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

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REAR ADMIRAL HEWITT C. RAMSEY, USN J 1, Rear Admiral DewiTT C. Ramsey enTered The U. 8. Naval Academy in 1908 and was groduoTed wiTh The class of 1912. Following groduoTion he served on board The U.S.S New Jersey, U.S.S. MonTono, U.S.S. Nashville and The USS. Tingey, unTil 1916 when he was assigned To duTy 0T The Naval Air SToTion, Pensacola for TlighT Training. He was designoTed Naval AvioTor No. 45. He has served on board The U.S.S. Pennsylvania; U.S.S. Columbia; as insTrucTor 0T Pensacola,- U.S.S. WrighT; Novie goTor aboard The U.S.S. Langley; in command of The Training ovioTion squadron qT The Naval Academy,- ExecuTive Officer of The U.S.S. WrighT. In 1934 he assumed charge of The The AviQTion SecTion, Ships MovemenTs Division, Office of The Chief of Novel OperaTicn. LoTer he become ExecuTive Officer of The U.S.S. SorCTTogo. Rear Admiral Ramsey had a command QT sec: from May unTil OcTober 1942. He served in The Office of The Commonder-in-Chief, Pacific FIeeT, unTiI March 1943, when he assumed command of 0 Task Force in The SouTh Pacific. He has been deToched from ThoT ossignmenT wiTh orders To duTy as Chief of The Bureau of AeronouTics, Navy DeporT- menT, WoshingTon, D. C. He assumed ThoT duTy on AugusT 6, 1943. Rear Admiral Ramsey has been awarded The Navy Cross For exTraordinery heroism and deTingUished service during occupoTion of Guadalcanal, Tulogi, and The BoTTIe of The Solomons. He also holds The Mexican Service Medal, FleeT Clasp, AsioTic-Pocific Area Campaign Medal, and The DecoroTion 0nd Diploma Commondeur del' Ordre Grand Bucoe de lo Couronne de Chene, Tro'm Luxemburg.

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VICE ADMIRAL AUBREY W. FITCH, USN DEPUTY CHIEF 0F NAVAL 0PERAT10NS TAIIU Vice Admiral Aubrey W. FiTch, USN, o veTeron of 38 years in The U. 8. Navy, succeeded Vice Admiral Jchn McCain, USN, 0s DepUTy Chief of Novel OperoTiOhs for Air. His eminenT quoliTicoTions for This posT assures Naval AvioTors of OUT- sTonding leadership in The coming show-down sTruggle wiTh Japan. 'Admirol FiTch wos groduoTed from The U. S. Naval Academy wiTh The Class OT 1906. ATTer groduoTion, he served The usual Tours of duTy wiTh The FleeT 0nd CT The beginning of World War l, was serving as Gunnery Officer on board The USS-WYOMING. He also served as skipper of The USS LANGLEY. In 1929, he Transferred To ovioTion 0nd OT The age of 46 reporTed To Pensacola for TlighT Training. Admiral FiTch wos sToTicned 0T Coronado, California, when news come of The Jop oTTock on Peori Harbor. The following day a carrier division under his command including The SARATOGA, was sTeoming Tcword The enemy in o hunT TheiT eXTended To Midway and Wake. IT was noT unTil May 7, i942, however, ThoT They come To grips wiTh The enemy in The BoTTle of The Coral Sea. When The smoke of ThQT boTTle cleared, The Jops had suffered Their TirsT serious seTbock in Their drive To AusTrGIio. His Timely decision To abandon ship oTTer his flagship, The LEXINGTON, was foToHy damaged, saved The lives of The crew. As Commander AirchTT, SouTh Pacific Force, Admiral FiTch coordinoTed Navy, Marine Corps, Army and New Zealand oir uniTs during The ioinT operoTions of Allied Forces QTIOOT 0nd ashore in The South Pacific. His Angels of DesTrucTion sank more ships, knocked down more planes, and occounTed for more Jops Than cmy oTher commander of shore-bosed aircrafT in The American ormed Torces. The ouThoriTy for This sToTemenT is Admiral Halsey, who recommended him for promoTion from Rear To Vice Admiral QTTer The BoTTIe of The Coral Sea. Admiral FiTch was awarded The DisTinguished Service Medal for his skiHTul direcTion of 0 Task force ThoT ouTwiTTed cmd ouTToughT 0 powerful Japanese force in The BoTTle of The Coral See. Page 22

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REAR ADMIRAL CHARLES P. MASON, USN COMMANDANT N. A. I. T. C. - N. A. T. C. Rear Admiral Charles P. Mason, USN, has had a prominenT parT had unusually wide experience afloaT and ashore, and mander of The Naval Air Training Bases. Admiral Mason was graduaTed from The U. S. Naval Academy in 1912. years wiTh The FleeT before reporTing for TlighT Training aT N. A. 8., was designaTed Naval AviaTor No. 52. During World War I, he served in France inspecTing and TesTing aircraTT. American-builT LiberTy-moTored seaplane delivered in Europe. Following The War, he organized The TirsT seaplane paTrol squadron in The Pacific, ever aTTempTed by The Navy and conducTed The Navy's firsT TesT of a carrier's funCTions in fleeT maneuvers. Admiral MasonTs impressive record includes service on The USS LANGLEY, famous as The firsT carrier ever ordered TO duty wiTh The TleeT, and laTer on The carriers USS SARATOGA and The USS YORKTOWN. He Took command of The USS HORNET one monTh afTer her parTicipaTion in The bombing raid on Tokyo. The Navy Cross was presenTed To him for ouTsTanding service as skipper of The ill-faTed USS HORNET aT The Time of her gallanT TighT againsT overwhelming odds off SanTa Cruz. He was laTer commander of The Task force of converTed carriers in The SOUTh Pacific area, and subsequenle was made Commander Air Solomons Islands. He remained in command of The Air Forces in Guadalcanal Area for Two monThs. Admiral Mason was decoraTed as a Grand Officer of The Order of The Southern Cross, by The ATTache for Air of The Brazilian Embassy in recogniTion of The aTTenTions, services and spiriT of cooperaTion exTended by The Brazilian Air Force. in The develcpmenT of Naval AviaTion. He has is now Chief of The Naval Air lnTermediaTe Training and Com- Following graduaTion, he spenT several Pensacola. Winning his Wings in 1917, he He has The disTincTion of flying The TirsT led The TirsT IOng-disTance flighf Page 24 meek..- -......-... .T owe. e:ru....-..-u e.