Randolph (CV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 48 text:

96 -- 34139, ,,,-QS' We offen wondered if our crews approached This poinf of perfecfion. They did, and even befler. Admiral Bogan, our TG commander's commenf on wafching fhem launch aircraff was: Slow down 'lhaf launch. When asked if fhere was anyfhing wrong, his reply was: No, i'l s iusl' foo damn fast Which is abouf as nice a complimenf as 'lhe Navy gives. Along wifh work, fhere were many hours of play and V-l-D was no excepfion. There is Airdale A.A. Slfc who combines play wifh work or makes all work play even while pulling checks on a big launch: if's fhe spirif 'lhaf goes a long way foward winning a war. The headquarfers of our eighf hundred odd feef of Randolph Field is lisfed officially as Fligh+ Deck Con- frol, and is presided over by L+. Madden, fhe flighf deck officer-unofficially if is known as Madden's Casino, and 'rhe presiding officer should have been Hoffoof Madden, if he had sfuck fo 'rhe feef, buf siffing on a lighfed cigareffe-buff changes your viewpoinf as well as fhe posifion. Q' 1 K. .NL -v ' kg V-I-D had ifs fun and characfers, buf il' delivered fhe goods: 'rheir iob can be likened fo +he 'rackle who opens 'lhe holes for fhe quarferback in a foofball game. lf was in fhe nasfy days of 'lhe firsf Tokyo raids: 'lhe deck was wef and slick making foofing very uncerfaing fhe whirling props of scores of fiighl'-ready parked planes added 'lo fhe hazards: vef fhe deck crews soaked and freezing sfruggled wilh 'lhe elemenfs and confinued fheir fasks among 'lhe planes. Frequen-Hy a man would gef blasfed by 'lhe slip-sfream, lose his foofing and go rolling beneafh fhe planes. There were many close shaves fhal' day, buf every man picked himself up and refurned 'lo finish his iob of geffing fhe planes away. A navy pilof noi' scheduled fo fly fhaf hop was wafch- ing from fhe shelfer of fIigh+ deck confrol. He shook his head and remarked fo one of fhe men, There are none bravery I wouldn'l' gef ouf on 'lhaf fligh+ deck for all fhe money in 'lhe world. When fhe quarferback admils fhe fackle is good . . . well!

Page 47 text:

when our +hough+s go back Po Phose acPiviPies oP Phe boys Prom way down under lPhe radar boys of C.l.C.l Many hecPic waPches were sPood down Phere on Phe sevenPh deck, Pracking our CAP and ASP: noP Po men- Pion Phe many bogeys PhaP were encounPered on our screen. IP seems like a dream now, buP remember Phe announcemenPs over Phe P.A. sysPem, Bogeys on Phe screen, all hands man your baP'Ple sPaPions. All Phis ad- vance inPo, a large PacPor in gePPing Phe boys Po Pheir guns and damage con+rol sPaPions well in advance oP any aPPack was broughP abouP by Phe radar boys. Much praise is due our oPPicers in CombaP who conProlled our planes and direcPed Phem ouP Po Phe area where Phe bogeys were winging in. Remember LPs. Nick Hammond and Tim Mara giving a Hello Red One, Phis is Red base, vec'Por one-eighP- zero liner Over, and old Pop Gnade or Sam Eannace a'P Pheir GQ sPaPion keeping all Phe red hoP daPa righP up Phere on Pheir sPaPus board. lP's a good Phing Pop and Sam did wear radio phones 'cause me Phinks LP. Tex GranP had a Pin ear aP Pimes 'cause he always used Po yell, WhaP Phe hell did he say? and Phe boys were righP Phere wiPh, Tallyho, Pwo Zekes angels low. Bud Maher, Barry, Ford and Nobby and Ken Shugar had Pheir rugged momenPs when in Phe middle of an inPercepP iob, LP. Bob ScoPP or ScoP'Py would call Por a check on PargeP so and so, and iusP as one of Phe aforesaid would comply wifh ScoPPy's requesf, LP. Tim Mara would boom ouP wiPh, KEEP THAT ANTENNA ROTATlNG. lWoe is Phe life of a radar operaPor.l Same goes Por Blackie Bargardo, L. T. Jones, Glen Laney and Honus Wagner our sharp operaPors who while Pracking a Zeke or a BePPy aP high alPiPude would suddenly gel' a call from Big Dealer Tom Di Nucci or Oinie Rosenbaum in Flag PloP Por a quick range and bearing on Task Force 38.l, or Phe Bridge demanding an immediaie range and bearing on Phe guide, inspired no doubP by our boy T. D. Jones. Remember Phe Pive parPy line on Phe JS CircuiPg Mickey Maib aP CombaP aPP calling Flag Por Phe PleeP disposiPion, Charlie Joy aP CombaP Porward sending up a Pix on PP. Bolo, SPud Daly or Mike Ouirk calling Prom Bridge abouP how many planes we have in raid Pour. Plus Ad- miral Jerry Bogan's righP-hand man PuPPy wanPing Po know if we had senP ouP inPercepP planes. GreaP iob Phis was Prying Po keep one's equilibrium sPable when wiPh all Phis going on, some guy like Ed SporP Reed would Phrow in a liPPle oP his laPesP scoop. V-I-D DIVISION V-I-D Division is Phe Randolph's code name Por Phe fiighP deck handling crews, or as organizaPion book has iP: The physical handling oP all aircraPP on Phe PlighP deck. The words physical handling doesn'P Pell Phe whole sPory, iP should say, Phe physical and menPal handling, Por Phe process of gePPing Phe righP plane in Phe righP place, aP Phe righP Pime is as complex as a game oP chess, and requires Phe uPmosP in organizaPion skill and planning. - ,2:1-f-f- if,

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