Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

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AE 'TL 'af-i A :ss Mis..-ru DAPTAIN MARSHALL U. BEEBE, USN COMMANDING OFFICER USS BON HOMME RICHARD CV.-1 31 Captain Beebe was born in Anaheim, California, August 6, 1913. He attended Occidental College, majoring in Mathe- matic and physics and graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1935, His military career started with the California National Guard during his undergraduate years. In 1936, he sought flight training in the Naval Aviation Cadet Program and was designated Naval Aviator number 5001 on 26 December, 1937. Captai.n Beebe was commissioned Ensign, USNR, in 1938 and applied for a regular commission in 1940. In March, 1941, he was appointed Ensign, U.S. Navy. From August, 1943, he commanded Composite Squadron 39, based on the USS LISCOMBE BAY, until that carrier was sunk during the Tarawa in- vasion later that year. In April, 1944, he was assigned duty as Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron 17, a squadron of F6F Hellcats of Air Group Seventeen, based on the USS HORNET, operating -in the Pacific. He participated in the first Navy raids on Tokyo in February, 1945, and was personally credited with 1015 Japanese planes. He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism as a pilot and flight leader in Fighter Squadron Seven- teen . . . in the vicinity of Southern Kyu- shu, Japan, on March 18, 1945 . . . where he shot down five planes of twenty-five destroyed by his flight of 16 aircraft, He also accounted for two aircraft destroyed on the ground, probably destroyed another in the air and damaged two others. After 1945 he held several posts which included Air Officer of the USS BAD- OEN G STRAIT, and Aide and Flag Lieu- tenant on the Staff of Admiral Arthur W. Radford, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, and later Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet. From November, 1950, until May, 1952, he commanded Carrier Air Group FIVE based on the USS ESSEX, operating in Korean waters. He was awarded the Leg- ion of Merit with Combat V for . . . exceptionally meritorious conduct . . . in operations in Korea from August, 1951, until January, 1952. He held several billets since then, and was commanding officer of the USS PYRO, AE-24. Captain Beebe took command of the USS BON HOMME RICHARD on Decem- ber 20, 1960.

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vt Q. 'qlllkay I v 4? Ng is he x -- Q ,lllf WZ:-Ax Q f . sf va 2 M5 ll ' Q g ffl: COMMANDER JAMES M. JOHNSON Executive Officer Commander James M. Johnson, U. S. Navy, the Executive Officer of the USS BON HOMME RICHARD CCVA-315, has been in the U. S. Naval Service since 1941. He was commissioned Ensign and a Naval Aviator in 1942. The Executive Officer began his Navy flying career as a patrol plane commander in early 1942. During most of World War II he served with European based patrol squadrons and later a night fighter squadron in the Pacific theatre. Since that time he has had duty with various Naval aircraft squadrons, both conventional and jet. His shore duty in between consisted of a tour in the Bureau of Ordnance, Staff, Chief of Naval Air Basic Training Command, Pensacola, Florida, P o s t Graduate and General Line School at Monterey, California and finally just prior to serving aboard the USS BON HOMME RICHARD QCVA- 31J, a tour as Assistant Chief of Staff for Opera- tions on the Staff of the Commander Pacific Missile Range. In 1952f53, he was the Air Operations Offi- cer on the USS BON HOMME RICHARD CCVA- 31J which was then serving in the Korean theatre of action. As a direct result of such duty coming back to the USS BON HOMME RICHARD CCVA- 31J was like returning home for him. Commander Johnson attended the Missouri School of Mines where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. At present he is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Rocket Society. Among his awards are two Air Medals, Navy Unit Commendation, Korean and United Nations Medals, and the European and American Theatre Ribbons. He is married to the former Joan Pfarrer of Indianapolis, Indiana, and they now live in Point Loma, California.