Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDER JOHN M. THOMAS, U.S.N. Commander John M. Thomas, USN, was formally relieved as Executive Officer of the USS KITTY HAWK (CVA-631 by Commander William G. Coulter, USN, on July 27, 1962. CDR Thomas was born in Iowa City. Iowa, and attended parochial and public schools in that state, completing high school at St. Ambrose Academy located in Davenport. Iowa. He attended St. Ambrose College and later Northwestern University in Evanston. 111. CDR Thomas entered flight training in August 1941 and was designated a Naval Aviator in Corpus Christi. Texas. He joined his first carrier based squadron. Com- posite Squadron 0. E at San Diego, Cal. He remained with the squadron during its trip through the Panama Canal to the Atlantic and participated in anti-submarine patrols aboard various jeep carriers until February, 1944. During the period, Composite Squadron ONE was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation while attached to the USS CARD. In February. 194-1, he was assigned to VF-74. a Hell Cat squadron attached to the USS K. ' ASAN BAY, and participated in the invasion of Southern France, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. CDR Thomas was next assigned to Patuxent River. Maryland, as a Project Test Pilot completing the Flight Test School, which was the forerunner of the now famous Test Pilot School. During his tenure at Patuxent, he was assigned to evaluate several foreign aircraft, including the Japanese Tony and Zeke. and the German Dornier 3.35. He was one of the first Naval aviators to fly jet aircraft which in- cluded the Bell P-59 and the Uockheed P-80. In 1951, he attended the General Line School in Monterey. Cal. and in Jan. 1952 proceeded to Washington. D.C.. and spent two vears in OP-54 with the .Aviation Personnel Distribution Section. In March 1954. he was assigned as Com- manding Officer of Fisrhter Squadron 24 based aboard the USS ESSEX as part of Carrier Air Group TWO. VF-24 was the first squadron on the West Coast to have the F9F-6 swept-wing jet aircraft. The squadron completed an eight-month deploy- ment to the W ' estern Pacific, participating in the Tachen operations. From August 1957 to June 1958. CDR Thomas attended the Naval War College at Newport, R.I, Upon graduation, he was assigned as Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron ONE TWO ONE, a replacement fighter squadron. This unit was engaged in training Fleet .AU-Weather Fighter Pilots in the F3H aircraft. During this period VF-121 was awarded the Chief of Naval Operations Safety Award for compiling 16.000 hours and more than 3,000 carrier landings without an accident. In Aug. 1960. CDR Thomas reported to KITTY HAWK as the Prospective XO, prior to the vessel ' s commissioning. He became XO on the date of commissioning. CDR Thomas was promoted to the rank of captain upon departing the ship. He is now Director of Training on the staff of Chief of Naval Air Training at Pensacola. Fla.

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COMMANDER CARRIER DIVISION SEVEN ADMIRAL SHIPLEY Rear Admiral Ralph L. Shifley, USN, reported for duty as Commander Carrier Division SEVEN on May 1, 1962. He came from Washington where he had served as Director of the Aviation Plans Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department. Admiral Shifley has had a long and distinguished career in the Naval service. He was born at Mounds. Illinois, in 1910 and was admitted to the Naval Academy in June 1929. Graduated and commissioned Ensign on June 2, 1933, he was designated a Naval Aviator on November 17. 1937. At the outbreak of World War II. Admiral Shifley was an instructor at the Naval Air Station. Jacksonville, Florida. After detachment in May 1942, he served on the staffs of several training commands. In June 1943, Admiral Shifley assumed command of Bombing Squadron EIGHT and from May to November 1944 he was Commanding Officer of Air Group EIGHT, operating with Admiral Mitscher ' s Task Forces 38 and 58. Admiral Shifley was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea while his Air Group was embarked in the carrier BUNKER HILL. He was also four times awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three times awarded the Air Medal, and is entitled to the ribbon for the Presidential Unit Citation to the BUNKER HILL. Admiral Shifley was Superintendent of Aviation Training at the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, at the end of World War II. From June 1947 to June 1952. he served as executive officer and operations officer for several sea commands. Upon completion of the Naval War College course in June 1952, he spent two years in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and then served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Commander SIXTH Fleet in the Mediterranean. In August 1956 he reported as Commanding Officer of the USS BADOENG STRAIT, and in February 1957 returned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Opera- tions where he served for a while as senior aide to the Chief of Naval Opera- tions. He spent a year as Commanding Officer of the attack aircraft carrier USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT and then returned to Washington. In July 1961 he became Rear Admiral Shifley and in October of that year reached the position he served before coming to Carrier Division SEVEN. Admiral Shifley moved his flag on board KITTY HAWK on July 31. 1962. His Carrier Division is primarily employed as operational commander of task groups force when deployed and as inspector and evaluator of ship and air group readiness while in the continental United States. The Admiral also wore the hat of Commander Task Force 77 during part of the cruise. 16