The
"pranged" A/C was a crash landing the first shoot down. The face photo
was about a month and a half after being burned to a crisp. If you
look closely, you can see the burn marks just inside the sides of the
helmet and scars in the "v" of the neck!!
For the record, I never hit any cables strung across valleys in Korea;
I've never been involved in any non-combat aircraft accident. I flew
as a Combat Aircrewman in WWII on ASW patrols-no combat medals! I
entered the Navy as a S2/C Combat Aircrewman in Detroit on 8 Jun 1944.
Went to Aircraft Radioman's School at Memphis; also, Radar Operator A
& B Schools, Memphis. Free Air Gunnery School, Kingsville, Texas and
Op Trng in PBY's at Corpus Christi. Was selected for flight training
while attached to a VP outfit out of Corpus. Received Wings and
Comm Oct 1947. First Sqd was VA 12A at San Diego (later redesignated
VA-115). Assigned to VA-55 in 1950. Two combat tours with them in USS
Princeton (first shoot down, 21 Jun '51); USS Essex (second shoot down
20 Oct '52). From there it was instructor at NAS Saufley, ship's co
USS Randolph CVA-15, VAW-33, VAW-12 (first WF's to sea in USS
Independence), NAS Grosse Ile, NAS Olathe (checked out Argentine Air
Force in Navy A4's), NAS Twin Cities, an finished up as XO NAS Oceana,
retired 1 Nov 1970!!!!
