liljoe1944@yahoo.com hi guys been trying to locate some of the guys i was stationed with at cecil from 63-65 we were in rescue and salvage-crash crew--the crash capt. was a crusty old sand crab named ALANZO TUCKERTON--been through military .com with no luck yet--like to catch up with these guys before i croak--the little turret man--peace--

Hi,
You don't seem to be getting much response.
I didn't know anybody in crash crew, but I was at Cecil Field during some of that time in VA-36 attached to the Saratoga, and VA-86 attached to to the Independence. The Indy made a west-pac cruise and we were in Cubi several times during that cruise. I did take the COD from Cubi to the Indy one time during the cruise, but don't remember the exact date.

Hope you have some luck connecting with some of your buddys.

thanks for responding--when did you hit subic bay--what year--i was a a/c (air crew)and might of bin on that flight--to the INDI CVN 65--no offence but they allways called her THE SHOWBOAT ---we flew to what carriers were on line--thanks again

Just a slight correction, it was the Indy CVA-62

The best I can tell (from the old squadron newsletters), it was probably in October, 1965, that me and a guy from the other A-4 squadron finally got a flight back to the ship from Cubi.

That was an interesting trip! They got a message about this special school at Cubi while the ship was just about to leave Japan to go back on line for another 30 to 40 days. We were the only ones who could go due to the security clearance required. They came up with this during the night before the ship was to leave Japan, and they woke up the yeoman to type up the orders, and get us our pay record. (An old salty Chief once told me "never go TAD without your pay record", so we didn't.)

We had our stuff, orders and pay records, and ran down the gangway, as they pulled it in, and watched the ship leave. We asked around about how to get to Cubi, and got a bus to Tachikawa AFB, a plane to Scott AFB, and a carryall (chevy suburban) ride from Scott to Cubi driven by an ex-kamikaze pilot!

We did the school ten straight days, and tried to catch a cod back to the ship. It was then we found out that the yeoman who typed our orders did not put anything in the priority box!
We spent almost two weeks going down to flight ops every morning, and were told we were bumped off the flight. We had to check out and in every time (we wound up with a bunch of pages stapled to our orders with stamps, and signatures checking us in, and out.)
After doing this every morning, we were so "disappointed", that we had to go into Olongapo for the day. Every few days, we went to payroll and got some more money (sure glad for that Chief's advice!).

Finally, one day the guy in flight ops said 'hey you guy made the flight'! Flew back and made my only carrier landing! (Without ever making a takeoff). Boy did the guys in our shops give us grief...we got back just a few days before the ship went back to Cubi! Luckilly we had our orders stamped and signed for every extra day...I think they thought we went AWOL in Olongapo.

BTW, do you have, or know of where I can find some pictures of the "Sky Club" on the hill at Cubi Point NAS? Either inside or outside...there are some from after it was destroyed by the erruption, on the Subic Bay web site, but I can't seem to be able to find any of while it was in operation.

Sorry this was kind of long, but it is always fun talking about "the good old days".

to tinkfixer---my apoligies sir--you were right--the indy was/is the cva/n 62--i was thinking of the enterprize--cvn 65--when i wrote last--must be early stage of dementure creeping up on me--the price you pay for getting older--i looked around and i don't have any pictures of the SKY CLUB--when i first got there the guy's in the squadron took me there 1st.--they said we'll start you off here--before you go into town--rented a girl for like 10 cents a hour to dance with--they all had shaperone's like the jounior prom--they couldn't speak english--so i was a genteman and was nice to her---but the other animals were cutting her up all nite and she was just smiling and nodding her head--no take homes--just like a socoial cluB--then they took me to town--the BIG THE BIG """O""i was there no more then a half hour 2 kids hit me from both directions and stole my watch of my arm boom it was gone so quick-i didn't have ttime to turn around--rememder crossing **** river going back to the gate--the kids in the bonkia boats-??--throw them a centiavo and they would dive and bring it up and show it to you==olongapol--the wild west of the P.I.-if you want to you can email me at the address posted at the top--put tinkfixer in the subject box--thanks liljoe--if not i'll check back on here to hear from you--good luck in life-peace be with you

Hey, Tinkfixer,
I was with VA-86 from 1968-71, we did our Wespac
cruise oboard the USS Coral-Sea. I've been looking for my old Maintenance Chief for awhile.
He may not have been with the Squadron during your tour. His Name was Bob Massey, AVCM. I understand he retired in the Jax area, but have not been able to locate him. Any info would be helpful. I don't get on this site very often, but would welcome an e-mail: cpowillie@att.net

Thanks shipmate.

to tinkfixer--i got one response from a mate from vc-5-a---he remembers GOOD OLD OLONGAPOL to--i think it's gone now --god struck it down like sodom and gamoria--ha ha ha liljoe

cpowillie,

Nope...don't remember that name. I even looked through some old newsletters from the westpac.
Probably too long a time gap. Sorry.