A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Greetings from a fellow VP-931/VP-57 crew member. I began my affiliation with VP-931/VP-57 in June 1951 at good ole NAS Whidbey Island, Washington after a 6-month adventure as a General Service Radar operator on the USS Sicily (CVE-118) followed by fam training with FASRON-112.

Our June 1950 AT graduation class at Millington, TN was "honored" by a quick flight to San Diego where most of us boarded the USS Sicily or USS Philippine Sea (CV). On July 4, 1950, we set sail for Korea. After the Kwar was "over" (Nov 1950- before Chinese intervention) we were given our GS release and dispersed to our Naval Aviation responsibilities. A few of us were assigned to NAS Whidbey Island, Washington for re-training in FASRON-112.

After FASRON-112 most of us were assigned billets with VP-772 (PB4Y2), VP-9 (PB4Y2), and VP-931. VP-772 was assigned to Sand Point (Seattle) and VP-9 was sent to NAS Kodiak, Alaska. I was assigned to fly with Crew 6, Plane BUNO 39363 (P2V-2), as the radar operator and 2nd radio. Bill Rittman, Geo Baldwin, and Ens. Springer were the pilot, co-pilot and navigator, respectively. Most of VP-931 were from Philla as was the squadron thus the Philla Eagle football insignia. Commander Payson was our skipper.)

According to my Aviators Flight Log VP-931 left NAS Whidbey Island, Washington for NAS Kodiak, Alaska on 12/27/1951. We were sent there as an emergency replacement for VP-9 which had lost several aircraft. As I remember, an AT3 named Witherspoon (a Millington classmate) was the only survivor from two crashes. Two other AT School classmates, Will Tacie (an All-state Mich wrestler) and Busby, were also lost in crashes. In the beginning I had reservations about being billeted to VP-931 and not VP-9, but now I consider it a blessing. I believe that VP-9 lost 7 planes while flying in Alaska.

While stationed at NAS Kodiak, Alaska (until 7/12/1952) our crew sometimes averaged 100 hours a month. On the only flight that I missed while assigned to Crew 6, they took a P2V-3W to Adak and on departure in horrible weather the next morning an alcohol line broke in the cockpit and the pilots were blinded. GCA brought them back to the right of the runway (refer to 18 Feb 52 mishp summary). Lt. Rittman attempted a correction to the runway after clearing weather but couldn't make it. The nosewheel collapsed and the plane skidded to the end of the runway. One crew member was injured when he jumped on another crew member as the crew was escaping from the after hatch. During these exciting hours, I was flying in plane 8 (a P2V-2) to Pt. Barrow, AK.

Shortly after we returned from NAS Kodiak, Alaska, VP-931 was de-activated and most non-reservists were transitioned to VP-57 and into P2V-5's, approx 8/9/1952. I was assigned to Plane #1 which was piloted by Commander Coley. The new planes were a great improvement over the P2V-2's. I continued flying with VP-57 until Feb 1953. During this time, I was very busy trying to qualify for pilot training. Tom Fruend, Milt La Liberte and I (all AT2's) took the exams and after several weeks we learned that I was the only one who completed qualifications for Pensacola. In early Mar 1953, Commander Coley sent me to Seattle to meet with the FAW Commander to seek an early appointment to Pensacola as VP-57 was heading for Japan. The request was denied and Tom, Milt and I took our discharges (Mar 20).

Our story could end here, but I must add that Tom Fruend decided that chem was too tough at Tenn. Tech and he joined the AFROTC Pilot training program. He completed AF pilot training and transitioned to the F-2 Delta Dagger after a stint as AT flight instructor. Our family visited his while he was assigned to Truax AF Base in Madison, WS. After Truax, he was assigned to Elmendorf, AK and was there when the large earthquake shook the area. At that time, I was working on the Apollo Program in Huntsville, AL. He stopped in Huntsville while on a cross country flight and visited us for a few hours. The F-2 parked at the Huntsville airport brought much attention to say the least. The last letter that we received from Tom had him transitioning to F-4 Phantoms and the inevitable assignment to Vietnam (approx 1964). We lost track of Tom after that letter, but we never could forget him. In 1991, we visited the Black Wall in DC and looked for his name but it was not listed.

A couple of years later, I saw an ad in a navy mag giving and address where I could make an inquiry about military personnel. As a result. I was given a telephone number to call and we located him in Ft. Worth, TX. We communicated by letter/phone until my family and I were in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, then we dropped in for a wonderful reunion. He is currently the senior MD-80 flight instructor for Amer. Airlines and near a second retirement. He didn't talk much about his Vietnam experiences but when I saw a photo of an F-4 Wild Weasel on his mantle, I inquired about his work there. He was a Wild Weasel and flew 150 missions over Vietnam. He has four children- three girls and a boy. His son, Charles (named after me) is a Marine reserve pilot (F-4) who flies for an express company. It's ironic that my youngest son, Tom (named after Tom Freund) was at that time working for TI in Dallas, TX. My Tom flew in the Navy for seven years as an ECMO in E6B Prowlers off the USS Kittyhawk. Believe it or not, my Tom was stationed at Whidbey (VAQ-130) in the same hangar and office space as our VP-57 some 40 years later- small world!..." Contributed by Charles V. Gray charles.gray43@gmail.com ..." [06JUN2000]

"VP-57 History Summary Page"

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