Franklin D Roosevelt (CVA 42) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 23 text:

wwx Vw. , wwwf4,.,!.,1fX7 X Q x , . .f K-Ziff ,T

Page 22 text:

X f N f AAAA I Y f V' T A. D l X ff CAPTAIN VVALTER E. CLARKE Captain Clarke was born in Chicago and graduated from James Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois, with a degree in Business Administration in 1938. He was designated a Naval Aviator and commissioned an ensign in November, 1939. Captain Clarke's first fleet assignment was to Fighter Squadron Five attached to the USS Yorktown. With the squadron until December, 1942, he saw duty in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres aboard the carriers Enterprise, Ranger, Wasp and Saratoga. While supporting the invasion of Guadalcanal, the Saratoga was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and forced to return to the States. However, fighter aircraft at Guadalcanal had suffered heavy losses, so VF-5 was sent to operate off Henderson Field before the Saratoga's departure from this area. They remained shore-based until relieved on October 26, 1942, and Captain Clarke was one of 13 pilot survivors out of an original 39 assigned at the start of the invasion. Following 'rehabilitation leave, he reported to the Operational Training Command and was instructed in VF aircraft at Sanford, Florida. After becoming Superintendent of Flight Training at that base, Captain Clarke returned to sea duty in the fall of 1944 and was ordered to command Fighter Squadron Ten, the Grim Reapersf' His squadron returned to the Pacific in early 1945 and participated in the aerial battles at Iwo Jima, the first carrier strikes on the Japanese homeland, the invasion of Okinawa, and air cover over China during the surrender negotiations with the Japa- nese. He is credited with nine aerial victories in air combat. Post-war duties include: aide and flag lieutenant to Commander Carrier Division Six in 1946, General Line School in Newport in 1947, Mustin Field, Philadelphia, 1948, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, 1949, Navigator, USS Palau 1950-51, Bureau of Naval Personnel 1952-53, Operations Officer, USS Coral Sea 1954-55, Operations Officer, Commander Carrier Division Six, 1956-57, Air Operations Officer, Staff CINCNELM 1957-58, and Assistant Director, Technical Studies Group, Washington, 1959-60. After commanding the USS Valcour, he relieved Captain E. L. Anderson as Commanding Officer of the Roosevelt on June 1, 1962. Captain Clarke is married to the former Nan Crawford of Santa Barbara, California, and they have three children. X, 5 s 'fi i qt N X ,gf W' ,J W' ,,.f ' ,: . Y Z' fe -W ,ff fb- .-' f, X 4 ' . ., W 'f f M y . hw, 'f -- 1. ,, ,,,, ,, - , NNN XX

Page 24 text:

. , ,, .5 I4 l . iff iz' i . ..,, A ng 2 if S N4 f 2 .525 J iv I x it fgsmx , W M,--f umm-.-my ,we w. X - . g,t...,,..-- -- 1,337 if 1 . I if f J ,tv sa.. 5 f - 'f vwfmwxzii ' fini'-V f J 5' 'r V! , 2 X2 7 1 X Commander Coleman took his degree in Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech in 1940, and received aviation cadet training at NAS Jacksonville, Fla. He 'was assigned to Fighter Squadron Three, which flew from the decks of the carriers Enter- prise, Princeton, Belleau Wood and Intrepid. Commander Coleman went next to Fighter Squadron 83, aboard the USS Essex, where he served as a fighter pilot and squadron gunnery officer for 20 months in the Pacific. Following this came a 31 month tour on the Aeronautical Board in Washington as project officer, specializing in interservice standardization of instrument, cock- pit, and field lighting configurations. His next assignment was aide and flag lieutenant to the Commandant Naval Operating Base, Bermuda. Then after a year and a half with Patrol Squadron Seven, he senfed 11 months as a student in the Navy's General Line School in Monterey, Cali- fornia, and as operations officer at NAS Pensacola from 1952 to 1953. In 1953 he joined the staff of Commander Fleet Air Jacksonville as aide and flag secretary. He served in this capacity until December 1954, when he was ordered as executive officer to Fighter Squadron 102-later redesignated Attack Squad- ron 36-for 32 months aboard the USS Bennington. He was commanding officer during the last 14 months of his tour with VA-36. After this tour of sea duty, Commander Coleman was assigned to the Naval Academy for duty on the First Class Committee. ln 1959 he attended the Naval War College in Newport, R. I., and in July 1960 he reported to the USS Kitty Hawk as Commander Carrier Air Group 11. In 1962 he reported aboard the Roose- velt as operations officer and later was assigned executive officer. He took part in the attacks and occupation of the islands of Wake, Kwajalein, Tarawa, the Marshalls and Gilberts, and he participated in carrier strikes on Ribaul, New Guinea, the first assault on the Japanese home island, and the invasion and occupation of Okinawa. COMMANDER THAD T. COLEMAN 20 ,