Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

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Captain Zamar p. earfver The call to the sea came june 17, 1925 to Captain Lamar Peyton Carver when he entered the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. Born in St. Louis, Mo., March 18, 1908, the Bon Homme Richard Commanding Ofhcer attended Winona, Wis., schools. Commissioned as an ensign in June, 1929, Capt. Carver served aboard the. battleship USS New Mexico before entering flight training at Pensacola, Fla. iGraduating with wings in 1931, the captain boarded the battleship USS Maryland for duty as avation officer. After leaving the Maryland, Capt. Carver fiew with patrol squadron VP8F and fighter squadron VF-1 before being attached as landing signal officer aboard the carrier USS Lexington in 1937-38. His other duties included test piloting at Anacostia, D.C. and a two-year Atlantic tour with squadrons VB-9 and VS-41 and carrier group CVG-4 before the outbreak of World War ll. Capt. Carver's first ship command came in June, 1946, when he assumed command of the seaplane tender USS Duxbury Bay in the Pacific Fleet. Other duties include tours at the Naval War College, Newport, Rl, the Cffice of Naval Intelligence, Washington, D.C.g the Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C., staff of Commander, Second Fleet, and staff of Chief of Naval Air Training, Pensacola, Fla. He boarded the Bon Homme Richard from the staff of the Commander, in Chief, Pacific Fleet where he had served two years until July, 1955. in the philippines lie was relieved by 'v l i l i E I 1 I l E P l z J i l 5 i i l I i a E l l I l l l 1 l 5 L l if

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When the sea again called a Bon Homme Richard to battle, it was to further the same cause at its namesake-and to combat essential- ly the same enemy, aggressive totalitarianism. Upon commissioning at New York Navy Yard, Nov. 26, 1944, aircraft carrier No. 31 slid down the ways to an era which would see the name Bon Homme Richard heralded on the sea, in the air, on two oceans, in two wars. Previously, the name Bon Homme Richard was assigned to the CV-10 which was under construction early in World War II on the East Coast. However, when the USS Yorktown CCV-5D was sunk at the Battle of Midway, the Navy decided to assign the name Yorktown i' to the CV-10 hull and use the Bon Homme Richard name at a later date. With training exercises completed, the Richard entered the Pacific theater against the retreating Japanese. The ship, with several air groups embarked, participated in attacks on enemy islands and the Japanese homeland. Following the surrender, the ship served as a troop transport on several Magic Carpet cruises bringing American the present shqy has seen its share 0 combat men home. The Bon Homme was decommissioned Jan. 9, 1947, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., and placed in the Heet reserve. Shortly after the Communist invasion of South Korea in June, 1950, the carrier was called out of the reserve. Recommissioned Jan. 15, 1951, the ship began strikes against targets in Korea following training operations off California. Throughout the Korean confiict, the Richard and her air groups tallied an impressive record of strikes against enemy railheads, hydroelectric projects, industrial areas, aircraft, and other war material. Following the 'cpolice action the Bon Homme Richard was again decommissioned on May 15, 1953, and taken to San Francisco Naval Shipyard to receive a major reconversion. Boasting such new salient features as an angled flight deck, enclosed hurricane bow, strengthened angle flight deck, elevators with a larger capacity, steam catapults in addition to the latest radar equiment, and armament, the present Richard was recommissioned Sept. 6, 1955 at San Francisco.

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captain frederick brush The very outset of Captain Frederick J. Brush's command of the Bon Homme Richard was fringed with action, as he headed the ship out to sea from Subic Bay, Pl., to avoid a raging typhoon immediately after relieving Captain Lamar P. Carver as Commanding Ofhcer in an impressive flight deck ceremony. His knowledge of action and qualifications for his first attack aircraft carrier command stemmed from his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1931. His first duty station was the battleship USS Colorado. After a year, the captain reported to the cruiser USS Portland where he remained until 1935. At this point in his career, Capt. Brush received his aviator's wings at Pensacola, Fla. Prior to World War H, he served aboard the carrier USS Saratoga and the battleship USS Pennsylvania as well as at Coco Solo, Panama, and Key West Fla. During the conflict, Capt. Brush became gunnery officer for Commander, Air Force Atlantic Fleet. From 1943 until the following year he served as Commander Air Group 81 attached to the carrier USS Wasp. In the last year of the war the captain became executive officer of the aircraft carrier USS Cowpens. He later became commanding officer and in that capacity prepared the ship for the reserve Heet. Duty stations since the war include executive officer at NAS Jacksonville, Fla., Fleet Air Wing Two at Pearl Harbor, and a year at the Naval War College. Following his command of the escort carrier USS Point Cruz, Capt. Brush served with the Strategic Plans Division of Naval Gperations.