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Home Town Busby, Alberta, Canada. Raised in Oakland, CA
Last Address Bend, OR
Date of Passing Aug 11, 2015
Location of Interment Benicia City Cemetery - Benicia, California
Captain John "Jack" Robert Emerson, USN (Ret) WWII Naval Aviation Pilot and member of the Silver Eagles
Retired Navy Captain John R. Emerson, age 93, was born March 26, 1922 in Busby, Alberta, Canada and moved to Oakland, California in 1924, becoming US citizen in 1940.
He joined the Navy in July 1942 in hopes of becoming a Naval Aviation Pilot. Jack attended Boot Camp in San Diego, completed AMM aviation machinist mate school and Airborne Radar Operator School in Memphis. He then attended Aerial Gunner's School in Purcell, Oklahoma, and served on assignments in southwest pacific bases. In 1944, he was offered a temporary officer commission for enlisted flight training and was designated NAP in Pensacola May 2, 1947 with rate AP1/c. He'd joined the Navy to fly, and one of his first aircraft was a Stearman biplane, wearing a leather helmet and a pigskin jacket, which is still wearable today. In the latter years, when someone asked for a new flight jacket, Capt. Emerson said "Have a seat, let me tell you about my jacket."
As an NAP, Aviation Pilot First Class, Emerson flew with FASRON 119 in Saipan, Marianas Islands taking on the roles of maintenance officer, technical librarian and operations officer. The squadron received a perfect audit for the first time. Assigned to VR-3 (Moffett Field) and NAS Alameda, he made chief in 1951 and was one of the Navy's first pilots to fly and instruct in the R6D (C-118) aircraft. From 1953-55, he was one of 15 APs to acquire a regular officer commission, completing 2 years of college equivalency in 1 to graduate as a Naval Aviator, and commissioned Ensign in 1954. In 1962 he received his BS degree and in 1971 two Masters degrees at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
20+ aircraft later, became Commanding Officer of VP-4, a Pentagon Navy planner, CinC-PacFlt staff in Hawaii until 1981, his last assignment was as CO of Naval Air Reserve Unit, NAS Whidbey Island, Washington.
With his retirement in Sept 1982, Capt. Emerson brought to a close 40 years of continuous naval service, marking the end of a special breed of Navy flyers – Naval Aviation Pilots (NAPs) whose national association is known as the Silver Eagles. Occasionally someone would look at his original flight jacket and ask "What is an AP1?". The ex-enlisted pilot would smile and say, "Have a seat, let me tell you all about it."
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Obituary:
Captain John R. Emerson USN (Ret), age 93, was born March 26, 1922 and passed August 11, 2015 at home in Bend, Oregon. Born in Busby, Alberta, Canada to John Robert MacDonald Ritchie and Jessie Whitson Carmichael (Emerson) (Ritchie) (Urquhart). Mother and sons moved to Oakland, California in 1924, becoming US citizen in 1940. He is survived by Alice, his wife and childhood sweetheart of 70 years to whom he gives much credit for her support and adaptability, and his six children John, Janice, Phillip, Kenneth, Scott. His son Ross preceded him.
He joined the Navy in July 1942 in hopes of becoming a Naval Aviation Pilot. Trained as an aviation machinist mate, southwest pacific bases became his assignment. In 1944, he was offered a temporary officer commission or enlisted flight training. He joined the Navy to fly. One of his first aircraft was a Stearman biplane, wearing a leather helmet and a pigskin jacket, which is still wearable today. In the latter years, when someone asked for a new flight jacket, Capt. Emerson said "Have a seat, let me tell you about my jacket."
Aviation Pilot First Class Emerson flew with FASRON 119 in Saipan, Marianas Islands taking on the roles of maintenance officer, technical librarian and operations officer. The squadron received a perfect audit for the first time. Assigned to VR-3 (Moffett Field), he made chief in 1951 and was one of the Navy's first pilots to fly and instruct in the R6D (C-118) aircraft. From 1953-55, he was one of 15 APs to acquire a regular officer commission, completing 2 years of college equivalency in 1 to graduate as a Naval Aviator. In 1962 he received his BS degree and in 1971 two Masters degrees at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
20+ aircraft later, became Commanding Officer of VP-4, a Pentagon Navy planner, CinC-PacFlt staff in Hawaii until 1981, his last assignment was as CO of Naval Air Reserve Unit, NAS Whidbey Island, Washington.
With his retirement in Sept 1982, Capt. Emerson brought to a close 40 years of continuous naval service, marking the end of a special breed of Navy flyers – Naval Aviation Pilots (NAPs) whose national association is known as the Silver Eagles. Occasionally someone would look at his original flight jacket and ask "What is an AP1?". The ex-enlisted pilot would smile and say, "Have a seat, let me tell you all about it."
Among Jack's decorations ar the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (2), Navy Commendation Medal, Air Medal (2), Meritorious Unit Commendation (2), and Navy Good Conduct Medal (3). As an enlisted man Jack was a Chief Aviation Pilot and retired with the rank of Captain. As a former enlisted pilot he was the last Silver Eagle to retire from active duty.
NAVAL AVIATION PILOTS (SILVER EAGLES)
The story of Naval Aviation's enlisted pilots, the last of whom retired from active duty in 1982, is one of widespread accomplishment. Designated Naval Aviation Pilots (NAP) when they received their wings, the select group of Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen included three Medal of Honor recipients and many others of notable accomplishments. At the entrance of this display, an NAP checks the daily schedule before training. Enlisted aviation pilots were critical to the war effort during World War II, providing the personnel needed to defeat Axis forces.
On Dec. 12, 1941 the NAVAL AIR TRANSPORT SERVICE was established under the Chief of Naval Operations to "Provide rapid delivery of critical equipment, spare parts and specialists to Naval activities and fleet forces through out the U.S. This was followed by the establishment of VR-3 on December 29, 1941 and its formal commissioning in April 1942. Under the command of Lt. Vernon A. Doyle, USN this squadrons area of responsibility was the continental U.S. operating the R4D (DC-3 type) Skytrain aircraft. On April 1, 1943 the squadron flew the first scheduled flight between Washington DC, and March AFB, CA.
In Dec. 1943, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox visited the newly commissioned Naval Air Reserve Base at Olathe, KS. The following January he ordered VR-3 to be moved there to continue their operation. This resulted in the inauguration of scheduled round trip flights to the west coast Naval installations. VR-3 was the first military unit to operate "Air Evacuation" flights with their aircraft, flying wounded WWII and ill servicemen from Washington to Burbank, CA. It was followed in December with once a week scheduled flights to Toronto Canada with a flag stop in Ottawa Canada. That same month, they inaugurated four daily flights between the east and west coasts. At that time (1944) VR-3 was the first naval unit to have a WAVE (female sailor) assigned, when a Link trainer was obtained.
In 1946 the squadron was relocated to NAS Patuxent River MD. and in 1948 was the original Naval Air Transport Squadron to be transferred to the newly formed Military Air Transport Service (MATS); the combined air transport force of the USAAF and USN. At the time, the unit was flying the Douglas R5D Skymaster (C-54).
In Dec. 1948, the squadron was transferred to the west coast at NAS Moffett Field CA. During their west coast duty, the squadron transitioned to the Douglas R6D Liftmaster (C-118) aircraft and suffered its first fatal accident when a squadron aircraft impacted the Pali Kea peak in the Hawaiian Islands. It was just 15 miles northwest of its scheduled destination. The squadron remained at Moffett until 1957 when it was relocated to McGuire AFB NJ, still operating within MATS under the command of the Naval Air Transport Wing Atlantic.
In Jun. 1963, the squadron retired their Liftmasters for the newly acquired C-130E Hercules medium haul transport. It continued its operation from McGuire until July 1967 when it was disestablished, becoming the last Navy squadron in the combined services Air Mobility Command (AMC). This ended the inter-service partnership that had begun in 1948 and lasted just short of 20 years.
It was only fitting that the oldest active Naval Air Transport Squadron to participate in this highly successful joint command was the last to be deactivated.