Captain James S Dearth

[EdMajor1955]

100% of this research was done by the seller so can't take any credit for revealing any long forgotten maritime secrets here lol. "He was stationed on the USS Sangamon CVE-26 during WW2 flew F6F Hellcats, participated at the Battle of Tarawa, Kwajalein, Enewetak, Aitape, Hollandia, Saipan, Guam, Morotai, and Leyte Gulf. He was the X.O. of VF-37, according to national flight log he was also CO of VC-171, 7,000 hours of flight time with 385 carrier landings. He was born October 10, 1919 and passed away April 25, 1998." Only information I can really find is post-war writing his opinion in the Naval War College Review about the Joint Chiefs and an potential reform. All in all, I really love this uniform and the information I already have is bountiful and shows the journey off an Hellcat driver.

[EdMajor1955]

Looks like he got the DFC at some point so I’ll have to get a ribbon to reflect that.

[EdMajor1955]

[R Leonard]

James Slocum Dearth (099933) Looks like a Tombstone Promotion to Captain.  Was promoted to Commander 1 Nov 1953 & left service in August 1955.  Appears in the January 1, 1955 USN register as Commander; does not appear in the 1956 register nor any after I see in a quick & dirty survey, not even as a retiree.

 

Looks like at some point Dearth was CO of VF-171 . . . mildly interesting . . . so was my father.

[EdMajor1955]

In my brief research of VF-171 on Google and on the forum it's hard not to bump into talk of your father's time as CO. If I had to warrant an guess of when Captain Dearth was in command it would be sometime during the squadron's time on the USS Roosevelt or somewhere around there. No mention of him serving in Korea so when I inevitably attempt to restore the wings and ribbons I'll have to send in for his full records to decipher where he was post-war.

[R Leonard]

I found a snippet where Dearth was CO in 1954 when the squadron returned to Cecil Field after a deployment on USS Wasp.  So there was my father, then "Redhorse" Myers, maybe someone in between, then Dearth.  I know, even vague early childhood memories, that we at Moffett Field by 1955 and so was Redhorse and Hugh Tate, both 171 alumni.  Dearth does not appear in 171 for the 1950-1951 Med cruise aboard USS Coral Sea

[EdMajor1955]

Guess by the med cruise he was already shipped off somewhere else. I’ve heard of Myers but only in the context of his antics at NAS Cubi Point. Also shows in the papers that came with the uniform that Dearth was qualified in the A-4 Skyhawk, or atleast an very early model of it.

[29navy]

He Retired in February 1975.  Made Captain in October 1, 1960

 

[29navy]

He does disappear from 1956 - 1960, but shows back up in 1961 Register.  Think he took some time off?

 

 

[29navy]

VC-4, USS Oriskany (CV_34) Cruise Book 1951

 

 

Pennsylvania Compensation Form 

 

 

 

 

 

From Department of Veteran's affair Death data on Ancestry Looks like he got out in Jan 1946. Back in August 1946, then back out in August 1955. Then back in in 1961.

 

 

 

 

[29navy]

Maybe this will explain what he was doing. Just doing reserve time.

 

This is from the Los Angeles Mirror May 13, 1957.  In 1955 - 1956, VA-772 was commanded by Commander John A Harper.

 

 

[29navy]

From the Navy Log at the Navy Memorial