Paddles Passes

[W. D. Allen Sr.]

How many on this newsgroup ever made paddles passes to aircraft carrier
landings? How many to straight decks and how many to angled decks? On which
carriers did you make them? How many in this newsgroup even know what
paddles passes were? Let us hear from all you really old, formerly bold
pilots!

"There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are no old bold
pilots!"

WDA

end

[Mike Kanze]

I'm writing this for my Dad, who is not Internet-literate - and at age 89
cares not to be:

CDR Robert F. Kanze:

Roughly 350 straight-deck passes before and during WWII mostly on RANGER
(CV-4), LEXINGTON (CV-2), and ENTERPRISE (CV-6). Post-WWII while LSO on
MINDORO (CVE-120). (Dad not only shot but also waved straight-deck passes -
to a small deck.) Korean War traps on KEARSARGE (CVA-33). Exact number of
straight-deck traps indeterminate since his original logbook went down with
the old LEX during the Coral Sea battle, while flying with VF-2.

About 200 angle-deck passes, mostly on TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) and RANGER
(CVA-61).

Although not "tailhook" recoveries, he experienced numerous floatplane
"sled" recoveries to the pre-war USS TENNESSEE (BB-43) while a non-rated
aircrewman.

Along with the above, catapult shots on steam, hydraulic and gunpowder cats,
the last while aboard TENNESSEE. Dad says the "hardest" shots were the
gunpowder ones, which would "throw your teeth back against your neckbones."
<g>

>But there are no old bold pilots!"

Dad may be the exception here. He still drives a 5-litre Mustang - albeit
with wheelchair plates.

Owl sends.
--
Mike Kanze

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign
here."

- Anonymous cop, to woman driver.



"W. D. Allen Sr." > wrote in message
...
> How many on this newsgroup ever made paddles passes to aircraft carrier
> landings? How many to straight decks and how many to angled decks? On
> which carriers did you make them? How many in this newsgroup even know
> what paddles passes were? Let us hear from all you really old, formerly
> bold pilots!
>
> "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are no old
> bold pilots!"
>
> WDA
>
> end
>
>

[Doug \Woody\ and Erin Beal]

If there were a way to salute a man on line. Consider me right now saluting
your father.

--Woody

On 10/5/04 6:58 PM, in article , "Mike
Kanze" > wrote:

> I'm writing this for my Dad, who is not Internet-literate - and at age 89
> cares not to be:
>
> CDR Robert F. Kanze:
>
> Roughly 350 straight-deck passes before and during WWII mostly on RANGER
> (CV-4), LEXINGTON (CV-2), and ENTERPRISE (CV-6). Post-WWII while LSO on
> MINDORO (CVE-120). (Dad not only shot but also waved straight-deck passes -
> to a small deck.) Korean War traps on KEARSARGE (CVA-33). Exact number of
> straight-deck traps indeterminate since his original logbook went down with
> the old LEX during the Coral Sea battle, while flying with VF-2.
>
> About 200 angle-deck passes, mostly on TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) and RANGER
> (CVA-61).
>
> Although not "tailhook" recoveries, he experienced numerous floatplane
> "sled" recoveries to the pre-war USS TENNESSEE (BB-43) while a non-rated
> aircrewman.
>
> Along with the above, catapult shots on steam, hydraulic and gunpowder cats,
> the last while aboard TENNESSEE. Dad says the "hardest" shots were the
> gunpowder ones, which would "throw your teeth back against your neckbones."
> <g>
>
>> But there are no old bold pilots!"
>
> Dad may be the exception here. He still drives a 5-litre Mustang - albeit
> with wheelchair plates.
>
> Owl sends.

[vincent p. norris]

>How many on this newsgroup ever made paddles passes to aircraft carrier
>landings? How many to straight decks and how many to angled decks? On which
>carriers did you make them? How many in this newsgroup even know what
>paddles passes were?

I'm a bit reluctant to respond because my experience is microscopic
compared to that of Cdr. Kanze, But to answer your question, no one
got a pair of gold wings circa 1950 without qualifying aboard a
carrier. A straight deck carrier with a a guy waving paddles at us.

When I was at that stage, two carrier cruised the Gulf of Mexico off
Pensacola, USS Cabot and USS Wright. CVLs--light carriers.

>Let us hear from all you really old, formerly bold pilots!

Well, we're really old, but never bold. Though you may find it hard
to believe, carrier qualification was not especially difficult. The
reason is the excellent training we received.

We flew about eight "field carrier" flights, making about six or eight
passes per flght, before going out to the boat. So we had shot about
50 or 60 "carrier" landings before going out to the boat.

We had about 200 hours by then. That may seem like a small amount,
but every hour counted. We had learned precision maneuvers,
aerobatics, gunnery, ACM, formation, night flying, to rigorous
standards.

For example, we had to fly the "Charlie Pattern," a complicated
series of turns, climbs, descents, under the hood, and stay within 20
feet of altitude during level flight, three degrees of heading, and
three seconds of arrival at destination altitudes. You may find that
hard to believe, and I couldn't possibly come even close to that
today, but that's the kind of discipline we had to maintain. Of
course, we were flying every day, and practice makes perfect.

So when we got to the boat, we were honed to a fine edge. And we had
another advantage: the boat was steaming into the wind, so the
relative speed at which we approached the ramp was noticably less than
we had got used to, shooting field carrier approaches. It was
something like a slow motion movie.

The proof is in the pudding: When the big day arrived, a formation of
six of us flew out to the boat. All six of us got six cuts on six
passes. No wave-offs. Perfect score.

A credit not to us, but to our training.

But it was the most fun I ever had on one day in my life. (Don't tell
my wife I said that.)

Now, I should add, we did that on a nice sunny day, with calm seas; we
did not do it at night, or in minimal viz, or with 30-foot waves. Nor
did we do it in a shot-up bent-wing bird with oil all over the
windshield and an engine cutting out, as many others had to do just a
few years earlier.

>"There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are no old bold
>pilots!"

There were large signs proclaiming that everywhere we went during
flight training. They convinced me, and I'm still here.

vince norris

[John Keeney]

"Mike Kanze" > wrote in message
...
> I'm writing this for my Dad, who is not Internet-literate - and at age 89
> cares not to be:
>
> CDR Robert F. Kanze:
>
> Roughly 350 straight-deck passes before and during WWII mostly on RANGER
> (CV-4), LEXINGTON (CV-2), and ENTERPRISE (CV-6). Post-WWII while LSO on
> MINDORO (CVE-120). (Dad not only shot but also waved straight-deck
passes -
> to a small deck.) Korean War traps on KEARSARGE (CVA-33). Exact number
of
> straight-deck traps indeterminate since his original logbook went down
with
> the old LEX during the Coral Sea battle, while flying with VF-2.
>
> About 200 angle-deck passes, mostly on TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) and RANGER
> (CVA-61).
>
> Although not "tailhook" recoveries, he experienced numerous floatplane
> "sled" recoveries to the pre-war USS TENNESSEE (BB-43) while a non-rated
> aircrewman.
>
> Along with the above, catapult shots on steam, hydraulic and gunpowder
cats,
> the last while aboard TENNESSEE. Dad says the "hardest" shots were the
> gunpowder ones, which would "throw your teeth back against your
neckbones."
> <g>
>
> >But there are no old bold pilots!"
>
> Dad may be the exception here. He still drives a 5-litre Mustang - albeit
> with wheelchair plates.

I would love to see/have scans of any prewar photos, esp the floatplane ops.

[Pechs1]

Vincent said-<< Though you may find it hard
to believe, carrier qualification was not especially difficult. The
reason is the excellent training we received. >><BR><BR>

???
I did FCLPs for 30 days in the T-2 and TA-4, CQed on the Lex and Kitty Hawk.I
did think the training and the LSOs were outstanding, and I did think CQ was
especially difficult.
Flying aroind the ship for the next 18 years and I always thought it was a BIg
challenge, never a piece of cake, in the day time. Night was a whole 'nother
story.
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer

[Mike Kanze]

John,

Sorry to say that Dad only has a very few such photos, showing only static
situations and no hoists, launches, recoveries, etc. At the time, Dad was
serving a 4-year hitch as a non-rated man and - short of money for a camera
of his own - was dependent upon buddies for photos, etc. Most of the photos
he saved reflect the off-duty interests of he and of his shipmates.

You will do better to search publicly-available sources for such photos.

--
Mike Kanze

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign
here."

- Anonymous cop, to woman driver.



"John Keeney" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Mike Kanze" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I'm writing this for my Dad, who is not Internet-literate - and at age 89
>> cares not to be:
>>
>> CDR Robert F. Kanze:
>>
>> Roughly 350 straight-deck passes before and during WWII mostly on RANGER
>> (CV-4), LEXINGTON (CV-2), and ENTERPRISE (CV-6). Post-WWII while LSO on
>> MINDORO (CVE-120). (Dad not only shot but also waved straight-deck
> passes -
>> to a small deck.) Korean War traps on KEARSARGE (CVA-33). Exact number
> of
>> straight-deck traps indeterminate since his original logbook went down
> with
>> the old LEX during the Coral Sea battle, while flying with VF-2.
>>
>> About 200 angle-deck passes, mostly on TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) and RANGER
>> (CVA-61).
>>
>> Although not "tailhook" recoveries, he experienced numerous floatplane
>> "sled" recoveries to the pre-war USS TENNESSEE (BB-43) while a non-rated
>> aircrewman.
>>
>> Along with the above, catapult shots on steam, hydraulic and gunpowder
> cats,
>> the last while aboard TENNESSEE. Dad says the "hardest" shots were the
>> gunpowder ones, which would "throw your teeth back against your
> neckbones."
>> <g>
>>
>> >But there are no old bold pilots!"
>>
>> Dad may be the exception here. He still drives a 5-litre Mustang -
>> albeit
>> with wheelchair plates.
>
> I would love to see/have scans of any prewar photos, esp the floatplane
> ops.
>
>

[W. D. Allen Sr.]

Everyone still needs to keep checking their six for "dad"!

Hat's off!

WDA

end

"Mike Kanze" > wrote in message
...
> I'm writing this for my Dad, who is not Internet-literate - and at age 89
> cares not to be:
>
> CDR Robert F. Kanze:
>
> Roughly 350 straight-deck passes before and during WWII mostly on RANGER
> (CV-4), LEXINGTON (CV-2), and ENTERPRISE (CV-6). Post-WWII while LSO on
> MINDORO (CVE-120). (Dad not only shot but also waved straight-deck
> passes - to a small deck.) Korean War traps on KEARSARGE (CVA-33). Exact
> number of straight-deck traps indeterminate since his original logbook
> went down with the old LEX during the Coral Sea battle, while flying with
> VF-2.
>
> About 200 angle-deck passes, mostly on TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) and RANGER
> (CVA-61).
>
> Although not "tailhook" recoveries, he experienced numerous floatplane
> "sled" recoveries to the pre-war USS TENNESSEE (BB-43) while a non-rated
> aircrewman.
>
> Along with the above, catapult shots on steam, hydraulic and gunpowder
> cats, the last while aboard TENNESSEE. Dad says the "hardest" shots were
> the gunpowder ones, which would "throw your teeth back against your
> neckbones." <g>
>
>>But there are no old bold pilots!"
>
> Dad may be the exception here. He still drives a 5-litre Mustang - albeit
> with wheelchair plates.
>
> Owl sends.
> --
> Mike Kanze
>
> "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't.
> Sign here."
>
> - Anonymous cop, to woman driver.
>
>
>
> "W. D. Allen Sr." > wrote in message
> ...
>> How many on this newsgroup ever made paddles passes to aircraft carrier
>> landings? How many to straight decks and how many to angled decks? On
>> which carriers did you make them? How many in this newsgroup even know
>> what paddles passes were? Let us hear from all you really old, formerly
>> bold pilots!
>>
>> "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are no old
>> bold pilots!"
>>
>> WDA
>>
>> end
>>
>>
>
>

[W. D. Allen Sr.]

Two of us in GMGRU-1 were trained to make paddles passes in our new shiny
FJ-3 Furies. We had received the new FJ-3 Furies when our unit, GMGRU-1,
moved to Barbers Point just before two of us were to deploy with VF-24 on
the Shangri La. The two of us were called out to the ship but were told to
make mirror approaches. So we first cruise nuggets did as we were commanded!

I had made a total of four passes on a mirror at Crow's Landing over a year
previous. My sidekick had never even seen a mirror landing system. We both
got aboard. But the carrier's CO was really ****ed when he learned we had
never mirror qualified. Duane and I spent many, many hours cranking around
the circuit at NAS Atsugi after the ship arrived in Japan.

WDA

end



"Pechs1" > wrote in message
...
> Vincent said-<< Though you may find it hard
> to believe, carrier qualification was not especially difficult. The
> reason is the excellent training we received. >><BR><BR>
>
> ???
> I did FCLPs for 30 days in the T-2 and TA-4, CQed on the Lex and Kitty
> Hawk.I
> did think the training and the LSOs were outstanding, and I did think CQ
> was
> especially difficult.
> Flying aroind the ship for the next 18 years and I always thought it was a
> BIg
> challenge, never a piece of cake, in the day time. Night was a whole
> 'nother
> story.
> P. C. Chisholm
> CDR, USN(ret.)
> Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye
> Phlyer

[Mike Kanze]

Dano,

>My dad was aircrew on Kearsarge at that time.

Which outfit?

Dad was OINC of VC-3's DET FOX on the MIGHTY KAY's 1952 - 53 cruise.

*****

Somewhat-related rap on early night / all-wx attack operations:

During Korea, the Navy realized that effective prosecution of the war
required a specialized night / all-wx capability for each carrier air group.
This need was driven by North Korea's use of the night and the Korean
Peninsula's notoriously foul wx as cover for the movement of troops and
supplies.

The Navy met this need in a stopgap fashion through dets of 4 to 5
Chance-Vought F4U-5Ns (and later -5NLs) with pilots specially trained for
this role. The -5N had a very primitive radar and instrument capability,
and was also a carrier-proven platform by that time. VC-3 and (I think)
VC-4 were tasked with developing the doctrine and tactics required, and
taking these to the fleet in dets to each deploying air group. This
development work was similar to that performed by VC-3 for night / all-wx
fighter work using the Douglas F3D-2 (F-10B, "Drut"). The in-theater F3Ds
however were land-based and flown by the Marines (VMF(N)-513) during Korea.

The lessons of Korea concerning night / all-wx attack capability led
directly to the development of the Grumman A2F-1 (A-6A). In our family this
led to several father-son discussions of how well (or poorly) the A-6
program built upon the lessons learned by the VC-3 Night Hecklers during
Korea.

--
Mike Kanze

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign
here."

- Anonymous cop, to woman driver.



"dano" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Mike Kanze" > wrote:
>
>> Korean War traps on KEARSARGE (CVA-33).
>
> My dad was aircrew on Kearsarge at that time.

[Rich]

"W. D. Allen Sr." > wrote in message >...
> How many on this newsgroup ever made paddles passes to aircraft carrier
> landings? How many to straight decks and how many to angled decks? On which
> carriers did you make them? How many in this newsgroup even know what
> paddles passes were? Let us hear from all you really old, formerly bold
> pilots!
>
> "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are no old bold
> pilots!"
>
> WDA
>
> end

As with Mike, my father will talk to me about it, but isn't
particularly enamored with computers. With his permission:
Year-Carrier-Type(s)-Squadron/Duty

1941 - USS Ranger (CV-4) - SBC-4 (VS-41), F4F-3 (VF-42)
1941 - USS Wasp (CV-7) - F4F-3 (VF-42)
1941/1942 - USS Yorktown (CV-5) - F4F-3 (VF-42), F4F-4 (XO VF-3)
1942 - USS Lexington (CV-2) - F4F-3 (VF-42)
1942 - USS Enterprise (CV-6) - F4F-4 (VF-3)
1942 - USS Hornet (CV-8) - F4F-4 (VF-3)
1943 - USS Long Island (CVE-1) - F4F-4 (VF-11)
1944 - USS Altamaha (CVE-18) - F4U-1D (ComFAirWest RATO tests)
1944 - USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) - F6F-3 (TF-38 Staff - Opns)
1945 - USS Hancock (CV-19) F6F-3, F6F-5 (TF-38 Staff - Opns)
1945 - USS Wasp (CV-18) - F6F-3 (TF-38 Staff - Opns)
1945 - USS Shangri-La (CV-38) - F4U-4 (TF-38 Staff - Opns)
1948 - USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) - FH-1 (CO VF-17A)
1948 - USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) - FH-1 (CO VF-17A)
1949 - USS Midway (CV-41) F2H-2 (CO VF-171)
1949 - USS Tarawa (CV-40) - F3H-2, F2H-3, F2H-4 (CO VF-171)
1950 / 1951 - USS Coral Sea (CV-43) F2H-2 (CO VF-171), F4U-4, F4U-5,
AD-2, AD-4Q (CAG-17)
1955 - USS Bennington (CVA-20) - F9F-7 (CO VX-5)
1956 - USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) - F9F-8 (first to trap and to
launch after SCB-125 conversion, XO CV-31)

329 Traps

Rich

[vincent p. norris]

>I did FCLPs for 30 days in the T-2 and TA-4, CQed on the Lex and Kitty Hawk.I
>did think the training and the LSOs were outstanding, and I did think CQ was
>especially difficult.

Sorry, perhaps I should know what a T-2 and a TA-4 are, but I don't.
I got out in 1954, before the Navy had to change its aircraft
designation system.

I neglected to mention I CQed in an SNJ; perhaps that explains the
difference between your experence and mine.

This may or may not be relevant, but I had the tremendous pleasure of
flying an SNJ two years ago, 52 years after my last previous flight in
one. I've been flying, but in Cherokees and occasionally Cessnas,
nothing like an SNJ and certainly not tail draggers.

I shot six landings and felt as as much at home as if I'd been
flying one the day before. I think that's evidence how easy an
airplane it is to fly.

vince norris

[Mike Kanze]

BZ to your Dad, Rich.

Interesting to note they were cruisemates on the old LEX and the BIG E
during 1942. What is his full name?

Dad probably knows (or knows of) him, since the PAC FLT VF community was
very small in those days. One could honestly say, as Dad often has, that
one "knew every fighter pilot in the Pacific Fleet" back then.

--
Mike Kanze

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign
here."

- Anonymous cop, to woman driver.



"Rich" > wrote in message
m...
> "W. D. Allen Sr." > wrote in message
> >...
>> How many on this newsgroup ever made paddles passes to aircraft carrier
>> landings? How many to straight decks and how many to angled decks? On
>> which
>> carriers did you make them? How many in this newsgroup even know what
>> paddles passes were? Let us hear from all you really old, formerly bold
>> pilots!
>>
>> "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are no old
>> bold
>> pilots!"
>>
>> WDA
>>
>> end
>
> As with Mike, my father will talk to me about it, but isn't
> particularly enamored with computers. With his permission:
> Year-Carrier-Type(s)-Squadron/Duty
>
> 1941 - USS Ranger (CV-4) - SBC-4 (VS-41), F4F-3 (VF-42)
> 1941 - USS Wasp (CV-7) - F4F-3 (VF-42)
> 1941/1942 - USS Yorktown (CV-5) - F4F-3 (VF-42), F4F-4 (XO VF-3)
> 1942 - USS Lexington (CV-2) - F4F-3 (VF-42)
> 1942 - USS Enterprise (CV-6) - F4F-4 (VF-3)
> 1942 - USS Hornet (CV-8) - F4F-4 (VF-3)
> 1943 - USS Long Island (CVE-1) - F4F-4 (VF-11)
> 1944 - USS Altamaha (CVE-18) - F4U-1D (ComFAirWest RATO tests)
> 1944 - USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) - F6F-3 (TF-38 Staff - Opns)
> 1945 - USS Hancock (CV-19) F6F-3, F6F-5 (TF-38 Staff - Opns)
> 1945 - USS Wasp (CV-18) - F6F-3 (TF-38 Staff - Opns)
> 1945 - USS Shangri-La (CV-38) - F4U-4 (TF-38 Staff - Opns)
> 1948 - USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) - FH-1 (CO VF-17A)
> 1948 - USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) - FH-1 (CO VF-17A)
> 1949 - USS Midway (CV-41) F2H-2 (CO VF-171)
> 1949 - USS Tarawa (CV-40) - F3H-2, F2H-3, F2H-4 (CO VF-171)
> 1950 / 1951 - USS Coral Sea (CV-43) F2H-2 (CO VF-171), F4U-4, F4U-5,
> AD-2, AD-4Q (CAG-17)
> 1955 - USS Bennington (CVA-20) - F9F-7 (CO VX-5)
> 1956 - USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) - F9F-8 (first to trap and to
> launch after SCB-125 conversion, XO CV-31)
>
> 329 Traps
>
> Rich

[Rich]

"Mike Kanze" > wrote in message >...
> BZ to your Dad, Rich.
>
> Interesting to note they were cruisemates on the old LEX and the BIG E
> during 1942. What is his full name?
>
> Dad probably knows (or knows of) him, since the PAC FLT VF community was
> very small in those days. One could honestly say, as Dad often has, that
> one "knew every fighter pilot in the Pacific Fleet" back then.
>
> --
> Mike Kanze
>
> "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign
> here."
>
> - Anonymous cop, to woman driver.

My father, Bill Leonard, was only briefly aboard Lexington, Enterprise
and Hornet. He had one landing and launch from Lexington just before
the Coral Sea action. Enterprise landings and launches were after
Midway where Yorktown was lost, as were those on Hornet. He piloted
one of the last planes launched from Yorktown (into the teeth of a
Japanese torpedo plane attack, shooting down one B5N) and landed on
Enterprise after that action. His plane was re-fueled and armed and
he was sent back up to fly what turned out to be the last CAP over
Yorktown. As night approached on the June 4th he landed back aboard
Enterprise. The next day, he, and almost all the Yorktown VF-3 and
VF-42 pilots refugeed on Enterprise were sent over to Hornet where
they operated under Jimmy Thach in a squadron everyone jokingly
referred to as VF-3-42-8. Dad retired a RAdm in 1971.

Rich

[Mike Kanze]

Rich Leonard,

My Dad more than knows your Dad. In addition to their early WWII
connection, he was your Dad's Air Boss when your Dad skippered RANGER
(CVA-61) during the early 1960s.

Like your Dad launching from YORKTOWN during Midway, my Dad was the last /
one of the last to launch from LEX before she was unable to continue flight
ops during Coral Sea. Hard to tell, though - as Dad says - because of the
confusion / "fog" surrounding that segment of the engagement.

I don't believe he encountered your Dad again until RANGER.

Other stuff in Dad's career included General Line School at NPS Monterey; an
exchange tour with the Blue Suiters at Willow Run AFB (MI); command of VA-93
at NAS Alameda (first West Coast A-4 outfit - A4D-1s (A-4As), A4D-2s
(A-4Bs)); CAG-9 OPS Officer; temporary command of VF-122 (F3H-1s) at NAS
Miramar; NAS Alameda OPS Officer and a twilight tour with HQ USEUCOM in
Paris. He retired as a CDR in 1965.

Dad and Mom are still kicking, living in Mountain View, CA - close enough so
I can keep an eye on them.

--
Mike Kanze

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign
here."

- Anonymous cop, to woman driver.



"Rich" > wrote in message
om...
> "Mike Kanze" > wrote in message
> >...
>> BZ to your Dad, Rich.
>>
>> Interesting to note they were cruisemates on the old LEX and the BIG E
>> during 1942. What is his full name?
>>
>> Dad probably knows (or knows of) him, since the PAC FLT VF community was
>> very small in those days. One could honestly say, as Dad often has, that
>> one "knew every fighter pilot in the Pacific Fleet" back then.
>>
>> --
>> Mike Kanze
>>
>> "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't.
>> Sign
>> here."
>>
>> - Anonymous cop, to woman driver.
>
> My father, Bill Leonard, was only briefly aboard Lexington, Enterprise
> and Hornet. He had one landing and launch from Lexington just before
> the Coral Sea action. Enterprise landings and launches were after
> Midway where Yorktown was lost, as were those on Hornet. He piloted
> one of the last planes launched from Yorktown (into the teeth of a
> Japanese torpedo plane attack, shooting down one B5N) and landed on
> Enterprise after that action. His plane was re-fueled and armed and
> he was sent back up to fly what turned out to be the last CAP over
> Yorktown. As night approached on the June 4th he landed back aboard
> Enterprise. The next day, he, and almost all the Yorktown VF-3 and
> VF-42 pilots refugeed on Enterprise were sent over to Hornet where
> they operated under Jimmy Thach in a squadron everyone jokingly
> referred to as VF-3-42-8. Dad retired a RAdm in 1971.
>
> Rich

[Rich]

And I drag out the handy-dandy 1961 Ranger cruise book & there's your
Dad on page 200.

My Dad lives with me, so I march into his room, hand him the book,
point to your father's picture ... "Oh yeah, I remember Robert Kanze
.... ended up with us on Yorktown after Lex went down ... a good man."
Dad asks that you send along his warm regards the next time you see
your father.

Mike, give me a shout off line when you get a chance.

Rich

[Typhoon502]

(Rich) wrote in message >...
> And I drag out the handy-dandy 1961 Ranger cruise book & there's your
> Dad on page 200.
>
> My Dad lives with me, so I march into his room, hand him the book,
> point to your father's picture ... "Oh yeah, I remember Robert Kanze
> ... ended up with us on Yorktown after Lex went down ... a good man."
> Dad asks that you send along his warm regards the next time you see
> your father.
>
> Mike, give me a shout off line when you get a chance.
>
> Rich

Ain't the internet a grand place? :)

[Mike Kanze]

A bit clumsy though, Rich and I proxying for our Dads.

--
Mike Kanze

436 Greenbrier Road
Half Moon Bay, California 94019-2259
USA

650-726-7890

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign
here."

- Anonymous cop, to woman driver.



"Typhoon502" > wrote in message
om...
> (Rich) wrote in message
> >...
>> And I drag out the handy-dandy 1961 Ranger cruise book & there's your
>> Dad on page 200.
>>
>> My Dad lives with me, so I march into his room, hand him the book,
>> point to your father's picture ... "Oh yeah, I remember Robert Kanze
>> ... ended up with us on Yorktown after Lex went down ... a good man."
>> Dad asks that you send along his warm regards the next time you see
>> your father.
>>
>> Mike, give me a shout off line when you get a chance.
>>
>> Rich
>
> Ain't the internet a grand place? :)

[Yofuri]

You are both blessed to have so much living history in your family. Publish
it with pride!

Rick

"Mike Kanze" > wrote in message
...
>A bit clumsy though, Rich and I proxying for our Dads.
>
> --
> Mike Kanze
>
> 436 Greenbrier Road
> Half Moon Bay, California 94019-2259
> USA
>
> 650-726-7890
>
> "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't.
> Sign here."
>
> - Anonymous cop, to woman driver.
>
>
>
> "Typhoon502" > wrote in message
> om...
>> (Rich) wrote in message
>> >...
>>> And I drag out the handy-dandy 1961 Ranger cruise book & there's your
>>> Dad on page 200.
<snip>