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Naval Air Squadrons - Fixed Wing 'V' Squadrons


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Salvage Sailor
On 10/6/2021 at 2:33 AM, Maverickson said:

 

That 1st version of the VSF-1 Warhawks squadron patch can be seen attached to the skipper's G-1 directly below.

 

vsf1-waring-rr.jpg.a656acd020256b4041bbc487164b0689.jpg

 

VSF-1 WARHAWKS

 

VSF1WARHAWKS001.JPG.7a6b256e86f940a9bb34cc263879d4ea.JPG

 

Stationed at NAS Alameda: VSF-1 was established on 1 July 1965. On 1 July 1966 VSF-1 was split in half.  One half remained as VSF-1 and deployed on the USS Shangri-La CVS-38 to the Mediterranean and the other half was called VSF-1 Det Alameda which was later renamed VSF-3 Chessmen.

 

VSF1WARHAWKS002.JPG.bde24ccdef680dccfd1e2928e8077ca9.JPG

 

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VA-56 won the Light Jet Attack category of the 4th Naval Air Weapons Meet (aka Operation Top Gun) at MCAAS Yuma.  The meet was held November 30 through December 4, 1959. Prior to the meet the squadron was known as "The Boomerangs".  The nickname was changed to "The Champs", after the meet. The patch has some damage to the embroidery.  

VA-56 copy.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

AIRASRON 28 (VS-28)

Hukkers aka Gamblers 1960-1992

'Aces and Eights' the Dead Mans' Hand

VS28HukkersGamblers001.JPG.7dd3d5b4ecd85bf183cbff329770213a.JPG

 

Air Antisubmarine Squadron 28 (VS-28) was established on 1 June 1960 at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The new squadron, known as the Hukkers, was formed from a segment split off from VS-31 and equipped with Grumman-built S2F-1/1S Tracker carrier-based twin-engine antisubmarine aircraft.

 

grumman-s-2e-152367-vs-28-as10-uss-wasp-cv-18-c64-65-ghc-via-rjf-095d26-640.jpg.bd3b48787f11bb001a25092e1c5ed82e.jpg

Grumman S-2E 152367 VS-28 AS10 USS Wasp CV-18 c64-65 

 

VS28HukkersGamblers002.JPG.b41c9520f25949d24993decae0134ebb.JPG

 

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  • 2 months later...

Greetings, first post so I hope it’s in the correct place. 
 

Im a hand bookbinder and I have been doing a lot of memorial work lately. At the moment I’m working on a memorial for the family of a VF31 pilot. In researching I found this page and then learned the reason I could not find a patch for the memorial piece is that many patches were made “locally”. So then I found someone that makes 3D patches. I am pleased with the results and thought it might be of use to those here in getting a rare patch to display. I also found a gray source for having a b&w photo colored. Having the patch already made helped with the color of the patch on the picture of the pilot and side of the plane.
 

If any of you have any information on Commander B. S. Weber that I can use I would love to see anything you have. 
 

thanks,

 

michael

C8C1F1B9-58EA-417F-9124-48278C9AD852.jpeg

1BA2FA1B-DE30-45A1-A7D9-53B6C9CEB306.jpeg

8C245108-7071-4F00-A289-40111DA081E5.jpeg

A4D43F3E-38C9-4C10-8674-5F01A662642C.jpeg

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In the early 1990’s the Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association reached out to its membership and asked that they provide autobiographical information.  The below is lifted from Captain Weber’s listing in that organization’s “Golden Eagle Chronolog”:

 

 

Bruce S. Weber, Captain, USN (Ret.)

“Bruce”

Date of Designation: 16 September 1937 NA # 5354

Dates of Active Duty: 1 July 1936 - 1 July 1968

 

Total Flight Hours: 6,572

Carrier/Ship Landings: Fixed wing: 223

Approximate Flight Hours: Jet: 27 Prop: 6,545

 

Combat Tours:

WW II: Mar. 1944-Jun. 1944, Bougainville & Green Island

40 Missions Green Island, Rabaul Land Based VF Squadron.

20 Missions USS Belleau Wood /CAG-31, Carrier Based from Jun. 1945 - Jul. 1945 end of war.

 

Aviation Commands:

CO, VC-34, Mar. 1943 - Aug. 1943

CO, VF-34, Aug. 1943 - Jul. 1944

CO, VF-98, Aug. 1944 - Mar. 1945

CAG-98, Aug. 1944 - Mar. 1945

CAG-31, Mar. 1945 - Dec. 1945

CAG-17, Mar. 1949 - Oct. 1950

CO, VC-11, May 1955 - Oct. 1955

 

Combat Awards:

Navy Cross

Distinguished Flying Cross

3 Air Medals

 

Duty Assignment Chronology

 

Bruce Sutherland Weber was born 1 October 1913, the son of Robin A. and Leila Weber in St. Louis, Missouri. He was educated in Baden Elementary School and Beaumont High School, St. Louis. In 1936 he graduated from Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business and Psychology.

 

In July of 1936 Bruce Weber entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program, earning his wings at Pensacola, Florida, 1 September,1937, and was promoted to Fleet Cadet. Fleet Cadet Weber was first assigned duty aboard the historic USS Enterprise while she was being commissioned. Tours of duty with Bombing Squadron Six, Fighter Squadron Six and Bombing Squadron Two aboard the USS Lexington followed.

 

At the opening of World War II hostilities in 1941, Ensign Weber had been advanced to Lieutenant (j.g.) and as serving as Flight Instructor at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base, St. Louis, Missouri. Advancing to Lieutenant, he served tours of duty commissioning Composite Squadrons 20, 12 and 13 following his instructorship. He then commanded Composite Squadron 34 (VC-34) and attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

 

In August 1943 VC-34 became Fighter Squadron 34 and was deployed as a land-based squadron at Munda Air Field, Bougainville and Green Island, in the Solomon Islands. Leading Fighter Squadron 34 in air attacks against the Japanese entrenchments on New Britain and Rabaul, he earned three Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism in action.

 

Under Lieutenant Commander Weber's leadership Squadron 34 was hitting the Japanese twice daily. The sorties were by no means against a wilting enemy. His citations repeatedly make reference to "hostile" and "accurate" antiaircraft fire.

 

Returning to the United States following the Solomon Islands Campaign, Lieutenant Commander Weber served short tours as Commander Air Group 98 and Commanding Officer Fighter Squadron 98 at Naval Air Station, Los Alamitos, Long Beach, California.

 

In March 1945 he took command of Carrier Air Group 1 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24), then in the Western Pacific as part of Task Force 58 poised for the last big push to the Japanese Home Islands. On 20 July he was advanced to Commander.

 

On 28 July 1945, Commander Weber, acting as Strike Leader for the Belleau Wood Air Group, participated in a 1,000 plane attack on the Kure Naval Base, Honshu, Japan. Over Kure Harbor Commander Weber picked out the Japanese battleship ISE as the assigned target for Air Group 31. A dive bombing attack through the heaviest AA barrage of the Pacific War produced six direct hits, which sank the ISE. One of the hits was credited to Commander Weber. For his heroic conduct and displayed skill during this action he was awarded the Navy Cross for ''extraordinary heroism" in combat.

 

With the cessation of hostilities, Commander Weber was ordered to Pearl Harbor, T. H. as Executive Officer of the Naval Air Station there. He served in this capacity for a period of six months. In July 1946 he reported to the General Line School, Newport, Rhode Island, as a student.

 

In June 1947 he was appointed Superintendent of Naval Aviation Training at Naval Air Basic Training Center, Corpus Christi, Texas. He held this position for a period of five months and then moved to Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, in the same capacity for a period of 15 months.

 

In March 1949 he was ordered to command of Carrier Air Group 17 which deployed to the Sixth Fleet aboard the USS Coral Sea with the first jet aircraft squadrons in the Mediterranean area. In October 1950 Commander Weber became Operations Officer aboard the USS Coral Sea where he served until August 1951 when he was transferred to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

 

Following duty in the Pentagon, Commander Weber reported to Commander Carrier Division ONE as Operations Officer. He remained in this position for a 20 month period, 15 of which were served in deployment to the Far East. Returning to San Diego, California, he served a short tour as Commanding Officer of Composite Squadron 11 followed by a two-and-one-half year tour as Head of the Operational Intelligence Branch in the Office of Naval Intelligence. During this period he was appointed Captain, USN.

 

From July 1958 to May 1960, Captain Weber was serving in San Diego, California, as Operations Officer on the Staff of Commander First Fleet. In June 1960, Captain Weber was ordered as Commanding Officer, USS Cacapon (AO- 52). While so serving, the Cacapon was twice deployed to the Western Pacific for duty with the Seventh Fleet. The Cacapon participated in all Seventh Fleet problems while deployed and refueled the majority of the Seventh Fleet ships plus some ships of the South Korean Navy. Enroute to WESTPAC in May 1961 the Cacapon was forced to evade five typhoons which were active at the same time. Upon being detached in August 1961, Captain Weber was ordered to the U. S. Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as Commanding Officer of the U. S. Naval Air Station on 12 September. During the Cuban Missile Crisis from 22 October 1962 until mid-December 1962, Captain Weber was Commander Naval Air Forces, responsible for the Air Defense of the Naval Base under RADM. E. J. O'Donnell, USN.

 

Captain Weber was detached from command of the U.S. Naval Air Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on 16 September 1963 and ordered to HQ North American Air Defense Command, ENT Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado for duty on the Joint Staff as Director of Operational Evaluation, Training and Testing Directorate. He served in that capacity from December 1963 through June 1968, retiring after 32 years of Naval Service. Upon retirement he was presented The Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services.

 

Since retirement Captain Weber has been an active member of the Pikes Peak Range Riders, and President of the El Paso County and the Colorado Horsemen's Councils. He has made 21 rides around Pikes Peak with the Range Riders and is actively looking forward to his 22nd ride this July. His main hobby these days is on the Gleneagle C.C. and the A.F. Academy Courses.

 

In addition he is a member of The Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association (The Golden Eagles), Order of Daedalians, the Gleneagle Sertoma Club, The Tailhookers Association, the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, The Navy League and the Association of Naval Aviators.

 

Captain Weber is married to the former Margaret Eileen Boyrie of Honolulu, Hawaii. He has two sons; Stuart, 47, who is living in Virginia Beach, VA, and Lance, 45, who is married and living in San Diego, CA.

 

Including those previously mentioned, Captain Weber has earned the following decorations:

The Navy Cross

The Legion of Merit

The Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Medal (3 gold stars)

Presidential Unit Citation (1 star)

Navy Expeditionary Forces Medal

American Defense Service Medal (1 star)

American Campaign Medal (1 star)

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3 stars)

World War II Victory Medal

Navy Occupation Service Medal (European Clasp)

China Service Medal Extended

Korean Service Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

United Nations Service Medal

 

 

Obviously somewhat dated as Captain Weber passed away in February 2003

 

When Weber was CAG 17 aboard USS Coral Sea, as noted above, my father commanded VF-171.  There was a shake up on in the ship’s hierarchy when the CO, Capt Fred Trapnell, decided his XO had to go.  He went, and the Ops officer moved up to the XO slot.  Trapnell wanted my father to take over the Ops job due to his experience as Thach’s assistant in the TF-38 Ops shop in 1944-1945 and Trapnell’s observance of his performance as Test Programs Director at TacTest (Patuxent NAS) when Trapnell was in command there (1946-1947).  The move to Ops Officer would have jumped my father over Weber in the command hierarchy.  Dad told Trapnell he’d take the job if that was what he really wanted but argued that Weber was senior and deserved the slot more than he.  Evidently, he was pretty convincing.  Weber moved up to the Ops job and Dad, as the senior squadron commander, took over as CAG 17.  All’s well that ends well.

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Thanks for the information . One of his grandsons sent me a copy of that but it wasn’t complete. Now I have the info where I can have his rack made with the rest of his ribbons. Thank you very much, now I’m one step closer to completing this. I think with the photo, flying meat axe patch piece and the ribbons I can start putting it together. In my research I was able to find and buy the cruise books from the USS Cabot and the USS Belleau Wood. I got a great price as they needed sone work which I can do pretty easy. 
 

thanks again for your help

and information. 
 

respectfully,

 

Michael

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 9/29/2023 at 5:08 PM, Kilgore37 said:

Greetings, first post so I hope it’s in the correct place. 
 

Im a hand bookbinder and I have been doing a lot of memorial work lately. At the moment I’m working on a memorial for the family of a VF31 pilot. In researching I found this page and then learned the reason I could not find a patch for the memorial piece is that many patches were made “locally”. So then I found someone that makes 3D patches. I am pleased with the results and thought it might be of use to those here in getting a rare patch to display. I also found a gray source for having a b&w photo colored. Having the patch already made helped with the color of the patch on the picture of the pilot and side of the plane.
 

If any of you have any information on Commander B. S. Weber that I can use I would love to see anything you have. 
 

thanks,

 

michael

C8C1F1B9-58EA-417F-9124-48278C9AD852.jpeg

1BA2FA1B-DE30-45A1-A7D9-53B6C9CEB306.jpeg

8C245108-7071-4F00-A289-40111DA081E5.jpeg

A4D43F3E-38C9-4C10-8674-5F01A662642C.jpeg

This is a late 40's patch for VF 31 

VF 31.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
Salvage Sailor

WWII or late 1940's?

 

HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON NINE-1 {HEDRON 9-1)

NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island

HEDRON9-1QuonsetPoint001.JPG.08d65539ea3fd2cbf7fdabe910bef2fa.JPG

 

Screenshot2023-12-02161007.png.c43a89d2ddd79396f2012fa8c26ecd03.png

 

Air Forces Eastern Sea Frontier (USN)

90.14 Fleet Air Wing 9

Hedron 9

On 1 August 1943 Hedron 9 was broken into Hedron 9-1 (Quonset Point) and 9-2 (Norfolk)

 

Screenshot2023-12-02161154.png.47444c6dea2185594b6b2d88758a3f64.png

 

HEDRON9-1QuonsetPoint002.JPG.a489d6d2be0eb3011b4b232e0298d6aa.JPG

 

NASQuonsetPoint001.JPG.0f097508924afeef149d0aa1d8fb85e7.JPG

 

NASQuonsetPoint002.JPG.0da238690299d05a8f5e35e0f193cc49.JPG

 

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Salvage Sailor

f.jpg.326ddc5ed6edc3483b31dd693e2f50d2.jpg

VAQ-132 SCORPIONS

USS AMERICA (CVA-66) 1972 VIETNAM CRUISE

VAQ132SCORPIONSUSSAMERICA1972VIETNAMCRUISE001.JPG.6558c76d281985766ff1e071f620529b.JPG

 

First EA-6B PROWER Combat Squadron, Vietnam, 1972-1973

 

g.jpg.3fb67fe3f1cd379d3f1cbce6b0745c81.jpg

 

h.jpg.d2d606be93c785f2d99a1ea59f535c7a.jpg

 

EA-6B PROWLER

 

i.jpg.4e8fabba08ae7a61aefe7d8de9960d3d.jpg

 

j.jpg.d0e331c3e3f912d6839aab709a692958.jpg

 

0266am.jpg.6c8cd07cf94a61458d507b36e8ffdcc7.jpg

USS America (CVA-66), 27 November 1971, with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 aboard

 

k.jpg.fa857aeee882451f0204a876ca8dc471.jpg

 

VAQ132SCORPIONSUSSAMERICA1972VIETNAMCRUISE002.JPG.0d9e38a96190ce4fceb015ba6e6854b2.JPG

 

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  • 1 month later...
Salvage Sailor

FASRON 106

Fleet Air Service Squadron 106

NAS Argentia, Newfoundland, Canada, 1950's

FASRON106001.JPG.9bbaa6e9f9f47c13b327a812701aa36e.JPG

 

FASRON106002.JPG.a7af73c1ee9839c85fcefbb72cf83a67.JPG

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor

Not much information available on this USNR VR Squadron

 

VR861001.JPG.da302e2b1e6ee796aff5d6853406f5e2.JPG

FLETACSUPPRON-861 (VR-861) USNR

VR861002.JPG.4abeff568ad822d466aa26d58a22e380.JPG

 

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Can anyone help with what Carrier AntiSubmarine Group this is and what year?  Thanks.   Martin

IMG_8283.jpeg

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Salvage Sailor
3 hours ago, Bearmon said:

it’s from the 54 55 westpac.  Not sure on the air group.  

 

That's the first year of her Antisubmarine CVS conversion, along with the new 'S' hunter-killer redesignated squadrons.  She may not have had a specific air group staff aboard in 1954-1955 when she was a training carrier for the new HUK groups.

 

"...In January 1954, Princeton was reclassified CVS-37 and, after conversion at Bremerton, took up antisubmarine/Hunter-Killer (HUK) training operations in the eastern Pacific. For the next five years she alternated HUK exercises off the west coast with similar operations in the western Pacific and, in late 1957-"

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