VF-53 IRON ANGELS
Call sign
"Firefighter"
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Commanding Officers
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 |
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Cdr. Jack E. Davis |
Cdr. Jack Carman |
CDR Robair Mohrhardt |
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CDR Bill Gureck |
CDR Paul Gillcrist |
CDR Bob Weedon |
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CDR Dean Kaiser |
CDR
Paul Skarlotos |
CDR Harry
Blake |
BRIEF
HISTORY OF THE IRON ANGELS
The first squadron to sport the
Iron Angels insignia was VF-14, commissioned at NAS Atlantic
City in Aug 1943 and assigned to CAG-14. In Mar 1944 CAG-14 and VF-14
deployed to the
Western Pacific (Westpac) embarked in USS Wasp. During that deployment
the squadron,
among many other accomplishments, engaged enemy aircraft in the
Marianas " turkey shoot" and
returned to CONUS (San Diego) in Nov 1944 with nine "Aces." VF-14 was
decommissioned in
Jun 1946.
While deployed in the Korean
theater in Mar 1953, VF-721 was redesignated VF-141 and
adopted the Iron Angels insignia. Successive deployments for VF-141
were:
DatesAircraftCarrierTheaterCAG
CDR
Feb 54 - Aug 54 F2H-3 Banshee USS
Randolph Med C.O.: Frank Standring
Oct 55 - Mar 56 F2H-3 Banshee USS
Kearsarge WestPac Callsign: Kremlin C.O.: Wm. Weigold Jones
Jul 57 - Dec 57 F4D Skyray USS Bon
Homme Richard WesPac C.O.: Dale Klahn
Jan 59 - Jul 59 F4D Skyray USS
Ranger Westpac ?
Jan 60 - Dec 60 F3H Demon USS
Oriskany Westpac ?
Nov 61 - May 62 F3H Demon USS
Lexington Westpac ?
Feb 63 - Sep 63 F8 Crusader USS
Constellation Westpac ?
(In Sep 1963 VF-141 of CAG-14
was reassigned to CAG-5 and
redesignated VF-53.)
Apr 64 - Dec 64 F8 Crusader USS
Ticonderoga Westpac ?
Sep 65 - May 66 F8 Crusader USS
Ticonderoga Westpac ?
Jan 67 - Jul 67 F8 Crusader USS
Hancock Westpac ?
Jan 68 - Oct 68 F8 Crusader USS
Bon Homme Richard Westpac CDR D.B. Miller
Mar 69 - Nov 69 F8 Crusader USS
Bon Homme Richard Westpac CAPT A.A. ("Shoes") Schaufelberger
(There were a couple of more
deployments before VF-53 was decommissioned but I do not have
the data. It was after "my time." We'll have to wait for someone to add
on to this deployment
schedule.)
George Wells
07 March 1998
Bonnie Dick, circa 1969
On top of the aircraft, moving from the tail towards the nose:
LTJG Butch Greenstreet (helmet), LT Russ Berry, LT Ron Lamb, LCDR J.J.
Adams, WO Jerry Shields, LCDR Grumpy Lusk, CDR Dean Kaiser (XO), CDR
Bob Weedon (CO), LT Tom Smisek (Alert 5)
On the deck, moving from the tail towards the nose:
LT Jerry Weber, LT Phil Harrison (sitting on the rail), LT Bill Morris
(sitting on the rail), LCDR Jim Taylor, LT George Wells (under the
aircraft), LT Tom Grawrock (under the aircraft), LT Morris Mansell
(standing, saluting), LT Dexter Manlove (on Mansell's shoulders), LT
Chuck Conrad (on the tow bar), LT Steve Russ (intake)
4 VF-53 C.O.s, Bonnie Dick's
flight deck on 03 May 1969
CDR Robair Mohrhardt, Bonnie Dick's XO, CDR Bill Gureck, CAG 19, CDR
Harry Blake, CCD 7's Air Ops Officer, CDR Bob Weedon, CO VF-53.
Photos & info courtesy George Wells
Sorry, under construction. Your signal delta, max conserve.
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