tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post3593432070679251009..comments2024-01-03T05:18:54.650-05:00Comments on CDR Salamander: Saturday FlashbackCDR Salamanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05981221786954902349noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-87010405119432720652010-10-10T14:35:00.000-04:002010-10-10T14:35:00.000-04:00<span>I forgot to mention the shot of the t...<i><span>I forgot to mention the shot of the three plane guard DDs following in Indy's wake and the DLG (probably with the DESRON/Screen Commander embarked) coming up alongside.</span></i><br /><br />That was the then <a href="http://www.rkturner.net/History.html" rel="nofollow">spankin' new RK Turner</a>...<br /><br /><b>She departed Philadelphia Naval Shipyard August 10, 1964 for her homeport of San Diego, Calif., stopping briefly at Yorktown and Norfolk, Va., and then Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She crossed through the Panama Canal, and after a port call in Acapulco, Mexico, arrived in San Diego on September 11, 1964.<br /><br />USS RICHMOND K. TURNER departed San Diego June 4, 1965 her first deployment to the Western Pacific. She joined Task Force 77 in the South China Sea area and served as missile support ship for the attack carriers CORAL SEA (CVA 43), INDEPENDENCE (CV 62), and ORISKANY (CV 34).</b><br /><br /><b>She was reassigned to the Search and Rescue Destroyer Unit in the Tonkin Gulf in September 1965. After participating in missions in which eight aviators were rescued, she departed Subic Bay and arrived San Diego December 18.</b>sidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-6137618190174258322010-10-10T13:38:08.000-04:002010-10-10T13:38:08.000-04:00That's the guy. Great narrators of NFL Films ...That's the guy. Great narrators of NFL Films (Facenda) and Victory at Sea (Scourby).UltimaRatioRegisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-54877380219408420472010-10-10T13:22:59.000-04:002010-10-10T13:22:59.000-04:00of Victory at Sea fame.of Victory at Sea fame.fdchief100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-17569275955781267262010-10-10T11:11:01.000-04:002010-10-10T11:11:01.000-04:00Er, I typed John Facenda, I meant Scourby. The OT...Er, I typed John Facenda, I meant Scourby. The OTHER golden voice.UltimaRatioRegisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-27951837015097904032010-10-10T10:46:31.000-04:002010-10-10T10:46:31.000-04:00Sid,
I've seen that pic before when you lin...Sid,<br /><br /> I've seen that pic before when you linked to it, and have always liked it. When I was around 8 or so, my father bought me a Steve Canyon blue flight suit and white plastic pilot's helmet. Back then, that was the coolest thing in the world. Another fix on my way to an aviation jones.AW1 Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-2472039917032161462010-10-10T05:35:46.000-04:002010-10-10T05:35:46.000-04:00Even from behind, you look so serious! A man to be...Even from behind, you look so serious! A man to be reckoned with!SCOTTtheBADGERnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-2625231121243427872010-10-10T00:07:47.000-04:002010-10-10T00:07:47.000-04:00As close as I'll get to watching a Barret Till...As close as I'll get to watching a Barret Tillman story unfold.marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-58517567705325048452010-10-09T22:50:23.000-04:002010-10-09T22:50:23.000-04:00My recollection of the discussion of MER/TER was t...My recollection of the discussion of MER/TER was that the previous racks, the MBR, didn't kick enough, and that the bombs were caught in the slipstream and often came right back to the Intruder, or bounced off each other for a while. <br /><br />IIRC, Deke Bordone lost his A-6 this way. <br /><br />Also, I know my dad had sage green flight suits for his '66 cruise on Big E, but he also had several sets of Marine OD utilities and I recall seeing a pic of him in flight gear while wearing them. xbradtcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-51715313230403656552010-10-09T22:46:12.000-04:002010-10-09T22:46:12.000-04:00GBS, its dawned on me thast I've been lurking ...GBS, its dawned on me thast I've been lurking about on the edges of Nava Aviation for better than half its century old existence.<br /><br />This pic was taken <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sidsflickr/2621114320/sizes/l/in/photostream/" rel="nofollow">as I was "marshalling out" Heavy One -with 18 A-3s!-</a> enroute to the <a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h97000/h97716.jpg" rel="nofollow">Indy's first deployment...</a><br /><br />And its pretty amazing how many things end up being back "back to the future."sidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-12343445287909302562010-10-09T22:06:03.000-04:002010-10-09T22:06:03.000-04:00Sid,
The orange flight suits hung around for a...Sid,<br /><br /> The orange flight suits hung around for awhile longer in the P-3 community, especially in the reserve squadrons. In Jax in '77, there were still a number of them in unissued condition in the paraloft where I got my OD stuff issued. I had asked about them and the Chief running the place said they hadn't got the word on what to do with them yet, but to not issue them.AW1 Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-51246071353937587652010-10-09T22:02:51.000-04:002010-10-09T22:02:51.000-04:00<span>"Somehow, through hard work, a s...<span><i>"Somehow, through hard work, a steep learning curve, and a ton of technical help, they made it with one combat loss (McDaniel and Patterson)." </i></span><br /><br />(thanks Scott...don't like to delete comments, but that one was barely coherent anyway)<br /><br />xbrad, those were tough days, that folks of today would find outright catastrophic. Not only were the combat losses beginning to mount, but the operational accidents which had spiraled upwards with the introduction of jets a decade earlier were continuing with distressing frequency.<br /><br />The long faces when "The News" hit; the empty desks of the classmates who had met misfortune;the growing number of single parent households left in limbo not knowing one way or the other...Those things had an indelible influence on the way I see the world to this day.<br /><br />And, to SAP's point about safety below, combat was only part of the problem.<br /><br />What I find sad in that video is that the NCA squandered the fabulous instrument of foreign policy that was Naval Aviation in the 1960's. A goofy, impossible to follow ROE, and the silly -"Hope"- of a concept of symbolic application of military force to effect "Change" in the disposition of an implaccable foe just got people killed for little ultimate reason.<br /><br />Given that experience, it torques me tight to see a crowd in the White House two generations on, using the same dusty old playbook of goofy ROEs and half commitments from the same old dusty playbook....sidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-54761903397001855492010-10-09T21:35:47.000-04:002010-10-09T21:35:47.000-04:00<span>I don't doubt what you say.</sp...<i><span>I don't doubt what you say.</span></i><br /><br />Same for your info SAP...I know they were having severe issues with the early detonation problem...The biggest initial issue was trying to determine what caused the losses in the first place, as the folks who knew what happened were gone.<br /><br />Bet xbrad's dad could wax eloquent on this.sidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-12305508057484327042010-10-09T21:16:38.000-04:002010-10-09T21:16:38.000-04:00We sure could use something like the A-1 Skyraider...We sure could use something like the A-1 Skyraider in the 'stan.Will Snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-2666894923386779892010-10-09T21:09:19.000-04:002010-10-09T21:09:19.000-04:00PHOTO IS PRIVATE, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION T...PHOTO IS PRIVATE, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO VIEWSCOTTtheBADGERnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-26247927232314080472010-10-09T20:48:02.000-04:002010-10-09T20:48:02.000-04:00"<span>Somehow, through hard work, a s...<i>"<span>Somehow, through hard work, a steep learning curve, and a ton of technical help, they made it with one combat loss (McDaniel and Patterson). "</span></i><br /><br />Those were tough days xbrad...<br />Its dawned on me that I've ben lurking about Naval Aviation for better than half its century old existence...<br />Here I was, ushering <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sidsflickr/2621114320/#/photos/sidsflickr/2621114320/lightbox/" rel="nofollow">Heavy One -with 18 A-3's!- off to the Indy's first deployment.<br /></a><br />I remember the long faces when "The News" would hit with distressing frequency.<br />And to SAP's point below, more times than not, those were not combat related.<br /><br />Especially given the goofy restrictions in the ROE which allowed the Russians to develop the NVN air defense system into a lethal force equalizer by late '66...And the misplaced notion of symbolic bombing to effect change on the diplomatic effect.<br />Of course, we now have a crowd in Washington two generations on trying to run a war with the same old dusty playbook.sidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-44544041932339407782010-10-09T20:07:24.000-04:002010-10-09T20:07:24.000-04:00Sid,
I don't doubt what you say. I just remem...Sid,<br /><br />I don't doubt what you say. I just remember family telling me the stories of why the MER/TERs were used primarly on the Intruder. That it had to do with detonating ordnance as the racks kicked them away. There was an issue between the rack and the bomb. The biggest thing I remember one of them telling me was that the 2k bombs couldn't handle the pistons kicking into them. So it was a few year of testing and studying to redevelop both the rack and the bombs until they got them working good so that they could be effective in delievery of the 2k bomb post 1969.Southern Air Piratenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-37971203315726877812010-10-09T19:58:28.000-04:002010-10-09T19:58:28.000-04:00Some things are definitely different, but it is am...Some things are definitely different, but it is amazing how much is done the same way as 50+ years ago.GBSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-27151788926277975082010-10-09T19:58:08.000-04:002010-10-09T19:58:08.000-04:00Oh yea. My dad joined in '67 and he remembers ...Oh yea. My dad joined in '67 and he remembers some of the same scenes on his first cruise on the America. He also remembers the change in the aviation community as NATOPS, NAMP, and the rest were introduced over the next few decades. I wasn't complaining, just some observational humor.Southern Air Piratenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-16357443745927976712010-10-09T19:54:32.000-04:002010-10-09T19:54:32.000-04:00I forgot to mention the shot of the three plane gu...I forgot to mention the shot of the three plane guard DDs following in Indy's wake and the DLG (probably with the DESRON/Screen Commander embarked) coming up alongside.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-83665163500156280722010-10-09T19:51:37.000-04:002010-10-09T19:51:37.000-04:00Here is an A-4 launching on a strike with just two...Here is an A-4 launching on a strike with <a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/u110000/u111691.jpg" rel="nofollow">just two single 500 lb'ers (mk80 series)</a> in March '65sidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-9386796581008860902010-10-09T19:50:01.000-04:002010-10-09T19:50:01.000-04:00What a wonderful half hour spend...not wasted.What a wonderful half hour spend...not wasted.Byronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-53647900236350238412010-10-09T19:49:09.000-04:002010-10-09T19:49:09.000-04:00SAP, I entered USNA a year after this film was mad...SAP, I entered USNA a year after this film was made and remember much of this from my Midn cruises and my first ship. The scenes from the engineering spaces took me back to those days before "repeat back", EOSS, and the Hearing Conservation Program. The only thing they missed were the Morton Salt Tablet dispensers on the fireroom stanchions.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-74487588821853660092010-10-09T19:43:45.000-04:002010-10-09T19:43:45.000-04:00I once had the cruise book from this cruise, but i...I once had the cruise book from this cruise, but its long lost. Shame, since those suckers are now damned expensive.<br /><br />As for the orange flight suits...All I can say is they were gone from Sanford (that wing supplied RA-5 squadrons to both coasts) by late '65 in the operational squadrons. That vivid color change must've stuck on a naturally pedantic, geeky little kid like me.. ;) <br /><br />Nobody on the Coral Sea wore orange on the Coral Sea during her '65 cruise either, but then again, she was a west coast boat.<br /><br />As for the ordnance, the Mk80 "low drag" series were developed in the '50s, and were in production at the start of sustained strikes in '65 SAP, but they very quickly ran short.<br /><br />It got to the point where A-4s were carrying just two old 500 pounders apiece....Something that was dictated by McNamara himself. An A-4 with that load can be briefly seen in the footage<br /><br /><br />As for the old bombs, check out the vintage Mk 60 bombs coming aboard from the USS Vesuvius in the video. A couple of years later, the USN would pay dearly for keeping that old stuff around...sidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-53550049614405866622010-10-09T18:52:15.000-04:002010-10-09T18:52:15.000-04:00Oh and I bet dollars to donuts that if anyone set ...Oh and I bet dollars to donuts that if anyone set this film to the Safety Center they would all drop dead of heart attacks from all the things unsafe going on. Guys not wearing flight deck gear during flight ops, taking water samples without all the proper PPE. Short sleeves while underway. Guys smoking in spaces and not at authorized smoke pits, electric repair folks wearing watches and rings while working around high power. Oh dear. No ORM posters, no safety posters at all!Southern Air Piratenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-27543380369185811532010-10-09T18:27:01.000-04:002010-10-09T18:27:01.000-04:00Yeah... me too. It would be nice to, if nothing el...Yeah... me too. It would be nice to, if nothing else, get some color back on the birds.AW1 Timnoreply@blogger.com