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

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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

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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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WALDMN FIELD CUMMANITER WILLIAM A. STUART, USN oTion of The Naval Air Training Bases, wos ploceol in commission by Rear Admiral Woldrcn Field, The TiTTh AUXIliory Air ST USN, become The firsT commanding officer A. E. MonTgomery, USN, on April i, 1943. LieUTenonT Commander C. T. FriTTer, of Woldron Field. ,, . C . . Woldron Field, locoTed 5 miles souTh of The Main SToTion, is 0 compieTe AUXIhory Air UTOTIOH in every respect. IT has oil The TociliTies necessary for The Training of The hundreds of cooleTs ThoT regularly reporT obcord. Specuolized .Torpedo bombing squadrons 16A and T68 insTrucT The codeTs in The advanced phoses CT TcrmoTion flying, gunnery, nOVIgoTIon and dive bombing. . Named for LieuTenonT Commander J. C. Woidron, The Auxiliary Air SToTion wos dedicoTed To The memory of one of The mcsT ouTsTonding men in The annals of U. 3. Novel AvioTion. He was The courageous and daring skipper of Torpedo Bombing Squadron 8, who led his squadron ogoinsT overwhelming odds To meeT The Jops in The BoTTie of Midway Island. IT was during This ocTion ThoT he IosT his life. CodeTs Troining 0T 0 field dedicoTed To The memory CT This golionT leoder shore The heriToge ThoT makes U. 5. Novel AvioTion The greoTesT TighTing force in The world. . . . Commander William A. STuorT, USN, assumed command of The Woidron Auxiliary Air SToTion In July 1944, succeeding Commander l. Smelling, USNR, who was deToched. ATTer groduoTing from The U. 3. Naval Academy in 1932, Commander STuorT was assigned duTy on board The USS. Pennsyl- vonio. He served on This ship unTii February 1935, when he was assigned To TlighT Troining CT The Naval Air SToTion, Pensacola, Florida, winning .his wingsu ond designoTion as 0 Novel AvioTor in March 1936. Commander STuorT served as NovigoTor on board The U.S.S. Lexinchn, and was ioTer Transferred To The U.S.S. Nevada 05 o piioT. In i939 he reTurned To Pensacola as o TIighT insTrucTor and Then followed wiTh 0 Tour of dUTy obcord The USS. Ronger. Commander STuorT wos Naval Air Training CenTer OperoTEons Officer before assuming his presenT posT. fli$ fix