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

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UUIHTIHY FIELD 0011111111111 CARLTUN' C. LUCAS, USN AnoTher milesTone was added To The World's LargesT Naval Air Training Bases when Cuddihy Field was placed in com- mission. The Third auxiliary air sTaTion To be compleTed was formally commissioned SepTember 3, 1941. Cuddihy Field was designed and buiiT as a separaTe and compleTe auxiliary air sTaTion. IT has ail The TaCiIiTies necessary for The adminisTraTion, berThing, feeding, recreaTion and Training of cadeTs reporTing aboard. The enTire syllabus is devoTed To The basic sTage of The flight Training program. Cuddihy Field was named in hcnor of a pioneer in Naval AviaTion, LieuTenanT George Thomas Cuddihy, USN. He graduaTed Trcm The U. S. Naval Academy in 1918 and received his designaTion as a Naval AviaTor aTTer compleTing The flighT Training aT Pensacola, in 1921. LieuTenanT Cuddihy, on numerous occasions, risked his life while experimenTing wiTh Naval Aircraft On Two separaTe occasions, he was highly commended by The SecreTary of The Navy; in 1923, for his gunnery efficiency, and in 1927, fcr The TirsT successful flighT over The Andes MounTains. In 1929, he was posThumously awarded The DisTinguished Flying Cross for his ouTsTanding work while parTicipaTing in a TlighT To deTermine The fIaT-spin characTerisTics of The F-4B-1 Type aircrafT. On November 25, 1929, LieUTenanT Cuddihy 105T his life in a crash while TesTing an aeroplane aT N. A. 5., AnacosTia, D, C. Commander CarlTon C. Lucas, USN, former N. A. T. B. Training Officer, became Commanding Officer of Cuddihy Field on July 31, 1944. immediaTely afTer graduaTion, he reporTed aboard The U.S.S. Nevada, serving There Two years. In 1933, he was assigned To dUTy aT N. A. 3., Pensacola Tor TiighT Training. He has served aboard The U.S.S. LexingTon, U.S.S. Colorado and was aTTached To The U.S.S. Oklahoma aT The Time H was bombed in December 7, 1941. He has seen duTy aT N. A. 8., Norfolk as A 3 R Officer,- N. A. 5., San Diego, as Public Works Officer, and was aT N. A. 3., Pearl Harbor.

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COMMAN11EIT S. . WELLER, SN Cabaniss Auxiliary Naval Air STaTicn, second of The Naval Air Training Bases, was placed in commission July 9, 1941. Cabaniss Field is The home of Squadrons 12C and 12D, where The syllabus is devoTed To The basic sTages of The TlighT Training program. The powerful VUlTee low-wing monopiane is used To acquainT The cadeT wiTh The heavier Type aircraTT. The VulTee is also used To Train cadeTs in The arT of miIiTary TormaTion flying. Cabaniss Field was named in honor of The U. S. Navy's TwenTy-sixTh naval aviaTor, Commander RoberT WrighT Cabaniss, who won his wings aT Pensacola in 1917. He was a pioneer in The field of Naval AviaTion and during his career was insTru- menTal in promoTing The progress of aviaTion Through various experimenTs. He was awarded The Order of The BusT of Bolivar by The Republic of Venezuela, Tor excepTional and ouTsTanding work in The Caribbean Area. During an experimenTal Trip in The WesT Indies, his plane crashed on Navassa Island and Commander Cabaniss IcsT his life. Commander S. P. Weller, USN, began his Tour of duTy as Commanding Officer of Cabaniss Field in December 1943, replacing Commander Anderson OffuTT, USN. Commander Weller enTered The U. S. Naval Academy in 1926. AfTer graduaTion in 1930, he served on board The U.S.S. Oklahoma, and IaTer was Transferred To a desTroyer group for Training. In 1934, he received an assignmenT To The flighT Training program aT Pensacola, winning his wings and designaTion as a Naval AviaTor in 1935. Before The war began, he was sTaTioned in AusTralia as an AviaTion Observer. He held This pcsiTion unTil U. S. Naval uniTs arrived and Then was assigned To The sTaTT of Commander of Allied Forces in ThaT Area. Prior To reparTing aboard, Commander Weller was in charge of AviaTion Training aT N. A. S. Q , :1 x559, zww

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KINGSVILLE FIELD CTIMMANIJEIT C. II. B. MTHHHSITN, USN A new chopTer in The hisTory of The World's LargesT Naval Air Training CenTer wos wriTTen July 4, 1942, when The TourTh N. A. 8. Auxiliary Tieid was placed in commission 0T Kingsville, Texas by CopToin Alfred E. MonTgcmery, USN, Ccm- mondonT. Commander Donald S. MocMohon assumed command on ThoT doTe. Commissioning Took place less Than Tour monThs oTTer work was sTorTed on The new field. Comparable in land area To The Main SToTion, The siTe is designed wiTh Two fields, compleTe uniTs for each are available, providing virTuoIIy all The TociliTies of The SToTion on o somewhoT smaller scale. Here The codeTs Toke Their advanced specialized TIighT Training necessary before The use of service Type planes of The TIeeT. Kingsville is The home of FighTer Squadrons 14A and 14C, Dive Bomber Squadrons 15A 0nd 158. The SNJ Trainer is used Throughout This Training and The syllabus conToins ocroboTics, fixed and Tree gunnery, novigoTion, TormoTion flying, sTroTing 0nd IosT buT mosT imporTonT is dive bombing. Commander C. H. B. Morrison, USN, o veTercm 0T 19 years service in The U. 5. Navy, wiTh experience on boTTleships, oTher service vessels, submarines and oircroTT carriers, assumed command of The Kingsville Auxiliary Air SToTion June 1944, replacing Commander Henry C. Doon. A noTive of Springfield, Missouri, Commander Morrison is o groduoTe of The U. S. Naval Academy of Annapolis. Before reporTing To N. A. 5., Corpus ChrisTi, in May 1944, he was Air Officer aboard a carrier in The ATlcmTic. He was sToTioned 0T Pearl Harbor cn December 7, 1941 0nd loTer received orders To The EosT CoosT and evenTUCIl duTy oboord 0h oircroTT carrier. Page 33