Forrestal (CVA 59) - Naval Cruise Book

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F'W'w N 5' ik '43

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commanding officer LEONARD A. SNEAD Captain Leonard A. Snead is the son of Mrs. Mar- tha E. Snead of Baltimore, Maryland. He attended school in Mt. Airy, Maryland before entering the Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1943. After graduation in 1946, Captain Snead,s assignment was aboard the USS SPOKANE QCLAA- He entered flight training at Pensacola, Florida in ruary 1949 and was designated a naval aviator in 1950. Captain Snead's first squadron duty was high U.S. first 1203. Feb- May with Patrol Squadron 45. In March of 1953 he returned to the Basic Training Command in Pensacola, Florida for a three year tour. His next assignment was as flag lieu- tenant for Commander Carrier Division Three. From November 1957 until July 1959, he was a special wea- pons delivery pilot with Heavy Attack Squadron Six. As an A3D CSkywarriorj pilot, he deployed to the Wes- tern Pacific in USS RANGER CCVA-611. After a year's study at the Naval War College, Cap- tain Snead was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland as .arstudent test pilot in June 1960. Following eight months of. training he was assigned to the Flight Test Division as a Project Pilot evaluating various new aircraft. His last year at NATC was spent as Head of the Flying Qualities and Performance Branch of Flight Test. E, 4 Captain Snead has flown 51 models of aircraft repre- senting a broad spectrum of U. S. Naval Aviation, British and French aircraft. On May 8, 1964, he took command of Attack Squadron 75, the first operational squadron to transition to the A6A Qlntruderj and to be deployed to combat in Vietnam. He led the Sunday Punchersv in strikes against enemy targets in North and South Vietnam while embarked in USS INDEPEN- dence CCVA-621. In August 1965 Captain Snead asf sumed command of Attack Squadron 42, the Oceana- based A6A Training Squadron. In June 1966 he was assigned as Operations Officer aboard the Norfolk- based attack carrier USS INDEPENDENCE. From June 1967 until August 1969, he was assigned as A6A Program Coordinator in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon. In August 1969 he assumed command of the ammunition ship USS DIAMOND HEAD CAE-195, and on 13 November 1970 he became the 16th commanding officer of the USS FORRESTAL CCVA-591. . A Captain Snead is married to the former Elizabeth Sandruck of Baltimore, Maryland and has four children: Alex, 21, a senior at George Washington University, James, 20, a junior at the Naval Academy,.Michael, 17, a senior at First Colonial High School, and Paul They presently reside at 1617 Dendron Drive, Virginia Beach, Virginia. , Captain Snead has been selected for promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral. A

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commanding officer CHARLES F. DEMMLER Captain Charles Fredrick Demmler was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York on August 28,1923-. He is a graduate of San Diego State College. He was commissioned as an Ensign and designated af Naval Aviator in January of 1945. I His initial tour of duty was with Experimental Fighter Squadron TWO HUNDRED, where he remained until January of 1947. Following this tour, he served with Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED NINETY-TWO aboard USS BOXER and USS PRINCETON. In 1949 he was assigned to the Fleet All Weather Training Unit Atlantic. From 1951 until 1955 he completed tours of duty with Jet Photo Reconnaissance Squadron SIXTY- TWO aboard USS BENNINGTON and with the staff of Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet. In August of 1955, he began Test Pilot Training at the Naval Air Center, Patuxent River, Maryland. Upon completion of Test Pilot School, he was a Test Pilot at the Service Test Division of the Naval Air Test Center. During this period he participated in the early developmental tests of the Navy's first supersonic aircraft such as the F-8, F-4D and F-11. I In August of 1959 Captain Demmler was assigned as the Executive Officer of Fighter Squadron NINETY- TWO aboard USS RANGER. In July of 1960 he assumed Command of Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED NINE- TY-THREE aboard USS BON HOMME RICHARD. After attending the Air War College, Maxwell AFB, he commanded Attack Carrier Air Wing TWO aboard USS MIDWAY. - After returning to the east coast, Captain Demmler became the Executive Officer of USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT inWJanuary 1964. Upon completing this tour, he was assigned to the -Atlantic Fleet Amphibi- ous Force as Commanding Officer of'USS fYANCEY, an Amphibious Assault Cargo Ship. Before assuming command of USS FORRESTAL, Captain Demmler was Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations with Commander SEVENTH Fleet in the Western Pacific theater. Captain Demmler is entitled to wear the Legion of Merit with Combat V, the Navy Unit Commendation, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal, the China Service 'Meda1, National Defense Service Medal with star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with star, the Order of Vietnam Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with five stars, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device. He is married to the former Miss Clare O,Conner of Yonkers, New York, and they have three children -- Robert, Brian and Maryanne. 'His mother is ,Mrs. Ann Buckley Demmler of Sharon, Connecticut. 1 A a