"...HOLCOMB, ARM1 John...I regret to inform you that John W. Holcomb passed away in July. (John joined the Navy February 12, 1942, spent six weeks of Boot Camp at Great Lakes Naval Station, attended radio school San Point Naval Air Station Washington, served with VGS 11 (Escort Scouting squadron Eleven) and VB-144 NAS Alameda, California.) We found out only a few days ago, when an interested and concerned daughter of one of John's squadron mates, searched the obituary archives in the Denver Post. We all knew that he had been seriously ill and we all feared for his life. He was truly the glue that held the squadron together. We miss him greatly and fear that his book will never be published...Forwarded by Catherine Alexander catrush1946@aol.com" [13OCT2004]

HOLCOMB, ARM1 John (Deceased July 2004) FlyVB144@aol.com "...I joined the Navy February 12, 1942, Following six weeks of boot camp Great Lakes Naval Station, I attended radio school San Point Naval Air Station Washington. Upon graduation I was ordered to report to VGS 11 (Escort Scouting squadron Eleven) consisting of F4F fighters and TBF (Avenger Torpedo Bombers) as radioman/tail gunner and immediately moved to Whidby Island. Our first mission was Submarine patrol. The squadron was then ordered to join the newly commissioned jeep aircraft carrier U.S.S. Altamaha. The first mission for the U. S. S. Alltamaha (CVE 18) was transporting aircraft, Marines, supplies and equipment to Esperito Santo in support of the marines fighting on Guadalcanal. Completing that mission the carrier joined the fleet as an operating carrier for a brief period off the coast of Esperito Santo then on to New Caledonia. From that point on primary duties of the U.S. S. Altamaha was transporting aircraft, supplies and personnel to various U.S. held strongholds through out the pacific. Completing that assignment she returned to San Diego, We trained pilots night and day in carrier take off and landings procedures. At this juncture I was ordered to report to VB-144 as one of the first enlisted men to come on board. Almost immediately on arrival I received orders to report to radar school, Corpus Christi Texas, upon completion I rejoined VB-144 Alameda Naval Air Station. Following intensive training, the squadron was ordered to Pearl Harbor Hawaii via the aircraft carrier U. S. S. Copahee (CVE 12). Arriving Pear Harbor, aircraft were off loaded and After a few minor repairs to the aircraft caused by heavy seas were flown to Kaneohe Bay where patrols were carried out daily. The squadron also acted as navigators for fighter and dive bomber aircraft to various Islands throughout the pacific starting with escorting aircraft to Midway and Guam from Kaneohee Bay. It was here that Lt. Brady tested the first under wing rockets for Admiral Nimitz and a host of other Navy brass. The squadron sent contingents for patrol duty to Johnston Atoll and Midway Island joining up at Johnston Atoll for Christmas Dec 25, 1943. We then returned to Kaneohe bay where the squadron departed in groups of three aircraft destination Tarawa. From Tarawa the squadron carried out patrols, bombing, reconnaissance and killer hunter strikes throughout the central pacific including the remainder of the Gilbert islands, Eastern Caroline and Marshall Islands in support of the island hopping campaign as it moved forward, moving to Roi Namur and kwajalien at this point we were using Tarawa, Roi Namur and Kwajalien in our air strikes. We became quite familiar with names such as, -Betio, Ailinglapalap. Ebey, Mille, Kusai, Wotje, Funa Futi, Nauru, Taroa, Majuro, Roi-Namur, Taonga, Jaluit, Kwajalein. Makin, Palmyra, Canton. All represented as small dots on the maps of the blue pacific ocean. Vega Ventura PV 1 Bu # 34757 ( Stardust) was crewed by ;Plane commander (PC) Lieut. F. O. Like(XO)----Co Pilot/Navigator Ens. Eugene E. Rowe---- Plane Captain, W. A. Reese AMNM1/c----Turret Gunner, R. . A. Fields AOM3/c Tail Gunner, T. B. Robinson AMM3/c----Radio/Radar operator, John Holcomb ARM1/c..." [E-Mail Updated 16DEC2001 | E-Mail Updated 29OCT2001 | BIO Updated 09OCT2001 | E-Mail Updated 05OCT2001 | E-Mail Updated 04OCT2001 | BIO Updated 30SEP2001 | E-Mail Updated 18NOV2000 | E-Mail Updated 08OCT2000 | 09OCT97]

HORNE, Philip phorne1214@aol.com "...I was one of the first pilots to report aboard the newly designated VB-144 at NAS Alameda, California in early June 1943. I had served a tour in the V Division on the cruiser, USS New Orleans. Steaming as part of the task force going from Espirito Santo to try to stop the Japanesse resupply of their troops on Guadalcanal, the decision was made to not have airplanes on board because of the fire hazard. Two of the SOCs from each of 4 cruisers were sent back to Espirito Santo. Royal Dickason and I on the New Orleans were selected for that. We expected to return to the ship later, but in the battle her bow was blown off back to the Number 2 turret. We never did see the ship again although she was repaired and returned to the fleet, taking part in the later action in the Pacific. There were crews from several damaged or sunk cruisers at Espirito Santo assigned to fly with a squadron flying inshore patrol in OS2U seaplanes. Later we were sent to New Caledonia. Then came orders to return to ComAirPac for reassignment and several of the SOC pilots received orders to VB-144. It was quite a transition from the obsolete seaplanes to the PV1 Ventura but we all successfully made the transition and spent a most interesting tour in the Central Pacific Theater operating from Tarawa an Roi Namur in the Quajalein atoll. I believe we did make a valuable contribution to the successful conclusion of the war..." [12JUL99]

O'NEAL, Ed "...VVB/VBP-144 Mr. Ed O'Neal, 159 Mistee Dr, Brownsboro, AL 35741-9453, 205-534-4931..." http://www.warships1.com/reunion_airgroup.htm [21DEC98]

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PROBERT, Curtis K. crakahed@megalink.net "...I would like to hear from some of my old Shipmates. I was with VPB-144 from 1944 to 1945. Please send a letter to me at: Curtis Probert, Birch Point Rd., Perry, Me 04667..." [27JUL2000]

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USTICK, CDR Perry W. Retired pustick@bellsouth.net "...I was the CO of VW-3 in 1959 to 1960 at Agana, Guam. I retired in 1964 as the director of Aeronautical Standards Group, Bureau of Naval Weapons, Wash. DC. Following retirement I was with American Cyanamide Corp. in Wayne, NJ from 1964 to 1979. I then retired to Gulf Breeze, FL where I am now teaching at the University of West Florida. My home address and phone is: Perry W. Ustick 228 Pine Tree Drive Gulf Breeze, Fl 32561 (850) 932-6979 home (850) 474-2552 office...After spending 1yr (11/22/41 to 11/30/42) aboard the U.S.S. Northampton CA-26 until she was sunk in a battle off Guadlcanal, the battle of Tassafaronga, qnd spending 4 months at Halavo Bay, Florida Ils in the VCS Detachtment (VS-64} cosisting of the surviving 'V' Division Pilots and crews from the U.S.S. New Orleans, Minniapolis, Pensacola and the HONOLULA, I was transitioned to a PV1 (Ventura) squadron VPB-144 in June 1943. A recurrence of the Malaria bug I acquired at Guadlcanal, kept me from deploying with VPB-144 and I later trained at Vernalis, California and deployed with VPB-148. We returned to the States in late November, 1944 after a tour in the Pacific operating out of Emiru, Island patrolling to TRUK Island, a Japanese stronghold. On returning to the States I assigned to NAS Alameda, California. Thus ended my combat deployment from Nov. 1941 (before Pearl Harbor} to 1944..." [BIO Updated 06JAN99 | 06JAN99]

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"...VANDEVER, ARM2 Maurice Prange...Dad passed away July 18th, 1990. While serving with VB/VPB-144 (Crew-4), Dad participated in 65 combat, photographic and reconnaissace patrols and carried out 22 bombing and strafing attacks, dropping a total of 25 tons of bombs and firing 10,000 rounds of ammunition against enemy fortified bases and armed shipping. On one ocassion, his plane was hit and received 81 holes in it with one engine shot out. Only once member of the crew was wounded and the pilot skillfully flew the plan for 120 miles on one engine in order to get back to the base safely. Dad received the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1994 and three Gold Stars..." Contributed by Scott Vandever svandever1950@gmail.com [26DEC2010]

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IN REMEMBRANCE VB/VPB-144

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In memory of these men known to be deceased and of all of the other unknown deceased squadron mates

Compiled to the best of my ability from available VB-144 information.

Catherine M. Alexander
catrush1946@aol.com
(wife of James K. Alexander)

NAME	STATUS
ALDERSON, J.H.
ALEXANDER, James K.	22JUL2010
APPLE, Clifford	2002
BAKER, John William	14FEB44 Jaluit
BASS, O. D.	1992
BOLOTIN, James	12/1945
BOND, L. L.
BRADY, James O.	2001
BUIE, James L.	1989
CARSON, Irving E.
COSPER, T. E.	1997
CRAIG, Russell F.
CURLYA, Eugene	1994
DANIEL, Milan J.	2001
DICKASON, Royal V. Jr.	2000
DIETLE, Earl D.	1980
DURKIN, George R.	1998
ENGLISH, J. P.	1980
FERGUSON, R.	15AUG45 Eniwetok
FOREMAN, Clarence E.
FREEMAN, Delbert Vearl	14FEB44 Jaluit
GAYLE, John W.
GILCREST, R. V. Jr.	1998
GISSIBLE, Raymond W.	1997
GOWANS, John "J"	1967
GUSTAFSON, Carl F.	2006
HAND, Chester D.	2006
HARRIS, Fred W.
HASTINGS, ?. H.	15AUG45 Eniwetok
HAWKINS, E. L.	2002
HOBAN, John William	1996
HOLCOMB, John W.	07/2004
JOHNSON, Hugh B.
JOHNSON, Robert A. "Big John"	1999
KEDHIGH, W. E.	1981
KELLY, D.	1997
KEMP, Kenneth Charles
KING, G. T.
KING, Lawrence C.	1995
KLEIN, Seymour S.	2003
LAMB, Thomas K.	2009
LLOYD, R. J.	1995
LONG, Thomas Edward, Jr.	14FEB44 Jaluit
MADDEN, Bert W.
MAHONEY, Michael Francis	14FEB44 Jaluit
MATOLICH, J.
MARCHETTI, Frank P.	1996
McCONOCHIE, D. A.
McLEOD, Claude Eugene	2004
McCLURE, R. E.	16AUG45 Eniwetok
MEAD, F.	1991
NEUSCHWANDER, Earl	03NOV2009
NOE, Harold D. "Hal"
O'BRIEN, R. J.
PENNOCK, Glenn E.	2000
PERRY, R. E.	1996
PETERSON, Samuel Christian	18APR44 Wotje
POWLES, Charles Edward	1993
RICKETTS, C. L.	15AUG45 Eniwetok
ROOK, E. J.	1989
ROWE, Eugene	1980
SARTALAMACHIA, Charles Anthony	14FEB44 Jaluit
SELBY, Robert Owen
SIMPSON, F. H.	1991
SMALLWOOD, Leonard Franklin	15AUG45 Eniwetok
SWANCE, Melvin E.	1989
TATE, Lester Goodwin	14FEB44 Jaluit
THOMAS, Edward B.	07JAN2010
TAYLOR, Robert W.	06NOV2004
VANDEVER, Maurice Prange	18JUL1990
WERTZ, Harvey L.
WOOD, John T.

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"VP-144 Summary Page"

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