Yellow Sheet Fall 2019/Winter 2020 : simplebooklet.com

The The Magazine of Marine Aviation FALL 2019 WINTER 2020 VOLUME LXII The MCAA is a non profit organization incorporated in 1972 to carry out the work and spirit of the First Marine Aviation Force Veterans Association which was made up of Marines who served in WWI prior to 30 November 1918 Today our membership includes active duty retired and honorably discharged Marines and anyone else with an interest in Marine Corps aviation past present and future MCAA represents the entire spectrum of Marine Corps aviation from all ranks and skills The Marine Corps Aviation Association s Yellow Sheet takes the name from the old yellow colored printed form that pilots used to record flight data after each hop The original yellow sheet had a tear off portion which contained basic aircraft information with space for aircrew log book stats flight time instrument time number of takeoffs and landings type of flight passengers and other assorted information At the end of a flight a pilot always walked into the line shack and reached for the yellow sheet And that s why the MCAA named this publication The Yellow Sheet 7 QUARTERLY SITREP Colonel John Rader USMC Ret 26 SPOTLIGHT MV 22 Ospreys attached to Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Crisis Response Central Command fly in formation during a simulated air raid as part of the Middle East Amphibious Commanders Symposium PHOTO COURTESY U S MARINE CORPS Honoring Colonel Mike Ryan Yunck USMC Ret MCAA HQ 40 MARINE STARS IN THE SKY THE FIRST MARINE AVIATOR AND GUNNER TO BE AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR Suzanne Pool 46 CURATOR S CORNER Ben Kristy Collections Chief Aviation Curator 48 ACROSS THE FENCE IN OPERATION TAILWIND 4 yellowsheet www flymcaa org Colonel Dick Camp USMC Ret

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MARINE CORPS AVIATION ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS 715 Broadway Street Quantico VA 22134 703 630 1903 Leadership Board of Directors NATIONAL COMMANDER LtGen Thomas L Conant USMC Ret DEPUTY CMDR WEST LtGen Terry Robling USMC Ret DEPUTY CMDR EAST MajGen Jon Gallinetti USMC Ret TREASURER Col Robert Deforge USMC Ret ADJUNT Col Paul Fortunato USMC Ret SERGEANT MAJOR SgtMaj Bill Oldenburg USMC Ret LEGAL COUNSEL Col Art White USMC Ret PREVIOUS NAT L CMDR LtGen Keith Stalder USMC Ret PREVIOUS NAT L CMDR LtGen John Castellaw USMC Ret PREVIOUS NAT L CMDR Gen William Nyland USMC Ret WEST DISTRICT LEAD Col Earl Wederbrook USMC Ret SOUTH DISTRICT LEAD Col Chris Seymour USMC Ret SOUTHEAST DISTRICT LEAD Col John Gumbel USMC Ret DISTRICT LEAD Col Laura Sampsel USMC Ret NORTHEAST DISTRICT LEAD Col Bruce Hulick USMC Ret GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE LEAD Col Paul Croisetiere USMC Ret MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE LEAD Col Michael Orr USMC Ret PHILANTHROPY COMMITTEE LEAD LtCol Andy McHugh USMC Ret STRATEGY COMMITTEE LEAD Col Robert Claypool USMC Ret AUDIT COMMITTEE LEAD Col Al Sullivan USMC Ret MCAA Staff EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Col John Rader USMC Ret DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Roxanne M Kaufman rkaufman flymcaa org MCAA Welcomes Lieutenant General Thomas L Stash Conant USMC Retired as our National Commander The Marine Corps Aviation Association MCAA is honored to announce that Lieutenant General Thomas L Stash Conant USMC Retired has been appointed as our next National Commander He is originally from Jackson Michigan and a 1975 graduate of Central Michigan University BSBA and The Platoon Leaders Course He graduated from The Basic School in 1976 and was subsequently designated a Naval Aviator in 1977 He has a Masters of Military Studies with Honors in Defense Management Program and Acquisition Management from American Military University Lieutenant General Conant brings with him over 43 years of Marine Corps experience serving in the 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th Marine Aircraft Wings at all levels and as an AH 1J T W Z and UH 1N Assault Support Helicopter Pilot He has commanded Marine Light Attack Squadron 167 Marine Aircraft Group 36 and served as Commanding General of Training Command Deputy Commanding General of Training and Education Command and Commanding General 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing His last active duty billet was serving as the Deputy Commander United States Pacific Command His staff duties have included Rotary Wing Monitor Headquarters Marine Corps HQMC Aide de Camp Commanding General Marine Forces Atlantic II Marine Expeditionary Force Faculty Advisor USMC Command and Staff College Joint Chiefs of Staff J8 and Branch Head Aviation Plans Programs and Budget Department of Aviation His staff tours comprised Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation Department of Aviation HQMC Assistant Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources HQMC and Director Capabilities Development Directorate Marine Corps Combat Development Command and Director for Strategic Planning and Policy J5 U S Pacific Command Conant participated in numerous operations overseas including noncombatant evacuation operations in Liberia Operation Sharp Edge contingency operations in Haiti Operation Support Democracy and peacekeeping operations in Somalia Operation Restore Hope and UNOSOM and supported combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom He is a graduate of the USMC Amphibious Warfare School USMC Command and Staff College and Marine Corps War College After his retirement in 2014 he founded TLC Consulting LLC where he supported clients in the defense industry with a focus in the Asia Pacific region He then served as the Vice President Marine Corps Programs Government Affairs of Lockheed Martin Corporation from 2017 2019 overseeing focused engagement and coordination between Lockheed Martin and U S Marine Corps Senior Leadership Teams Lieutenant General Conant also serves on the Board of Trustees for Marine Corps University Foundation Board Trustees for American Public University System Board of Advisors for Pacific Aviation Museum Board of Advisors for National Naval Aviation Museum and Board of Advisors for Peace Winds America He credits his wife of 49 years Beverly as the rock of the family and key to all of his successes They have two kids Andy and Kevin two daughters in law and two amazing grandkids

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The Quarterly Sitrep from MCAA HQ BY COLONEL JOHN SMOKE RADER USMC RET MCAA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR O ne of the greatest advantages of this job is that I get time to learn more about the Marines who proceeded me and the Marines who followed me Being surrounded by Marine aviation from our history to our future is humbling A specific aspect of our work at Quantico is researching Marines in our rolls who have recently passed away and trying to understand their contribution to our Corps and community As I comb through their obituaries it is motivating to see how prominent the influence of the Marine Corps was in the lives of these people despite their tenure on active duty being relatively brief compared to all of the other experiences in their lives The pride of being a Marine leaps out of the narrative in every document we see Claude was a generous supporter of the local YMCA Lions Club and American Legion and loved to dance the polka One can see in the many photos of Claude he was steadfastly proud of his five years in the Corps wearing his flight jacket and barracks cover until the end His story is typical as it sounds like many others A member of our greatest generation Claude s legacy is part of the DNA of Marine aviation of which should collectively fill us with pride and humility Here s an example of what we find Claude Fay Hone passed on August 27th he was 99 years and 7 months old having fallen and hitting his head on the way to an extended golf outing A native of rural South Dakota Claude was the first in the state to earn a real estate salesman license was one of the original members of the South Dakota Air National Guard a father of two daughters two granddaughters and he was also a Marine fighter pilot Claude enlisted in 1941 just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor in order to stop Hitler who was invading France He transitioned into the officer ranks and was sent off to flight school He flew the F4U Corsair off USS Wasp and supported the invasions of Guam Saipan Iwo Jima and Okinawa He was also one of eight Marines to be the first to strafe an airfield in Tokyo surviving a loss rate of fifty percent Discharged as a first lieutenant in 1946 Claude joined the South Dakota Air National Guard flying the P 51 with Joe Foss and later drove with the license plate TOPGUN Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 7

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SQUADRON NEWS JOHN W GLENN SQUADRON The Marine Corps Aviation Association MCAA John Glenn Squadron Acquisition Awards Ceremony took place on 30 January 2020 at the River s Edge Conference Center aboard Naval Air Station NAS Patuxent River Maryland The John Glenn Squadron has been recognizing Marine Corps Aviation Acquisition Professionals since 2005 This year s Guest of Honor was Major General Wise the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Combat Development Integration and Deputy Commanding General Marine Corps Combat Development Command e were also honored to have Major General and Mrs Masiello Program Executive Officer Air ASW Assault and Special Mission Programs PEO A in attendance Then Lieutenant Colonel Masiello was the inaugural winner of the Lieutenant General Michael A Hough Acquisition Officer of the Year Award in 2005 Rear Admiral Brian Corey Program Executive Officer Unmanned and Weapons PEO U W also attended our ceremony Admiral and Mrs Corey have two sons in Naval Aviation one is flying with the U S Navy and their other son is a Marine Officer who just started flight school The 2020 Senator John Glenn Test Pilot of the Year Award went to Major Nathaniel Thayer the AV 8B Joint System Support Activity JSSA Military Deputy for Air Test and Evaluation Squadron THREE ONE VX 31 Major Thayer expertly performed full spectrum testing in the AV 8B including air vehicle handling qualities sensor integration software developmental test weapons integration test operational test and testing of simulation systems He deftly led the JSSA in planning execution and reporting for all AV 8B test activities and solutions for fleet issues His steadfast commitment to excellence was crucial to enabling a rapid return to flight and flight test after two successive major earthquakes struck China Lake California during the summer of 2019 Major Thayer s superb technical expertise with AV 8B systems and weapons combined with his expert leadership of AV 8B flight test in support of Marine Corps objectives ensured the lethality survivability and relevancy of the Harrier will persist to meet the needs of the warfighter The Lieutenant General Michael A Hough Acquisition Officer of the Year Award was presented to Lieutenant Colonel Russell Strange from the Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office PMA 263 Lieutenant Colonel Strange was recognized for his leadership of the United States Marine Corps and Naval Special Warfare NSW RQ 21A Blackjack Program of Record and the USMC s Small Unmanned Logistics Systems Air His acquisition experience and leadership abilities directly led to proactive enterprise wide solutions for the fleet and coalition building above his rank and billet that provided a more cohesive UAS Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 13

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vision in support of NSW Command and the Deputy Commandant for Aviation and Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics Through the establishment of Capabilities Integrated Product Teams and Washington Steering Groups he ensured the RQ 21A program had enough funding while at the same time ensuring the fleet sustained one of the highest readiness levels across the entire Naval Aviation Enterprise The Leader Joyce Acquisition Staff NCO of the Year award was presented to Gunnery Sergeant Israel Cantu Gunnery Sergeant Cantu supports the V 22 Joint Program Office PMA275 The award is named after the late Master Gunnery Sergeant Gary Leader and Gunnery Sergeant Sean Joyce who lost their lives in an MV22A mishap at Quantico Virginia on 20 July 1992 Gunnery Sergeant Cantu was the driving force behind critical V 22 improvements capabilities and reliability in support of the warfighter His impressive accomplishments included the coordinated logistics support elements for more than twenty avionics system software releases He also led the effort to identify and correct a critical supportability gap for the MV 22 Heads up display system Gunnery Sergeant Cantu also led the combined government and industry team in fielding enhanced test software for the V 22 Flight Control Computer resulting in reduced system down time false failure indications and ultimately improving aircraft readiness L R Col Girard MajGen Wise Major Thayer Harry Nahatis VP GM Rotorcraft and Turboprop Programs Award Sponsor GE Aviation Special thanks to Mrs Tess Meizoso for her incredible contributions to the John Glenn Squadron organizing and executing this year s awards ceremony L R Col Girard MajGen Wise LtCol Russell Strange Col Scott McGowan USMC Ret Award Sponsor Bell Helicopter 14 yellowsheet www flymcaa org

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pring is Scholarship Season for the Marine Corps Aviation Association MCAA John Glenn Scholarship Foundation JGSF This is the fourteenth year of our scholarship program and we have awarded a total of 491 500 to 117 Science Technology Engineering and Math STEM students in Southern Maryland s tricounty area Moreover we added a new named scholarship to honor the memory of Pat and Judy Bowling The Bowlings were part of the initial cadre of active supporters from the local Pax River community who were critical to the establishment of the John Glenn Squadron They routinely opened their home to support squadron events and their contributions to the squadron and our community were significant In recognition of their contributions to the John Glenn Squadron and our local community the squadron established the Pat and Judy Bowling Community Service Scholarship The sponsor of this scholarship is the local chapter of The Navy League The John Glenn Squadron would also like to thank Jim Moran from The Navy League of the United States Patuxent River and Pat and Judy Bowling s daughter Kim for their support in establishing this named scholarship This year s scholarship recipients are Name High School Scholarship Emme Staats Great Mills High School Annie Glenn Scholarship 5 000 Tyler Brown Great Mills High School Pat and Judy Bowling Community Service Scholarship 4 000 Grady Fort Patuxent High School 4 000 Julia Marino Leonardtown High School 4 000 Mark Mattei Leonardtown High School 4 000 Daniel McLawhorn Great Mills High School 4000 Christine Shatrowsky St Mary s Ryken High School 4 000 Gerig Thoman Great Mills High School 4 000 Luke Walsh Leonardtown High School 4 000 Andrew Weller Leonardtown High School 4 000 The Annie Glenn Scholarship was established in 2017 in recognition of the significant contributions of Annie Glenn to our nation This year s Annie Glenn Scholarship winner was Emme Staats from Great Mills High School One of the co winners of the inaugural Annie Glenn Scholarship in 2017 was Emme s sister Anna The squadron is very appreciative of the volunteers and very generous sponsors who make our sponsorship program a reality Mr Steve Meizoso is the Chairman of the Scholarship Foundation led this year s selection efforts and assisted by Rick Muldoon Rich Richardson Mark Bamberger Janet Cannon Mike McGinn and Tess Meizoso Most importantly thank you to our very generous sponsors Without them this program would not be possible We are also very appreciative of the great team at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum led by CAPT George Hill USN Ret for allowing us to use the museum to present our scholarships this year Because of the significant limitations in place for COVID 19 we observed all the protocols that were required and did not have a ceremony that was open to the public The 2020 John Glenn Orbital Classic is the engine that drives our fundraising activity for our scholarship program and it is scheduled for 17 September 2020 at the Cedar Point Golf Course aboard NAS Patuxent River Please check our website www mcaajgs org and Facebook page https www facebook com MCAAJGS for updates Finally we would like to thank all of our generous sponsors who make this scholarship program a reality Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 19 SQUADRON NEWS S

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SQUADRON CONTACTS ARIZONA Yuma Tom Miller Squadron CO Vacant XO Col Billy McMillin USMC Ret 928 580 3131 colusmcret hotmail com OKINAWA MCAS Futenma Joe Foss Orlando John F Bolt Squadron LtCol Tim Hill USMC Ret 407 356 7190 timhillflorida gmail com XO Col Rick Packard USMC Ret 407 463 6479 richard j packard lmco com HAWAII CO Col James Harp james f harp usmc mil Kaneohe Bay Bruce Matheson Squadron XO Col Phil Van Etten USMC Ret sumobuff hotmail com MARYLAND CALIFORNIA Camp Pendleton Mike Yunck Squadron CO Col William Bartolomeay XO Col Patrick Gough USMC Ret 858 679 1755 ext 212 patrick gough pklservices com San Diego Marion Carl Squadron CO Vacant XO Col Greg Goodman USMC Ret 858 361 9437 gregory l goodman2 boeing com SOUTH CAROLINA WASHINGTON DC thegreatsantinisquadron gmail com CO Col George Rowell george rowell usmc mil CO LtCol Neil BB Brubeck AT LARGE SQUADRONS Beaufort The Great Santini Squadron XO Maj John Simple Simpson USMC Ret 843 812 7197 jwsimple comcast net CO Vacant Pax River John Glenn Squadron CO Col Steven Girard steven girard navy mil www mcaajgs org XO Col Hank Vanderborght Vanderborght22 yahoo com MASSACHUSETTS Boston CO Col Joe Mahoney USMC Ret 617 786 0832 jhmahoney verizon net TEXAS FLORIDA Pensacola Roy S Geiger Squadron CO Col Michael Johnson Michael h johnson usmc mil XO Col Joe Richards USMC Ret 850 516 2550 jprichards46 gmail com NORTH CAROLINA Cherry Point A A Cunningham Squadron CO LtCol Gregory Demarco Gregory demarco usmc mil New River Keith McCutcheon Squadron CO Maj Thomas Dunn thomas dunn usmc mil Devastate Charlie Marine Air C2 Squadron CO Col Scott Gondek MACG 48 CO 847 688 7129 ext 201 scott gondek usmc mil XO Col Rey Masinsin USMC Ret 813 810 3271 reymasinsin gmail com Dallas Ft Worth Bob Galer Squadron Vacant POC Col Curt Ames USMC Ret 540 295 5959 curt ames me com Corpus Christi John Smith Squadron CO Vacant 531 Gray Ghosts Squadron XO Vacant CO Rich Elliott VIRGINIA XO LtCol Rich Richardson USMC Ret Norfolk Darden Schilt Squadron CO LtCol Matthew Crouch 702 509 3039 matthew crouch usmc mil XO Col Mike Soniak USMC Ret 757 574 3717 msoniak cox net XO Col Andrew Ley USMC Ret 718 320 5676 POC Col Earl Wederbrook USMC Ret aley jagersmith com 858 577 1211 POC GySgt John Margie USMC Ret earl_wederbrook raytheon com 508 690 1682 Quantico jomargie comcast net Nighthawk Squadron COLORADO Rocky Mountain Chapter CO Maj Michael Dukes USMC Ret Michael dukes rocketmail com Washington DC Bransom Capital Squadron Donald E Davis Marine Aviation Logistics CO Col Laura Sampsel USMC Ret 808 375 4172 POC Col Kevin McCutcheon USMC Ret 828 443 1560 John R Dailey Squadron CO Buck Buchanan 770 778 6576 jbuch002 gmail com CO Ron Berube Berube1050 aol com XO Kevin Wild Khw7562 gmail com XO Jim Brubaker 407 325 4518 burbakerjr earthlink net Robert Guy Robinson Squadron WASHINGTON CO MSgt Kevin Bonner USMC Ret Seattle Richard C Mangrum Squadron 530 318 1517 LtCol Art Crowe USMC Ret 425 284 1455 mangrumsquadron gmail com jkbonner sbcglobal net Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 25

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Despite being shot down Yunck did not lose his resolve On a later mission during his deployment when his four plane formation came under heavy attack he shot down three of the six enemy aircraft firing at them His plane was so damaged that the navigational instruments stopped functioning properly yet Yunck was able to fly back to base in stormy weather due to his skill and resourcefulness By taking out three enemy aircraft he became a top scorer for VMO 251 and was on his way to becoming an ace Yunck was promoted to captain during his service with VMO 251 and became the acting squadron commander from May to June in 1943 ABPVE Michael Ryan Yunck s draft card BELOW After breaking the speed record Yunck climbs out of an F4 on 16 May 1963 PHOTO COURTESY U S MARINE CORPS Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 27 SQUADRON NEWS lieutenant after completing flight training and was designated as an Naval aviator in November 1941 As a first lieutenant he flew Grumman F4F Hellcats with Marine Observation Squadron 251 VMO251 Lucifer s Messengers in the Solomon Islands during the Battle of Guadalcanal from 26 October to 10 December 1942 The squadron fought in more combat than a normal observation squadron during World War II operating more like a fighter squadron While attached to VMO 251 Yunck earned the Silver Star for his valor and courage flying on several dangerous missions one of which damaged his plane so badly that he had to ditch in the sea Three weeks after his plane went down Yunck managed to find his way back to Guadalcanal Upon his return he leaped right back into his flight duties refusing to let this slow him down

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Yunck receives a fighter ace award in 1966 PHOTO COURTESY U S MARINE CORPS Then during his time on Espiritu Santo a B 17 aircraft crashed and started burning with the crew trapped inside Yunck moved quickly into action to help rescue the crewmembers and earned the Army Bronze Star for his efforts During the interwar years Yunck held numerous positions at the squadron and group level and at USMC Headquarters In 1951 he completed the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River Maryland and the Navy Bomb Commander Course at Sandia Base New Mexico He served Air Development Squadron 5 at U S Naval Air Station Moffett Field California as the Senior Projects Officer for two years He worked on developing special weapons delivery tactics and techniques Now at the rank of colonel in 1953 Yunck served overseas with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing 1st MAW in Korea as the logistics officer for Marine Air Group 33 and Commander of VMF311 His meritorious work and dedication to service during this tour was awarded the Letter of Commendation with Ribbon Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 29 SQUADRON NEWS As a major Yunck assumed the role of commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 311 VMA311 Hell s Bells during their tour on Okinawa on 15 June 1945 The Battle of Okinawa ended on 22 June but scattered Japanese resistance still put up a fight On 2 July while performing a fighter sweep of Kyushu Island Japan Yunck and seven other Marines piloting F4U Corsairs from both VMA 311 and 224 passed by forty enemy fighters The Marines immediately flew into defensive formation and were fortunate not take any serious damage In the process Yunck shot down two enemy aircraft establishing himself as a World War II ace for his total of five downed enemy aircraft For his acts of bravery and dedication to service and to his fellow Marines Yunck earned the Distinguished Flying Cross

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SQUADRON NEWS the miscommunication the BLT was notified of the landing objective with very little time to prepare less than thirty minutes As the tactical air coordinator airborne of 1st MAW Yunck stepped into the scene at the logistic support area with news that the squadron did not have the appropriate strike aircraft As the forces on USS Valley Forge began moving towards the original landing objective Yunck called in a request to delay sending the SLF to the logistic support area He altered the original landing time to allow the F 4B Phantoms and Douglas A 4 Skyhawks to arrive and begin strafing runs over the intended landing site Flying out with the aircraft Yunck spotted a town filled with civilians at the landing site that had originally been overlooked Because of the lack of clear communication with the Task Force Delta commander and the small time window to carry out the mission Yunck took initiative changing the landing site to make certain there were as few civilian casualties as possible Today our Mike Yunck Squadron holds annual charity golf tournaments PME and networking events and supports other Marine focused organizations like the Semper Fi Fund and the Sugar Bear Foundation If you want to help them in their mission you can join the squadron through our MCAA HQ website www flymcaa org and select the Mike Yunck Squadron on the dropdown LtCol Yunck was the CO of VMF 311 PHOTO COURTESY U S MARINE CORPS 1 Barrett Tillman U S Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II Osprey Publishing 2014 121 122 https books google com books id 7JCqCwAAQBAJ pg PA23 source gbs_toc_r cad 3 v onepage q Mike 20Yunck f false 2 Michael Ryan Yunck Hall of Valor Project Accessed 4 Jan 2020 https valor militarytimes com hero 39707 3 https www vmfa251 org pdffiles history_commanders pdf 4 Major William J Sambito A History of Marine Attack Squadron 311 History and Museum Division Headquarters U S Marine Corps 1978 8 https www usmcu edu Portals 218 A 20History 20of 20Marine 20Attack 20Squadron 20311 20 20PCN 2019000308000 pdf 5 Sambito 9 6 Tillman 123 7 Naval Aviation News Aviator of the Year Chosen Colonel Wins Annual Marine Award National Aviation News 45 Dec 1963 4 8 Nickolas J Schlosser In Persistent Battle U S Marines in OPERATION HARVEST MOON History Division Marine Corps Base Quantico 2017 29 https www usmcu edu Portals 218 In_Persistent_Battle pdf 9 https www vietnamwar50th com 1965_stemming_the_tide Operation HARVEST MOON Begins 10 Schlosser 29 11 George Esper Tough Col Mike Loses Leg More Concerned About Wife The San Bernardino County Sun 12 Dec 1965 14 https www newspapers com clip 22527018 col mike marine pilot loses leg dec 12 Michael Ryan Yunck Hall of Valor Project Accessed 4 Jan 2020 https valor militarytimes com hero 39707 52234 13 https www nittanyleathernecks com vmf112 cpanel pilots pilot_yunk html 14 https www nittanyleathernecks com vmf112 cpanel pilots pilot_yunk html Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 31

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Our relationship with the Navy is important because if we go to war we won t be going as just a squadron We will be going as a The Lightning Carrier is an joint amphibious force said Major LHA LHD with a jet heavy ACE Christopher Kelly executive officer embarked said Dirk Which means the MAGTF aviation element of VMFA 122 Being able to deploy 12 or more F 35B s on a naval has more of a strike mindset with 12 or more jets that give the fleet or vessel is realistic it s something that we can t get every day at MAGTF commander the ability to better influence the enemy at range Marine Corps Air Stations Yuma Camp Pendleton or Miramar Tying the sensors and weapons of the F 35B together with those of the Training alongside each other fleet is a lethal combination enables the Navy and Marine Corps to improve tactical and technical Integrating 3rd MAW s combat procedures in terms of mutually power and capabilities while supporting one another in the conducting realistic training is essential to generate readiness and battlespace lethality in 3rd MAW units and for naval integration Employing 12 or more F 35B s aboard an LHA aligns with the Commandant s Planning Guidance Partnership with an LHA is the right and relevant warfighting capability for many of the challenges confronting the joint force and provides substantial joint operational flexibility lethality and survivability The Lightning Carrier concept is what we are exercising during this at sea training said Dirk I think we will continue to see the Marine Corps exercise these capabilities in the future Third MAW paved the way for the first F 35B squadron in 2012 and will stand up the first F 35C squadron specifically designed for traditional aircraft carriers Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 33 ACTIVE DUTY UPDATES Helicopter Assault and Dock LHA LHD ships with superior aviation capabilities unique to the F 35B

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Meet the Marine Sgt Maj James I Petty STAFF SGT CAITLIN BRINK A s the new senior enlisted advisor to more than 800 Marines Sergeant Major James I Petty hopes to build their drive for success and instill a sense of enthusiasm for opportunity With nearly 20 years of Marine Corps experience and leadership under his belt Petty took command of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron H HS Marine Corps Air Station MCAS Cherry Point North Carolina on 6 November 2020 I wanted to be a Marine since I was three years old and this to me is the first dream that I ve ever had that became a reality of mine said Petty a native of Pinole California I have never been the fastest the smartest the most proficient but one thing that my leaders have always seen in me is a heart for the Marine Corps and the Marines Petty stepped on the infamous yellow footprints in January 2000 and shortly after received the MOS of 0311 Since then he has deployed five times with various units to include three times in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM and once in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM Petty also served as a Marine combat instructor then as the primary instructor for weapons and Because of some great mentors tactics for Marine Combat Training noncommissioned officers staff Battalion Marine Corps Base Camp noncommissioned officers along Lejeune North Carolina the way when those opportunities When those opportunities presented themselves because of presented themselves I just their efforts and me being willing happened to be the one that was to jump on opportunities knowing ready said Petty And that s all I that I would run it with everything would want collectively between that I had I just happened to be the senior and subordinate the one that was always ready relationships is for those said Petty They maximized opportunities to be afforded opportunities to make sure I was to those Marines but more so prepared but at the same time I did those Marines to endeavor with everything that would be incumbent everything they have to be ready upon any Marine for those opportunities because I During his 2009 deployment in am a product of the opportunities support of Operation Iraqi Freedom provided to me Petty was combat meritoriously 34 yellowsheet www flymcaa org promoted to the rank of gunnery sergeant before returning home and receiving orders as a faculty advisor for Sergeants Course at the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms California He would even seek additional responsibility and hold the billet of staff noncommissioned officer in charge of Sergeants Course Having personally impacted the careers of Marines as a Marine combat instructor and faculty advisor Petty has been quoted as stating to Marines within his command You will find no one as Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 34

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Being passionate about Marines sometimes means making sure they re well trained Making sure they re technically proficient making sure they re professional and they have the opportunities to be developed in those facets and embracing those said Petty Being passionate about the Marines is that when there is an opportunity to train and educate although it may be a lack to your own convenience as a leader maximizing those opportunities and doing the leg work because that s what s going to be beneficial to them I will always do the leg work said Petty If something reaches my office where somewhere along the lines a subordinate leadership may not have the scope of authority or influence to see their Marines through that challenge or that potential issue and it reaches my office then I will tenaciously with everything I have take care of whatever that issue is That s why I say no one is more passionate There may be some that are as passionate but I ll be hard pressed to think that there is someone more passionate in that regard Petty first arrived at MCAS Cherry Point in 2017 when he received orders to serve as a battery first sergeant with 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion Marine Air Control Group 28 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing There Petty earned the rank of sergeant major For me picking the route of being a first sergeant sergeant major my whole purpose of picking that route and not remaining in the confines of my MOS was to put me in a position to be more inherently involved with managing the Marines their personal issues professional development to their career paths said Petty Petty hopes that through setting the example the Marines within H HS will aid one another in career development and success whether that be through providing or taking every opportunity available to them This is one of the few times in my career where I ve gotten to come to a command that was my preference said Petty And I look at the opportunity to be here as a gift and understanding that this is a merited gift for me to come here Every endeavor that I make day today I will do everything I can not to tarnish the gift and the gift is the Marines Bataan Amphibious Ready Group 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit Conducts Integrated Live Fire Exercise USS Bataan LHD 5 BY PETTY OFFICER 1ST CLASS KATHRYN MACDONALD T he Bataan Amphibious Ready Group ARG and embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit 26th MEU participated in an integrated live fire exercise on 24 October 2019 The exercise in which both Navy and Marine Corps weapons systems were fully integrated is designed to demonstrate the agility of the ARG s surface and defense capabilities The ARG includes the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan LHD 5 the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York LPD 21 and the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill LSD 51 among other embarked units The live fire exercise tested defense and weapon systems such as the portable Marine 35 yellowsheet www flymcaa org Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 35 ACTIVE DUTY UPDATES passionate as me about taking care of you

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Speeding through his early life with flying colors Ralph Talbot was destined for the stars of the Medal of Honor MOH Described by a friend as a young hero who was our contemporary Talbot was a native of South Weymouth Massachusetts In grammar school and high school he was a leader in his class in academics and sports excelling especially in track After attending Yale University in 1917 he enrolled at the Aviation School of the Delaware Aeronautical Company Talbot studied the basics of flying over the month of June and part of July with 21 other aspiring students He then applied to the War Department of the Signal Corps to serve in the aviation section On 26 October 1917 he enlisted in the Navy as a seaman second class As a side note his application showed that he was born in 1897 was 5 foot 9 5 inches tall and weighed 145 pounds Anxious to participate in the war in Europe as a pilot he was thrilled to be accepted into the Navy s ten week ground training program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Upon completion of the ground training he was ordered to the Naval Air Station NAS Key West Florida to train in aviation He wrote a letter to his mother in early February 1918 from Key West in which he described the coconut palms and the four walloping big hangars capable of holding five or six planes a piece There were about thirty students two to three hundred mechanics four or five instructors and nine machines in commission Soon after starting his training a tragedy struck one of Talbot s friends Roger C Perkins USNRF lost his life when his sea plane crashed at Key West in March 1918 Ralph later wrote a note to Roger s mother and father No thought of the glory can assuage your grief and yet with us he died in service and therefore in highest honor Despite this awareness of the dangers of flying Talbot told his own mother that it was very safe In the next letter to his mother on 28 April from Miami Talbot mentions Captain Cunningham the commander of the First Aviation Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 41

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Force at that time Captain Cunningham left for Washington last week and before he left requested us to sign a request for transfer into the regular Marine aviation service noted Talbot Because of Alfred A Cunningham s zeal vision and planning Marine aviators like Talbot were signed up and ready to participate in the war In his hunt for potential pilots Cunningham toured NAS Pensacola and NAS Key West He also was recruiting gunners crewmen and mechanics for filling out the planned four Marine squadrons soon heading to Europe He arranged for student Navy seaplane pilots like Talbot to disenroll from the Navy Flying Corps and transfer to the Marine Corps Reserve Flying Corps Within days these recruits were training intensively on the airfield in Miami Talbot described his schedule in the letter Our day begins at quarter of five when I have to get up to take the bus to the field till dark which is generally about seven o clock around here Did I tell you Herman Jesse of South Weymouth is here His aviator comrades were a great set of fellows and I like them all very much Talbot was pleased with his transition to the Marines and felt that it is real business at last now in the Marine Corps they are running things on a different basis They mean service from the word go No more studying books and fooling around in classrooms He proceeded to give more details of their mission in the war Our Navy plans to organize four squadrons of Marine flyers two of single seater fighting machines and two of fast double seater battle planes to contest the German supremacy There are to be 18 pilots to a squadron making 76 pilots and with them 36 gunners for the battle plane squadrons then the battle planes are to be English Bristols equipped with our own 200 horsepower Liberty motors and capable of an equal 42 yellowsheet www flymcaa org speed but not quite as easily maneuvered Perhaps the initial rumor was that the planes were to be Bristols but later turned out to be de Havilland aircraft On 26 May 1918 Talbot was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve Flying Corps and assigned to active duty with the First Marine Aviation Force commanded by Captain Cunningham Perceiving an opportunity the needs of the U S Navy to expand their bombing capabilities to destroy German U boats Cunningham negotiated with the Navy to utilize Marine aviators in the Northern Bombing Group in the north of France and Flanders The Northern Bombing Group s mission was to eliminate German submarine facilities at Bruges Ostend and Zeebrugge Composed of four day and four night bomber squadrons this unit would bomb the U boat shelters until they destroyed any threat of German U boats However according to historian Geoffrey Rossano in his book Stalking the U Boat U S Naval Aviation in Europe during World War I the

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failure to secure sufficient aircraft prevented the unit from ever carrying out its intended mission That is not to say that there weren t successful bombing raids on the German bases and railroad junctions but it was true that the night bombing squadrons were ineffective and that by the time enough planes were available the Germans had abandoned the coastal areas and the submarine bases After a twelve day crossing of the Atlantic aboard USS DeKalb Talbot arrived at Brest France on 30 July along with the Headquarters Squadron and Squadrons A B and C redesignated as 7 8 and 9 respectively of the First Marine Aviation Force Each squadron proceeded to different airdromes along the French coast Talbot s Squadron 9 as well as Squadron 10 operated out of the aerodrome at Le Fresne 12 km Southwest of Calais The squadron had 42 officers and 183 enlisted men On the first day of their arrival Talbot made friends with Alvin L Prichard another Marine pilot Prichard recalled their experiences Second Lieutenant Robert G Robinson Born in a small town in southern Michigan in 1896 Robinson enjoyed being a stunt flier as a teenager He soon left home to get a job as a mechanic in Chicago Illinois Looking for adventure he enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 1917 After he completed basic training at Parris Island South Carolina he received further instruction to become an ariel observer and gunner at the Wilbur Wright Field near Dayton Ohio On 18 July 1918 he sailed for France aboard USS DeKalb formerly the German cruiser SS Prinz Eitel Friedrich Although there is no official record of it it is possible that is when Talbot and Robinson first met Both Talbot and Robinson flew some training missions with the British Royal Air Force before they teamed up to fly in a DH 4 After being severely wounded in the combat action of 14 October 1918 Robinson was lucky to be delivered by Talbot to a field hospital where a Belgian surgeon saved Robinson s shattered elbow and dangling lower arm Further surgeries were performed on his arm in the postwar years After the war Robinson joined the Marine Corps Reserve and retired as a second lieutenant four years later When he received the Medal of Honor he said humbly to local journalists I m just an ordinary guy I got into the fracas and did the best I could Due to a government clerical error he received his MOH in the mail instead of a ceremony at the White House After working for years as a county sheriff and a state game warden he retired to a cabin in the woods along the shores of Lake Huron He died in his potato patch in 1974 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 43

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as tent mates for the next several months We found the same tastes in books and poetry and I have listened to him for hours as hands clasped behind his head and face aglow he told some story which had caught his fancy His poet soul saw beauty in all our surroundings and his irrepressible humor kept him above the petty annoyances of camp life and he was the soul of the athletic activities in camp Prichard also remarked on Talbots bravery coolness and skill as a pilot furthermore noting that the enlisted men loved him and everyone wanted to act as his observer By August Talbott found himself training with the Royal Flying Corps at one of their pilot s pool schools probably at the nearest one in Audembert France Earlier in January Cunningham had toured some of the British schools such as the one at Eastchurch near the mouth of the River Thames where the frigid winds swept off the North Sea He described it as an interesting and well managed school but that the cold goes right through you like a knife While the Marine pilots were training with the Royal Air Force RAF the crews of the Marine aviation force toiled to build runways in the muddy fields construct hangers for the planes and rudimentary quarters for both officers and enlisted men In Ralph s letter to his mother on 21 August 1918 he gave his address at the bottom of the letter Field E Northern Bombing Squadrons He told her how troops were pouring into France every day from America as well as from England and all her dominions It is a war of might and blood and iron Believe me we have the might and England supplies some of the iron and the blood of the whole world is up He believed the war was almost over Meanwhile he said that he had a grandstand seat where I can poke and prod at the Hun a little myself and am in a position to know 44 yellowsheet www flymcaa org The de Havilland 4 or Liberty Plane With the design of British engineer Geoffrey de Havilland for the frame and the production of the American Liberty engine the DH 4 or Liberty Plane was manufactured mainly by Dayton Wright Airplane Company and some were assembled by Fisher Body Works By the end of the war over 1 200 DH 4s had been delivered to Europe The frame usually consisted of spruce wood covered by a sturdy fabric The V 12 water cooled engine had 400 horsepower with a maximum speed of 124 mph and was faster than the German Fokker DVII It was equipped with six Mark II bombs two deRam cameras two flare holders a synchronized 30 caliber Marlin machine gun for the pilot and two flexible 30 caliber Lewis machine guns on a Scarff ring mount for the gunner Because the pressurized gas tank was located between the pilot and the gunner the DH 4 was prone to explosion when hit and nicknamed The Flaming Coffin accordingly On 28 September the Allied offensive began in Flanders Within a few days a French unit was cut off and desperately needed food Several Marine aviators including Captains Mulcahy Lytle and Nelms came to the rescue by dropping 2 600 pounds of supplies Talbot was asked to participate in this delivery of tinned cans from altitudes as low as 50 feet which he later called his aerial grocery business The first aerial combat for Talbot occurred on 8 October 1918 as part of an air raid with the Royal Air Force Squadron 218 Out of the gray clouds nine enemy scouts zeroed in on his plane Both he and his observer Corporal Robert G Robinson unloaded their guns in every direction resulting in the death of one of the Huns Early on the morning of 14 October 1918 Squadron 9 took off from Le Fresne field Their mission was to destroy the German held rail tracks and junction at Thielt Belgium Under the command of Captain Robert S Lytle the squadron consisted of five DH 4s and three DH 9As Out of the total number five pilots were from the Marine Corps Reserve three observer gunners were also Marine Reservists They successfully dropped approximately 2 000 pounds of bombs on the target On the return flight over Pittham Belgium twelve German planes eight Fokker D VIIs and four Pfalz D 3s suddenly appeared like a cluster of hornets and started attacking the squadron from all directions As soon as the Germans noticed that Talbot and Robinson s plane was having engine problems it became the most vulnerable target Robinson worked his Lewis machine gun rapidly in a successful shoot down before he was struck in the elbow While Talbot shot down another enemy plane with his forward gun Robinson fell unconscious as he was riddled with more bullets in his abdomen and thigh Drastically dropping the altitude of his plane to escape the combat Talbot flew low over the German trenches as he headed to the nearest Allied hospital at Hondschoote the site of a Belgian aerodrome As soon as ground crews helped to remove Robinson from the plane Talbot was in the air again to return to Le Fresne His last letter to his mother was written on 20 October 1918 Last Monday I brought down two more Huns The fight took place all the way between 10 000 feet and the ground I have got official credit I believe for one and I think I will get it for the other The weather is pretty poor nowadays rains all the time And we have got to move

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our camp up nearer to the front There is an epidemic of Spanish flu in camp and about all the men are in sick bay with it and all the officers are expecting it He signed off With all my love Mother dear your son Ralph Two days later Talbot flew north to attend the funeral of two pilots who had been shot down in Belgium Then on 25 October Talbot met his own destiny It was shortly after lunch when according to his friend Prichard that Talbot and his observer Second Lieutenant Colgate W Darden took off for the testrun of a plane They were barely off the ground when the engine failed and they crashed into a high embankment near a bomb dump Talbot died instantly in the fiery explosion of the plane but Darden was thrown free Years later Darden became a Congressman the Governor of Virginia and eventually the President of the University of Virginia As soon as the ground crew saw the accident First Sergeant John K McGraw and some other Marines rushed to put out the fire and prevent a massive explosion For his bravery McGraw was awarded the Navy Cross If Talbot had not died in the burning wreckage of his plane it is possible he would have died from the influenza which was rapidly sweeping through the American troops in France The flu was especially noted as a serious threat since the day after Ralph was killed his squadron commander Major Douglas B Roben age 27 died from the influenza and was buried alongside him To put this epidemic into perspective in October 1918 over 340 000 American soldiers were hospitalized by the aggressive second wave of the flu On 17 October the head of the Imperial German army General Ludendorff recorded that Americans are suffering severely from influenza For extraordinary heroism exhibited during the 8 October and 14 October missions Talbot received the MOH posthumously Robinson was also awarded the MOH see sidebar for his bravery in the same two dogfights with the Germans They were the first Marine aviators to receive this most distinguished honor On 31 October 1936 the christening of USS Talbot was attended by his mother distinguished guests including Congressman Colgate Darden and several hundred people Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 45

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CURATOR S CORNER W illiam E Henson joined the Marine Corps in October 1945 as soon as his Mom would agree to sign the papers and completed his basic training at Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island South Carolina in January 1946 Selected for training as an aviation electronics repairman Henson joined Aircraft Engineering Squadron 46 AES 46 at Marine Corps Air Station MCAS Cherry Point North Carolina in July 1947 before being transferred to the Headquarters Squadron One HqSq 1 for overseas duty VMF N 513 Squadron Scarf BEN KRISTY COLLECTIONS CHIEF AVIATION CURATOR William Henson s prized VMF N 513 silk scarf PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MARINE CORPS Henson s first overseas duty station was Guam but he arrived to discover that HqSq 1 did not actually have an open billet for him Thus he was assigned to the supply section and spent his time on the island destroying surplus war materials He was rescued from this fate in the fall winter of 1948 49 when Henson now a sergeant was transferred to Marine Fighter Squadron 211 VMF 211 which was on occupation duty in Tsingtao China Henson re enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1949 and was selected to attend radar intercept officer RIO training at MCAS Cherry Point just after the start of the Korean War in August 1950 Henson completed his training in the spring of 1952 and after a short period of further instruction with Marine Nightfighter Squadron 531 VMF N 531 he was transferred to VMF N 513 for duty in Korea as a RIO aboard a Grumman F7F 3N Tigercat Henson arrived in Korea on 1 Feb 1952 and flew his first combat mission four days later Between February and July 1952 Henson flew a mixture of air intercept against North Korean heckler PO 2 biplanes which operated against U S air bases and other major rear area locations and solo 46 yellowsheet www flymcaa org ship road rail interdiction missions known as armed reconnaissance at the time all at night VMF N 513 s missions were part of a larger USAF Far East Air Forces FEAF campaign to sever Chinese North Korean supply lines which mostly ran north and south through the mountainous spine of the Korean peninsula Working at night VMF N 513 and FEAF hoped to catch Communist truck convoys and supply trains out in the open Unfortunately the character of the road rail network and the very mountainous terrain through which it ran limited the opportunities to catch a train between tunnels or a truck convoy at night before the surrounding terrain offered cover VMF N 513 s Tigercats used either ambient moon and star light or usually faulty WWII surplus flares to illuminate their targets Once spotted the aircraft had a very limited amount of time before the alerted enemy could move to cover The steep canyon walls required very precise attack approaches with very little room to maneuver Diving under the flares thus illuminating themselves to enemy anti aircraft fire the

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CURATOR S CORNER Fly as a Team then Staff Sergeant Henson on left and Captain William H Schomers pose in front of their Grumman F7F 3N Tigercat prior to a mission Welcome Home Bill SSgt Henson looking relieved and enjoying a recovery beverage with fellow member of VMF N 513 following his rescue from behind Communist lines in June 1952 PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAM HENSON PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAM HENSON aircraft targeted the lead truck or train engine to stop the convoy s forward movement Having lost any night vision they had thanks to the flare s illumination the Marine crews would then pull off the target hopefully avoiding the adjacent mountains and then reengage for as long as they had ammunition or the flares burned Needless to say conducting these missions particularly during the long Korean winters made for very stressful flying and were some of the most challenging missions of the war flown by Marine pilots On 10 July 1952 Henson s luck finally ran out Paired with Captain Paul Piana the port engine of their F7F 3N erupted into flames after making an attack run against a truck convoy Whether this was caused by enemy fire or a mechanical failure is unknown but Henson bailed out of the stricken aircraft not an easy thing to do from the rear seat of a Tigercat and safely parachuted into enemy territory Unable to find Captain Piana Henson avoided capture by enemy troops and was rescued the following morning by a USAF search and rescue helicopter Henson believes that he is the only RIO to be so rescued from beyond enemy lines during the Korean War Henson recalls that the silk VMF N 513 squadron scarf that he donated to the NMMC was produced in Japan and purchased by most squadron members for approximately 1 50 Additionally he fondly remembers that he nearly lost it forever after as a result of his being shot down By the time Henson had been rescued and returned to VMF N 513 the other members of his hooch divided up and dispersed his belongings It took Henson several days after the substantial party the unit threw for him to welcome him home to recover all of his personal items including this scarf Henson completed his tour of duty with VMF N 513 and entered the communications world spending the next decade attending various schools commanding the communications detachment aboard the amphibious command ship USS El Dorado ACG 11 and spending 1959 1961 stationed in Taiwan Returning home Henson decided that he wanted to return to flying and requested a transfer back to aviation At the time the Marine Corps was introducing the two seat McDonnell Douglas F 4 Phantom II in large numbers and had a need for RIOs Henson was back in his element but unlike many of the much younger officers in this RIO training class he already had real world experience from Korea He made his first flights in an F 4 in July 1962 his last would occur in July 1966 In between Henson participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis forwarddeployed to Naval Air Station Key West with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 531 VMFA 531 and the squadron s combat tour in Vietnam the first USMC Phantom II squadron combat deployment in the spring of 1965 flying missions very similar in nature those he flew 15 years earlier in Korea and finished his career with Marine Aerial Reconnaissance Squadron 3 VMCJ 3 flying RF 4B photoreconnaissance missions Henson left the USMC in 1966 to work for Sears Roebuck and then owned and operated his own temp work agency for nearly 20 years Captain Paul Piana was declared Missing in Action and Presumed Dead on 16 Dec 1953 His remains have not been recovered If you have flight gear personal effects or other artifacts which you would like to donate to the National Museum of the Marine Corps you can contact Collections Chief Aviation Curator Ben Kristy at benjamin kristy usmcu edu Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 47

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Three Marine Corps Cobra gunship pilots attached to HML 367 Scarface enjoy a light moment at the Dak To launch site prior to taking off on a sortie in support of OPERATION TAILWIND From left 1stLts Sid Baker Barry Pencek and Joe Driscoll PHOTO COURTESY BARRY PENCEK Barry Pensick after the insert on the 8th we got shot up pretty bad but made it back to Dak To for repairs Tail rotor shaft with two armor piercing rounds through it Miracle that the bird didn t go down He s pointing to an armor piercing round went through the outer skin but blocked by the armor protection without hitting the engine He s also pointing to the cowling on the engine with armor protection PHOTO COURTESY JOE DRISCOLL LWIND T he MACV SOG Hatchet Teams comprised of U S Army Special Forces soldiers and South Vietnamese indigenous Montagnard militiamen The teams conducted highly classified intelligence gathering and sabotagging raids against the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos One such mission code named OPERATION TAILWIND was conducted from 7 14 September 1970 40 kilometers inside Laos deeper than any SOG operation in history The purpose of the operation was to create a diversion by raising hell in Laos for Operation GAUNTLET a struggling Central Intelligence Agency CIA multi battalion force of Royal Lao Army military irregulars tasked to recapture a strategic strongpoint To be blunt about it Captain Eugene McCarley leader of the Special Forces Hatchet force alleged the CIA operation was getting its clock cleaned by the NVA North Vietnamese Army On 7 September the mission aircraft launched to Kontum a Special Forces camp in the mountainous Central Highlands along the border with Laos and Cambodia Pilot First Lieutenant Joe Driscoll HML 367 recalled The duty driver came by our room at two or three o clock in the morning and told us to pack our gear as we ll be gone for five to ten days on an operation and to be ready at 5 a m My first thought was maybe we re finally going to go into North Vietnam OPERATION TAILWIND While at Kontum the aircrews received a secret intelligence Insertion briefing on OPERATION TAILWIND On 4 September MAG 16 placed five the insertion of 16 U S Special Sikorsky CH 53D Sea Stallions and Forces soldiers from Company B six Bell AH 1G Huey Cobra gunships 5th Special Forces Group and 122 later reduced to four for the actual indigenous Montagnard militiamen insertion on a one hour standby for There was no question that this the upcoming TAILWIND operation mission was different it was secret in the initial support package it was special Driscoll recounted The September 1970 Command The mission aircraft took off Chronology for HMH 463 described from Kontum on 8 September and the operation as support of a triflew to the operation s staging service mission in a denied access area close to the border at the area a euphemism for out ofDak To Army airfield and waited county operations in Laos for the Go signal A combination Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 49

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a BB gun shooting a tin can A Douglas A 1 Skyraider Spad pilot recalled We prepped the LZ and provided firepower wherever Covey sent us Covey was the call sign for an Air Force airborne forward air controller The co pilot of the lead aircraft First Lieutenant Bill Beardall recalled As we made the approach to the LZ the enemy fire really got intense and I could tell the aircraft were being hit Later we counted fifty hits in the nine Marine aircraft taking part in this mission Driscoll recalled It was a hot zone from the moment we arrived We took several hits on the first gun run Four Montagnards in the CH 53s were wounded before the helicopters could get on the ground One Special Forces soldier said It was strange exiting the chopper stepping over the WIAs wounded in action to get on the ground Driscoll said I was surprised by the volume of fire we took hits in our rocket pods we had bullet holes in our tail boom and they shot out our radio it was a hot zone We were moving targets However the CH 53s were static targets and they took a beating but they went in anyway dropped off the troops got out of there posthaste and returned to their base at Marble Mountain Search and Rescue SAR By day three 13 September the SOG Hatchet Force had suffered more than thirty wounded including two people who needed immediate evacuation HMH 463 was tasked to provide medevac support while HML 367 s gunships flew cover As the first CH 53D YH 14 approached the landing zone it was hit by small arms fire and a B 40 rocket that passed through a fuel cell but didn t explode Beardall reported When I looked back toward the tailgate all I saw was a curtain of red from the severed hydraulic lines Sexton Navy Cross Citation On 11 September 1970 Lieutenant Colonel Sexton launched as Flight Leader of a flight of nine helicopters assigned the mission of inserting a friendly force into a mountainous area deep in enemycontrolled territory which was heavily defended by enemy antiaircraft weapons Shortly after arriving over the designated area the entire flight came under an extremely heavy volume of enemy fire damaging LtCol Harry Sexton was the CO of the each of the gunships Cobra gunships that supported OPERATION and the lead transport Lieutenant Colonel Sexton TAILWIND deep in Laos in September 1970 The Cobras were assigned to HML 367 which maneuvered his aircraft flew in support of top secret SOG missions on repeated rocket and during most of the eight year secret war strafing runs and led his Sexton received the Navy Cross for his heroic flight in delivering such actions during the operation devastatingly effective PHOTO COURTESY U S MARINE CORPS strikes upon the hostile positions that the enemy fire was suppressed sufficiently to enable the friendly force to be safely inserted By 13 September the ground unit had sustained approximately twenty casualties while heavily engaged with a North Vietnamese Army force and requested an emergency extraction Returning to the beleaguered unit Lieutenant Colonel Sexton braved the intense hostile fire as he skillfully coordinated the extraction efforts of twenty two Marine and United States Army and Air Force aircraft which resulted in the safe medical evacuation of all of the casualties and the extraction of the crew of one of the transports which was forced to land in a nearby open area when severely damaged by enemy fire When it became apparent the following day that the ground force required an immediate extraction Lieutenant Colonel Sexton expertly directed the laying down of smoke screens and the rocket and strafing runs of his gunship helicopters thereby enabling the transports to enter the dangerous area and safely extract the friendly force Although his helicopter was seriously damaged by hostile fire he resolutely remained in the battle area until his extraction mission was completed and then skillfully maneuvered his crippled aircraft to safety By his dauntless courage superb airmanship and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger Lieutenant Colonel Sexton upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 51

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2 3 1 The aircraft began losing altitude from the loss of hydraulic fluids Beardall radioed May Day May Day We re Going In He was barely able to control the aircraft I flew to what I hoped was a clear and safe site Beardall explained On short final the aircraft started slipping to the right and could not keep its direction of flight The landing was swift much is a blur Aircraft YH 14 had a hard landing but fortunately no one was hurt We were lucky Beardall said I was able to find shrubs that softened the landing for us Everyone immediately exited the wounded bird and set up a defensive perimeter Beardall s May Day brought an immediate reaction Search air rescue SAR helicopter YH 20 nicknamed Bit s Pieces responded It was the only aircraft with a pickup ladder Our SAR bird was equipped with a 120 foot aluminum ladder Groah said which we had attached to the rear ramp of the bird White phosphorus smoke bounded the zone As we got closer to the pickup site Groah described I could see that it was surrounded by smoke laid down by the Scarface Cobras along with their rockets and 40mms to protect the crew of the downed 52 yellowsheet www flymcaa org chopper Just as YH 20 began its hover over the downed crew an NVA 51 caliber antiaircraft gun opened fire peppering the aircraft with large caliber machine guns bullets The muzzle flash from their gun was huge and seemed to be about the size of a basketball Groah exclaimed Without a second thought I pulled back on the trigger on my M 60 and didn t let up until the gun crew were silenced The crew deployed the pickup ladder the downed crew quickly hooked up and as the helo lifted out of the zone Beardall said he could see the rotors of his helicopter still slowly turning Groah said The rescue bird took some bad hits and we were bouncing all over the sky The pilots struggled to keep the damaged helicopter in the air We were worried about our bird making it back due to our battle damage Groah explained and we sure didn t want to go down with the men still on the ladder The Cobras gunships cleared a landing zone and the 53 pilots eased the big bird down to check on damage and to allow the men on the ladder to unhook The crew chief hopped out and gave the helo a quick visual inspection before signaling it was OK to continue When we finally made it back to Marble Mountain we learned just how badly we d been hit Groah explained Numerous rounds had cut the hydraulic lines to the tail rotor one round from the 51 caliber had almost cut the main tail rotor drive shaft in half That round had hit next to the Thomas Coupling which connects the tail rotor drive shaft sections together We were extremely lucky to have made it back to base Groah worked on patching the bullet holes and admitted that It s true we sometimes used aluminum beer cans to patch up the bullet holes in the birds Extraction By midday on 13 September Covey reported that hundreds of NVA and Pathet Lao troops were moving toward the SOG team In addition weather reports indicated that a major storm front was approaching which would make the extraction difficult or impossible The decision was made to pull the team out the next day 14 September McCarley

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4 5 1 A Marine Corps Cobra from HML367 makes a low gun run during OPERATION TAILWIND 6 was made to drop CBU 19 tear gas bomblets The NVA were so close that the Hatchet Force also received a large dose of the tear gas one Skyraider pilot said There was agreed with the decision We heavy coughing because Hatchet were almost out of ammo and we Force members either did not have were exhausted gas masks or were too wounded All the air assets were given to wear them McCarley said It updated information on the had a lot of our guys crying and weather and enemy situation choking on that CS tear gas but During the final briefing it slowed the enemy down and Driscoll reported It was very bought them some time clear Today it s do or die The LZ was now saturated with Everybody knew the Hatchet CS which meant that the aircrews Team had suffered casualties and had to don gas masks The Cobras now the weather was closing in led the CH 53s into the zone which An A 1 Skyraider pilot added was only large enough for one The weather was dog shit when helo at a time We escorted the we took off I wasn t optimistic Dimmers CH 53Ds into the LZ about getting them out of there Driscoll explained The first run The first LZ was located in a wasn t as bad as the previous day valley between two hills that gave when I could see dozens of enemy the NVA gunners clear fields of fire soldiers out in the open firing at us They decided it was too small so and the helicopters The first and they picked up and moved with second CH 53ds took increasing NVA in hot pursuit An alternate LZ enemy fire despite close air was identified one that provided support from the SPADS which better cover and less exposure hammered the enemy position to enemy ground fire The first with CBU 30 cluster bombs and LZ was a no go due to the large CS gas On our final approach enemy force around the LZ Groah we took heavy enemy fire explained so we had to wait until First Lieutenant Don N Persky the Special Forces had moved to recalled We knew that this was an alternate LZ As the Hatchet the last element on the ground Force moved to the new LZ Covey and that we had to get them out reported a horde of NVA were Covey radioed that there were moving toward them The decision PHOTO COURTESY JOE DRISCOLL 2 An unidentified Montagnard tribesman serving with B Company takes a break during the four day operation PHOTO COURTESY GENE MCCARLEY 3 T he SOG Hatchet Force loads up for OPERATION TAILWIND PHOTO COURTESY U S GOVERNMENT 4 M embers of the SOG Hatchet Force pose for a photograph prior to launching for OPERATION TAILWIND the incursion into Laos PHOTO COURTESY U S GOVERNMENT 5 A n HMH 463 heavy lift Marine Corps helicopter YH 20 heads east with Marine crew members and Green Beret medics SSG John Doc Padgett and Sgt John Browne after a CH 53D had a crash landed due to enemy gunfire and a B 40 rocket hitting it A Marine Corps Cobra gunship from HML 367 Scarface is escorting the big chopper PHOTO COURTESY JOE DRISCOLL 6 C obra pilots Joe Driscoll left and Sid Baker inspect bullet damage to their Cobra after flying sorties on 13 Sept 1970 deep into Laos in support of OPERATION TAILWIND Driscoll and Baker were aviators assigned to HML367 which flew support missions for several years across the fence in Laos in support of SOG missions during the eight year secret war in Vietnam PHOTO COURTESY JOE DRISCOLL Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 53

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ABOVE Insert zone which was hit with a rocket approach path from left to right fire coming out of the rise landing area up by the bend in the river We were given direction to silence fire that was coming out of the little knoll PHOTO COURTESY JOE DRISCOLL RIGHT Third platoon Sgt Dave Young standing in a LZ during the early phase of OPERATION TAILWIND His weapon is the Colt CAR 15 Note the gas mask on his left side which was used during this operation when enemy attacks were relentless PHOTO COURTESY GENE MCCARLEY hundreds and hundreds of NVA coming in toward the Hatchet Force The two birds were able to lift out most of two platoons and the remaining wounded A Skyraider pilot vividly recalled It was a wild scene down there As we provided close cover to the team on the ground Air Force F 4s attacked antiaircraft guns that the NVA had moved into the area They the NVA really wanted them They were massed to get them They wanted to get back what the team had taken from base camp Covey told us that NVA 12 7mm and 37mm antiaircraft weapons were opening up on us Meanwhile the Scarface Cobra gunships reacted to enemy gunfire on their aircraft we were directed to the enemy troops Keep in mind we knew all the SF men were wounded and low on ammo There was a moment in time 54 yellowsheet www flymcaa org when I couldn t see how we d get them out It was that intense I was the third helicopter going in Persky explained There was going to be a fourth helicopter behind me On our final approach we started taking such intense fire that I asked them SOG to get everybody on board my aircraft because I didn t see any possible way of getting another helicopter in there We knew that this was the last element on the ground and we had to get them out As the 53 touched down the remaining 35 Americans and Montagnard militiamen quickly crammed on board Just as I was pulling out of the zone Persky said I had an engine that was shot out it failed so we took off single engine and we barely made it When we pulled out of this zone all hell was breaking loose Persky recalled We had numerous bullet holes we were leaking fuel and we were leaking hydraulic fuel And my right door gunner Lance Corporal Stevens took a round through his neck From the time we started pulling out of the zone it s kind of gross but he was gurgling I m sure it was blood mixed with trying to breathe while making really horrific sounds over our communications A SOG medic worked on keeping Stevens alive The SOG medic Gary Mike Rose was recently awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic action during the four day operation Persky had to get over two sheer granite ridgelines We had to use extra energy from the last engine to get over the first ridgeline Persky explained The second loomed ahead Persky recalled There were hydraulic fluids and

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blood everywhere inside of the helicopter One of the Special Forces soldiers said The tail was lower than it should be and we could tell something was wrong Really wrong We just didn t know how wrong Seconds after narrowly getting over the heights the second engine failed McCarley recalled Persky s emergency radio transmission May Day May Day We ve lost all hydraulics We re going down Powerless the helicopter was now in full autorotation I followed one gap then I followed a second gap Persky said It lead to a ravine My biggest concern at that moment was being able to just find a place to autorotate into As the 53 descended into a canyon a Spad pilot reported It was a kind of a depression he headed toward It was trailing smoke It was ugly Real ugly I worried that it might explode in mid air or worse hit one of those granite mountains or the jungle From my seat up in the old trusty A 1 Skyraider I couldn t see any LZ or any area that was open or large enough for those Marines to land that big bird without crashing And by now I had heard they were auto rotating with a chopper full of troops It didn t look good TOP Sikorsky CH 53D Cargo passenger compartment up to 50 000 pounds or 55 Troops The CH 53D features uprated engines initially T64 GE 412 with 3 695 shp 2 755 kW then the T64 413 with 3 925 shp 2 927 kW with an uprated transmission Its interior added seats to allow for 55 troops CH 53Ds are generally armed with twin 50 BMG 12 7 mm M2 XM218 machine guns PHOTO COURTESY GENE MCCARLEY BOTTOM An unidentified Montagnard of SOG s top secret B Company stands next to enemy caches in an enemy base camp deep inside Laos during OPERATION TAILWIND in Sept 1970 On the right are several of the enemy structures where SOG demolition experts and A 1 Douglas Skyraiders destroyed more than 9 tons of rice an 81mm mortar and four trucks before escaping with a large amount of NVA documents money maps and codebooks PHOTO COURTESY GENE MCCARLEY Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 55

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We were going down about 6 000 feet a minute Persky said At that point we needed high air speed to use the energy to keep the rotors going I started to flare thinking we had enough time to decrease our speed more I pulled the collective hard I had it pulled up to my armpit It didn t slow our air speed as much as I d hoped it would It was supposed to cushion us more It didn t The aircraft slammed into the ground approximately 15 kilometers east of the LZ ejecting several of the passengers and shaking up the rest One of the Spad pilots who observed the crash noted They went down hard Real hard I was amazed that people survived that crash The passengers and crew struggled to get out Persky unstrapped the co pilot who had a bad back compression and pulled him from the helicopter He was mobile but still stunned Persky was not in good shape either He had bitten through his lower lip which was hanging by a thin piece of skin When he was picked up by a rescue helicopter a gunner told him I better hold on to my lip or I d likely lose it His squadron mates humorously changed his call sign to Lip The crash survivors were flown to the SOG compound in Kontum and the downed 53 was destroyed by one of the Spads The four day OPERATION TAILWIND was officially over Three Montagnards had been killed and thirty three wounded All 16 Americans had been wounded and two multi million dollar CH 53Ds were shot down NVA casualties were estimated to be 430 and the capture of a huge trove of documents which the MACV Intelligence officer said were The most significant collateral intelligence on the 559th Transportation Group since the beginning of the war the greatest most important intelligence find of the year However the operation drew sharp protests from the 1st Marine Air Wing The Wing complained 56 yellowsheet www flymcaa org TOP Montagnard commandos and their Green Beret platoon and squad leaders prepare to board a Marine Corps helicopter outside of SOG s top secret compound in Kontum CCC shortly before the HMH 463 helicopters would launch them into OPERATION TAILWIND on 11 Sept 1970 PHOTO COURTESY GENE MCCARLEY BOTTOM Hatchet Force clearing an LZ in Laos for extraction The first LZ was too small to accommodate the CH 53 helicopters SOG was used to the smaller CH 34 and UH 1s and the Force had to move to an alternate site PHOTO COURTESY GENE MCCARLEY that SOG operations diverted too many of III MAF s dwindling number of helicopters and that the helicopters assigned to support the SOG spent most of their time sitting on the ground on alert Further especially in the case of TAILWIND the Marines criticized SOG planners for underestimating the amount of enemy opposition and at least initially failing to provide adequate fixed wing and gunship protection for the transportation Marine helicopter participation in SOG operations dropped off sharply after TAILWIND CH 53Ds made a few more tri service mission flights in October and November but then out of country helicopter operations ended until the Sea Stallions and Cobras went back into Laos in late January 1971 for OPERATION LAM SON 719 Acknowledgements Sergeant Major Larry Groah USMC Ret excerpts OPERATION TAILWIND Pop A Smoke USMC Combat Helicopter and Tiltrotor Association with permission John Stryker Meyer OPERATION TAILWIND excerpts parts 1 6 SOFREP Military Grade Content with permission Joe Driscoll comments and photographs with permission

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Embry Riddle Graduates its First Aviation Maintenance Technology Program Class Marine Corps Installations East BY LANCE CORPORAL KARINA LOPEZMATA E mbry Riddle Aeronautical University ERAU Worldwide held the first graduation ceremony for its Aviation Maintenance Technology AMT program successfully graduating twelve Marine students at The Landing on Marine Corps Air Station New River North Carolina on 4 October 2019 ERAU is a private university its main campuses are located in Daytona Beach Florida and Prescott Arizona They opened their campus on Marine Corps Air Station New River in 2019 ERAU provides many different programs in addition to the AMT The AMT program is a nine week full time program designed to train and place transitioning service members veterans and eligible military spouses into aviation maintenance and technician careers interviews with recognized industry hiring partners such as Pratt Whitney and Aircraft Accident Reports All twelve graduating students received job offers with different companies worldwide The predictions are that there will be 700 000 aviation maintainers leaving the workforce in the next 20 years worldwide said Angela Albritton director of Military Relations and Strategic Initiatives There is such a large need because of the growth in aviation and also because of the many retirements coming ERAU is currently accepting applications for the nine week program and one can register by coming into the Embry Riddle Camp Lejeune campus office located at the Education Center on MCAS New River Bldg A2 212 room 213 This is the first course that is allowing service members the time to learn and study to get their A P license said Sgt Charles Cohagen a flight line mechanic with Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron 302 If you are in the avionics field do not be deterred Our curriculum provides six classes with the students earning 18 undergraduate credit hours said Amber Evans assistant campus director with the New River Campus The program is in class Monday through Friday and once graduated from the program they earn their ERAU certificate the AMT certificate and an Airframe and Powerplant A P license all under the Federal Aviation Administration Applicants are not required to have an aviation maintenance background but a mechanical aptitude is required The class holds 30 students and is held three times a year in January May and September Students generally fund the program using their GI bill Evans said It uses about three months of their entitled bill According to Evans the graduates will receive guaranteed Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 57

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Pearl Harbor Through the Eyes of John Campbell By Corporal Megan Roses You couldn t sleep even lighting a cigarette wasn t allowed We were on high alert waiting for the Japanese to attack again explained John E Campbell a veteran who served seven years as a Marine pilot during World War II of the days following December 7 1941 Campbell was born in 1920 in Porterville California joining the Marine Corps at the age of 19 He attended boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and from there he was discharged from active duty Marine Corps to attend the Naval Academy as a cadet in the flight school After graduation from flight school Campbell was commissioned as a Marine second lieutenant After being commissioned Campbell was stationed at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu Hawaii While there he was attached to Marine Air Group 21 as a pilot for Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 231 On the morning of December 7 1941 military personnel stationed at Pearl Harbor were mostly still in bed like Campbell Out of the blue the ground began to tremble No one understood what was happening according to Campbell Was it the real deal or was it just a training exercise I was sleeping in when I was awakened by the sound of the Japanese attackers explained Campbell It was such a surprise we had first thought it was a military maneuver by the Army Air Corps but then a sergeant came running in saying Get the hell out of here this is the real thing So we went out and ran into the bushes trying to get away At 7 55 a m the first wave of 200 Japanese aircraft rushed in on the unexpecting American base First came the fighters came in destroying aircraft on the airstrip then came the fighter bombers and torpedo planes destroying ships in the harbor Some of the aircraft flew so close Marines on the ground could describe the faces of the Japanese pilots They flew so close I could see the gold on the pilot s teeth said Campbell remembering that devastating morning After the two waves of enemy aircraft pummeled Pearl Harbor John and his fellow Marines remained on high alert waiting for a possible followup attack by the Japanese that never materialized There were 2 403 Americans were killed that day Over 160 aircraft and 18 ships were destroyed or severely damaged Now 78 years later Campbell one of the few remaining survivors still has vivid memories of the day that went on to live in infamy Pearl Harbor was a strange phenomenon said Campbell At first it felt like I was dreaming we had no indication what was happening We were in a daze 58 yellowsheet www flymcaa org

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Beginning at Marine Corps Air Station MCAS Camp Pendleton eight Vipers took to the sea to hunt for maritime threats that could negatively impact simulated sea lanes After being passed new targeting information they rerouted to link up with four additional Vipers and engage multiple land targets before rehearsing rearming at an expeditionary forward arming and refueling point Once rearmed they again took to the sky to engage targets and support follow on ground operations Viper Storm was an opportunity to validate the modern maritime capabilities of the AH 1Z Viper to joint commanders within the Department of Defense United States partners and allies and potential peer adversaries said Colonel William Bartolomea commanding officer Marine Aircraft Group 39 MAG 39 We were highlighting the maritime component of the Viper the ability to go from ship to shore in a large element and address peer threats Bartolomea s comments underscore a shift in the Marine Corps focus back to the maritime domain General David H Gen Berger Commandant of the Marine Corps released guidance earlier in 60 yellowsheet www flymcaa org 2019 directing the Marine Corps be trained and equipped as a naval expeditionary force in readiness and prepared to operate inside actively contested maritime spaces in support of fleet operations Viper Storm showcased the AH 1Z s vital role in supporting General Berger s directions In the fall of 2017 U S Pacific Fleet defined sea control as total control of the seas for the free movement of all That means control of air surface and subsurface areas when and where needed Sea control is crucial to national strategy and allows the Navy to use the oceans as barriers for defense and as avenues to extend influence and assistance where needed The exercise was designed to showcase the AH 1Z Viper s capabilities and how the aircraft could operate symbiotically and in support of the Navy flying from the sea and striking simulated threats that the Navy and joint force is likely to face In the week leading up to the exercise General Berger published an editorial in War on the Rocks which stated for the first time in a generation sea control is no longer the unquestioned prerogative of the United States Viper Storm demonstrated that the AH 1Z Viper is a uniquely qualified platform capable of enhancing sea control These exercises are essential for MAG 39 to maintain readiness and training standards The twelve Vipers employed AGM 114 Hellfire air to ground and AIM9 Sidewinder air to air missiles emphasizing the versatility the Viper provides With larger stub wings than its AH 1W Super Cobra predecessor the Viper can carry a combination of up to two Sidewinders sixteen Joint Air toGround Missiles JAGM or Hellfires auxiliary fuel tanks and up to seventy six rockets with various fusing options including the newest Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System APKWS LASER guided rockets This allows the platform to be tailored to any mission whether it be sea land or air related

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The AH 1Z Viper is more lethal and survivable than its predecessor in large part because of the modernized ordnance sensory and communication equipment For example it can carry the JAGM which will replace the Hellfire missile The JAGM is a multi sensor aviation launched precisionguided munition for use against Viper Storm also focused on expeditionary operations to include its ability to refuel and rearm from a temporary location and then conduct assaults deeper inland The Chief of Naval operations directed the Navy and Marine Corps to master operational concepts in support of fleet level warfare The intent is to provide fleet commanders the option of persistently posturing naval expeditionary forces forward in key areas as a complement to the seagoing elements of the fleet Viper Storm demonstrated this capability and showed that MAG 39 can conduct distributed operations in austere environments in support of maritime and joint objectives high value land and naval targets Posturing Vipers forward is It provides precision point and firewhat the aircraft was made to do and forget targeting day or night said Bartolomea We are an attack regardless of weather helicopter killing enemy forces is The glass cockpit of the AHwhat we do for a living We don t 1Z provides pilots with superior provide a whole lot of value on the situational awareness and the ground unless we are refueling upgraded Target Sight System rearming and getting back to has an incredible range that the air to engage the enemy or enables the Viper to detect and facilitate other joint weapons engage targets from distances not platforms and systems previously possible for Marine Viper Storm would not have attack helicopters Modern been possible without the diligent technology enables the Viper to cue efforts of the Marines and Sailors naval and joint kill chains which of MAG 39 who Fix Fly and is a capability General Berger Fight the AH 1Z every day It is stated was important to complicate thanks to their efforts that MAGan adversary s decision making 39 was seamlessly able to conduct calculus It is because of those this large scale strike with AH 1Z technological advancements that Vipers and continues to stand Bartolomea who grew up listening ready to support Marine naval to stories of Cobra missions from expeditionary and joint forces his father stated The Viper is not across the globe your dad s Cobra 62 yellowsheet www flymcaa org In conducting strikes from the sea and temporary bases inside a simulated peer adversary s threat ring MAG39 demonstrated their commitment to remaining ready to enhance sea control and remain at the forefront of Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations development As the Marine Corps shifts its focus from land locked wars to rising tensions in the Indo Pacific region MAG 39 will continue to train its Marines and Machines to fight and win from the sea Bartolomea summed up the event We demonstrated the unique 21st Century capabilities of the AH 1Z Viper from a maritime environment As we continue to adapt to near peer threats in accordance with the National Defense Strategy and the Commandant s Planning Guidance we are focused on modernizing the digital interoperability survivability and lethality of the Z These improvements will help to maintain the operational viability of the Viper in support of naval and joint forces beyond 2030

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These ten guys were responsible for the maintance and upkeep of the F7F 3P Tigercats Note the mission symbols painted on the nose This was taken in late November 1950 PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE BROWN An F4U 5P flies over Inchon in the preparation for the invasion At the time the MAG 33 Photo Detachment only had two Corsairs to do all the work PHOTO COURTESY ED GANSCHOW naissance in the Korean War M arine Air Group 33 reinforced MAG 33 Rein was designated as the Air Group to embark on USS Badoeng Strait CVE 116 This was the carrier s first opportunity to serve in the Korean War this trip being the first of three trips it would take from the United States to Japan In early July 1950 they headed for Kobe Japan The photo unit with MAG33 Rein consisted of two F4U5P Corsairs with four pilots and sixteen to twenty photo and aircraft maintenance personnel Initially July and August were under control of the 1st MAW operating out of Itami Air Base Japan However it was in September 1950 when the six F7F 3P Tigercats along with six additional pilots and ground support personnel changed the level of importance for photo reconnaissance These new Tigercats would increase our aerial reconnaissance capability considerably Two other Marine Corsair fighter bombers that had remained on board USS Badoeng Strait went to the Sea of Japan where they provided close air support for the Marine brigade being sent to fight in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter to help hold back the advancing North Korean forces Lieutenant Colonel George W Glauser USMC Ret a technical sergeant at the time recalled his missions to protect the city of Pusan Our immediate mission was to provide photo coverage of the enemy s movement along the forty mile border of Pusan These photos were sent daily to General MacArthur s Headquarters based in Tokyo The USAF directed all briefings and debriefings of any mission we flew All of our initial air support missions were flown out of Itazuke Air Base in Japan My first reconnaissance mission was flown on 10 August 1950 over the Pusan area These missions started before sunrise and usually did not end until after sunset It was common to fly up to eight hours on these missions I would depart Itami and land at Itazuke to receive briefings from the Air Force I then flew over the Sea of Japan to the Pusan Perimeter where I would expose my film magazine fly back to Itazuke debrief and finally head home to Itami It was a long day but I was much younger then It was tough on our four pilots and only two F4U5P but our maintenance crews kept us front and center Up to date photo recon of frontline activity was delayed due to the long time lapse between the time the photo and the time it took to get it delivered to photo interpretation intelligence personnel The Air Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 65

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Force liked our pictures and we were ordered to work with them out of Itazuke Air base By this time the North Koreans had been put in check at the Pusan Perimeter and General MacArthur s staff was planning an amphibious landing at Inchon Our entire Photo Recon unit mission was now concentrated to the north For five consecutive days in August we provided low altitude vertical and oblique photo coverage of Inchon City and the Port of Inchon Photos of the tides were very important at different time intervals Low tides revealed the water passages into the port and harbor high tides revealed best beaches to land on Tides at Inchon are one of the highest and lowest in the world averaging up to a thirty foot difference Tech Sergeant Glauser explained Our photo coverage showed Inchon from every direction Our photo Corsairs took a lot of anti aircraft fire and smallarms fire but we sustained no direct hits The Air Force provided outstanding fighter coverage for us which consisted of F 82 Twin Mustangs that would fly us to the target area F 80 jets would fly top coverage The jet pilots would make fun of our slow flights They would take off from Itazuke Air Base 45 minutes after we took off and meet us over the target The F4U pilots held great respect for the Air Force pilot that covered for them while over the Inchon area Two F 82 s kept us close to them in case some North Korean pilots tried to jump us I enviously marveled at the fact that the F 80 s would take off from their base at Itazuke about 40 minutes after we taken off and were over the target before we arrived At the conclusion of my twenty minute mission they would return to their base be showered and shave d and have a cold beer and still waiting for us to arrive with our F 82 escorts The F 80 s mission time was one hour and forty minutes My Corsair time was closer to four hours 66 yellowsheet www flymcaa org The F7F 3P lands at Pohang Air Base to refuel for the lengthy flight to the Yalu River to take pictures there By this time the Tigercats were well involved with the photo detachment PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GLAUSER TSgt George Glauser is suited up for the next mission This was taken at Itami Air Base in Japan right before he took off for the Inchon while the squadron is preparing the groundwork for the invasion PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GLAUSER With a quick stop at Pohang South Korea for refueling this Tigercat is ready for the lengthy mission They were invaluable in contributing to other projects after the invasion of Inchon especially their support in the missions up north PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GLAUSER

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The ground crew gets another Tigercat ready for the mission This was taken in early fall of 1950 at Kimpo Air Base All of the photo detachment aircraft had the WM tail code PHOTO COURTESY AL CULTRONA The lineup for the Tigercats at a base in Korea in late 1950 Notice the mission symbols painted on the aircraft showing that the Corsairs and Tigercats were constantly in use to support Marines on the ground PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GLAUSER En route to South Korea the F7F 3P belonging to MAG 33 is shown in flight over Japan with Mt Fuji in the background This was taken in December 1950 PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GLAUSER General MacArthur s staff relished the near perfect photos of the Inchon area They used a 24 lens Fairchild camera at altitudes between 2 000 and 2 500 feet which gave such minute ground detail that photo interpretation could be accomplished with the naked eye Those pilots that flew this mission received the Distinguished Flying Cross At about this time the morale in the photo unit was really elevated as two of the pilots said for the first time since they arrived in Japan and Korea that they felt like they were finally part of the aviation forces in Korea The next step for the Allies was the primary and crucial objective in gaining access to the Inchon landing the Allies had to capture Wolmido Island which was very close to the main landing beaches of Inchon The invasion lasted from 15 September until 19 September 1950 Needless to say the Marines put this day down as one of their most significant victories in the Korean War They went on to free Seoul and Kimpo Airfield It was about this time that the North Korean forces started a massive retreat from Pusan in hopes that they would not be captured At this point the unit had picked up six F7F 3P s and another Corsair which gave them more opportunities to strengthen their skills in photo taking With the addition of getting some F7F3Ps they expanded their services Captain Terry Lynch brought the F7F 3P s into the unit along with the support personnel that helped to increase their photo mission capabilities The Inchon landing was one of the most successful operations in the war and it has been well documented in numerous war chronicles One of the most important people in this operation was Captain George Brown who was in the group that said The Inchon Plan was the best the military ever put together in the 1950s We found out that the Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 67

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tidal range is about ten meters Our job was to get the invasion fleet in and out of the harbor Our two F4U Corsairs had to move up to the airfield closest to Inchon I was assigned to go with the team to supervise the checkover of the large K 18 cameras and all associated components At last I was asked to go with the detachment so that I could personally supervise the planned launch We had been asked to photograph consecutively two high and two low tides at Inchon There were only two days in the remaining pre invasion period when daylight hours would enable us to meet those specifications But as the first of those days approached we were confident said Brown He continued The first launch was a pre dawn take off and the second mission was launched later that morning Simultaneously the first plane returned while the second was en route to the target After refueling the aircraft and reloading the cameras a new pilot took the first F4U 5P off again for the first afternoon coverage of the tidal range All in all four reconnaissance missions were flown that day The exposed film was rushed back to our main gate for processing and evaluation overnight In the meantime the cameras were reloaded in preparation for repeating that process just in case the first day s coverage did not meet the mission s specification The unit took on greater responsibilities such as taking pictures of enemy troop positions roads and gun emplacements with the reconnaissance photos mostly focusing around the route that the retreating North Korean forces would take to the north One of the early F7F 3P pilots Captain Kenneth T Dykes flew a mission over this route and soared right into a hail of ground fire He was taking pictures at a low level when he took the hit and was flying at a much lower altitude to get the 68 yellowsheet www flymcaa org bridges and ferry sites north of Seoul Despite all of this he had glided down to 2 000 feet when a North Korean 40mm shell hit his right wing The hole in his wing was large enough to allow a large animal to go through the opening At that point he headed from Kimpo Airfield and was able to land safely The Tigercat proved to be a tough old bird Dykes received the Air Medal from General Edward Almond for gaining meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight over enemy territory Captain Dykes was a member of the team that filmed the entire Inchon Seoul area prior to the invasion of the Red held South Korean capital These film processors are processing prints out in the open Personnel had little time in getting these prints out to aircrews for their pre flight briefs prior to takeoff Note the amount of water used PHOTO COURTESY ED GANSCHOW Itami Air Base in Japan was better suited for handling repairs and general maintenance of the F4U 5P Corsairs This photo shows then Capt Glauser being secured in the pilot seat while the plane captain hooks him up PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GLAUSER Many of the pilots from the photo unit for their service in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter and Inchon Invasion were recognized with awards This was award sent to Captain Edward F Bud Ganschow For heroism while participating in aerial flights over enemy territory from 27 November 1950 through 2 January 1951 Serving as a pilot with the 1st Marine Air Wing Photographic Unit Captain Ganschow successfully completed his first through thirty fifth combat photographic mission s against the enemy over Korea During this period he flew photographic coverage of the road and supply routes in the Chosin Reservoir area exposing himself to enemy ground fire and constant threat of attack from enemy aircraft His skilled airmanship and devotion to duty contributed materially to the success of our ground forces during this critical period His actions throughout were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service It was signed by Major General Field Harris of the United States Marine Corps Just about

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Launching from Itami Air Base in Japan gave most pilots the opportunity to fly over Mt Fuji as this Corsair is doing It is flying toward Kimpo Airfield in South Korea to get refueled for the next mission is above the 38th Parallel PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GLAUSER Another shot of Mt Fuji PHOTO COURTESY GEORGE GLAUSER the emphasis based on targets above the 38th Parallel The first phase began 10 October and lasted through 13 November 1950 Both aircraft types began pushing north of the 38th Parallel as a result of the action during 27 November 1950 through 2 January 1951 This group of seven pilots flew with the Photo Detachment of MAG 33 at Kimpo Air Base Left to right Capt Simmons Maj Bush and Capt Ganschow Top Row 1stLt O Neill Capt Lynch Lt Adams and TSgt Glauser Capt Dykes departed Kimpo Air Base in December 1950 on emergency leave This photo was in January 1951 PHOTO COURTESY ED GANSCHOW every pilot in this unit received recognition like this as a result of their actions especially in the Inchon Invasion Airfield where we could better support our division A sudden change moved us to Japan in late December 1950 This caused General MacArthur to be relieved of command and he was replaced by General Matthew Ridgeway Our Photo unit continued to provide upto date coverage of the area north of the 38th Parallel The period of 14 July 1950 through 1 June 1951 the unit produced 59 256 aerial negatives and 247 800 aerial contact prints All of this was accomplished with the fixed installation photographic equipment in the F4U 5P and F7F3P type aircraft Approximately 700 ground negatives and more than 3 000 prints were processed In the first six months of 1951 the aircraft worked at record levels The first two major events of the Pusan and Inchon missions were historic and after the friendly forces had reached the Yalu River Then Technical Sergeant George things were looking good for United Glauser added more fuel to the fire Nations forces but that was before saying Our photo missions were the Chinese committed hundreds now going deep into North Korea of thousands of ground troops and including Pyongyang Wonsan started pushing the friendlies back Hamhung and just about all areas to the south This war continued north of Pyongyang all the way to As the photo unit moved back to on another two years Marine the Yalu River In addition we were South Korea their targets remained aviation would continue to expand photographing hundreds of tunnels to the north of the main line Their and once again they would see the photo coverage also provided large recommissioning of three Marine roads railroads bridges North Korea supply airfields and ground composite maps of large areas photo squadrons one for each throughout the north It seemed convoys along frontline activity MAW VMJ 1 VMJ 2 and VMJ 3 that they were hunkered down around our troops on the ground The author would like to give in a long lasting conflict with the As the North Koreans moved a special thanks to Lieutenant North Koreans After the Inchon further north our aviation units Colonel George W Glauser USMC Pusan Perimeter episode all photo did the same We moved our photo Ret for his photos and help in requirements of the unit were of unit to Yonpo Airfield and Wonsan putting this article together Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 69

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Gather round lads and I ll tell you a tale bout how to become an All American Boy Get you an A 6 strap on some bombs head for a place called Vietnam So we flew fast and we flew low dodging shells from Uncle Ho Then yanking n banking into the break Mama sans giggling Gyrene got what it takes So we got us an A 6 a long time ago learned how to fly it in a week or so Around Cherry Point it was well understood check six new jet in the hood Fast n low 5 n 5 Jink n dive stayin alive Gung ho All American boy She wasn t pretty and she wasn t sleek but oh the havoc she could wreak Flyin low n flyin fast what a blast All American Boy Swapping tales at the Dirty Shame ah fly boy Marines you dinky dow you insane All American Boy Well we flew all day and into the night the skipper s hair was turning white Didn t dig that ah fast n low said You re ready boy you gotta go Take those wings of gold and fly See fire and thunder in the sky Fast n low 5 n 5 stayin alive All American Boy The grunts loved the Grumman giving em close air really hummin keeping Devil Dogs alive leathernecks All American Boys Flying through walls of steel Ngyuen putting up flak unreal Shooter name of Hanoi Jane witch tryin to down our plane Well the medals kept comin Intruders kept hummin The pols in DC said we d soon win that was nothin but bullshit spin Fast n low 5 n 5 jink n dive stayin alive on time on target All American Boy Then came time to rotate home maybe one day they ll write a poem a nursery rhyme or bedtime story about those bygone days of forgotten glory Flying low n flying fast 5 n 5 do or die All American Boy Semper Fi So we got orders for SEA Over there we can fly our way 5 n 5 jink n dive stayin alive Oohrah All American Boy We packed our gear RC and Moon Pie kissed Mama and the kids goodbye split for WestPac Da Nang and Chu Lai Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 71

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VMF 212 Corsairs aboard USS Bataan CVL 29 equipped with 24 F4U 5 Corsairs and our last stop en route to our final destination was the small Marine Air Base at Itami Japan a few miles outside of Osaka We spent a few days at Itami getting geared up then on 24 September 1950 flew our aircraft to a tiny Marston Matting airstrip called Kimpko near the capital city of Seoul The squadron s ground personnel and aircraft had been lifted the day before and upon our arrival they were prepared and ready to receive us Tents had been erected as well as freshly dug latrines and a temporary mess where the canteen that served coffee awaited us safely One could say it was not a good beginning particularly for squadron commanders I managed to account for one destroyed F4U on my second mission of the day but that s another story The next morning 25 September we began combat strikes against the enemy positions around the city Joining us in this our first exposure to enemy fire were two other Marine attack squadrons one flying Vought Corsairs and the other one flying Grumman F7F Tigercats On the first day we lost the commander of the other Corsair squadron plus several other pilots and a number of aircraft Our own commanding officer was shot down and seriously wounded The commander of the F7F squadron was hit by ground fire but managed to bail out we had the opportunity to see the extravaganza and it proved to be a most unusual and professional performance I would compare the chorus line as something between the Rockettes and the Follies in Paris To say the least it certainly beat the hell out of living in tents in the mud at Kimpo Although we took a great many loses the enemy took even more Three days after our initial attack I had the occasion to take a jeep ride into the city and to see first hand the total destruction By then the North Koreans were in full retreat Dead bodies were everywhere and the buildings what was still left of them were still smoking Flying an F4U dropping 500 pound bombs and strafing targets from the air is one thing seeing firsthand Seoul at that time was occupied the resulting devastation on the by North Korean troops and the ground is something else Well as city was under attack by both U S history will confirm the combined Army troops and Marines and firepower of the Marines and the fighting was going full blast That Army during the next few days had evening Washing Machine Charlie the North Koreans running for their paid us a Welcome to Korea visit lives We flew every day and there We soon learned that Charlie was no shortage of targets and was a small North Korean bi wing thankfully not a lot of opposition By bomber and was in the habit of 10 October the enemy was backed showing up about the same time up almost to the Chinese border each evening but rarely did any the war was over or so we thought damage The first night Charlie and our squadron was ordered proved just a bit unnerving so we back to Japan made use of our slit trenches after There were no adequate officers that we didn t bother I will never quarter at Itami so we took up forget that first evening between residence in an old hotel named Charlie s ineffective bombs dropping Takarazuka located in the town around us plus the fire fights taking with the same name The hotel lies place in the nearby city it reminded in between Osaka and Kobe and me of the Washington Mall on the was famous at least in Japan for Fourth of July its exotic dancers Living there It was during this interlude at Shangri La that some smart ass colonel on the Headquarters staff recalled that I was a command pilot in the R4D DC 3 and therefore decided that my talent could be more productive than me relaxing Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 73

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R4D 6 Skytrain Gooney Bird around Takarazuka And so it came to pass that early on the morning of 21 October I was the unwilling pilot of an R4D 6 Bureau Number 50767 yoke and throttle in hand heading down the runway at Itami Air Base bound for a place I had hardly heard of Wonson North Korea It appeared that while I was enjoying the lovely sights and leisures offered in Takarazuka the Chinese had been moving about 300 000 troops into Northern part of Korea As a result our planners in the Wing were actively looking for airfields to deploy Marine squadrons as close as possible to the Chosin Reservoir in order to support the Marine Division there Today it might seem strange that my pals and I in Takarazuka were not aware of the Chinese movement but in those days there was no television let alone CNN or Fox News in our remote hideaway Also the Chinese advance was in the very early stages I don t remember exactly whether I was the co pilot or command pilot that day The other pilot was a colonel however my logbook says that I did most of the flying 74 yellowsheet www flymcaa org The weather that day turned out to be some of the worst I had ever encountered We experienced freezing rain sleet and snow and what with the heavy ice all over the aircraft together with about 80 knot winds right on our nose it took us four hours and twenty minutes to reach Wonson an average of not much above 80 knots per hour ground speed Another problem was that there were no navigational aids to assist us and no communications Thank goodness the wind was right at our nose otherwise we would have ended up in China We found our destination with the help of a small portable direction finding unit the U S Army who had earlier secured the area had set up for us I was advised ordered to take my bird together with passengers several miles north of Wonson to another small airfield called Yonpo As a point of reference Yonpo is located just a few miles outside of the city of Hamhung and was the closest airfield to the Chosin Reservoir where the Division was just beginning to fight its way toward the port of Hamhung For our short flight from Wonson to Yonpo we were provided a flight of two F 51 s as a fighter escort which I believed to be totally unnecessary However I suppose that the powers that be did not wish to take any chances of losing half of the Air Wing s senior staff We spent another two hours at Yonpo and then headed for home As passengers aboard that day we had senior staff members from the Wing including a couple of engineers We were told that their job was to make an on site survey to determine the feasibility of placing operational squadrons on the base After landing the staff members spent about two hours doing their thing at which point The flight back went much easier than the one going over because we had the wind with us rather than in our face Our flight time on the return leg was two hours twenty minutes quite the difference There was no fuel available at either Wonson or Yonpo so it was just as well we had help from the wind At most we had one hour

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of fuel remaining when we landed at Itami It had been a long and tiring day and that night I fully appreciated being back in my tiny room at Takarazuka However the honeymoon was over and our time enjoying the abundance of Takarazuka was finished Two days after my R4D flight to North Korea we were back at Itami exercising over Corsairs and four days later the squadron moved to Wonson flying close air support missions in support of the Marines at the Chosin Reservoir The always dapper Maj Grasselli and myself at the 2013 Battle of Midway dinner as tough it was just yesterday at the first writing of this over 48 years ago The event may and then again may not be of single historical value It represented to me a past experience I believe worthy of recording if only for my memoirs To this day there remain a number of unanswered questions concerning the flight The decision to move Marine air squadrons to Wonson and Yonpo may have already been made and the purpose of my flight was only to inspect the facilities Again I will probably never know just why I was selected to make that particular flight The R4D belonged to Wing Headquarters and there was a permanent assigned crew Furthermore why was the flight scheduled to leave from Itami when the Wing Headquarters was That flight remains in the R4D on in Pusan Korea The fact remains 21 October remains in my memory On 10 November the Marine Corps birthday we flew our planes to Yonpo and according to my logbook I flew a mission at the Reservoir that same day We continued operating from Yonpo until 4 December at which time we were forced to evacuate the area It may be of interest to note that we were back in the area supporting the Division s final withdrawal two weeks later only this time operating from USS Bataan with 24 new F4U s The rest is history that the flight did occur just as I have described it and I m happy to have lived long enough to write about it Editor s Note I recently uncovered the story above that Major Albert A Grasselli USMC Retired an MCAA Life Member submitted to me in August of 2011 and earlier to my predecessor Margaret Warrior Princess Bone I never published it though Why Because in 2011 I was new to MCAA and admittedly an Iron Duck in a shark infested sea AKA Crash Casey My priorities were to carry on as the Warrior Princess would have take every criticism swim faster than the Shark and not get fired No need to call and personally thank me on that analogy Crash I am forever beholden to you for every course correction As part of this the Warrior Princess had left me Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 75

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Or perhaps it was because I was fascinated by his good luck and how his life took more twists and turns than most Though I may never know why we became friends so quickly finding his story years later and being able to connect all of the dots between this article his stories his career and our friendship is a gift Here s a snapshot of his journey Albert A Grasselli was born in Eureka Kansas in 1919 As a child after witnessing World War I era British biplanes fly over during a funeral he became obsessed with airplanes and dreamed of flying one day After leaving high school Grasselli played semi professional basketball in Oklahoma for short stint and in 1938 around this 18th birthday he tried enlisting in the Army He was told that he was too young and too tall he was already well over six feet tall Never one to take no for an answer a few years later he would apply for the Naval Aviation Cadet Program This time he was disqualified because of poor eyesight As luck would have it the Marine Corps recruiter was in the office next door and heard his rejection The recruiter stopped him on his way out of the building and reassured him that he would get a flight slot if he joined the Marine Corps so he did His resolve to fly was further reinforced by his unpleasant experience at boot camp Sound familiar several articles So when Major Grasselli mailed me his article I placed it in a file marked Future Pubs then 90 year old Marine walked up introduced himself and handed me a drink a bold move on his part Ironically six months after Major Grasselli submitted his article I would meet him at an event Although I wouldn t put the two occurrences together until I rediscovered his submission almost ten years later Since I didn t know anyone else at the event I went along with it I m glad I did because Grasselli and I would continue our friendship including our annual date each June at the Battle of Midway dinner until his passing in 2015 Perhaps it was our Midwest upbringing Or perhaps the fact that we both liked the Marine Corps and Martinis Our first meeting occurred at a dinner at the Army Navy Country Club Amid a crowded room the 76 yellowsheet www flymcaa org Grasselli s luck would start to change when he was assigned as an aerial photographer for one of his first duties No matter the capacity he was elated to finally be on an airplane In January 1941 he sailed to Oahu with a group of Marines who were charged with building up the airfield that would become Ewa Marine Airbase it was located several miles west of Pearl Harbor directly between the U S Fleet in the Pacific and an approaching Japanese force

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Adm Jonathan W Greenert Chief of Naval Operations presents Maj Albert Grasselli USMC Ret with a Battle of Midway proclamation during a wreath laying ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington DC on 4 June 2012 PHOTO COURTESY DEFENSE GOV While stationed there he began taking college courses at night at the University of Hawaii On 6 December 1941 he was out celebrating successfully finishing the semester with his fellow Marines As a side note one of the Marines was his bunkmate and best friend George Temple Shirley Temple s brother fire back until that was done Even though we had the airfield up and running we didn t have time to unload most of the supplies I don t know how but by the end of the attack me and my fellow allnighters had not only survived but had also managed to down one Japanese plane in the process There were over 2 400 Americans According to Grasselli he and his who were not that lucky pals were out until after four o clock After the attack Marines on Ewa in the morning Since reveille was quickly reestablished the base and within the hour they didn t even the logistics chain started to flow bother to take their uniforms off with new planes and equipment or to get under their blankets however the Marine Corps lacked They also made sure their rifles navigators Since Grasselli was were ready to go this would prove already on the island had completed prophetic because they would a few semesters of college and wake up to war was begging to fly they sent him to an intelligence course He was Grasselli recalling that chaotic promised a navigator slot if he did morning well After completing the course he My first thought was that my and one other Marine became two of mates were playing jokes on us the first designated aerial navigators for staying out all night However in the Marine Corps I quickly realized the severity Upon learning of Grasselli s new of what was occurring as I saw rating a grunt buddy of his told exploding planes and shots zipping him be careful what you wish for by my head I avoided getting shot flyboy He laughed at the time while I helped unpack crates and but said he thought of the grunt s crates of 30 caliber machine gun comment on his first 17 hour ammunition We couldn t really training dead reckoning flight he was nervous covered in sweat and promised to get on the straight and narrow if he found his way By the time the Japanese attacked Midway in June 1942 Grasselli had several flights to his credit He recalled navigating a squadron of more than 20 SB2U aircraft over 1 000 miles of water to Midway Island he also flew supply missions prior to the start of the battle Grasselli s account of Midway was witnessing total chaos seeing an inbound Air Corps B 17 and other aircraft engulfed in flames and Marines flying planes that should have gone to the boneyard long ago Considering he had witnessed and survived the attack at Pearl Harbor his account of Midway as chaotic is fascinating One thing is for sure Midway had affected him he always considered himself one lucky Marine to have survived it For perspective the United States lost one aircraft carrier one destroyer over 150 aircraft and over 300 personnel Once the dust settled on Midway he started to transport Marines and Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 77

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Seven Midway veterans pose with a former Under Secretary of the Navy L to R LTC Joseph Miller Chief Steward Andrew Mills LTC Bill Roy The Honorable Robert Work Capt Jack Crawford Chief Howard Snell Chief GM Henry Kudzik Seated Maj Albert Grasselli The veterans and Work were presented with a NHF member Dr Tom Hone s The Battle of Midway The Naval Institute Guide to the U S Navy s Greatest Victory books provided courtesy Naval Institute Press PHOTO AND CAPTION CREDIT NAVAL HISTORICAL FOUNDATION Sailors back to the states One of the passengers was Captain James Roosevelt the son of President Roosevelt who had written a letter to his father about the treacherous state of the equipment Of course he hand delivered it to the White House Grasselli always insisted that the Marines got better equipment after that day After Midway with years of navigating experience under his belt Grasselli applied to flight school Evidently the need for qualified pilots outweighed his poor vision or stature because he was finally accepted to flight training He earned his Wings of Gold and was commissioned as an officer on 3 December 1943 The following month he went back to the Pacific as a transport aircraft pilot Soon after he deployed he would fly one of his most noteworthy missions He piloted the plane carrying Charles Lindbergh to Palmyra While there the two men had a lot of time to talk about the stars and navigation Grasselli was fascinated by Lindbergh s knowledge and graciousness 78 yellowsheet www flymcaa org He went on to serve on Oahu and became an interim aide to General Walter Farrell He also ferried numerous aircraft during his time on the island After the war he served as a test pilot flying rebuilt aircraft He once joked that the aircraft were so rough that tower personnel became accustomed to his frenzied calls to clear the runways With the uptick of the Korean War he requested to go back to an operational squadron in hopes of deploying His good luck remained He was assigned to Marine Fighter Squadron 212 VMF 212 Devil Cats in August 1950 who would later fly close air support missions for the 1st Marine Division at Chosin Reservoir Grasselli recollected that by December the squadron was depleted of both men and aircraft it was down to five up aircraft He also talked about how enemy combatants would attack their tents from time to time As the hostilities worsened the squadron headed to Itami Japan and began conducting flight operations from USS Bataan He good luck was still holding By 1951 18 Devil Cats were lost either in combat or to accidents Grasselli was the last original member of the squadron as replacement pilots began arriving By the end of his deployment he had flown 86 combat missions earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses and seven Air Medals He went on to serve as the pilot to two Marine Corps commandants and the aide de camp to the commander in chief of U S Forces in Europe He retired as a major in 1960 After military retirement he opened the first North American Aviation office in Paris France In 1967 he become the Vice President of Rockwell International in Washington DC He retired again in 1980 only to start a consulting company and travel all over the world but primarily in the Middle East and Europe In his later years he would continue to advocate for preserving what was left of Ewa Field and traveling around as a Guest of Honor for Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway events

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A Backseat View from the Phantom a Memoir of a Marine Radar Intercept Officer in Vietnam BY FLEET S LENTZ JR COL USMCR RET MCFARLAND COMPANY INC NORTH CAROLINA 2020 219 PAGES ILL 29 95 BOOKS IN REVIEW REVIEW BY CDR PETER MERSKY U S NAVY RESERVE RET This small publisher has put out a few interesting books recently and this new book is one of the best Although there has been a lot written about the Vietnam air war very little if anything specific has covered the somewhat unique situation that developed after the ceasefire of January 1973 which had brought the main fighting to an end and allowed most of the long held American prisoners of war to be repatriated However fighting continued in Laos and Cambodia as the communist forces in these adjacent countries tried to consolidate their positions in Southeast Asia SEA While American sea and land forces largely withdrew from the area the Marines kept one squadron each of F 4s and A 4s in country well into the summer of 1973 operating from the Royal Thai Air Base at Nam Phong fondly referred to as The Rose Garden in wry reference to a popular country song whose lead lyric reminded I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden And that note was certainly true because the base offered little in amenities for the longsuffering Marine aviators and their ground troops From the moment they arrived the Silver Eagles of VMFA 115 struggled to maintain their big fighters as well as their morale while flying almost daily missions into areas that still promised major enemy defense fires largely antiaircraft artillery flak of all calibers The squadron had been involved in the previous major campaigns from 1965 flying from bases in South Vietnam along with other services ground targets these flights prove to be just as dangerous as any in the main war His writing is superb and brings the reader whether he be without any personal knowledge of these experiences or perhaps a veteran aviator who has seen much of the same thing right into the SEA air war We meet several characters who take the new RIO on his first combat missions each with their unique call signs by which the author still remembers them most are senior to him and have logged much more combat time as he struggles to keep up with them and learn as much as he can and as fast as he can so he can become a fully functioning crew member As he gains experience and confidence he finds himself in positions of advising pilots as they struggle through mission One example involves aerial tanking which is not an easy part of the overall flight His pilot is a full colonel and in command of the aircraft group Although a good bomber he admits that the difficult exercise of plugging into a tanker s basket is not his strong suit and he proceeds to prove it As their big fighter s engines continue to gobble up their remaining fuel the senior pilot struggles to plug into the tanker s basket and time is quickly passing It is here where the now experienced RIO behind him shows his value and calms the pilot down and leads him into successfully plugging into the KC 130 tanker ahead of them and eventually returning to their base in Thailand Afterward the pilot quickly expresses his profound gratitude in a simple Now First Lieutenant Lentz a manner that meant a lot to the young newly minted radar intercept officer RIO arrives and quickly begins flying officer who flew behind him helped him refuel and bring them and their eventually 131 missions with the veteran pilots who had preceded him valuable aircraft back Mainly close air support in nature Colonel Lentz also describes the but occasionally against enemy late war attitude to fighting enemy MiG fighters Even at the end of the war the Marine crews still hoped they would find and engage the stilldangerous MiGs that had played such a highly publicized role in the previous war U S Navy and U S Air Force crews had shot down many MiGs but Marine aviators had tallied only three kills two of which while on exchange tours in Air Force squadrons and one with a Marine crew in a Marine Phantom With the legends of people like Pappy Boyington and Joe Foss behind them Vietnam Marines still hoped for that one chance to add to the list of scores However with the war winding down around them the chances for even seeing a MiG dissipate and just having a ground controller offer a simple vector to a bandit even if it soon proves impossible to prosecute to a successful conclusion i e make the kill becomes a morale booster for the men still engaged in fighting the remnants of the war Quite a few Vietnam veterans are now writing their stories and this new book is one of the best I have seen and focuses on a period of the war about which many people know little Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 79

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Foundations of Russian Military Flight 1885 1925 BY JAMES K LIBBEY NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS ANNAPOLIS MD 21402 2019 264 PP ILL 38 REVIEW BY CDR PETER MERSKY U S NAVY RESERVE RET This mini history is unusual in its time frame and scope of Russian social and political events and how they applied to early aviation activities and developments of the transitional period between the 19th and 20th centuries We normally consider specific periods such as World War I and World War II the troublesome years of the Korean War and its aftermath where the world was divided between the western side of American and NATO allies against the Soviet Union and its bloc of European puppet states Americans tend to only focus on the last decades of the last century and the fall of the USSR However we tend to forget that long before those events Russia had a very active aviation oriented society that strove to place its country at first ruled by its czar and then by its communist leaders following the revolutions of 1917 and the years that followed in the leadership of aviation design and development Such lofty aspirations were not easy to realize Peter B Mersky is a book reviewer and author of several books on U S Navy and Marine Corps aviation subjects as well as the first book on Israeli fighter aces to be published outside Israel Specialty Press 1997 A retired U S Navy Reserve commander he was the editor of Approach the Navy s aviation safety magazine and has written his book review column for Naval Aviation News since 1982 80 yellowsheet www flymcaa org This author wrote a well received biography Potomac Books 2013 of Russian born aviation pioneer Alexander P de Seversky a Russian Navy WWI ace who emigrated to the United States and began an aviation manufacturing company that eventually became Republic Aircraft the makers of the P 47 Thunderbolt and jet aircraft like the Korean War F 84 Thunderjet and F 105 Thunderchief that flew thousands of sorties during the Vietnam War His company was responsible for several pre WWII designs such as the P 35 single seat fighter a few of which saw brief action in the days following Pearl Harbor His new book opens a window into aviation activities in Czarist Russia and follows those groups into the revolutions that changed Russia and the world in so many ways finally settling down into what became the Soviet Union in the mid 1920s enough to form the nearly monolithic nation and society the world came to know during the late 1930s and which allied itself somewhat uncertainly with its western neighbors to fight and defeat Nazi Germany in WWII

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BOOKS IN REVIEW Hellcat vs Shiden Shiden Kai Pacific Theater 1944 45 BY TONY HOLMES OSPREY PUBLISHING OXFORD UK 2019 ILL 22 REVIEW BY CDR PETER MERSKY U S NAVY RESERVE RET Stepping out of his role as Osprey s premier aviation book editor Tony Holmes took a break to write this authoritative view of two of the late Pacific War s most capable fighters the U S Navy s F6F 3 5 Hellcat and the Imperial Japanese Navy s IJN late war design Kawanishi N1K1 2 Shiden and upgraded Shiden Kai While Grumman was responsible for several of the Navy s fighters of the war Kawanishi designed the IJN s heavy flying boats that fought throughout the Pacific War Thus it was unusual that Kawanishi would come up with one of that time frame s potentially premier naval fighters that threatened to strip a few cogs in the USN s now well organized and equipped machine that was running almost unchecked across what had once been something of a Japanese lake in 1942 Indeed had there been enough of these rather chunky but well armed fighters in the few remaining IJN fighter squadrons to confront the oncoming Allied fighter fleet the U S might have suffered quite a few more lost Hellcats and Corsairs at the hands of the few remaining Japanese aces that knew what to do with their new fighter Using the established format of the Duel series which he designed this being No 91 Holmes describes each fighter s gestation and eventual service introduction The Hellcat s history is fairly well known but that of the Shiden s may not be in the detail that the author offers Indeed how it came to be and its eventual final design is a very unusual story Originally conceived as a high performing float plane fighter along the lines of Mitsubishi s A6M2 N Zero float fighter codenamed Rufe that fought in the Solomons campaign of 1942 the N1K1 Kyofu named Rex served in fairly small numbers and was rarely engaged by Allied aircraft whereas the Rufe saw combat with USN Wildcats over Guadalcanal and its vicinity On the other hand as Holmes notes the Hellcat saw its first combat in September 1943 and kept going the Dash 3 soon giving way to the Dash 5 The interior graphics by Osprey artist Jim Laurier are at their usual superior level as are the cover graphics and the two page battle scene engagement by Scottish artist Gareth Hector Laurier s threeviews and depiction of each type s cockpits something of unusual hard to find references continue to be interesting high points of this series The people who flew and fought these aircraft are certainly not ignored and biographies and brief descriptions of a few of each sides representative aviators round out this book one of the best in the long lived Duel series Highly recommended Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 81

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As the war progressed across the Central Pacific the Corps land based squadrons were being increasingly left in the lurch of waiting for an airstrip to be completed or captured before they could fly in to begin supporting ground troops Marine squadrons were relegated to attacking bypassed Japanese held islands in the South and Central Pacific to keep them neutralized instead of fulfilling Geiger s precept close support of ground troops The Navy s carrier based air had increasingly assumed this mission despite the Marine ground commanders complaints of the type and amount of air support they had received In the meeting with Admiral King Lieutenant General Vandegrift proposed that Marine squadrons be assigned to aircraft carriers This was not new According to Robert Sherrod s History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II two Marine squadrons were based on the Navy s original carrier USS Langley and during the late 1930s the Corps tactical squadrons periodically qualified on board carriers and participated in fleet exercises the course Marine aviation and was to take in the Pacific for the remainder of the war according to History of Marine Corps Operations in World War II Victory and Occupation by the U S Marine Corps Historical Branch Nimitz concurred with Vandegrift and recommended the assignment of one escort carrier CVE division of six Commencement Bay class carriers to support amphibious operations On 3 February 1945 USS Block Island CVE 106 became the first escort carrier to house Marine squadrons Marine Fighter Squadron 511 VMF 511 and Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron 233 VMTB 233 Three others were furnished at intervals of one month Gilbert Islands VMF 512 and VMTB 143 Vella Gulf VMF 513 and VMTB 234 Cape Gloucester VMF 351 and VMTB 132 By 21 May 1945 the four Marine CVEs with the addition of the all Navy Kula Gulf and Siboney made up Carrier Division 27 Admiral King approved the recommendation on 10 September 1944 with the proviso that when Army Air Forces were available they would replace up to one Marine Corps wing Vandegrift crowed I pinch myself now and then to see if I m still awake we have gotten both Nimitz and King to approve a division of the larger CVEs for use of Marines In January 1939 the Secretary of the Navy Claude A Swanson approved the mission and organization of Marine aviation Marine Corps aviation is to be equipped organized and trained primarily for the support of the Fleet Marine Air Support Marine Force in landing operations Division and in support of troop activities in the field and secondarily as At the direction of the CNO the replacement squadrons for carrierCommandant formed the Marine based naval aircraft Air Support Division consisting of two Marine Air Support Groups King assented to Vandegrift s 48 and 51 MASG 48 and 51 recommendation with the comprising a total of twelve stipulation that Admiral Chester Nimitz Commander in Chief Pacific squadrons The groups were attached to Marine Fleet Air West Ocean Areas concur On his return Coast MarFAirWest at San Diego from a Central Pacific inspection MASG 48 contained a Marine tour Vandegrift stopped at Pearl Observation Squadron VMO a Harbor for a three day conference VMF and two VMTB squadrons with Admiral Nimitz MASG 51 contained four VMFs and The decisions they made in the four VMTBs The squadrons were course of these talks determined 84 yellowsheet www flymcaa org Commencement Bay Class Aircraft Carrier The Commencement Bay class escort carrier was the largest escort carrier of its type with a length of 557 feet a width of 75 feet wide and a flight deck beam of 105 feet The small size of the carrier greatly added to the difficultly of landing As one pilot explained Looking down on a CV E you had the feeling you were going to land on a shingle Looking down on a baby flat top you had the feeling you were going to land on a playing card and it was probably a joker at that The carrier could accommodate 34 aircraft and had a crew of 1 000 men Its maximum speed was rated at 20 2 knots Thirty three of the carriers were ordered but only nineteen were commissioned and only nine saw action None were lost in combat designated with the letters CVS for Carrier Support for example VMF CVS 112 and VMTB CVS 143 The overall designation given to the all Marine carrier force was Marine Carrier Groups Aircraft Fleet Marine Force Pacific AirFMFPac which was officially activated on 21 October 1944 at Marine Corps Air Station MCAS Santa Barbara California under the command of Colonel Albert D Cooley The Marine CVE aviation component was formed around six 18 plane fighter F4U or F6F aircraft squadrons VMF and six 12 plane torpedo bomber squadrons VMTB Additionally Marine aviation in the Pacific was reorganized as AirFMFPac Each of the escort carriers was home to a Marine Carrier Group MCVG consisting of a Marine Carrier Service Detachment MCASD a VMF CVS and a VMTB CVS

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VMF 124 213 pilots CV 9 1945 Fast Carrier Task Force Before the Marine CVE program could get underway however the situation in the Pacific changed drastically The kamikaze suicide attacks during the Philippine invasion in October 1944 and the Okinawan invasion in April 1945 sent shock waves through the Navy and brought an urgent request for the temporary employment of Marine VMF squadrons on the fast carriers Ten Marine fighter squadrons were assigned to five Essex class aircraft carriers of the Fast Carrier Task Force Essex CV 9 VMF 124 and 213 Bennington CV 20 VMF 112 and 123 Wasp CV 18 VMF 216 and 217 Bunker Hill CV 17 VMF 221 and 451 Franklin CV 13 VMF 214 and 452 The Fast Carrier Task Force was made up of several separate task groups of three to four aircraft carriers and supporting ships and functioned as the Navy s prominent strike fighting force in the Pacific War from January 1944 to until the war ended When the Fast Carrier Task Force sailed under Admiral William Bull Halsey s Third Fleet it became Task Force 38 and when assigned to Admiral Raymond Spruance s Fifth Fleet it became Task Force 58 In essence the two fleets were generally the same ships and only their command teams were different USS Essex CV 9 The VMF 124 Checkerboards and VMF 213 Hellhawks equipped with Vought F4U 1D Corsairs were the first squadrons with this type of aircraft to be assigned to the big carriers They joined USS Essex CV 9 at Ulithi Western Carolinas on 28 December 1944 and immediately sailed to launch strikes on Formosa The pilots had an average of twelve carrier landings and a total of about four hundred hours of flight time in the Corsair In the several days it took Essex to reach the target area the two squadrons lost seven pilots and thirteen aircraft solely as a result of operational accidents primarily during instrument flight conditions Lieutenant Colonel William Millington commanding officer of VMF 124 acknowledged Numerous problems were experienced in the process of familiarizing the Marine pilots with carrier doctrine and procedure The rush to get the Marine squadrons aboard Essex had not allowed enough time for the pilots to master instrument training One Marine pilot commented We just can t learn navigation and carrier operations in a week as well as the Navy does it in six months On 30 December Second Lieutenant Thomas Campion Jr was the first loss He spun into the sea as he tried to clear his takeoff slipstream by a hard right bank at slow speed and spun in landing on his back The Corsair exploded as it hit and Campion never had a chance to get out The next day Second Lieutenant Barney W Bennett lost power on approach and his aircraft went in on its back The pilot was not seen again Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 85

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Corsairs with VMF 213 PHOTO COURTESY U S MARINE CORPS F4U Corsair Known as Whistling Death the F4U was one of the great fighters of World War II where it was credited with downing 2 140 enemy aircraft with just 189 losses an eleven to one air combat ratio but it was a difficult airplane to fly retired Marine Major Walter Attebery declared It demanded your constant attention even when cruising in smooth air at altitude Colonel John J Geuss explained It was tough landing on the carrier During the landing approach the pilot couldn t see the deck because of the plane s long nose and the location of the cockpit Additionally its huge engine produced large amounts of torque which could easily twist the airplane on its back The early models also had problems with the undercarriage causing it to bounce on landing strike against French Indo China The strike scored direct bomb hits on two ships and destroyed or damaged 20 planes on the ground First Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Joseph O Lynch s Corsair was hit by small arms fire knocking out his engine He landed in a rice paddy 50 yards from a Japanese runway The last his wingman saw of him was when he waved his hand in salute Unbelievably a native policeman picked him up and smuggled him to a French colonial outpost where he hid out along with three Navy pilots in a women s prison After six weeks they were taken to Hanoi Vietnam for internment Through the efforts of a German Legionnaire he was able to make his way to safety Essex returned to Ulithi on the 26th where she was joined by three other large carriers Bennington Wasp and Bunker Hill with their Marine squadrons The Fast Carrier Task Force now had eight Marine squadrons 144 Corsairs and 216 Marine pilots On 12 February the fleet 122 ships including eleven CVs and five CVLs totaling 1 200 aircraft weighted anchor for strikes on Japan and to provide air support for the invasion of Iwo Jima Bad weather forced the fleet to cut short its Japanese operations and head south to support the D day landings Go in and Scrape Your Bellies on the Beach At 0642 on 19 February Colonel Millington led 24 Corsairs in an attack on the flanks and high ground along the landing beaches and at H 45 to H 35 they dropped napalm fired rockets and strafed In the Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 87

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MEMBERS ONLY We thank you for your generous support WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Capt Scott Aquino Maj Aaron Huffman David Peacock Maj Eric Armstrong LtCol Michael Hutchings Col Matthew Phares GySgt Scott Atwood Maj Justin Ito Maj Matthew Phillips LtCol Miguel Avila Sgt Omar Jabr LtCol Ryan Pope LtCol Wesley Bane 1stLt Jordan Kangwijaya Mr John Price Maj Daniel Bono Cpl Rick Keener Maj James Pritchard LtCol Mark Bortnem LtCol Melissa Kelley CAPT Neal Ridge Maj Christopher Bourbeau SSgt Roshan Kendrick CDR William Riels Capt Samuel Bruggeman CAPT David Kennedy LtCol Michael Saddler Mr Ray Buckberry LtCol Thomas Kerley Col George Sanchez Maj Josh Carpenter Capt Paul Kornfuehrer LtCol Casey Shea Maj Ben Cather LtCol Dale Kratzer Maj Josh Showalter LtCol Greer Chambless Col Frank Latt LtCol Jeremy Siegel MajGen Mark Clark Maj Kyle Lauterbach GySgt Timothy Smith Maj David Comfort Mr William Leezer LtCol William Smith RADM Brian Corey Maj Benjamin Lenox LtCol Russell Strange Capt Brian Danforth Maj Jonathan Lewenthal Sgt Michael Taylor Maj Joseph Davin Col Daren Margolin LtCol James Thompson Mr Robert Deason Capt Jim Markel LtCol Mark Thompson Mr John Dicks LtCol Jason Martin CDR Christopher Toms LtCol Dale Fenton Maj Marin Matijevic Reuben Torres LtCol William Fiser Sgt Brandy McCoy Col Michael Ulses Col Jeffery Gardner Maj Aaron Mekolik Maj Joseph Weakley GySgt McClain MacK Garrett 2ndLt Christopher Naber Capt Joseph Whittaker MSgt Justin Hackworth Capt Hung Nguyen Maj Robert Wicker Capt Nicholas Hamilton Capt Alexander Obremski LtCol Nicholas Wineman Capt Patrick Haynes LtCol Douglas Ogden LtCol Stephen York Cpl Richard Hoffpauer Mr Tetsuya Otabe LtCol David Zartman 90 yellowsheet www flymcaa org

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READ From Fall 2015 Yellow Sheet 2021 Skyhawker Reunion INITIAL Gold Coast Hotel and Casino 4000 W Flamingo Road Las Vegas NV 89103 How to Register To get these rates 30 nite Sunday thru Thursday and pop up to 60 nite Friday and Saturday nites you need to refer to being part of the USMC Skyhawker Reunion Reservation ID ASK1C11 Without this ID you will NOT get our special rate whether you reserve online or on the phone To reserve online go to the hotel website at www goldcoastcasino com groups or call the hotel s Room Reservations Department direct at 888 402 6278 Note The online form for reservations will not execute if you use auto fill Type all entries Room Rates For the reunion they will be 30 night Sunday thru Thursday and pop up to 60 night Friday and Saturday nights A county room tax of 13 38 will be added each nite And finally a lower than average for Vegas Resort Fee of 25 99 plus tax per room per day will also be added to your room charges All in all expect to be paying a total of about 70 102 for each room night still quite reasonable The reunion is also receiving free hotel parking valet tips appreciated surface and or garage Deposit First night s room and tax will be charged at the time of booking Note that your emailed hotel registration receipt will show the grand totals for your entire stay not just the deposit General Reunion Schedule tentative Thursday Registration check in all day in Ballroom Ready Room hospitality 13 1700 Welcome Reception 19 2300 Friday Touring Day We expect to proceed by bus to Nellis AFB for a Memorial Service at the base chapel 09 1030 followed by a tour of the Petting Zoo Secret Gear Museum 1030 1200 lunch at O Club 12 1330 Buses home for those desiring a shorter day Visit to Draken International on the Nellis Flight Line 14 1600 buses home mini reunion squadron gatherings for dinner Ready Room hospitality 20 2300 Draken BTW has an impressive mini air force on the Nellis flight line not the least of which are a dozen A 4 s plus Mirages Cheetahs and L 159 s etc Should be a great tour Saturday Optional tours as possible and desired a trip out to Creech AFB where the USAF worldwide drone operations center is located possible Las Vegas museums of interest Mob Museum Neon Museum National Atomic Testing Museum as well as unique formula racing real bulldozing etc mini reunion squadron gatherings for brunch lunch Ready Room hospitality 13 1700 Farewell dinner or reception TBD 19 2300 Sunday Ready Room hospitality 10 1200 final kiss offs The Distinguished Flying Cross Society Biennial Reunion Washington DC from 23 26 September 2021 The theme of the convention will be Riders on the Storm Desert Storm Desert Storm DFC recipients will be honored at the event and appropriate honors will be rendered for their achievements at the Gala Banquet Reflecting the Desert Storm theme the speakers include DFC Society member General Richard Cody USA Ret former Vice Chief of Staff of the U S Army who led the first night Apache helicopter strike that took out Iraqi early warning radars and Lieutenant General David Deptula USAF Ret the principal attack planner for the Desert Storm coalition air campaign Two additional speakers will be Vice Admiral David Buss USN Ret and Lieutenant Colonel Ted Herman USMC Ret Both are DFC Society members who were awarded DFCs for Desert Storm missions POC Warren Eastman weastman dfcsociety org PH 760 985 2810 Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 91

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TAPS SOME GAVE ALL CAPT JOHN ALIYETTI SR USMC RET AGE 85 VERO BEACH FL He joined an apprenticeship right out of high school with Westinghouse Electronic Corporation and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1952 to hone his electronics skills However he was assigned to be a trumpet player in the Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band instead He served in Korea After the war he was discharged from the Marine Corps and joined the Navy Reserve as a cadet In 1955 he began training as a Naval Aviator Aliyetti was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and earned his Wings of Gold He flew fighter planes and helicopters serving in the Far East during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis He also served in Guantanamo Bay and Cuba as a forward air controller He retired from the Marine Corps as a captain in 1966 After retirement he worked for American Airlines He is survived by his wife Penny and their children COL WARREN FERDINAND USMC RET AGE 85 MILTON MA He proudly served 30 years in the Marine Corps attaining the rank of colonel He was awarded numerous personal decorations including two Distinguished Flying Crosses the Bronze Star with the Combat V device thirty five Air Medals two Meritorious Service Medals and the Combat Action Ribbon He was a graduate of Harvard University BA and Central Michigan University MA He is preceded in death by his first wife Jenifer and is survived by his second wife Mary LTCOL PETER FLATLEY USMC RET AGE 72 SEQUIM WASHINGTON Flatley served in the Marine Corps from June 1969 until retirement in September 1993 He served in Vietnam and the Gulf of Tonkin He was a naval flight officer flying EA 6B Prowlers with VMAQ 2 at Whidbey Island WA and at Cherry Point NC He continued in the electronic warfare field at Norfolk VA and San Antonio TX His final assignment was on the staff at the Naval War College Newport RI After retirement he became an ordained Catholic deacon He is survived by his wife Janet their children and grandchildren LTCOL ROBERT GILLON SR USMC RET AGE 89 ORANGE CA As he was graduating from the University of California the Korean War was underway and he joined the Naval Aviation Cadet Program He attended flight training was commissioned as a second lieutenant and designated a Naval Aviator in 1954 this was his life long dream and would be his career for more than 20 years He was stationed at MCAS El Toro CA twice Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune NC Pensacola FL MCAS Kaneohe HI and the Pentagon in Washington D C He was a decorated officer who served wartime tours in Korea Japan and Vietnam After retirement he moved back to CA and made a career in real estate investing He is preceded in death by his first wife Glenna and survived by his second wife Judy ANNIE GLENN AGE 100 COLUMBUS OH She went to Muskingum College in 1942 and in 1943 she married her childhood sweetheart the late Senator John Glenn After her husband entered the astronaut program she became a celebrity and a role model for the standard patriotic American home in the 1960s She was happily married to her husband for 73 years and supported him throughout his Marine Corps career and afterwards during his career in the Senate starting in 1974 In 1973 she decided to treat her severe stutter with a fluency shaping program at Hollins University She had remarkable progress and used her celebrity influence to advocate for people with communication and physical disabilities She worked as adjunct professor in the speech pathology department at Ohio State University She also served on advisory boards for various child abuse and speech and hearing organizations In 1987 the American Speech Language Hearing Association created a national award named after her to recognize people who make a positive impact on those with communication disorders The MCAA John Glenn Squadron at Pax River MD also created a scholarship in her name to honor her contributions both Senator and Mrs Glenn were big supporters of their squadron and scholarship program She is survived by her two children David and Lyn MAJGEN W H BILL GOSSEL USMC RET AGE 88 DALLAS TX Upon completion of his flight training he received his wings in June 1956 During his active duty years he served with both MAG36 and 16 flying the UH 34 While deployed with MAG 16 he also supported the Philippine Army during OPERATION STRONGBACK Upon transitioning from active duty in 1959 he joined the Reserves and served in various leadership positions including CO of HMH 777 XO MAG 41 AWC 4th MAW Mobilization CG for MCAS El Toro CA MCAS Cherry Point NC and MCB Camp Pendleton CA during his 32 years in the Reserves He is survived by his wife Marge LTCOL JACK HARRIS USMC RET AGE 93 SANTA BARBARA CA When WWII started he wanted to join the Marine Corps As soon as he was old enough he joined attending the University of New Mexico for officer training followed by flight training He then joined VMF 223 and was deployed to Korea in 1951 flying 87 combat missions and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and four air medals He served a second tour in Korea this time in night fighters He also served with the British Royal Navy and their night fighter squadron He commanded the first amphibious Marine landing in Vietnam earned another Distinguished Flying Cross and retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel After retiring he worked at the University of California Santa Barbara on management of government agencies It was here that he met his second wife Betty Howson He is preceded in death by his first wife Peggy and his second wife Betty and is survived by his children 94 yellowsheet www flymcaa org

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DR EDWARD JAEGER USMC RET AGE 88 MEDIA PA He attended Washington Jefferson College and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine After school he enlisted in the Navy and attended the U S Naval School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola He was stationed at MCAS El Toro and assigned to a combat ready Marine fighter squadron that deployed to Japan and Taiwan After serving on active duty he joined the Reserves and retired as a captain He did his residency at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and at Jefferson s commencement he administered the oath of office for graduating students going into the Navy He continued at his practice Riddle Eye Associates while also working on the staff as an ophthalmology consultant at Elwyn Institute and Fair Acres as well as a member of the medical staff at Jefferson Medical College Hospital and Wills Eye Hospital He later became the Director of Undergraduate Education in Ophthalmology He is survived by his wife Sandra their children and grandchildren the war he passed a college equivalency exam completed OCS and was commissioned a second lieutenant He then went to flight training and received his Wings in 1954 After serving as a pilot on the West Coast and in the Pacific he was selected as a member of the Blue Angels this was an achievement he regarded as one of the greatest honors of his life During the 1958 and 1959 seasons He flew over 150 airshows in the F 11 F Grumman Tiger as the Number 2 He was the sixth Marine pilot to serve on the Blues and the first Devil Dog to complete the two year tour After completing Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 1967 he was assigned as a MAG safety officer and assistant operation officer in Chu Lai Republic of Vietnam He flew 201 combat missions in the F 4 Phantom and 29 combat missions in the F 9F 8T Cougar while there In 1968 he returned stateside and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel He finished his career as a project officer at the Naval Test Center NAS Patuxent River MD He is survived by his sister Sally BGEN ROY KLINE USMC RET AGE 105 SCOTTSDALE AZ COL THOMAS MEURER USMC RET AGE 77 NORFOLK VA At 14 he earned his Eagle Scout badge and took an interest in flying He graduated with an engineering degree from Iowa State University and joined the Marine Corps in 1934 He trained as an aviator He was stationed in Washington D C when Pearl Harbor was attacked He served overseas in Asia as well as stateside and retired in 1964 as a brigadier general He is survived by his three children his grandchildren and great grandchildren CAPT LLOYD L LUND USMC RET AGE 95 CAREFREE AZ At age 18 when World War II was approaching he enlisted in the military as an NAP or as he sometimes referred to them the Flying Peons He received his wings at the age of 20 He was stationed in Hawaii during the war primarily flying the TBF Avenger torpedo bomber He also attained over a 1 000 hours of flight time in the F4U Corsair In Korea he flew the F9F Panther and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross In the late 1950 s he flew the F8U Crusader For that he earned his 1 000 mph patch and silkworm pin He was forced to bail out of an F8U in 1959 He later transitioned into multi engine transports as a squadron commanding officer flying the R4Q The Flying Boxcar He retired as a captain in 1963 He is survived by several grandchildren LTCOL ROBERT STONEY MAYOCK USMC RET AGE 90 PENSACOLA FL With the outbreak of the Korean War he enlisted in the Marine Corps He participated in combat operations as an infantryman in 1951 and 1952 During hand to hand combat he was severely wounded in the head and face by an enemy grenade After recovering he returned to his unit and completed his tour Following He was born in Milwaukee WI and served in the Marine Corps for 27 years retiring as a colonel He was previously the CO and current treasurer of the MCAA s Darden Schilt Squadron as well as president of the Virginia Symphony League He is survived by his wife Jaci COL MERRILL S BUD NEWBILL USMC RET AGE 92 GULF BREEZE FL He graduated from Eastern Washington State College and was commissioned into the Marine Corps He attended flight school in Pensacola where he met his wife Mary He served in the Far East South America and Southeast Asia He was the CO of VMA 223 He retired as a colonel in 1984 He is survived by his wife and children LTGEN CHARLES CHUCK PITMAN USMC RET AGE 84 PENSACOLA FL He enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1952 and subsequently enlisted in the Marine Corps He began NavCad training in 1954 and received his wings in 1955 He joined HMR 363 soon after deploying and serving seven months aboard USS Badoeng Strait In 1956 he reported to MCAAS Mojave CA serving as the airfield OPSO a search and rescue pilot and the provost marshal The following year he transitioned to jets became a flight instructor and later the officer in charge Third Cadet Battalion U S Naval School Preflight As a captain he attended Photographic Reconnaissance School and was assigned to VMR 3 In 1962 he deployed with VMCJ 1 flying the RF 8 and EF 10 in the Far East In 1963 he joined VMCJ 2 at Cherry Point NC He was then assigned as the aide de camp for the 2nd MAW CG Promoted to major he reported to HMM 261 at New River NC for duty as OPSO and then XO flying the CH 46 He deployed to Vietnam and initially served as the MO and later as the OPSO for HMM 265 at Marble Mountain Phu Bai and Khe Sahn In 1968 he reported to Washington D C for duty as a weapons systems analyst at OPNAV While there he briefly returned to Vietnam to evaluate several new airborne detection systems In 1970 he attended the Armed Forces Staff College After graduation he transitioned to the UH 1 and attended the Army s Cobra School He again returned to Vietnam where he commanded H MS flying UH 1s and CH46s While transitioning to the CH 53 he was wounded in Laos as part of Operation LAM SON 719 After being stabilized at Kuhe Hospital Okinawa he was evacuated to the Naval Medical Center Bethesda MD In 1971 he commanded MARTD New Orleans LA 1971 again flying the CH 46 He then attended the Air War College in 1973 In conjunction with this assignment he completed his B S degree at Troy State Transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps in 1974 he served two years as aviation s program coordinator After being promoted to colonel in 1976 he served two years with the SecNav program appraisal He transferred to Okinawa in 1978 assuming command of MAG 36 The following year he was assigned as the USMC s aide to SecNav and later as the USMC s member JCS and an advisor on the Middle East Africa South Central America Counterterrorism and the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force In 1981 he became the CO of MATSG 21 While there he was promoted to brigadier general He was then assigned duty as the assistant chief of staff C 5 ROK U S CFC in Seoul Korea In 1984 he returned to 3d MAW serving as assistant CG until he advanced to major general in 1985 He then proceeded to Okinawa to command 1st MAW from 1985 until 1987 He then served as ADCS Air until 1988 when he was promoted to lieutenant general and DCA Air His personal decorations include the Silver Star Medal Defense Superior Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster in lieu of second award Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross with gold stars in lieu of second third and fourth awards Bronze Star Medal with Combat V Purple Heart Defense Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal with gold Numeral 3 and bronze Numeral 62 Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with silver star and the Korean Order of National Security Merit Cheonsu Medal MAJ AURTHUR TOZZI USMC RET AGE 78 WILSON NC The Dancin Bear was an amazing gentleman and highly decorated Marine He served faithfully in the Marine Corps for 21 years He flew the F 4 Phantom over 400 missions during the Vietnam War After retiring he enjoyed a second career as a marketing manager with a major defense contractor He is survived by his two daughters and grandchildren Fall 2019 Winter 2020 yellowsheet 95

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703 630 1903 The Marine Corps aviation assoCiation The May 2019 The Magazine of Marine Aviation www flymcaa org The Magazine of Marine Aviation HONORING THE BEST OF THE BEST IN MARINE AVIATION www flymcaa org www flymcaa org 715 Broadway Street Quantico VA The The Magazine of Marine Aviation www flymcaa org In This Issue Fall 2018 Winter 2019 The 2019 MCAA Aviation Award Winners SUMMER 2019 Above and Beyond the Call of Duty In This Issue In This Issue Legends of Vietnam Shoulder to Shoulder In This Issue A Rusty Old Box The Legacy of The Commander The Super Gaggle Marine Night Fighters in Okinawa Marine Air and the Franklin Under Fire 1945 Beyond Aviation Ordnance The Flying Nightmares in Afghanistan The Bengals in Bosnia Final Approach Skyhawkers Reunite Although Although first first chartered chartered in in 1972 1972 the the genesis genesis of of the the organization organization dates dates back to World War I with the First Marine Aviation Force back to World War I with the First Marine Aviation Force Veterans Veterans As As aa result sharing the legacy and heritage of Marine aviation and bringing result sharing the legacy and heritage of Marine aviation and bringing aviation aviation Marines Marines both both active active duty duty and and retired retired together together is is at at the the core core of of our mission our mission MCAA MCAA promotes promotes and and recognizes recognizes professional professional excellence excellence in in Marine Marine aviation supports the fraternal bond of its membership preserves aviation supports the fraternal bond of its membership preserves Marine Marine aviation aviation heritage heritage and and safeguards safeguards the the future future of of Marine Marine aviation aviation through awards programs events and publications through awards programs events and publications MCAA MCAA currently currently has has 53 53 corporate corporate members members AA large large part part of of our our membership comes from the aerospace industry Through our membership comes from the aerospace industry Through our corporate corporate membership membership and and generous generous donations donations we we support support numerous numerous awards awards scholarship programs and the Semper Fi fund MCAA scholarship programs and the Semper Fi fund MCAA also also supports supports aviation aviation memorials memorials and and aircraft aircraft museum museum restorations restorations