Best Friends
Chuck Cantrell Ernest Dailey Frank Pfleger Kenneth Welch Kirt Looney PO1 Charles Dickens
Best Moment
The day we got off the troop transport in Bremerton, WA and on our new home.
Worst Moment
There was about 17 of them during our first cruise. That was the number of shipmates we lost. Most were officers and through air crashes. Also Recall in the Pacific 11/04/60: The USS Cree (ATF-84) is accidentally bombed by a plane fromthe USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) during exercises in the westernPacific.
Chain of Command
PO1 Dickens was one I remember. He had been a CPO before I joined the gang and was a PO2 when I left. Had a drinking problem and that's what keep him in trouble. He was the best damm signalman I ever knew. Then there was Lt. Charlie Smith who worked our area at times. Our Chief was Chief Martin, SMC. He was a quite kind of man, small in stature, but a great leader.
Other Memories
On our first cruise ; Sept 1961 to June 1962, Coral Sea became the 1st ALL Attack Carrier in the Pacific....AND...on January 01, 1961 (New Years Day) we became the FIRST U.S. Carrier inolved in Vietnam when we responded to Patet Lao, Laos Crisis. North Vietnam had attacked Laos and our planes took care of them! VAW-13 was part of this and should have received a Vietnam Expeditionary Force Medal and a National Defense Medal just as we did. The 61-62 cruise we got moreinvolved and sent planes into take care of the NV's also----five different times. This time we got a star added to our medals! 2nd award! VAW-13 was ALWAYS first to launch and clear the air and feed info to the others and was always last to land!signaled to the Marine who was on duty to break it with his batton. He did and you should have heard Dickens cry.
Criteria The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 r... The Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) is a decoration presented by the United States Navy to recognize members who have completed three years of honorable service. Medals awarded before January 1, 1996 required four years of service. MoreHide
Criteria The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
Criteria The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who, after July 1, 1958, participate in specified United States operations or those in direct support of the United Natio... The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who, after July 1, 1958, participate in specified United States operations or those in direct support of the United Nations or friendly foreign nations MoreHide
Description A Western Pacific Cruise is a ship's deployment from her home port, usually lasting between 5 and 8 months. Ships visit different ports such as Phuket, Thailand; Salalah, Oman; Darwin, Australia, BaliA Western Pacific Cruise is a ship's deployment from her home port, usually lasting between 5 and 8 months. Ships visit different ports such as Phuket, Thailand; Salalah, Oman; Darwin, Australia, Bali, Jebel Ali, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong. The ships hosted foreign militaries, performed numerous underway replenishments-at-sea and conducted general quarters drills, fire drills and maritime patrols.
US Navy provides during these deployments provocative "freedom of navigation" operations, known as FONOPS, that send warships into the disputed areas around the world on any given year.
Any cruise is hazardous with sailors injured or killed during flight, refueling, ordnance, operations or weather; day or night. Foriegn military vessels threatening by fast approach to ramming. Often at times ships are endangered by low fly overs from hostile aircraft.
... More
Memories 1960-61 WestPac Show of Force - Laos Following the Pathet Lao capture of strategic positions on the 1960-61 WestPac Show of Force - Laos Following the Pathet Lao capture of strategic positions on the central plain of Laos, Seventh Fleet forces (including two CVAs (Lexington and Coral Sea), one CVS (Bennington), and an amphibious force, were ordered to the South China Sea. During the last three months of 1960 USS Coral Sea operated in various parts of WestPac, but as the crisis in Laos grew she was directed to take up station in the South China Sea. In December 1960 a military coup overthrew the Laotian government and open civil war began. The North Vietnamese, who needed unrestricted access to the road and trail network along the Lao/NVN and Lao/SVN borders to support the Viet Cong in South Vietnam, assisted the Pathet Lao in setting up a Communist enclave in the Plaine des Jars area, and the Soviet Union began providing supplies via airlift to the Pathet Lao. CORAL SEA's airwing, which included Skyraider and Skyhawk ground attack aircraft, provided the basis for immediately available military support for the pro-Western elements in Laos.... More
Description Joint Task Force 116, compiled from all branches of the U.S. military and based on Okinawa, had been alerted for action in Laos. Units of the Seventh Fleet were forwarded to the Gulf of Siam. At a 13 Joint Task Force 116, compiled from all branches of the U.S. military and based on Okinawa, had been alerted for action in Laos. Units of the Seventh Fleet were forwarded to the Gulf of Siam. At a 13 March 1961 meeting, President Kennedy approved recommendations made to him by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The regnant materiel in the proposal was a small fleet of 16 A-26 Invader light bombers, to be stationed in Thailand for aerial interdiction of communist supply lines in Laos. They were to be unmarked, and maintained by the CIA's wholly owned airline, Air America. Programs Evaluation Office officials had assured the president's military aide that the A-26s would suffice to chase the communists from the Plain of Jars. The A-26s would be accompanied by 16 Sikorsky H-34 helicopters, also for Air America use, also unmarked. Four C-130 Hercules, three Douglas DC-4s, and a Douglas C-47 were part of the anonymous package.
The Royal Thai Army would covertly ship four batteries of 105mm howitzers to the Royal Lao Army. The existing advisory groups in Bangkok and Vientiane would be augmented with 100 more U.S. military men. Lastly, an additional 1,000 Hmong guerrillas would be trained by the CIA via Operation Momentum by 1 April. On 24 April, a RT-33 photo reconnaissance craft repurposed from the Philippine Air Force, but with a U.S. pilot, joined the effort under the code name Project Field Goal.
There followed a scramble for aircraft and volunteer air crews willing to operate in secrecy. The U.S. military, thus far restricted to using aerial rockets and machine guns, pressured for permission to use bombs and napalm. On 21 March 1961, the airlift of H-34s from Okinawa began; it ended on 24 March at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base with the turnover to Air America of 16 copters and a mixed bag of 37 U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy pilots. The A-26 Invaders went to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base. Major Harry C. Aderholt, already active in covert airlift operations into Laos, supervised them.
By 3 April 1961 the Millpond A-26s were manned and ready to fly; another 16 were due on 18 April. Practice missions were flown in four flights of four A-26s apiece. Also on 3 April, 14 of the H-34s began helilift operations east of Vang Vieng, Laos. On 16 April 1961, the Millpond A-26 pilots were commissioned into the Royal Lao Air Force. Their aircraft were loaded with 250 pound bombs, rockets, ammunition, and napalm—though the latter was removed by order of Ambassador Winthrop G. Brown. They received an evening briefing, and were ready to fly in the morning. As it turned out, the debacle of the Bay of Pigs Invasion on the other side of the globe caused cancellation of the mission.
On 26 April, General Phoumi Nosavan of the Royal Lao Army urgently requested air strikes to ward off threatened communist assaults on Luang Prabang, Pakxan, Vientiane, and Savannakhet. Ambassador Brown did not want to scuttle an upcoming 12 May ceasefire, but felt he would order Millpond bombings if provoked by communist attacks. With this decision, he eliminated the top priority Millpond objective and took up the secondary one of supporting troops in contact. Meanwhile, the pilots were confined to the air base except for occasional photo reconnaissance by a camera-equipped A-26. On the second of these, on 1 May, the Millpond A-26 was damaged by 37mm antiaircraft fire over Napé on the Lao-Vietnamese border. The A-26s were then grounded. However, the Invaders never did fly a bombing sortie.
In August 1961, the Millpond A-26 force was dissolved and the operation cancelled, with the planes returned to Okinawa and the mixed crew of military and Air America pilots reverting to their former assignments. Despite this unpromising start by Millpond, covert CIA support was becoming the cornerstone of the burgeoning Laotian Civil War.... More
Memories Friday August 08, 2008 - 11:08 AM Name: Harold Foster
Rank/Rate: SK-3 Division/Squadron: S-1 YeFriday August 08, 2008 - 11:08 AM Name: Harold Foster
Rank/Rate: SK-3 Division/Squadron: S-1 Years Aboard: 1959---1963 Location: Eufaula Oklahoma USA Comments: I just wanted to advise those of us that were on board when we escorted the first load of Helicopters to Vietnam without Congress approval. I had to have my US Senator write to the Dept of the Navy to get the Vietnam Expeditionary Medal along with a couple of other medals. More important they added a correction to my DD-214 A DD-215 which makes it offical we were the first forces involved in the Vietnam War. I would suggest if anyone else is interested in getting that fact added to their records and get the Medal that they go though their Senator. Have him write to DEPT OF THE NAVY Navy Personnel Command 5720 Integrity Drive Millington TN 38055-0000. He should have a copy of your DD-214 and he should ask for the Vietnam Expeditionary Medal and a corrected DD-214. This is all the information I have , so good luck.
1960-61 WestPac Show of Force - Laos Following the Pathet Lao capture of strategic positions on the central plain of Laos, Seventh Fleet forces (including two CVAs (Lexington and Coral Sea), one CVS (Bennington), and an amphibious force, were ordered to the South China Sea.
During the last three months of 1960 USS Coral Sea operated in various parts of WestPac, but as the crisis in Laos grew she was directed to take up station in the South China Sea. In December 1960 a military coup overthrew the Laotian government and open civil war began. The North Vietnamese, who needed unrestricted access to the road and trail network along the Lao/NVN and Lao/SVN borders to support the Viet Cong in South Vietnam, assisted the Pathet Lao in setting up a Communist enclave in the Plaine des Jars area, and the Soviet Union began providing supplies via airlift to the Pathet Lao. CORAL SEA's airwing, which included Skyraider and Skyhawk ground attack aircraft, provided the basis for immediately available military support for the pro-Western elements in Laos.
Description A Western Pacific Cruise is a ship's deployment from her home port, usually lasting between 5 and 8 months. Ships visit different ports such as Phuket, Thailand; Salalah, Oman; Darwin, Australia, BaliA Western Pacific Cruise is a ship's deployment from her home port, usually lasting between 5 and 8 months. Ships visit different ports such as Phuket, Thailand; Salalah, Oman; Darwin, Australia, Bali, Jebel Ali, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong. The ships hosted foreign militaries, performed numerous underway replenishments-at-sea and conducted general quarters drills, fire drills and maritime patrols.
US Navy provides during these deployments provocative "freedom of navigation" operations, known as FONOPS, that send warships into the disputed areas around the world on any given year.
Any cruise is hazardous with sailors injured or killed during flight, refueling, ordnance, operations or weather; day or night. Foriegn military vessels threatening by fast approach to ramming. Often at times ships are endangered by low fly overs from hostile aircraft.
Best Friends
M. F. (Steve) Stevenson E. G. (Al) Hunt
Best Moment
The day I arrived and found out that we would have our own room. Aside from that, we would spend one night a week sleeping on the 64 foot cable laying boat tied at the dock at NES, San Diego. I usually was the seaman on duty and Steve was the fireman on duty. The boat would go out into the harbor almost every week day and work on sonar cables that were part of the detection system for the San Diego Harbor. The unit was decommissioned in December 1959 and its members transferred. Steve and I were the only ones transferred to the U.S.S. Coral Sea.
Worst Moment
Don't really recall any bad memories from HDU. I was just a kid and having a blast. Steve and I were assigned to a cable reapir boat. It was about 65' long, had a crain on bow and a cable reel on the stern. It was powered by two Gray Marine Diesel Engines. It had a gally and had berthing for two to four. We have to keep a Seaman and a Fireman on the boat at all times and would rotate the duty. There was another boat assigned to HDU, it being a converted PT boat that was used by the navy divers who would connect the cables to the forward crane. Attached are photos of a boat similar to the cable repain boat and sailors splicing cable at the Little Creek, VA HDU.
Chain of Command
Our commanding officer was a LTJG. I don't recall his name. I answered to a BM1 who was in charge of the cable laying boat. There was also a CWO who had been in the Bataan Death March during WWII. He was a little weird, but after what he had been through I guess you could not blame him. The Harbor Defenses of San Diego was a Navy Detachment working out of the Army Base at Fort Rosecrans. The following was found at the San Diego Historical Society Fort Rosecrans (1852-1959) - Established 26 Feb 1852 as the Fort at Ballast Point and renamed Fort Rosecrans in 1899 after Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans. The military reservation was transferred to the U.S. Navy Department 1 Jul 1959.
Other Memories
The U. S. Army Reserves would leave their vehicles parked in our parking lot while they were deployed on weekend training. In the summer of 1959, two of HDU Sailors stole a corvette belonging to one of the reservists and were stopped by the Border Patrol in a Checkpoint just north of San Diego. They were arrested and sent to the Brigg at the Naval Station. Later while I was in training at the Naval Station to recommission the Coral Sea, I saw one of them, a sailor named Melder from Louisiana, and he said they had just been notified that they were going to receive a general discharge.
Chuck Cantrell
Ernest Dailey
Frank Pfleger
Kenneth Welch
Kirt Looney
PO1 Charles Dickens
The day we got off the troop transport in Bremerton, WA and on our new home.
There was about 17 of them during our first cruise. That was the number of shipmates we lost. Most were officers and through air crashes.
Also Recall in the Pacific 11/04/60: The USS Cree (ATF-84) is accidentally bombed by a plane fromthe USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) during exercises in the westernPacific.
PO1 Dickens was one I remember. He had been a CPO before I joined the gang and was a PO2 when I left. Had a drinking problem and that's what keep him in trouble. He was the best damm signalman I ever knew. Then there was Lt. Charlie Smith who worked our area at times. Our Chief was Chief Martin, SMC. He was a quite kind of man, small in stature, but a great leader.
On our first cruise ; Sept 1961 to June 1962, Coral Sea became
the 1st ALL Attack Carrier in the Pacific....AND...on January 01, 1961
(New Years Day) we became the FIRST U.S. Carrier inolved in
Vietnam when we responded to Patet Lao, Laos Crisis. North Vietnam had attacked Laos and our planes took care of them! VAW-13 was part of this and should have received a Vietnam Expeditionary Force Medal and a National Defense Medal just as we did. The 61-62 cruise we got moreinvolved and sent planes into take care of the NV's also----five
different times. This time we got a star added to our medals! 2nd
award! VAW-13 was ALWAYS first to launch and clear the air and feed
info to the others and was always last to land!signaled to the Marine who was on duty to break it with his batton. He did and you should have heard Dickens cry.