Military Ship & Aircraft pictures & stories

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FastEagle

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I served 31 years in the USN. My primary classification was Aviation Structural Mechanic (Hydraulics).

My first and only duty as part of the ship’s company was aboard the USS Boxer (LPH-4). The Boxer had been converted from its Korean was designation as an attack aircraft carrier (CVA-21) to a helicopter carrier. My assignment on the Boxer was with the AIMD department where the ship provided intermediate maintenance functions for assigned and temp assigned aircraft.

The Boxer was a wooden decked ship with roll-up hangar doors that had to be shored-up when in high winds and heavy seas. It operated mostly in the Caribbean seas area of the Atlantic Ocean until Vietnam. It did not have an angle deck and could transit the Panama Canal to provide replacement US Marines and their aircraft to those serving in Vietnam.

There are many places for RV travelers to visit that have military displays and museums. I'll show you a lot of them in this thread.
 

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we visited that ship when we visited the veteran's museum at Buffalo, NY.
 

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One time when crossing Mobile Bay, we spotted the USS Alabama. We got off the highway and went back to have a look see. The park has all sorts of war time memorabilia. Here are a couple of them.
 

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What’s in a name? I served with Navy Fighter Squadron Forty-One twice. Once from 1964 – 1966 when they were flying the F4 Phantom II aircraft. The next time, 1977 – 1980, when they were flying the F-14 Tomcat. VF-41’s call sign is Fast Eagle. They are called the “Black Aces”.
 

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Tuscaloosa, AL

We traveled on a lot of US highways. Once while passing through Tuscaloosa, AL on US-82 we spotted this military memorial in a mall parking lot. After making a few turnarounds we found a parking spot near the memorial and took these pictures.
 

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Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, FL

The picture was taken by me at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, FL. The base has a very nice aircraft displaying area on the main drag.

In 1959 I was a member of Patrol Squadron 9, home ported at Naval Air Station, Alameda, CA. The squadron had just transitioned to the P2V-7. The P2V aircraft were anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The -7 was the first to have the added jet engines.

This picture is of a P2V-7. In the background is a F-14 Tomcat from VF-84.
 

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Here are four pictures that I have never posted. The are not from a memorial but from 50+ years ago

The first one is typical of the crew.

The second and third ones are from my only day flying front seat on missions in a Cobra Gunship as part of a Hunter Killer team.

The last picture is of the crew waxing the VIP ship.

Edit: Added a better picture of a Cobra
 

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If you’re ever near Dayton Ohio the Air Force Museum is a must See. Incredible inventory in a nice facility. And as far as I know there’s still no admission cost to the museum. There are extra attractions there (theater for example) that have a fee.
 
Many years ago we toured the USS Alabama. It was a really fun day.

Little did I know at that time, but some 12 or 13 years later we'd be on board the USS Eisenhower on a Tiger Cruise.

My daughter, at the age of 17 (and graduated from high school), decided to go into the Navy. She qualified for the Nuclear program and about 3 years later was a Nuke on the USS Eisenhower. She told us about the Tiger Cruise and signed us up. We went and a mind-blowing, phenomenal experience. Of course, other crewmen were there with their families too, and the whole days events were geared for show and display. They did fly over demonstrations, one jet broke the sound barrier, and they demonstrated dropping bombs and blowing up the ocean. There was unending food, activities for the smaller children, and of course, we got to roam around with our "sailor" all over the ship. We were not allowing into the Nuclear area, and there were some areas that were closed off completely. But the main events happened on deck with the air show, and in the hanger bay where the food and stage was set up.

My daughter and her husband (who was also a Nuke) are now out of the Navy, and 5 children later, are living in Hawaii. He works for Rolls Royce as an Electronics Engineer. She works as a mechanic on a Monorail now. The oldest granddaughter is now 12 year old now.
 
Having served in the AF for 24 years and another 12 years with the DoD we have seen our share of static displays, museums and air shows. I think I may have become a bit complacent when it comes to things military. But there were times in my career when I was awed by something. I was stationed at Mt Home AFB, ID in the 80’s. I worked in Civil Engineering and our radio was on the same frequency as the control tower. We heard the tower give an SR71 clearance to land so we rushed out to the flight line to watch. Those that have never seen this plane in landing or taking off you are truly missing something special. At King Salmon Alaska I worked with the barrier crew and would hear the tower tell an F15 he was cleared for a buster takeoff. That is a takeoff with full afterburner. So again we rushed to the flight line to watch. Static displays and museums are great but until you see these machines in action you cannot understand how exciting it can be. I was at Kings Bay Naval Sub Base for 4 months. I had never seen a submarine class up. We would go out and greet the families and crew when a sub came back from a mission. Just watch these huge ships come into to dock was something else.
 
I was stationed at Luke AFB in Phoenix in '75 when the first 2 F-15s were delivered there. On the day they flew their first sortie, as they taxied past all the F-4's, the flightline came slowly to a standstill. When those planes rolled from the end of the runway, they both broke ground, raised the landing gear and stayed at very low altitude for the length of the runway. When they got to the end of the runway they yanked back on the sticks and just flat disappeared into the sky. All those F-4 pilots just shook their heads. A couple of days later, I told my career counselor that if he wanted me to re-up, he'd have to get me a transfer to the F-15 section. Unfortunately, there were no openings. Apparently, I wasn't the only one with that idea.
 
My first duty station was Barksdale AFB In 1975. it was a B52 base. My wife and I were driving abreast of the flight line and saw several B52’s pocked from nose to tail with holes. A few days later I was talking with a crew chief and I asked him what happened to those plane. He said they were bullet holes. Asked him how they got the planes back to the states. He said they flew them back, no problem. Anybody ever been in a B52? It looks terrible inside. Don’t know how those things fly.
 
Bossier City, LA

We stayed at the Barksdale AFB near Bossier City for 5 days once. We had requested 10 days, but it rained for five days and as soon as it stopped, we left.

Their FAMCAMP is far away from all flight line and flight noises. We did get out for a few rides around the base. As expected of a large USAF base, everything was – as we say in the navy – ship shape.

Here is one dry picture and three wet ones.
 

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Tuscaloosa, AL

We traveled on a lot of US highways. Once while passing through Tuscaloosa, AL on US-82 we spotted this military memorial in a mall parking lot. After making a few turnarounds we found a parking spot near the memorial and took these pictures.
I flew the A7. Like the photo you posted. I was an instructor pilot and landing signal officer, VA-174, NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL. 1973-1976.
USN, carrier pilot, 9 years. 2 Mediterranean cruises, 1 to Vietnam 1972-1973
 
Interesting material.

They went ahead and actually made a museum out of my ship! :)
Good for you!

I was aboard USS America, summer cruise 1967 as a USNA midshipman. Back aboard as an A7 pilot, Med cruise 1970-71. Again for the WestPac cruise, Vietnam, 1972-73.

USS America was sunk, after weapons tests, about 250 miles SE of Cape Hatteras in 17,000’ of water in 2005.

 
VA-174, Naval Air Station Cecil Field, FL

In the spring and summer of 1966, I was factory trained on The A7 Corsair II at their LTV Factory, Grand Prairie, TX. From there I reported to VA-174 for 4 years of shore duty (1966 – 1970).
 

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