Rather than force you to listen to the editor's rambling, I hit up the
committee for some comments. It was an "open mike" and they were free to speak
their minds.
From Andrew Niemeyer...
From what
started out as a single person's effort to make a remarkable website, this Whale stuff has
grown to the monster 73,000 pound cat shot of associations. As with any organization, the
vast bulk of work has been done by a small handful of folks. But if we're going to pull
off the 50th anniversary of the A-3 first flight, we're going to, TINS, need a lot of help
from you the members.
Anyone who's been to Tailhook, ANA, or any other meeting of this nature
knows that these things take remarkable work. We
need to find a venue, get room rates, figure out meal arrangements, get speakers for
luncheons and banquets, line up who's going to work registration tables, manage the
paperwork, do any remote site transportation (e.g. busses, if needed) and a mass of other
stuff. It's really hard to do this from
halfway across the country to where ever we have our 2002 gala.
The Executive Committee is asking you, the members, to help us take
tension on this event. Remember, we're
Whalers. When no one else wanted anything to
do with us, we did it ourselves. When flight
deck officers, hangar deck officers and air bosses just wanted us out of sight or off the
deck, we did it ourselves. When other mechs
and aircrews just looked at our big bird and at us, shook their heads and walked away, we
did it ourselves. And when all was said and
done, they stood there and were amazed at what we did, indeed, do. Let's do it again.
But to do it up in "Whale style" we will need your help and experience. Please help by paying your dues and volunteering,
in any way, to help make this happen.
Andy
From Frank Cogdell...
As an
example of the value of the site and it's log (guest book), I found out that Dick Russell,
a classmate in VAH 123, then a BN with VAH-10, was in a nursing home 45 miles from me.
From that info I went to visit him a week ago. It was good to
see him even though he's in very poor condition. I've also hooked up with a couple of
close, but long lost shipmates, via the A-3 web site. To me, that's worth the dues many
times over.
Frank
From Mark Swisher...
Hello fellow Whalers!
In 1997
Al and I were talking about forming the A-3 Association and on 1/20/98 we launched the
Association. Full steam ahead! In 1999 using
our own funds and a spare computer we set up a server, bought our URL (www.skywarrior.com)
but soon outgrew it. In March 2000 eight members chipped in $20 each to move the web site
to a commercial host. Since then 159 more members have signed up or sent in dues to
support the Association. Currently we are
using the funds for only one thing and that is to keep the server up and running. Myself, Al and the steering committee volunteer
our time for the cause of making the A-3 Skywarrior Association the greatest aerospace
group ever formed. Soon we will incorporate,
formulate by-laws, establish a charter and start holding annual reunions. Someday we hope to be large enough to have a
significant impact on the disposition and condition of our A-3s that are in operation,
storage and display. To that end it's really
important that you stand up and be counted by sending in your annual dues of $20. Spread
the word that we are getting geared up for some really great times with reunions, whale
watching and supporting the remaining fleet of A-3s.
Mark
The A-3 Skywarrior Association Steering Committee would like to
officially announce the kickoff to the...
The date has been set for Oct. 24 - 27, 2002.
Location is to be announced later.
Whalers, mark you calender now and start making plans to attend. The date
may slide a day one way of the other, but this weekend has been picked for the reunion. It
coincides with the actual first flight of an XA3D-1 (BuNo 125412) at
Edwards AFB on Oct. 28, 1952. The committee and other volunteers will be evaluating some
favorable sites to host the reunion and we will make every effort to pick the location
well in advance to allow adequate planning on your part.
Our intention is to make this a "special event" in every way
that we can. The star of the show will hopefully be a one or more flying A-3s. A full
program of speakers, tours, entertainment, and fun will be on tap for every former whaler
from pilots, NFOs, enlisted crewmen, and maintenance crews, to "friends of the
whale" and their families.
MAKE PLANS NOW !
This issue’s highlight article will be focused on a
person whose contribution to the A-3 community was ‘in the line of duty’, yet
who may have had more of an impact on the Skywarrior’s longevity than can be
measured. He was the first C.O. of the first active duty A-3 Skywarrior squadron, VAH-1.
Captain Paul F. Stevens (USN Ret)
| Captain Paul F. Stevens (USN Ret) began his Navy
career as an aviation cadet on January 10, 1941. He made ensign and was designated a naval
aviator in the summer of 1941. His first duty station was VP-21 to fly the PBY-3s out of Ford Island,
Pearl Harbor that September. His squadron was ordered to their battle station at Wake
Island in mid November 1941. However, they were to stop over at Midway Island in order to
lead Marine fighter and dive-bomber squadrons from aircraft carriers to both Wake and
Midway. On December 7 he was flying a mission (as co-pilot/navigator) to rendezvous with
the USS Lexington for this purpose and one week later returned to the terrible destruction
at Pearl Harbor and that is when Stevens and many others "determined to get
even!" For the next 18 months he flew patrols with the PBY in the Australia-New
Guinea area. Operating Black Cat missions in the Bismark Sea he "aged from 22 to 92
years" in a very few nights. He was awarded the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross and
the Air Medal for scoring hits on a Japanese cruiser, other ships, and shore targets. He
made several dive bombing attacks with the PBY during these night missions. This method
was not approved by the Bureau of Aeronautics. |
Comfirmation of the Emily shoot down brings a smile to young Naval
Aviator Stevens' face.
|
Stevens returned to the States and reformed with VB/VPB-104
to fly the PB4Y-1 (B-24J Liberator painted blue). Their mission was to fly 1000
nmi low-level patrols, regardless of weather. He saw "lots of action" and made
masthead/skip bombing attacks in the western Pacific. He made an individual attack on a
Japanese surface force of cruisers and destroyers, scoring a hit on the heavy cruiser
Ashigara. He later shot down an H8K Emily recon patrol flying boat with VAdm Yamagata and his entire
staff aboard. He was credited with six total kills in the air and six kills on the ground
(much harder according to Stevens). For these actions he was awarded the Navy Cross, two
Silver Stars, and another DFC and Air Medal. |
After the war, he served three years in transports planes. His education included Line
School, Naval War College, and Naval Test Pilot School. He spent two tours at NATC Pax
River and then began carrier flying. His carrier duty started with the AJ-1 and he then
received the honor of becoming the Commanding Officer of VAH-1 on November 1, 1955, the
first of many A-3 Skywarrior squadrons. He went on to be the X.O. of the USS Saratoga and
flew off that carrier during their Med. cruise. His next tour was at the Pentagon
("terrible," according to Stevens). But he was rewarded for it by being assigned
CAG-12, Top Gun Miramar. There he flew all assigned aircraft off the carriers, day and
night. Next stop was C.O. of the USS Procyon, a refrigerator ship, and then he was
assigned to Second Fleet Staff where he realized his Navy flying days were over. He
retired from the Navy in September 1965.As a civilian, he became the Chief Pilot for W.
R. Grace Co. and flew worldwide in a Gulfstream II. Retiring from that at 60, he worked
for Gulfstream’s Aerospace engineering dept. as their "Token Aviator." His
next retirement found him still in aviation, selling corporate aircraft.
|
He now is "really retired" with his wife of 54 years, Joyce, the "first
mate and only" of their 42 foot cabin cruiser
out of Nashville, Tenn. He thoroughly enjoys his five grandchildren, writing articles for
the Naval Air Museum magazine Foundation. He has also written a self-published
book, Low Level Liberators of WWII, about his second combat tour in the Pacific, he
is president of the Golden Eagles, plays golf, and enjoys cruises on the 42-footer |
Captain and 1st Mate !
|
Following are some questions (and answers) that the Whale Watcher posed to CAPT
Stevens…
Q.
As C.O. of VAH-1, the first A-3 Squadron, what was your
biggest challenge in getting the ‘new’ Skywarrior into operations? Crews,
equipment, bureaucrats, etc.?
A
. Major challenges were…Carquals, lack of spare
parts, poor personnel policies of ComAirLant and a lack of understanding/appreciation of
the tremendous increase in all weather striking capabilities of the A3D-1. To the flight
department of the carriers it was a burden that slowed and hindered the entire flight and
hangar decks operations. One bright spot however was the C.O. of the Forrestal. He allowed
VAH-1 to continue CarQuals when the guidelines from BuAer would have ceased operations.
The C.O. of Service Test Division PaxRiver, ComPatWing Two and the Staff at NAS Jax wished
to treat the A3D-1 as just another airplane, which it was not! There were deficiencies in
the airplane but we could overcome these. I was driven to get the A3D operational ASAP.
The DCNO (air) and others in Washington, ComFleetAirJax himself and ComHatWing One also
realized the importance of becoming operational. The Air Force was determined to take over
all military aviation. Further, during this time of the budget battles, the Air Force
stated that there was no need for aircraft carriers, the Army or Marines. They could do it
all with the Atomic Bomb threat.
Q.
Were there rivalry issues in transitioning pilots into
the A-3? Where did you get these pilots?
A.
No. The experienced carrier pilots of VF and VA (light)
avoided the A3D like the plague. The AirLant plan was to decommission VP-3, a patrol
squadron flying P2Vs, and use these people to man VAH-1. I received a great bunch of
enlisted maintenance people, but only four VP-3 pilots volunteered to fly the great A3D.
One could not hack it and of the three left, one became an outstanding carrier pilot and
the other two did OK. I quickly grabbed a number of experienced pilots from VC-8 (the AJ
squadron that I had transferred from to VAH-1). The AirLant personnel policy then was, if
you were VF, VA (light), VP, or VS, you stayed there and others were sent into VAH.
Q.
What type of aircraft afforded the best pre-Skywarrior
experience?
A.
The AJ pilots were very grateful to transition into the
A3D. The AJ had good flying qualities but was very difficult to maintain. The A3D was a
"quantum leap forward" with its technology and capabilities.
Q. According to some, you were given more
authority than ComNavAirLant in making VAH-1 ‘fly’. Any comments?
A. I "took" what authority I needed to get the
job done. From time to time, ComHatWing One reined me in when I needed it. ComNavAirLant
was not supportive of VAH-1 or its C.O. But, at the time the A3D flew higher and further
than any Navy attack plane and carried a great big bomb.
|
A very serious Commander and C.O. of VAH-1
|
Q.
Was this ‘new aircraft’ a high priority with
the Navy? Why or why not?
A.
Yes, it was a priority with the CNO. But it was
‘no’ within the chain of command on down. Some of this climate is illustrated in
the answer to previous question about the "biggest challenges." [Stevens also
noted at this point that the two following VAH squadrons did poorly and consequently the
reputation of the A3D suffered accordingly.]
Q.
Your career spans several military readiness climates,
i.e. WWII, the Cold War, and Vietnam. What changes in the Navy or Tailhook Navy strike you
as noteworthy, troubling, or fun?
A.
A philosophical question much too broad for a thorough
reply. The World War II generation was not necessarily the greatest as per Tom Brokaw. But
they were TOUGH. The depression was definitely a "toughening" process. There has
been and continues to be a degradation of this toughness -- much to my despair. By the
term "toughness" I mean in a broad sense, mental and a part of a person’s
overall make up. Also, I worry over the degradation of combat readiness due to political
correctness, women on combatant ships and the acceptance of sexual references in the
military.
Q.
How many Navy aircraft types have you flown? Please
list if possible.
A.
I was a highly motivated aviator. I suffered from a
"Lindbergh" complex all of my life. Much too hard to list all of the airplanes I
have flown. As an illustration, I flew with the Air Group off the Saratoga while X.O. of
the ship in the A3D and F8-U. To give you an idea, I flew patrol planes during WWII, (PBYs
and the PB4Y-1), transport planes after the war (R4Ds and R5Ds), and then I went to Test
Pilot School at Pax River. Basically, I then flew most all of the carrier airplanes of the
50s and 60s. I should add, also an F-100 and F-104 and T-38 belonging to the Air Force.
Just a few days before my retirement, I flew an F-8U Crusader out of NAS Oceana as my
final flight while in the Navy.
Q.
How about civilian aircraft?
A.
During the Civilian Pilot Training Program prior to our
entry into WW II (President Roosevelt was getting us ready for war), I flew the J-3 Cub
and Fleet 7. After retiring from the Navy, I flew as a corporate aviator in the DC-3,
Lockheed Lodestar, Gulfstream II, Jetstar, Falcon 20, HS-125, IA-1124, LearJet and Cessna
Citation. I primarily served as chief pilot for W. R. Grace & Co. and flew worldwide
in the G-II.
Q.
Did VAH-1’s successful beginning have a bearing on
the A-3’s long standing career with the Navy?
A.
Yes, but do remember that the Navy had to have a
long-range, all-weather atomic bomb delivery capability. I repeat, the Air Force was bound
and determined to take over ALL military aviation and very nearly did.
Q.
Do you have a favorite ‘A-3 moment’ or event?
Please describe.
A.
The capability of VAH-1 to meet an emergency deployment
for the "Suez Crisis" of Nov./Dec. 1956, and meeting a nine-month-early Med
deployment on the Forrestal in January 1957. This was unheard of for any modern jet of
this time.
An irritation that I never have been able to get over is that all the carrier C.O.s and
air depts. were forever griping about the A-3 bolters. Yet to my knowledge there has been
only one CAG that ever flew the A3D off and on the ship while deployed. I wish to add that
I have flown a great many of the swept wing jets of the 1950s and 1960s both day and night
aboard carriers. Without question the A3D was more demanding, required more piloting
skills and abilities than any of the jets of this time. But despite all my bitching and
wailing, I look back upon my experience in VAH-1 with pride and a strong sense of
accomplishment.
Congratulations from the Genius of El
Segundo
The following is an excerpt of a letter from Ed Heinemann, Chief Engineer, Douglas
Aircraft Co., El Segundo, Calif. to Captain Stevens on December 27, 1956. "This made
it worth it all".
The introduction of an airplane into the Fleet is always of great concern to me, as
from many experiences I well know the importance of a good introduction and the trials and
problems that are encountered in making new equipment function properly. The A3D was of
special concern inasmuch as it represented one of the largest steps taken in recent years.
Under your guidance and supervision, however, I soon had the feeling that the airplane was
in the best possible hands and that if anyone could get it off to a good start, you could
– in spite of all the problems that were bound to occur. I say this most sincerely
and wish to thank you for all your diligence, understanding, and sheer hard work that made
the introduction of the A3D as successful as it was.
|
