Crosman, John, Jr., AD3

Dad graduated from High School in June, 1943 and was in the Navy two days later!  His Basic Training was in San Diego, Ca. for approximately 6-8 weeks.  He then went to Gunnery School in Jacksonville, Fla. where his main Gunnery Instructor (skeet) was TV and movie actor Robert Stack.  After training stateside, he went to Barbers Point, Hawaii and joined VT-100 which was a training squadron to outfit Squadrons embarking for the Pacific.  (VT-98, VT-99 and VT-100 served here.)  During training Dad shared that he had to bail out at 10,000 ft. when the engine quit.  (Catepiller Club) Once in theatre, his TBF had to ditch as the engine quite right after take off from his carrier. (Goldfish Patch).He said his crew was very worried that they would be run over by the carrier!  All was fine though, and they were fished out!  It was here that Dad often flew in the same TBF with famous actor and lifelong friend Paul Newman.  Dad was the top turret gunner and Paul was radioman and rear (stinger) gunner.  Both men were shipped off to the Pacific but in different outfits. 

My Dad always maintained that he spent a lot of time in theatre with VT-5 on the USS Wasp (CV-18) but the VT squadrons do not match as VT-5 was serving on the USS Franklin.  Many of Dad's recollections add up to the Wasp though as he shared in detail the February 19th Japanese bomb hit with many aviators being killed in the ready room. Also the Typhoon which caved in the bow's flight deck in October of '45.  I think at some point Dad also served on at least one Jeep Carrier. 

After service in the PTO Dad came back stateside and became a Shore Patrol; first in San Francisco then back east to Boston where he finished up his Naval career.  At that time Dad went to a propellor shaft and engine school in New England thinking about becoming an aircraft mechanic.  He also had an opportunity to become a pilot but did not follow through on that.   About 1952 he decided to get out of aviation entirely and become a commercial fisherman; coming back home to Orleans, Mass. (Cape Cod) and began his 35 year career as a lobsterman and commercial fisherman.  He always loved fishing but his love for aviation never abated!

His last years in life were relaxing and his life's mission centered around being a mentor in the New England area with AA.

I got to take him to WWII airshows in Reading, Pa. for 10 years.  The show was a hi-lite of his year and he really looked forward to it.  Once there, he always headed straight for that Avenger!