smith Randolph 1956; Saratoga 1957
Bill & Georgeann Speaker Bennington 1955-6; Forrestal 1957
Donald & Fran Stephens Ticonderoga 1955
(Thus making the only complete living detachment officer crew present)
Jim & Helen Victor Valley Forge, Randolph, Forrestal 1958-63.
Major design influence on the E2A
Paul & Milene Watkins Saratoga 1961-3
Del Watt sent a video of Chuck Berthe rolling the E1A on Navy Day aboard the Forrestal. A number of the guys enjoyed seeing that.
The feature of the event was a tour of the VAW-120 E2C flown to Forrest Sherman Field in Pensacola by CDR Hamlin Ortiz-Marty, the CO of VAW-120, and his crew. He was also our banquet speaker and gave an insightful and motivating account of VAW operations in the 2005 navy with a great Power Point presentation.
The other feature of the event was a tour of the Pensacola Naval Air Museum including the out back lot where planes are being readied for display and lunch at the Cubi Point O Club restaurant, following viewing of Blue Angels practice session.
Business meeting November 9, 2005, 1630:
Chairman Ed Seykowski (Chmn) called the Reunion Business Meeting to order and
asked Reunion Treasurer Dick Bray (Rtreas) to report on the status of reunion funding;
Rtreas reported that there were 42 members and 30 guests, totaling 72, attending the
reunion, and that there was a total of $5410 in the reunion fund.
Chmn requested Secretary-Treasurer Roger Smith (SecTreas) to report on the status of
membership and the treasury. SecTreas noted there were some 1600 members. The
Treasury contains $2591.00 from the members that have contributed annual dues.
SecTreas reported he would post a list of the contributors for all attendees to see.
(Note: A subsequent count revealed that 244 members had paid dues for 2005.)
Chmn listed the following sites as having been suggestions for next year's reunion;
Washington DC
Boston MA
Cape May NJ
Gettysburg PA
Branson MO
Pensacola FL
Myrtle Beach SC
Dayton OH
Reno NV, with piggyback on Tailhook
Quonset Pt RI
Annapolis MD
Seattle WA
Several members (Mbrs) voiced opinions about the pros and cons of some of the sites Mbrs asked Chmn if he would consider acting as chairman again since the reunion organizational duties had been delegated to the StngCom.
Chmn agreed to continue serving on that basis.
Present officers were re-confirmed.
Chmn called for a vote on the site for the 2006 reunion. Discussion led to the narrowing
down of the above listed sites to Washington DC and Reno NV. The vote for Washington
DC was 17 in favor and 9 opposed. Washington was selected for 2006. Mid-September date is anticipated.
The proposal that Reno NV be the 2007 site was made. The vote was 17 in favor and
9 opposed. Reno was selected for the 2007 reunion. This to be in conjunction with Tailhook second weekend in September.
It was noted that three members, Larry Martin, Larry Short and Dick Frederick had mentioned
working on a Washington DC reunion. It would appear that these members would be the
2006 StngCom for the 2006 Washington Reunion.
Also discussed by the Mbrs was the length of the reunion. General agreement was it
should be a three day affair generally with the same format; Reception, Dine Out, and
Banquet, as was this year’s event
Chmn reminded all that dues may be paid to SecTreas at any time.
Chmn solicited input on preferences of attendees on issues pertaining to the present reunion.
Chmn reminded all that Roger Smith requests digital pictures to include them on the
VC/VAW-12 internet site.
Mbrs moved and seconded a motion to adjourn the Business Meeting.
VAW-12 Books at the VAW Store
We have copies of GUPPY PILOT at $27.50 each post paid. Send requests and check to Dr Smith at 256 SE 2nd Av. Hillsboro, OR 97123. This is a book written by Roger Smith about squadron flying. 80 color photos and some others. Naval history, sea stories, personal reminiscence.
We do not have copies of SAILORS IN THE SKY by Jack Sauter, but inscribed copies can be purchased from him directly for $19.95 at 235 Robby Lane, New Hyde Park, NY 11040. This is an enlisted aircrewman’s view of the Korean War from the back seat of an AD3W operating off the Lake Champlain. Jack is the president and editor of the magazine for that ship’s reunion group to this day.
HANOI COMMITMENT the story of 7 years a prisoner of the North Viets. Purchase from the author for $15. plus postage. CAPT James A. Mulligan 912 Five Points Rd Virginia Beach, VA 23454-2642
20 WAS EASY by Harry Mead. It's available for $8.95 plus postage by writing to author at 38 N. Alder Drive, Orlando, FL 32807-5030. There is a chapter about VAW-12.
VAW-12 Patches on sale for $4 for dues paying members and $8 for those not paying dues. Write to editor (Roger Smith address supra.)
They are nearly all gone-10 left. If there is further demand I’ll get another hundred made. Do you want less orange and more red?
Catapult
I learned something in a private conversation during the reunion that may bear further discussion among the members.
There were two puzzling AD5W accidents in the squadron back in 1959 whose cause I had never understood—until perhaps now.
1. LT Norman Martin Sassi Engine failure or fully deflected rudder jam on cat shot USS Valley Forge 1959. Did his plane make a sharp right turn and stall in? A Norman Michael Sassi, age about 40-45 according to his secretary, who I reached by phone, used to receive our newsletter at Bracken Rd in Montgomery, NY 12549 He is perhaps a nephew or cousin? Norm’s kids were Patricia Jayne b. 10/19/55 & twins Andrea Lynn & Michael Alexander b. 6/29/57. His widow was Beverly. There was no posthumous son. (LTJG Martin Kennedy & AE2 C. A. Batchelor died too.)
2. LTJG Henry Lindquist, Killed in St Patrick’s Day crash 1959 aboard Wasp with Musgrave. Barbara Dawn was his wife. Cat shot with asymmetrical loading not into the relative wind? (Was it a case of uncommanded full travel on the rudder?) The plane made a sharp right turn and stalled in.
Pilot (Hopkins) survived miraculously.
LTJG Percy Musgrave (older brother of the astronaut, Story Musgrave <http://www.spacestory.com>.) killed on a catapult shot on the Wasp with Lindquist (supra).
Story Musgrave 407-390-0221
8572 Sweetwater Trail Kissimmee, FL 34747 storymusgrave@hotmail.com
“Thank you so much for sending along all the details of operations on the Wasp and my brother's accident. I guess we may never get the cause of the faulty cat shot nor will we ever know if the situation was recoverable in the best of hands. I visited the Wasp when it returned to shore. No one could explain the events of the faulty launch but many of the pilots were very forthcoming and told me they could have saved it. So, almost 50 years later, I don't know what caused the bad shot and don't know for sure if at that point it could have been saved. I was an electrician, instrument technician, mechanic and plane captain on AD 1's through AD 6's and I flew in the right seat of AD 5's in Korea, on the U.S.S. Wasp and at Kaneohe MCAS with VMA 251 and VMA 212, 1954 to 1956. As an aircraft mechanic and as an 18,000+ hour civilian and military pilot with over 1000 functional check flights in military aircraft I do know that most aviation accidents are caused by human error, not by mechanical failures and that is where I must rest with this one. But, almost 50 years later, I have no knowledge nor feelings about the cause. I have missed my brother for all those years and simply journey on. Story”
This is what we have previously published.
Now my conversation with a member at the reunion who says
What the hell is asymmetrical loading? We hung drop tanks all the time. When the wind was off the port bow by 10 degrees or more and they hung a drop tank on the right wing and with the poor push the old hydraulic cat gave you, the radome and the drop tank shielded the right wing from getting any lift so it stalled and the left wing came up off the cat. That sounds very reasonable. LT Norman M. Sassi was a greatly respected pilot. I never heard any criticism of his ability, but his accident cause was not defined. The unfortunate Neil Hopkins in Tooele, UT, who survived having passed under the ship and screws and rose behind the ship with a broken neck and other injuries, suffered a good deal of blame for alleged lack of flying skill. Could they have been identical accidents? Did the drop tank and the carrier’s course relative to the wind do it to him?
Captain Rezzarday’s recollection:
The night I had 24 catapult shots (and 6 carrier landings.)
In September 1962 I received orders to VAW-11 which was located at North Island, San Diego. This was my first assignment to a carrier squadron. VAW-11 provided E1B twin engine early warning aircraft to seven carriers operating on the west coast. In March 1963 I was assigned to Det Charlie which was to deploy to the WESTPAC in USS Kitty Hawk. In order to become carrier qualified a pilot had to make 10 day and 6 night carrier traps. I completed my 10 day landings then prepared to acquire six night traps.
We were assigned to USS Hornet, CVS-12, an old Essex class carrier, equipped with hydraulic cats. This gives the plane a one power shot that drives it down the deck and allows the airplane to become airborne. Newer carriers are equipped with steam cats which gives a much smoother launch for the catapult continues to push the aircraft down the rail to the end of the deck.
On the appropriate night we flew out to the Hornet operating off San Clemente Island. We had two airplanes from the squadron with two pilots in each one. We trapped on the angled deck, taxied to the starboard number one catapult forward, catapulted, climbed to 300 feet, turned downwind and trapped until the pilot had done six and then exchanged seats. After each completing six landings we expected to depart the carrier and fly back to base.
At this point the back door of the aircraft opened and a pilot from the other plane came into the cockpit saying, “My aircraft is down; I’m going with you.” The left seat pilot jumped to evacuate his seat for the newcomer leaving me strapped in the right. He continued until he had done his six landings and take offs. When I had had now 18 catapult shots and was ready to secure for the night, the other pilot from the downed plane preempted the left seat and we went around for six more rides, each time running the engines up to full power, blinking our running lights to be launched and get that tremendous shot in the back from the hydraulic cat. We qualified 4 pilots that night the hard way, and I had a sore body for the next week, but I learned the procedures and techniques needed to make a safe night carrier landing that night in the E1B. My deployment on the Kitty Hawk was much more enjoyable, for I never again sweated making a night carrier landing while deployed for the next nine months.
He doesn’t say why the two later pilots didn’t board the plane together, but chalk it up to deck confusion. -Ed
Captain Marvin L. Hoffler’s recollection
(at the time ENS NAOC USS Valley Forge March 11, 1960)
We were the last plane to launch that day and since we had a 20 knot wind, it was deemed OK to deck launch the two guppies. The first guppy did just fine, and lifted from the deck well before clearing the bow. We started well too, but approaching the island we got sucked into a vortex from the previous plane. The plane shifted or slid until a wheel dropped into the catwalk and the plane slewed further left scraping its radome and fraying the flap as we came abeam #2 elevator. We chopped 19 holes in the quarter inch steel elevator deck, and went over the port side toward the water left wing down. Miraculously our pilot, ENS Al Schilleci, leveled the wings, kept the craft airborne skimming the wavetops on the edge of a stall.
Hoffler, Marvin L. CAPT 770 Ledford Ln Smithfield, VA 23430-5928
757-357-6909 LTJG NAOC 1958 Valley Forge, Lake Champlain 1961 to replace Warren Pearson Linda
Schilleci, Albert F. (Al) (Sounds like Saleski) 3713 Red Mesa Trl Aubrey, TX 76227-5060 940-365-2024 ENS Valley Forge 1958; LT(jg) Lake Champlain 1961. Captain, American Airlines
(address not confirmed. No reply to queries and no answer to calls) Anyway the spelling is right.
John Amrine LT(jg) was the other NAOC on the flight. John has passed away just last month.
That was the beginning of our next 3.5 harrowing hours as we were 305 miles at sea. With no hope of recovery aboard due to a broken and dangling left landing gear, mangled flap and shredded radar dome, we were bingoed to Norfolk. The other airborne guppy and an S2F were detailed to escort us, but less than 15 minutes into the flight a crewman on the escort guppy became ill and that plane returned to the Valley Forge. The pilot had some difficulty controlling the plane which was somewhat aeronautically unstable and was also losing hydraulic fluid which was used to boost the control surfaces. Thirty minutes into the flight the dreaded metal chip detector warning light came on indicating incipient engine failure. ENS Schilleci nursed the plane along and was ordered to NAS Oceana to land on the one good wheel on a foamed runway with a cross-deck pendant. After all, we were a tailhook aircraft. Our rear canopy hatch left us just west of Oceana as we descended to the landing pattern. The landing went smoothly and as we ran out of foam we veered left into a small snowbank. One of the VAW-12 pilots, LT(jg) Bob Yates, who was at the field met us climbing out of the plane. Back aboard the Valley Forge a day later, the detachment O-in-C took me flying with him before I had a chance to have my nerves get jumpy. He made a hard landing arrestment on that flight which popped rivets and busted landing gear strut cylinders. I came to believe that now I was a veteran those guppies were not going to kill me.