A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Nuclear Testing on Christmas Island, 1962..." Contributed by CYRUS, AT2 Sam sam@mail.biotechintl.com [10APR2002]

Nineteen sixty-two was a busy year for some of us in the US military. The temperature of the cold war was rising dangerously, and The USA was being frustrated in a number of activities in the international arena. Our relatively new President Kennedy had presided over the Bay of Pigs fiasco, had watched as the Berlin Wall was erected, and had been roughed up by Soviet Premier Kruschev in Vienna. With the economy down at home, the President’s ratings were abysmal. The Soviets were pressing at every turn.

A particular annoyance was that they had resumed testing of nuclear weapons in violation of The Test Ban Treaty which had recently been negotiated. In response to that, President Kennedy announced in early 1962 that the United States would resume atmospheric testing of high-yield nuclear weapons related devices (funny, that!).

I had arrived at Patrol Squadron 28 (VP-28), Barbers Point, Hawaii in October 1961 the week of my 20th birthday. VP squadrons were called ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) units, but were just as often assigned to intelligence missions, airborne surveillance, and to Search and Rescue operations. We flew the P2V Neptunes, predecessor of the P3 Orion which is still in use. I wanted to fly as a crew member and I set about satisfying the requirements for that assignment.

One needed to be a Petty Officer to fly and I got my AT3 (Aviation Electronics Techinician Third Class) ranking in November of 1961. There was qualifying with a pistol on the range (For airborne sailors, that meant managing to loose off a few rounds without shooting yourself or someone else!), and there was Survival School (a considerably more rigorous affair). Other familiarization matters of a less formal nature were accomplished routinely, and by early 1962, I had qualified.

I was assigned as understudy to one W. R. (Billy) Lynch, AT2, in the Captain’s Crew. Billy was due to be discharged shortly and I was expected to be his replacement as Radio Operator in the Skipper’s crew. Like most hi-tech jobs in the US military services, most of the time is spent training. We flew as crew to train new pilots, at the same time getting new crew members trained or more proficient, as the case might be. After some few flights with Billy, he signed off on my qualifications and shortly after that, we were deployed to Johnston Island, 700 miles southwest of Honolulu, to watch and support testing of some of the early ground based missiles. Then, in April, our crew was sent to Christmas Island near the Equator, some 1300 miles south of Honolulu. We guessed that the purpose of our assignment to Christmas Island was somehow associated with the upcoming nuclear testing.

This was a big deal. It had been headline news for weeks and all over the world, people were protesting. It was to be, by far, the biggest operation involving nuclear weapons in history. We were somewhat in awe of whatever it was we were being sent to do. We knew from the newspapers that “H-Bombs” were going to be tested, but we really had only a vague idea what that meant. We thought maybe we were to be the tethered goats (in the final analysis, not too far from the truth).

For enlisted personnel, this was made worse by the fact that, formally, we had been given almost no information. I was more fortunate than most in that our Plane Commander for this deployment, Lt. David Warnock (The Captain had an experienced second pilot who flew most of his crew’s operations), was a good communicator and he passed along enough to make some sense out of the jobs to which we were eventually assigned. Once we arrived at Christmas Island, we had seen our last newspaper for a while. We didn’t know it at the time, but they censored our mail to and from the island and for some future period.

The rumor mill is a valuable source of information for enlisted men in the military services. In the Navy, this is called “scuttlebutt.” One would hear it said that “Scuttlebutt has it that.....” etc;. More often than not, scuttlebutt got it right and one learned quickly how to evaluate information received by this medium.

For much of our information, we relied on the senior enlisted men in our crew, Hank Miller AT1 and Sam Bass AO1. Sam Bass was old, about 28. Hank was really old (late thirties). They seemed to be able to get accurate information from sources that were anything but obvious. Hank was the crew’s Chief Tech. Resembling a big, grinning bear, Hank had a lively intellect and a strong character. He knew nearly everything. Everybody (officers included) confided in Hank. In the barracks, we argued a lot about philosophy while Sam, Billy and I drank a lot of beer. I read Harold Robbins’ “The Carpetbaggers,” William James’ “Pragmatism,” and Taylor Caldwell’s “Prologue to Love” while there and Hank explained them to me. I was extremely fortunate to have those guys, along with Lt. Warnock as bosses in my crew.

Life on Christmas Island for the enlisted men in general, was not unpleasant. We worked on only about half the days. The weather was tropical and always the same, so there were no doors on the barracks. The showers were outside stalls in which sea water fell by gravity from giant tanks nearby. One simply wrapped a towel about one’s middle and set off across the burning sands to shower in public, much like is seen in some of the old western movies.

The food was excellent. They had made an extraordinary effort in this regard, so much so that the meals actually became boring. Even the food on the airplanes was good. Near the end, I wanted more than anything else, a baloney sandwich instead of the endless diet of steaks, hams and tropical fruits. I vowed that when I got back to Barber’s Point, that would be the first thing I would eat. I didn’t know it then, but you couldn’t get a baloney sandwich in Hawaii, either.

With no doors on the barracks, critters could wander into the quarters. Christmas Island is heavily populated with giant Crabs---these characters have legs 12-14 inches long and they walk with them extended so that the body of the crab is that far from the ground---a truly menacing creature to contemplate, but as far as I know, pretty harmless. They were so populous that sometimes there would be enough of them on the runway that a pending takeoff would have to be delayed while they were thinned. They wandered into the barracks from time to time and even managed to get into a lower bunk once in a while (they may have had a little help in that!). There, they lurked, waiting for the assigned occupant to return. Good reason to drink in moderation!

Any difficulties which arose were because of the need for something to do on the days while not flying or working on aircraft. The first thing one would think about on a tropical island would be that the beaches would offer a measure of distraction. Not true on Christmas Island. The beaches were rocky with coral formations that cut like a razor. The water was only knee deep out a long way and schools of sand sharks could always be seen from shore. On that tropical island, the ocean was inaccessible.

The only formal entertainment on the island, of which I was aware, was daily bingo at the club. All male bingo with the average age of the players being in the early 20’s, and booze plentiful and cheap. Whew!

Bingo finished early, so we played a lot of poker and pinochle in the barracks. There were no restrictions on bringing alcohol to the barracks, and almost everyone drank a lot on off-duty days. The usual derivatives from that occurred from time to time, but for the most part, harmony prevailed. As far as I knew, this lifestyle was normal for a bunch of sailors placed on an equatorial island in the middle of the Pacific. Life there did become a little tedious for the older guys (an older guy, except for Hank Miller and Sam Bass, was about 22). I read books voraciously, so I hardly noticed the tedium.

One guy, Gene Challgren, didn’t drink and didn’t smoke, resisting any and all temptations to act like the rest of us. He was clean-cut, was good at his job, and except for not drinking and smoking, seemed to be normal. He devoted his entire time away from work to writing letters to some girl back in the Midwest, mailing two or three every day. I admired the guy and thought his liver and kidneys were probably in pretty good shape.

There was a tribe of aborigines living somewhere nearby and theirs were the only women on the island The men worked in the commissary and in the caretaking of the grounds, earning a livelihood that was orders of magnitude greater than their customary lifestyle. Although contact was forbidden, there were some conversations that occurred between aborigine men and some of our guys. The natives were strictly forbidden to have any booze. They wanted booze. We had enough booze to float the Queen Mary from Memphis to New Orleans. As seen by some, this was a natural commercial opportunity. A sailor would supply a quantity of booze to a native and the native would promise to introduce the sailor to a maiden. I know that some liquor passed hands, but I don’t think the other part of any deal ever got consummated.

(Toward the end of the deployment, some white woman dignitary did visit the island and made a speech about something or other, but enlisted personnel weren’t invited. We never knew what position she held or why she was brought there. Some of the guys thought it a bit demeaning that she had been sheltered from exposure to the enlisted ranks.....but most of us were ambivalent about the matter.....)

One day I returned to the barracks from working on the flight line in the middle of the afternoon. I met Gene Challgren staggering and reeling around the corner of our building. His eyes were out of focus, his facial muscles slack, speech slurred, gait unmanageable. He had a half bottle of vodka in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. I knew something had happened with that girl back home. Didn’t even need to ask. Sometime later that evening (after bingo I think), he was still ambulatory and I saw him trying to negotiate something or other with an aborigine.

Whatever official information got to us came from our Plane Commanders. Official word came to them through the base radio or by military courier, and they passed pertinent material on to us in pre-flight briefings. They eventually told us that the USA would be detonating nuclear weapons and that it would be our job to keep any ships, boats and submarines from entering the area either by accident or by design. The manner in which this was to be accomplished would be to conduct reconnaissance flights on each day before there would be a blast. The flights each traversed the perimeter of one leaf of an imaginary four leaf clover with the island at its center. Search for errant surface craft was by radar and visual. The capabilities of the P2V-5 we flew that summer allowed us to easily cover a range out to a radius of about 900 miles with each of the four flights overlapping somewhat. Whenever we found an unauthorized ship in the area (I don’t think there were any authorized ships in the area), we identified them, took pictures and dropped leaflets in 7 languages telling them (I guess) to remove themselves.

The British, under whose administration the island functioned at that time, flew high altitude surveillance in Canberra aircraft, but their function was more at monitoring and photographing the blasts than excluding wayward seagoing vessels.

Our flights would take off at mid-afternoon on the day before a scheduled event. The nuclear devices were to be dropped from high flying aircraft (B-52’s) and would explode above the ocean somewhere near the island. The detonations were always scheduled for daybreak and all reconnaissance flights were required to be back before the blast could go forward. Each flight was 12-14 hours and there were never any delays in the drops because of patrol aircraft tardiness (although one of ours did drag in with both props feathered, barely making the runway on jets only!).

There were loudspeakers everywhere on the island that anyone was likely to be. Countdown for a blast started at 24 hours with updates every hour at first; then every half hour, then every minute, then every half-minute etc; until in the last sixty seconds, every second.

The procedure before a blast was to gather us into a designated compound---a fenced area maybe 150 yards in diameter. All the military personnel were together. There were probably 70-80 persons from our squadron on the island and a like number of other support and military personnel from the British and other American outfits. I don’t remember whether the aborigines were officially assigned with us or whether they were supposed to be gathered separately. A few of them, but certainly not all, were with us. All in all, there were probably 300 people who saw some of the events.

For each blast, we were issued dark goggles, through which one could look directly at the noonday equatorial sun and barely be able to discern that there was some dim light there. As the event approached, we were instructed to seat ourselves on the ground, backs to the (intended) blast site, knees raised, arms on knees, face buried in arms. The count proceeding by seconds: 60, 59, 58..... By now, of course, the device had already left the bomb bay and the bomber was scurrying the other way. When the count reached 3, 2, 1, DETONATION!..., the flash appeared. Every time! With my back to the blast, my eyes closed and wearing nearly opaque glasses, my recollection is that when the flash occurred, I could plainly see the bones in my arms. There’s more to be said about this....

After the flash, we would stand and look in the direction from which it had come. It was maybe 45 seconds, maybe more, before we got a low rumble followed by a blast of hot air. We felt the tremor underfoot. This would cause the ground to move (not shake---it actually moved laterally) causing us to stagger and sometimes fall. In the same time frame, the mushroom cloud would begin to form---truly one of the most provoking things one can witness. Many accounts have been written about the power, the fear-inspiring might of these things. They are all understatements.

We exploded quite a number (more than 10, I think) of devices ranging in size up to a few megatons, maybe as much as 10 megatons (one megaton is 50 times the size of the yield over Hiroshima). As far as I know, I saw’em all. Billy left for discharge during our time there, so I got my baptism in real operations.

They let us take pictures freely and some great images were captured of the mushrooms. Then when it was time to pack up and go home, they confiscated all photos, all film, cameras etc; They did a thorough body search when we got on our planes and I don’t think a single unofficial photographic record survived.

We had worn dosimeters to measure the cumulative radiation we received while on the island. These things were black wafers about 1 cm. thick and the size of a silver dollar. They were otherwise non-descript, in that they had no serial numbers, no identification whatsoever. We swapped them around and any personalization there might have been (There wasn’t any!) was thereby lost. They were collected as we boarded our planes to leave the island. We were told that they would be sent off for analysis. In six weeks, or so, the results came back: All exposure within acceptable limits. Right! Those who believe that might want to look at a bridge I have for sale up in Brooklyn........

When we returned to Hawaii, we were debriefed and essentially told not to say anything about the experience to anyone who hadn’t been on Christmas Island. This included sending anything in the mail to our families. So I wrote to my Mom and asked her to send me a baloney sandwich. Believe me, she knew something had happened.....

Nevertheless, those of us who had been there, did a lot of talking amongst ourselves and the talk was, for the most part, as serious as anything I experienced in the Navy. We unanimously agreed on two things: We all thought we had seen the bones in our arms during the flashes; and we knew we had looked in the face of something that could produce universal death.

Within a few months of our return, the Cuban missile crisis erupted. We were placed on alert---but that is another story. A month after that, we deployed to Iwakuni, Japan-----and I had started the year with Survival School......Whew!!

A note or two: I may have been the youngest person there. If not, certainly I was one of the youngest. After separation from active duty in 1964, I did 7 years of full time university study with the principal field of study being Physics. The choice of Physics as a discipline was not influenced by my experiences on Christmas Island, and only when I was an advanced graduate student did I start to knowledgeably ponder explanations for some of the phenomena. While The Nobel Prize is probably safe, I can say that I am eminently qualified in this area of Nuclear Physics and I keep up with the literature. I do, now, understand much more about what happened on Christmas Island. Nevertheless, I have tried to make this flow as it did then---as a 20 year old saw things. The scientist can maybe write the next chapter.......

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...I joined VP-28 (The Hawaiian Warriors) in 1962 at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. In the summer of 1962 we participated in the last atmospheric nuclear test as part of JTF-8. The squadron deployed aircraft and maintenance personnel to both Johnson and Christmas Islands amassing over 1600 flight hours in 1 month with 10 aircraft. At this time we were flying the SP2E. During my 3 year tour we made a couple of deployments to Iwakuni and NAF Misawa, Japan. After the gulf of Tonkin incident several aircraft moved from Iwakuni to Naval Station Sangley Point Republic of the Philippines. From here the squadron participated in Operation Market-Time, flying patrols off Vietnam. During my tour the squadron also flew the SP2H and the P3A..." Contributed by Ernest L. Grim, AFCM, USN (ret) ernieg@cox-internet.com

Circa 1960

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...(FASRON-111, VP-6, VP-22, VP-28, VP-45 and VP-49) - Naval Aeronautical Organization OPNAV NOTICE 05400 for Fiscal Year 1960 dated 1 February 1960 is: DECLASSIFIED per Office of Chief of Naval Operations on 1 February 1965 by Op-501 - Atlantic Fleet Support Stations..." WebSite: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/a-record/nao53-68/fy1960-feb60.pdf [13MAR2007]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Eleven Flight Crews - Page 3 - Naval Aviation News - October 1960..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1960s/1960/oct60.pdf [18AUG2004]

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Circa 1959

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Circa 1957 - 1959..." Contributed by AEM2 Ronald P. Doran ron479usa@ameritech.net [11FEB98]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Circa 1957 - 1959..." Contributed by AEM2 Ronald P. Doran ron479usa@ameritech.net [11FEB98]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Circa 1957 - 1959..." Contributed by AEM2 Ronald P. Doran ron479usa@ameritech.net [11FEB98]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Circa 1957 - 1959..." Contributed by AEM2 Ronald P. Doran ron479usa@ameritech.net [11FEB98]

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Circa 1958

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-28 History "...Found this photo of the new NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii Enlisted Mens Barricks which VP-28 moved into on our return from Operation Hardtack 1958. Nice new car bumpers on the cars..." Contributed by AEM2 Ronald P. Doran ron479usa@ameritech.net [09JUN2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...1958 CruiseBook: OPERATION HARDTACK is only one short chapter in the honored history of Patrol Squadron TWENTY EIGHT. As rich in tradition as the Navy itself, VP-28 was commissioned in 1928 and stationed at NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Territory of Hawaii. The "Hawaiian Warriors" flew PB4Y-l's on anti-submarine and ship surveillance training missions prior to World War II. Redesignated VPB-108 the "Warriors" took their "Liberators" into the Pacific theater of operations in 1943. During the war years the Squadron made an impressive record supporting invasions and naval operations in the Central Pacific. Flying 731 combat missions, pilots of VPB-108 developed the low-level bombing techniques that are standard tactical practice today. The Squadron sank or damaged at least 200 Japanese ships. As reward for their contributions to final victory, ten Squadron aircraft flew in low formation over Truk on V-J Day as participants in the surrender ceremonies. In the years that followed the Japanese surrender, VPB-108 returned to Hawaii and was again designated VP-28. Flying the P4Y-2 "Privateer" the "Hawaiian Warriors" deployed periodically to advanced bases at Guam, Hwajalein, and Okinawa. Responding to the war call once again in 1950, VP-28 swung into action by flying patrols in and around the Taiwan straits during the Korean War. Based at Itami, Japan for an extended tour, the "Warriors" patrolled the waters off North Korea and along the Communist-held coast of China. Working closely with the United States Marine Corps, Patrol Squadron TWENTY EIGHT helped perfect night flare dropping techniques that proved amazingly effective against the "human sea" tactics employed by huge masses of attacking North Korean and Chinese Communists troops. The Squadron was rewarded the Korean Presidential Unit Citation for outstanding performance of duty. P2V Neptunes replaced the old "Privateers" in 1952 and the Squadron returned to Barbers Point. Since that time, VP-28 has conducted extensive training in Anti-Submarine warfare, mining and long-range reconnaissance in the Hawaiian area. Frequent deployments to our nations far-flung Defense outposts have been valuable in guaranteeing the operational readiness so avidly sought after by all fleet units. In the past six years the "Warriors" have operated twice from Iwakuni, Japan and twice from an advanced base at NAS Kodiak, Alaska. On their last deployment to NAS Kodiak, Alaska in 1956, VP-28 flew in support of our DEW line supply fleet, conducted search and rescue-mercy missions and acted as a sentinel patrolling one of the most vital approaches to the North American continent. Patrol Squadron TWENTY EIGHT justly deserves its place in the long and proud history of Naval Aviation. In order to maintain a firm posture for defense and to retain our position as leader of the free world in its struggle with Communism, our nation has again conducted a series of nuclear tests overseas. Because vast nuclear stockpiles are not enough to check the advance of communist in the worlds peripheral areas and because our potential enemy has openly demonstrated his technological prowess and scientific acumen, as well as his declared intention to use these powers to destroy us, we in the free world have been forced to develop more refined nuclear and thermonuclear weapons------ devices which can be employed rapidly and decisively in any given tactical or strategic situation. Patrol Squadron TWENTY EIGHT has played a large part in assuring the successful completion of these 1958 tests. Working together with other units of the Navy and Air Force, VP-28 Neptunes have constantly and efficiently patrolled a large ocean area in a concentrated effort to prevent any stray ships and aircraft from wandering into the danger area and to provide early warning on shot days for all persons located within the operating area. We can be justly be proud of our latest achievements; they will stand as contributions to our country's determined bid to preserve its national substance and the integrity of the entire free world..." Contributed by Charley McCoskey pumpertwo@aol.com

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-28 History "...Spring of 1958 - VP-28 sign in front of Hanger 111 (Dallas)..." Contributed by DORAN, AEM2 Ronald P. ron479usa@ameritech.net [21DEC2002]

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Circa 1956

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-56 Cruisebook Cover "...NAS Kodiak, Alaska 1956..." WebSite: PhotoBucket http://media.photobucket.com/ [14SEP2009]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Ice Floes Ahead! - Page 1 to 5 - Naval Aviation News - October 1956..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1950s/1956/oct56.pdf [09AUG2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Patrols Are Their Business - Page 35 - Naval Aviation News - April 1956..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1950s/1956/apr56.pdf [09AUG2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-28 History "...VP-28 sign outside the hanger winter of 1956, right after this they put up the new sign with the Warrier on it. Had a snow ball in my hands which at that time were only 19 years old..." Contributed by DORAN, AEM2 Ronald P. ron479usa@ameritech.net [15MAR2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-28 History "...MATS to Hawaii this is door 3 to immigration, old photo, NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii..." Contributed by DORAN, AEM2 Ronald P. ron479usa@ameritech.net [15MAR2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...1956 NAS Kodiak, Alaska Cruisebook..." Contributed by Edwin Trefry edtref@earthlink.net [01JUN2001]

Patrol Squadron Twenty Eight (VP-28) has well deserved its place in the long and honorable history of Naval Aviation. Formed in the trying and difficult times of 1943, at the height of battle, Patrol Squadron Twenty Eight (VP-28) went to service with P4Y 'Liberators' in the Pacific Theatre. While in combat, the pilots of VB-l08 developed the low-level bombing techniques that are standard tactical practice today. After careful planning, one of the pilots, skimming the 'Pistol Packin' Mamma' just above the waves to avoid Japanese radar, practically reduced the island stronghold of Mille to a shambles in a single pass over the runway. Caught completely by surprise, the enemy had no time even to pull off the ir gun covers before the plane had thoroughly strafed, bombed, and leveled the base and gone on to sink a Japanese supply ship in the harbor with his remaining two bombs. The day of the low-level surprise attack was at hand, devised bv the pilots and men of VB-l08.

'Liberator's' to the utmost for in the latter five months of 1945 VPB-l08 flew 731 combat missions, sank or damaged more than 200 enemy ships and shot down three Japanese aircraft. Soon after, on V-J day, ten aircraft of VPB-l08 flew low over Truk in formation as part of the surrender ceremonies. They had more than won the honor to participate in the surrender of the "Pacific Gibraltar". After World War II, the squadron returned to Hawaii and conducted advance base operations on Guam, Kwajalein, and Okinawa. The squadron was redesignated VP-28 on the First of September, 1948.

Called again to action in 1949, at the beginning of the Korean conflict, VP-28 flew patrols covering the waters in and around the Formosa Straits. The squadron returned briefly to Hawaii to train new personnel, then re-deployed to Itami, Japan, maintaining day and night vigilance over North Korea and along the Com- munist-held China Coast. Later, working closely with units of Marine Land Forces, Patrol Squadron Twenty Eight (VP-28)helped develop night flare dropping techniques that proved particularly effective against the night time 'human sea', tactics used by the massed attacking Communist troops. As a result of outstanding performance of duty, Patrol Squadron Twenty Eight (VP-28) received the Korean Presidential Unit Citation.

In 1952, after near ly ten years res idence in the Hawaiian Islands, Patrol Squadron Twenty Eight (VP-28) adopted a "new look" by exchanging their old and honorable P4Y's which had done such long anddependable service for the newer P2V "NEPTUNES", along range reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrol plane. The following year, in recognition of their beautiful home base and their long term of residence there, VP-28 changed its name to the "Hawaiian Warrior" squadron.

During the present tour in Kodiak, the men and planes of the "Hawaiian Warrior" squadron have flown in the Alaskan-Aleutian area in all kinds of weather, safeguarding our far Northern Defense Perimeter. In addition, they have also conducted search and rescue mercy missions, training, and ice I reconnaissance patrols far into the Arctic North of Alaska.

A BIT OF HISTORY: "00JUN56--...all aircraft were P-2V5's , when I arrived at NAS Kodiak, Alaska June 1956 I think 9 aircraft had guns on them and 3 had bubble noses and the stinger at the tail section for MAD and ECM antennas. They sent me to aerial gunnery school and I was for a short time a deck turret gunner, twin 50's, what a joy to shoot. Had twin 50's in the nose and twin 20mm in the tail, twin 50's as deck guns, the Navy discovered that the guns were no good against jets, we played war games, I would see a jet over my sholder and by the time I swung the turret around to face him, he had a kill on his camera and I never got a shot at him. Also went to escape and evasion school, what an experience..." Contributed by AEM2 Ronald P. Doran ron479usa@ameritech.net [02FEB98]

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Circa 1952

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...FASRON-110, FASRON-112, FASRON-114, FASRON-117, FASRON-118, FASRON-119, FASRON-120, FASRON-885, FASRON-895, VP-1, VP-2, VP-4, VP-6, VP-9, VP-22, VP-28, VP-29, VP-40, VP-42, VP-46, VP-47, VP-731, VP-772, VP-871, VP-892 and VP-931) - Naval Aeronautical Organization OPNAV NOTICE 05400 for Fiscal Year 1953 dated 1 October 1952 is: DECLASSIFIED per Office of Chief of Naval Operations on 1 February 1965 by Op-501..." WebSite: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/a-record/nao53-68/fy1953-oct52.pdf [14MAR2007]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...FAW-1, FAW-2, FAW-4, FAW-6, FAW-14, VP-1, VP-2, VP-4, VP-6, VP-9, VP-22, VP-28, VP-40, VP-42, VP-46, VP-47 and VP-871) - Naval Aeronautical Organization OPNAV NOTICE 05400 for Fiscal Year 1953 dated 1 October 1952 is: DECLASSIFIED per Office of Chief of Naval Operations on 1 February 1965 by Op-501..." WebSite: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/a-record/nao53-68/fy1953-oct52.pdf [14MAR2007]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP Commanding Officers - Page 16 - Naval Aviation News - December 1952..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1950s/1952/dec52.pdf [28JUL2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...20SEP52 - A US Navy PB4Y-2S, of VP-28, was attacked by two Chinese MiG-15s off the coast of China. One of the PLAAF pilots was Zhongdao He. The USN aircraft was able to safely return to NAF Naha, Okinawa, Japan..." Website: Aircraft Downed During the Cold War and Thereafter http://www.silent-warriors.com/shootdown_list.html [20FEB2003]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...23NOV52 - A US Navy PB4Y-2S, of VP-28, was attacked, but not damaged, by a Chinese MiG-15 off of Shanghai China..." Website: Aircraft Downed During the Cold War and Thereafter http://www.silent-warriors.com/shootdown_list.html [20FEB2003]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "KOREA--ARRIVED: 14JUL50 DEPARTED: 30NOV52 TAIL CODE: CF AIRCRAFT: P4Y-2/2S" http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/koreaob.htm

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Circa 1951

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-28 "...VP-28 - April 14, 1951 - UFO Tracking...Publication Number: T1206 - Publication Title: Project Blue Book, 1947-1969 - Publisher: NARA - Year: [ILLEGIBLE] - Month: [ILLEGIBLE] - Month Season Number: [ILLEGIBLE] - Location: [ILLEGIBLE] - Incident Number: [BLANK] - WebSite: http://www.footnote.com/..." Forwarded by Stephen Miller miller.s@adelphia.net [14AUG2008]

A BIT OF HISTORY: VP-28 "...VP-28 - April 14, 1951 - UFO Tracking...Publication Number: T1206 - Publication Title: Project Blue Book, 1947-1969 - Publisher: NARA - Year: [ILLEGIBLE] - Month: [ILLEGIBLE] - Month Season Number: [ILLEGIBLE] - Location: [ILLEGIBLE] - Incident Number: [BLANK] - WebSite: http://www.footnote.com/..." Forwarded by Stephen Miller miller.s@adelphia.net [14AUG2008]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP-28 arriving at NAS Agana, Guam sometine 1951. Officers are: CO VP-28; CO FASRON-111, CMD Marshall; XO FASRON LCMD Mann..." Contributed by Jim Garnsey jgarnse1@twny.rr.com [15JAN2001]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP-28 arriving at NAS Agana, Guam sometine 1951. Officers are: CO VP-28; CO FASRON-111, CMD Marshall; XO FASRON LCMD Mann..." Contributed by Jim Garnsey jgarnse1@twny.rr.com [15JAN2001]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP-28 CF#4 heading for parking spot at NAS Agana, Guam sometine 1951..." Contributed by Jim Garnsey jgarnse1@twny.rr.com [15JAN2001]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP-28 CF#4 heading for parking spot at NAS Agana, Guam sometine 1951..." Contributed by Jim Garnsey jgarnse1@twny.rr.com [15JAN2001]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Itami Air Base, Itami, Japan in 1951, during the Korean War, flying the PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER. Kanji Aranishi, the International Representative for the city of Itami, Japan set up a web site at my request to show what it looks like today. I sent him several photographs of what it looked like in 1951. He has set the website up to show then & now. OSAKA (ITAMI)AIRPORT TODAY http://www2.osk.3web.ne.jp/~aranishi/itmbase.htm..." Contributed by Jim Miller Patron28@aol.com [16DEC98]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP-28, based at Itami 5APRIL51-9OCT51, aircraft-nine P4Y-2, CO - CDR C. S. Minter. VADM Charles S. Minter, Jr., USN (Ret.). If you need VADM Minter's address, please e-mail me. I am a researcher seeking information from PATRONS on the Soviet submarines based at Port Arthur, China (now called Lushun, China) during the years 1950 through 1951. Any information would be a great help in my research! I am still trying to locate information on Knave 206 and Knave 210 ( one land based aircraft that came out on the morning of July 29, 1951, then the second aircraft in the afternoon to relieve the first, to aid the ships attacking the submarine contact ), I would be most greatful!..." Contributed by Al March a499march@aol.com [12DEC98]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "5APRIL51-9OCT51--Based at Itami. Aircraft: Nine P4Y-2's. CO: CDR C. S. Minter....Allison E. March" a499march@aol.com

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Circa 1950

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VP-28 "White Hat" Enlisted Personnel NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii 19 December 1950..." Contributed by MILLER, James C. Sr. Patron28@aol.com (VP-28 Squadron Historian) [14FEB2009]

FRONT ROW: AOAN C. W. Eastman, AT1 G. D. Adams, AT3 K. T. Wilson, AO3 W. J. Belletsky, AD2 C. A. Horn, YNSN R. R. Hamilton, AN A. A. Mintz, AN N. Nicastro, AO1 L. H. Barnes, AM1 Wilbur, ABAN R. O. Dalton and AL3 D. L. Klotz.

BACK ROW: AD1 W. H. Stobing, ADAN R. Knopik, AL3 B. W. Edney, AOAN R. P. Sperier, AO3 J. A. Fitzgerald, AD3 T. W. Hutson, AD1 B. G. Zinn, AN D. W. Freeman, AD1 R. L. Mannon and AE3 T. H. Olson.

VP-28 "White Hat" Enlisted Personnel taken just outside their hanger at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, on 19 December 1950, shortly after returning from NAF Naha, Okinawa, Japan, where they had been patrolling the waters off of the coast of Korea.

VP-28 was stationed at NAS Agana, Guam in January of 1950, for their normal six (6) month WestPac.

They were scheduled to be relieved and return to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii in June of 1950, when the Korean War began on 25 June 1950. Shortly after 25 June, VP-28 was moved up to NAF Naha, Okinawa, Japan to begin patrolling the waters off Korea until reserve Patrol Squadrons could be activated and relieve them, which did not take place until September 1950.

VP-28 flew the PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER, and later during the Korean War most of the same squadron personnel would return to the Korean Theater and were stationed at Itami, Japan in April of 1951. Operating out of Itami and bases in South Korea VP-28 participated in Flare Dropping missions over North Korea in conjunction with Marine Night Fighter Squadron VMF(n) 513, which flew the F4U Corsair and the F7F. VP-28 returned to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii in September of 1951, with the exception of four (4) planes & crews left behind to train the relieving squadron. The last four (4) returned to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii in December 1951.

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...INVASION PATROL: THE SEVENTH FLEET IN CHINESE WATERS - by Dr. Edward J. Marolda - Naval Historical Center..." Navy Historical Center WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/colloquia/cch3c.htm [07SEP2005]

Operating from Buckner Bay, the Seventh Fleet would take a day to arrive off the west coast of Taiwan. Naval forces in Korean waters would not be available for at least two days. That, of course, assumed they were not involved in heavy combat operations or engaged in evacuating U.N. forces from Korea, very real possibilities in 1950 and 1951.

In this circumstance, early warning and interception of an invasion force was absolutely vital. Accordingly, steps were taken to establish U.S. air, submarine, and sea patrols of the strait. Operationally, this could only be accomplished through the use of the anchorages, ports, and shore facilities of Taiwan and the nearby Pescadore Islands. Cooperation with Nationalist authorities was implicit.

To improve coordination and communications for the prospective air patrol, during the second week of July Admiral Struble and the commanding officers of two units, VP-28 and VP-46, conferred in Taipei with top military leaders of the Nationalist armed forces.

On July 16, patrol aircraft of FAW-1 began reconnaissance missions in the strait. On that day, VP-28, which flew nine PB4Y Privateers from NAF Naha, Okinawa, Japan, inaugurated a daily surveillance of the northern part of the strait and along the nearby China coast. The following day, VP-46, with nine PBM-5 Mariner flying boats, kicked of f patrols of the strait's southern sector from the Pescadore Islands, where seaplane tender Suisun deployed on the 17th. Routinely, patrols were only flown from land bases or secure anchorages during the winter months. Throughout 1950 and 1951, one seaplane and one land-based squadron carried out the round-the-clock patrol of the strait.

The emergency nature of the 1950 patrol was clearly reflected in the way it was set up and carried out. Lieutenant Commander Maurice F. Weisner, the Commanding Officer of VP-46, and a future Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, related in a post-mission report that the patrol units had a difficult time operating in the strait. Day and night, in foul weather and good, his PBMs flew 14-hour circuits just off the "deck." During the winter monsoon, winds of gale-force strength were common.

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...PB4Y's FInd Disabled Ship - Page 18 - Naval Aviation News - June 1950..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1950s/1950/jun50.pdf [20JUL2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...'Night Eye' Planes Active - Page 10 - Naval Aviation News - February 1950..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1950s/1950/feb50.pdf [19JUL2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Patrol Squadrons In The Korean War By LCDR Rick Burgess, USN (Retired) - Naval Aviation News July-August 2002..." Contributed by Mike Yared mikeyared@yahoo.com [25JAN2003]
Patrol Squadrons In The Korean War Page 1 of 4
Patrol Squadrons In The Korean War Page 2 of 4
Patrol Squadrons In The Korean War Page 3 of 4
Patrol Squadrons In The Korean War Page 4 of 4

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Circa 1949

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...33 AF Men Saved By Navy - Page 10 - Naval Aviation News - February 1949..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1940s/1949/feb49.pdf [16JUL2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "... NAS Agana, Guam is in the Marianas Islands, and was under the command of Commander Fleet Air Wing ONE. Units stationed at The Naval Air Station included the Fleet All Service Squadron ONE EIGHTEEN, (FASRON 118). On Jan 5, 1949, Patrol Squadron TWENTY-EIGHT, (VP-28), Home Based at NAF Kadena, Okinawa, Japan, was deployed to NAS Agana, Guam, M.I. for six (6) months of Advance Base Operations. VP-28 had a compliment of nine (9) PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER's. Commanding Officer Of VP-28 was CDR Frederick L CURTIS, 77811/1310, USN. Executive Officer Of VP-28 was LCDR Leslie D. Davis, 1310, USN On 10 Jan 1949, three (3) of VP-28's PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER's were deployed to NAF Naha, Okinawa, Japan for search & rescue, typhoon reconnaissance & possible airlift in the event of trouble in the China Revolution. The following bases were visited by all crews of VP-28: Manila; Tachikawa, Japan; Itazuke, Japan; Shangai, China; & Tsingtao, China. Information on the Air Facilities were compiled by Fleet Air Wing ONE on the facts gathered by the crews on these flights and all of the Squadron was familiarized with the bases in the event of future operations from the area. VP-28 Squadron Awards: 1. Pacific Area Battle Efficiency Pennant for Patrol Squadrons, Competitive Year 1949. 2. Commander Air Force, Pacific Fleet, Patrol Squadron Safety Award for 1949. 3. NAS Agana, Guam, M.I., Intramural Softball League Champions of 1949. On 10 Jul 1949, VP-28 departed NAS Agana, Guam, M.I. for NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, Oahu, T.H., our new Home Base Of Operations. NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, our previous Home Base, had been put on auxilary standby, and all Navy Squadrons transferred to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. VP-28 was relieved at NAS Agana by Patrol Squadron TWENTY-TWO, (VP-22) Squadron Personnel of VP-28, other than flight crews, boarded the USS Andromeda, AKA-l5, in Apra Harbor Guam on 9 Jul 1949, and returned to Pearl Harbor on 18 Jul 1949, and were transported to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii..." Contributed by James C. Miller, Sr. Patron28@aol.com [24JUN98]

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Circa 1948 - 1969

A BIT OF HISTORY: " CD-ROM: Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Vol. 2 Stock No. 008-046-00195-2 The History of VP, VPB, VP(HL), and VP(AM) Naval Historical Center, Department Of The Navy, Washington, D. C...." [15JUN2000]

CHAPTER 3 Patrol Squadron (VP) Histories VP-28 506B

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Circa 1948

A BIT OF HISTORY: UNIT: VP-28 PREVIOUS DES: VP-HL-8 NAME: Hawaiian Warriors TAIL CODE: CF/QC ACTIVATED: 1948 DEACTIVATED: 10-1-69 TYPICAL LOCATION(S): Naha
"Title: Lockheed P2V Neptune An Illustrated History by Wayne Mutza wmutza@wi.rr.com...A Schiffer Military History Book...ISBN: 0-7643-0151-9...286 pages full of pictures and history!

A BIT OF HISTORY: "1948--I joined VP-28 in 1948 at NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the CO was CDR F. L. Curtis and the XO was LCDR Leslie D. Davis. We had a compliment of nine (9) PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER Aircraft. In January 1949 we were deployed to NAS Agana, Guam for six (6) months, relieving VP-22, one of our sister squadrons at our home base of NAS Kaneohe Bay, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Our other sister squadron was VP-25, the "Bat" squadron. On 10 Jul 1949 the squadron to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. On 22 Jul CDR F.L. Curtis turned over command to LCDR C. F. Skuzinski. 2 Feb 1950 the squadron again was deployed to NAS Agana, Guam for six (6) months of adfvance base operations. Due to the activity in Korea on 25 Jun 1950 our deployment back to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii was delayed until Sep. 12 Sep 1950 CDR C. S. Minter, Jr relieved CDR Skuzinski as CO of VP-28. 28 Mar 1951 the squadron was deployed for WestPac, and its new base -- Itami Air Base, in Southern Honshu, Japan. Sep 1951 the squadron deployed back to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, leaving behind three (3) crews, "Detachment Able", to operate out of NAS Atsugi, Japan and rotate one crew at a time out of K-1 in Korea. On 15 Dec the three (3) Detachment Able" rreturned to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii and joined the rest of the squadron. 8 Feb 1952, CDR Minter was relieved by LCDR C. B. McAfee, who was promoted to CDR on 13 Mar 1952. I left the squadron in May 1952 for a short stay of a month in FASRON 117, as the squadron was preparing to deploy to Okinawa, and I was scheduled to be discharged in Jun 1952. The lineage for Patrol Squadron Twenty-Eight, VP-28 is as follows from the Department Of The Navy Historical Center Washington Navy Yard, 901 M Street SE, Washington DC 20374-5060: Established as VB-108 1 Jul 1943 / Redesignated VPB-108 1 Oct 1944 / Redesignated VP-108 15 May 1946 / Redesignated VP-HL-8 15 Nov 1946 / Redesignated VP-28 1 Sep 1948 / Disestablished 1 Oct 1969..." Contributed by James C. Miller, Sr. Patron28@aol.com

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Circa 1945

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...02AUG45 - PV (FAW-18), flown by a relief crew from VPB-28, en route from Saipan to Jinamoc, Philippine Islands, makes initial sighting of survivors from sunken heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA-35) around 11°32'N, 133°34'E.25 ..." HyperWar http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1945.html [11SEP2005]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...11MAR45 - PBM-3d (VPB-28) attacks Japanese convoy in South China Sea, sinking water carrier Wayo Maru about 40 miles southeast of Macao, 21°31'N, 112°28'E..." HyperWar http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1945.html [11SEP2005]

A BIT OF HISTORY: Contributed by John Lucas john.lucas@netzero.net [13JAN2002]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...VPB-28 was split into two detachments, with one remaining at Lingayen Gulf aboard Barataria (AVP 33) consisting of six planes and eight crews, and the other at the Jinamoc Seaplane Base, San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, Philippines. The Jinamoc detachment, with five aircraft and nine crews, began flying two antisubmarine patrols daily east of Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao..." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-vol2/chap3-8.pdf [18OCT2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...22 Sep 1945: The detachment at NAB Sangley Point, Philippines, joined the detachment at Jinamoc Seaplane Base, San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, Philippines, placing the operational control of VPB-28 under FAW-10...." WebSite: http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-vol2/chap3-8.pdf [18OCT2004]

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...From 1945 to 1969, U.S. Navy aircraft were involved in a number of aerial incidents with forces of the Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China, North Korea, and Czechoslovakia. These incidents resulted in the loss of eight Navy aircraft and one Coast Guard aircraft, eighty-one Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviators and crewman, and several aircraft damaged and crewmen wounded and injured. The list below, compiled from official and unofficial sources, does not include aircraft lost in direct action in the Korean and Vietnam wars, nor aircraft shot down by Chinese forces in the vicinity of Vietnam in connection with that war..." Naval Historical Center, Department Of The Navy, Washington, D. C http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/dictvol2.htm [06MAY2001]