US Naval Air Training Center - Yearbook (Corpus Christi, TX)

Page 46 text:

, ilzwfn' . Ueutenant Conunonder Kenneth R. Smhh USN, Commandng OHken Cuddihy Auxiliary Naval Air Station llllllllll FIELD Cuddihy Field is The home of Squadron l2A. At This field cadets are instructed in The Basic Stages of flight Training. lt is a complete unit within The Naval Air Training Center organization. Cuddihy Field was named in honor of Lieutenant George Thomas Cuddihy, who was one of The outstanding Aero- nautical Experimenters in Naval Aviation History. Graduating from The Naval Academy in l9l8 vvith a further assignment to flight training at Pensacola, he won his wings in l92O. , Since Then Lieutenant Cuddihy has played an important part in theudevelopment of Naval Aviation. ln l923, he was commended by The Secretary of The Navy for his gunnery efficiency and in l927, for his highly successful flight over the Andes Mountains. He was posthumously awarded The Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in i929 for The purpose of determining The flat spin characteristics of The F-4B-l Type airplane, at great personal risk. Lieutenant Cuddihy vvas killed in a crash while Testing an airplane at The Naval Air Station, Anacostia, Washington, D. C. Lieutenant Commander Kenneth R. Smith assumed duties as Commanding Officer at Cuddihy Field on December lQ, l943. He entered The Naval Reserve in l9l7 and later became a member of The Yale University Unit when it was taken over by the Navy Department. He received his flight Training vvith that unit and vvas designated Naval Aviator No. 87. During World War l he served in various capacities at Naval Bases in England and France. He was attached to Sub-operating bases as Engineering Officer, flevv first sub-patrol planes in French Waters, and was later assigned to night bombing of enemy obiectives until the war ended. He has been awarded The Navy Cross, Croix de Guerre with Palm, French Legion of Honor with rank of Chevalier. Page 42 ir 'Ir ir

Page 45 text:

X --wc - f 4 f,. ---N Y--. .Y H, M Qt Vi l l i-il I lg l, -l c Ll Coboniss Field, o seporote cmd complete unit of the lslovol Air lrciining Center, Corpus Christi, hos focilities for ine structing the oviotion codets through their Bosic stoge of Flight Trciining. Squcidron l2C ond IQD initiote the fledgling flyer into the intricocies of heovier oirplones ond formotion flying. Nomed in honor of Commonder Robert Vifright Cciboniss, USN, the lxlcivcil Aviotor who so obly served with the U. S. Novy in Centrol ond South Arnerico. It hos fcicilities for not only the instruction of codets, but for their cmdministrotion ond recrecition. During Commonder Cobciniss' tour of duty, he wos instrumentczl in promoting the progress of Novol Avio- tion through vorious experiments. For exceptionol ond outstonding work in the Coribbeon Areo, he wos oworded the Order of the Bust of Bolivcir , by the Republic of Venezuelci, He lost his life in ci crosh on Ncivosso Islond in the West Indies. At one time Coboniss Field gcive Prirnory instruction to coders, but now operciting under the new syllobus, it functions only os on lntermediote troining stcition. Commonder S. P, Weller, USN, reported oboord the Novol Air Troining Center in September l943. After o tour of duty os on officer in chorge of Aviotion Troining, Commonder Weller wcis oppointed Commonding Officer of Coboniss Field in December l943. Commonder Weller wos groduotecl from the Ncivcil Acoclerny in l93O cind lctter served in the USS Oklohomo ond severol yeors on Destroyers. In 1934 he wcis ordered to Penscicolci, Florido for flight trciining. He received his wings in l935. Commonder Weller's record includes service cts Aviotion Observer in Austrolio, Stoll Commonder ol Allied Novol Forces in Austrolio, Pcitrol Squodrons in Aleutions, Potrol Squciclrons in Ponomci Areo, He come to the Novo! Air Troining Center ofter hoving served in the South Pocific Areo since the wor begon. 's19Cx i . T F Commander S. P. Weller, USN, Commanding Offi- cen Ccbonks Auxmary Naval Air Station I Page 4l

Page 47 text:

'A' ir ir Ill VILLE FIELD Under the command of Commander D. S, lviclviahon, Kingsville Auxiliary Air Station was commissioned on July 4, l942. Commander McMahon was executive officer of a squadron of PBY's that made a non-stop flight from San Diego to Panama in 22 hours, a record at that time. He also engaged in another nan-stop flight of two PBY's from Panama to Anacostia, D. C. Located almost 35 miles southwest of the main station, near Kingsville, Texas, it is the largest of the auxiliary air fields. Kingsville Field is, as are the other outlying fields, an integral unit in itself. Here, the cadet takes his advanced specialized flight training necessary for the use of service type planes of the fleet. Kingsville is the home of Fighter and Dive Bomber Squadrons and continues the training that has already been given by the other squadrons on the center. Students pile up many hours of gunnery, formations, acrobatics, navigation, and night flying In N b ' ' ovem er i9-42, Commander Thweatt became Commanding Officer af the Station. Prior to reporting aboard the Naval Air Station, he was Assistant Air Officer aboard the USS Wright, an Aviation Tender with the Pacific Fleet. Commander Thweatt enlisted in Naval Aviation in April i9l7. He trained at Pensacola, and after intensive training was sent to France. Following trainin in b th l d s A ' ' g o an and -eaplanes, he was assigned to coastal patrol over the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay. 1-.li . . 4 we t 'full ' .-.- ff f k,.,,X,, . i ,I sv fi , ' .,,.. ' v Commander Troy N. Thweatt, USN, Commanding Officer, Kingsville Aux- iliary Naval Air Station Page 43 X 1-I r .,, we ..,,,f?,, .x ,M , , ,M