Here's 'nother CAG/Tomcat story -- during one of the "killer May"
evolutions, we ran out of F-14s, literally.

Ha! That Ubangi A-7 pilot that got to be "fighter pilot for a day" couldn't
have been happier - the May inbound looked like all the previous ones, except
it had an A-7 "fighter escort"! The Tomcat hung off to the side, as if it
didn't want to be seen in the same formation )

The only up jet was the
one CAG was flying as all the alerts kept going down on deck. Sooooo,
we tanked him and kept him airborne...for 5 or 6 cycles as I recall (I
remember passing him off to the oncoming E-2 as we RTB'd, sometimes
it's good not to have IFR capability). I also recall he was kind of
stiff when he finally landed and got out of the jet

LOL


My first encounter w/CAG came during my first underway period
(workups) as a newly minted NFO (Ensign-type) standing my very first
SDO watch underway. Our CO was standing in for CAG at 8 o'clock
reports that night (cue the foreboding music). He had had a long
night/day already and when he got back from his flight, headed for the
rack, asking me to wake him about .5 prior to 8 o'clocks. "Sure
skipper, no problem" 1805 and CAG office called "politely" asking (as
only the 5MC would permit) (a) where is the CO for 8 o'clocks and (b)
for my presence in CAG office, pronto. Stopped by, woke up CO enroute
who rolled his eyes and said he'd meet me there (CAG Office). After
cooling my heels for a few tension filled minutes, I was summoned in
whereupon CAG thundered "Ensign, why wasn't your CO at 8 o'clocks and
just what the h*ll were you thinking?" I looked him straight on and
said (quite honestly, I might add...) "Jeez CAG, I thought 8 o'clocks
went down at 8 o'clock....?" The choking sound I heard I later
attributed to CAGOPS trying not to laugh out loud. CAG stopped, tried
to say something and finally just threw me out of the office... Of
course, our SWO made sure I got the requisite training all new SDOs
should get, as well as ample opportunity to put said training to
practice for the next week :/

Beats my first encounter with him. I was a pup, not old enough to
drink/shave/vote/etc., and our first portcall was the Bahamas. Remember the
Playboy Club? I ditched my E-1-to-E-3 friends and raced to that club's
bar/casino and had myself an awful tasting tequila sunrise. While I was busy
trying to not blow it out on the floor, the slightly surly gent beside me at
the bar looked on as if I was going to be first to be voted off the island. No
uniform, but I could tell by the way he growled that he was used to giving
orders to 17 year olds... I found another seat and switched to Tres
Generations (good call!), while he sat alone at the end of the bar with all his
'friends'. Back on the boat, I passed him one day and realized I had had a
close brush with CAG. To show how much of a kid I was, I honestly thought CAG
and the Air Boss were the same guy - and I was used to the Boss bellowing for
me by then.

"Plane Captain, Seven Four Seven, man your damned aiiiirrrrrrplane!" I used to
hear that one in my sleep.

- obviously. )

Will, have you ever written it all down? I bet you could put together
something with a career like yours. If you need pix of Ike, let me know - I
took hundreds on that cruise (already looked - I have a couple good shots of
one of your birds on the cat at readiness, but unforch its a bit soft focused).

v/r
Gordon