Dwight Eisenhower (CVN 69) - Naval Cruise Book

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Captain John M. Luecke

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ommanaing SS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) ' CAPT Dantone was bom in Baltimore, Md., and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. Va., in June 1960. He then entered the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., from which he was graduated and commissioned ensign in 1964. That same year, he entered flight training. He received his wings and was designated a naval aviator in September 1965. In May 1966. CAPT Dantone reported to Fighter Squadron 84. where he flew F-4 Phantoms and made an extended Mediterranean Sea deployment aboard USS Independence (CV 62). He was subse- quently assigned to Fighter Squadron 16 1 in March 1967, making two Western Pacific combat deploy- ments aboard USS Coral Sea (CV 43). In August 1969, CAPT Dantone reported to the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., where he earned Master of Science degrees in Aero- na«tical Engineering and Material Management. He then joined the F- 14 Tomcat Fleet Introduction Cadre at Naval Air Station Miramar. Calif., in June 1973 and was a plankowner when Fighter Squad- ron One emerged as the Navy ' s first F- 14 squadron. During his tour, the squadron deployed to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean aboard USS En- terprise (CVN 65) and fiew fighter cover during the 1975 evacuation of Saigon. Republic of South Viet- CAPT Dantone reported to the Naval Air Systems Command in May 1976 as the F-14 Tomcat program ' s assistant deputy for training. Returning to the fleet in August 1977, CAPT Dantone became the executive officer, and subsequently the com- manding officer, of Fighter Squadron 14, which flew F- 1 4s from the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) . After his squadron command tour, he served as fighter training officer for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. This tour was followed by 18 months of nuclear power training and a follow-on assignment as the executive officer of the USS Enterprise (CVN 65). Following his tour ' aboard Enterprise, CAPT Dan- tone assumed command of the replenishment oiler USS Wichita (AOR 1). He was assigned as the pre- commissioning commanding officer of Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in November 1987. In September 1988, CAPT Dantone assumed command of IKE. His decorations include three Meritorious Serv- ice Medals, six Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal with combat V, and the Vietnam Service Medal. He is married to the former Maria Szolnoky of Buffalo, N.Y. The Dantones reside in Virginia Beach, Va., with their son. Jay, and daughter, Mame.

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Commander Carrier Air Wing Seven ri ' John M. Luecke assumed command of ■ iTier Air Wing SEVEN in April 1989. A native of t ' cport. 111., he received his commission from the ' Caval Academy in June 1965, and was desig- i naval aviator in April 1967. T Luecke ' s first operational tour was with f) from 1968 to 1970, and included deploy- 111 s to the Western Pacific in USS Constellation ' 64) and USS Ranger (CV 6 1) and more than 1 80 mbat missions in the A-6 Intruder. During this ur, he was selected as VA- 128 Replacement Pilot the Year. CAPT Luecke served his department ad tour with VA-75 from 1974 to 1976. and made o Mediterranean Sea deployments in USS Sara- ua (CV 60). . Early shore assignments included duty at the ; ' al Air Test Center from 1970 to 1973 as Project Pilot and subsequent attendance at the Armed s Staff College. From 1976 to 1978, CAPT Kc served as flight instructor at the Empire i ' ilot School, RAF Boscombe Down, England, ccame the first American to be assigned as pal Fixed -Wing Tutor. K.t PY Luecke reported to VA-35 in July 1979. As ecutive Officer, he deployed to the Mediterra- an Sea, Indian Ocean and North Atlantic on ;a rd USS Nimitz (CVN 68) . He assumed command bruary 1981 and made the first deployment of 6E TP?AM to the Sixth Fleet. During CAPT Luecke ' s command tour, VA-35 was awarded the Battle E, a Meritorious Unit Commendation and was selected runner up for the McCluskey Award. CAPT Luecke received the Carrier Air Wing EIGHT Individual Top Tailhook Award for three consecu- tive deployments and is the first Naval Aviator to have made over 1,000 A-6 arrested landings. From 1982 to 1983, CAPT Luecke served as Air Boss in IKE. He commanded VA- 142 from Septem- ber 1983 to January 1985, during which time the squadron was awarded the CNO Safety S. CAPT Luecke served as Executive Officer of USS America (CV 66) from April 1985 to June 1986. Op- erations included the first aircraft carrier in a Nor- wegian Fjord, and participation in the Eldorado Canyon retaliatory strikes against Libya. He served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at SHAPE, Belgium, from 1986 to 1988. CAPT Luecke has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, four Meritorious Service Medals, 15 Air Medals, three navy Commendation Medals with Combat V and numerous other unit and campaign awards. He has more than 5,000 flight hours in 65 different aircraft and has made more than 1,200 arrested landings. CAPT Luecke is married to the former Margaret Anne Bassett. He and his wife and two of their four children, John and Jim, reside in Virginia Beach, Va.