Randolph (CV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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1,1 AIR DEPARTMENT Broadly speaking, fhis volume would be incomplefe wifhouf a brief hisforical skefch of fhe Air Office and ifs inhabifanfs, and fhaf is fhe only excuse we can offer for ifs inclusion here. I+ is, we realize an unpopular subiecf, for fhe lay sailor insfincfively regards all airedales wifh suspicion and all yeomen wifh confempf. The Air Office, as an ouffif organized fo spread ad- minisfrafive confusion, was born in July, I944 in a li'H'le quonsef huf in Newporf, Rhode Island. No fablef af fhaf humble spof pays fribufe fo fhaf occasion, in facf, if memory serves, fhe huf was surveyed and ieffisoned. Of- ficiafing af fhe birfh was a midwife by fhe name of Sweeney, so you can see fhaf if was more fhrough good forfune fhan skill fhaf he was able fo usher in a lusfy baby, whose name, oddly enough, furned ouf fo be Papa! To Mark W. Papa, fhen Y3c, fell fhe dubious privilege of being fhe firsf yeoman in fhe Air Deparfmenf of fhe fhen land sfillll unknown carrier. And one of fhe firsf communicafions received from fhe crew af Newporf News was a leffer signed by one J. M. Cloud, CY, beginning, To avoid duplicafion of efforf . . . Thai' sef fhe fempo. There was no duplicafion. There was no efforf. The day of commissioning found a goodly number of yeoman under our colors, and a greaf deal of work fo do. Affer fhe inifial avalanche of work was squared away. namely fhe Air Deparfmenf Organizafion Book, Shake- down Reporf, seffing up of files, liberfy cards, efc., fhe office seffled down and fhe sniping befween fhe Air Operafions yeomen and fhe Air Office men commenced in earnesf. Represenfing fhe Air Op men manning Flighf Ouarfers sfafions on Primary Fly and in Air Plof was Mike Champ Papa, Red Schneider, R.P. lNosel Henry lonly man fo achieve a barrier crash wifhouf using an airplanel, Sam Geison, Louis Hammel and A. Flysheef Swofes, all of which have been discussed elsewhere. In fhe opposife corner, wearing purple fighfs and represenf- ing fhe Air Office was Chief Cloud, J. E. Bilbo, Dick Cornish, Wiley Smifhson, Red O'Connor, Cooper Kirk, Norn lThe Generali Lee, Howie Ouderkirk and Al Fiorello. As soon as fhe ship cleared San Francisco for Pearl Harbor, work in fhe Air Office seffled down fo a dull roufine, which, fhank heaven, is beyond descripfion. Com- baf condifions usually found fhe boys sacked in and barely able fo make soup call in fhe morning. Along abouf noon, fhey usually roused fhemselves sufficienfly fo play checkers and cards. Far ouf in fronf as a favorife sporf. however, was fhaf of argumenf, and almosf any hour of fhe day, fhe air would be blue wifh invecfive of fhe rnosf profane nafure. The boys really oufdid fhemselves in abuse, however, when called on fo perform any proiecf calling for efforf of any kind. Evenings under fire and alerfs usually found fhe Chief Bandmasfer holding fourfh wifh his inimifable fales of fhe China Sfafion, unfil if was fime fo sack in. On refueling

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days and while aT anchor, Diclx Cornish, our newspaper man, and Red O'Connor, who is sTiII suffering Trom saclt sores, gave The oTTice some semblance oT life, while Those old dependable sTandbys, Wiley SmiThson and Cooper Kirl: lcepT The office running. The Air OTTice, having Tulfilled iTs mission of spreading confusion, began To die wiTh The TransTer oT a number oT iTs personnel while sTiII in The Nansei ShoTog and The deaTh raTTles sounded as we headed Tor home. The end, which was peaceTuI, came as The ship was TransiTing The Panama Canal wiTh iTs crowd oT local sighT-seeing pas- sengers on board. One well-developed young lady, lead- ing her Troop of girl scouTs up The CapTain's Ladder paused To glance in The Air OTTice and The yeoman worlz- ing There. Comprehending aT once, she Turned To her girls, and said in a hushed Tone, OuieT, Chicks, This musT be Sicl: Bay. So be iT. IT is a TiTTing epiTaph. PRIMARY FLY STAND-BY TO START ENGINES-CHECK WHEEL CHOCKS, PROPELLOR CLEARANCES AND CON- TROL SURFACES-SECURE ALL LOOSE GEAR ABOUT THE DECK-STAND CLEAR OF PROPELLORS -START ENGINES, CUT WHEN WARM! SimulTaneously wiTh The lasT word over The bull horn , The engines roar as The plane capTains revv Them up preliminary To The evenTs To Tollow. One by one The engines Tall silenT as They become ready Tor TlighT. PiloTs sTream onTo The TlighT declc and man Their planes. The sTage is seT! All eyes are focused on one spoT in The island sTrucTure as The ship Turns inTo The wind-a green Tlag replaces The red-The Fox Tlag is Two-bloclned and a carrier springs inTo acTion. LAUNCH AIRCRAFT Primary Fly has spolmen. This small bridge in The island is The conTrol cenTer of Air OperaTions-here The Air OTTicer, popularly called The Air Boss , his assisTanT and a Tallxer run The show. IT is from This vanTage poinT com- manding a view of The TlighT decl: Tore and aTT ThaT The life of a carrier Talzes Trom during operaTions. The drama, paThos and humor oT The ship begins and ends on Primary Fly. IT was on The TwelTTh oT November, I944, ThaT The TirsT signal To begin TlighT operaTions was given To Fly One Trom a Timid and somewhaT innocenT Primary Fly. Since ThaT day iT has given The green Tlag To ThirTeen Thou- sand planes and has emerged a much wiser and Tougher conTrol cenTer. The piloTs who commiTTed DilberTs on The TIigh+ declc or in The air around The carrier will TesTiTy as To The Toughness oT The silver leaves on This bridge as more Than one was Ii+eraIIy called before The masT up There. Comdr. L. C. Simpler drew The honor oT being The TirsT Air Boss. His was The job oT malxing airdales ouT oT a conglomeraTion oT BooTs. Add To ThaT The misery oT shaking down a new Air Group ThaT iusT loved To land Their planes upside down and you have a sure pIoT Tor 1, 'I I ', 'Alf . JJ' A, , VM, if , f AY. 1, pf 4' , a f , ' I 1 s