G. Kenneth Blaser (Lt)
Robert L. Carlson (Ltjg) MIA 20 Jun 1944
Henry G. Crosby (Lt) Air Combat Intelligence (ACI) Officer
Thomas J. Cusick (Ltjg)
Harris D. Eddy, Jr. (Ltjg)
Francis X. Flynn (Ltjg)
Thomas M. Gammage (Ens)
Robert N. Garlock (Ens) MIA 19 Sep 1943 Gunnery Officer
Roy R.M. Gibson (Lt)
George A. Gustin, Jr.* (Ltjg) KIA 24 Jul 1945
Walter F. Henry (Lcdr) Commanding Officer
Robert T. Jones (Ltjg)
Leroy S. Kalousek (Ltjg)
John H. Keeler (Ltjg) MIA 15 Jun 1944
Robert W. Kimbrel (Ltjg)
Leonard E. Lindberg (Ltjg)
Carl F. Luedemann (Lt)
Robert T. Mahoney* (Ltjg)
Ray H. Mathis* (Ens)
Frank W. Mayock (Ltjg)
Gilbert C. Mays (Lt)
Marshall H. McRoy (Ltjg)
Norman K. Merrell, Jr. (Lt) MIA 12 Jun 1944
Joseph Robert Murphy*
Charles W. Nelson (Lt) MIA 20 Jun 1944
"Doc" Norman (?)
Richard M. (L?) Paget*
Lee M. Pasley*
William L. Patterson (Ltjg)
Granville L. Rigg (Ens) Ground Officer - Radar
Carl H. Sanborn, Jr. (Ltjg) MIA 9 Jul 1944
John D. Slightom (Ltjg)
Roy Glenn Snyder* (Ltjg)
James D. Sparks (Lt) Gunnery Officer
Joseph Spengler (Lt) Executive Officer
Richard R. Stewart (Lt) Ground Officer
James S. Thorburn (Ltjg)
Jack M. Williams* (Ltjg)
Frederick A. Wilmanns (Ltjg)
Derril C. Wollert (Ens) MIA 19 Sep 1943
Leonard E. Wood (Lt) KIA 20 Jul 1944
Henry V. J. Zalewski (Ens) KIA 28 Mar 1944
Enlisted Men...
John S. Albright (AOM2c)
Maris M. Alexander (AMM1c)
Clifford N. Barr (AEM1c)
Lawrence W. Bergner (ARM1c)
Howard C. Bergstrom (ARM1c)
Louis J. Blongiewicz (AOM2c)
Wendell H. Bowles (AEM2c)
James M. Brien (PhoM1c)
Pat H. Brune (ARM1c)
James S. Buchanan (ARM2c) MIA 9 Jul 1944
Robert R. Campbell* (ARM1c)
Stanley E. Carr (AOM2c) MIA 12 Jun 1944
Joseph A. Caruso* (AOM1c)
Leo A. Casper* (AMM1c)
Gilbert F. Challet (ACMM-AA)
John W. Coche (MM2c)
Harold T. Coty* (AOM2c)
James Coumatos (AOM2c)
David Courtman (ARM2c)
Jack W. Dixon* (AOM3c)
Edward C. Donahue (ARM3c) KIA 20 Jul 1944
Jack J. Durham (ARM1c)
Walter R. Ellis* (AMM3c)
Fernando P.
Facenda (AOM3c)
Leslie R. Farrow, Jr. (AOM1c)
Arthur Fettes* (AMM1c)
Raymond S. Finn, Jr. (AOM3c)
Gaylord R. Fossberg (AOM1c)
Martin Fritz* (AOM2c)
Mahlon L. Goebel (ARM3c)
William K. Gorby (AOM2c)
Charles S. Gordon (Y2c)
Walter V. Goscicki* (ARM1c)
Leland W. Grisham* (ARM2c)
Henry M. Gubitosi* (AMM2c)
Charles W. Hackett* (ARM3c)
Horace N. Harris (ARM2c)
William E. Hefner* (ARM3c)
Howard R. Horowitz (ARM3c)
Wilbert J. Hubbard, Jr. (ARM2c)
Fred Kelly, Jr. (ARM3c)
James L. Kidd (AOM3c)
Richard F. Keiser (ARM2c)
Virgil C. King (PhoM1c)
Paul H. Koopman (ARM1c)
Linus B. Lammers* (PR1c)
Conrad A. Lantron (ARM2c) MIA 20 Jun 1944
Peter F. Lapczynski (ARM3c)
William F. Maddox (ACEM-PA)
Joseph F. Manuel (ARM3c)
Richard J. McConeghy (ARM3c)
Harold E. Mongraw (ARM1c) MIA 12 Jun 1944
Carl C. Motteler (ARM3c)
Hans R. Nielsen (ARM3c)
Alfred P. Normandin (AOM2c) MIA 15 Jun 1944
Raymond W. Nunnink* (ARM1c)
George Pacurian (AOM3c)
Richard J. Paruso* (ARM1c)
Bernard C. Pearson (CPR-AA)
James A. Pilling, Jr. (AOM2c)
Barkley V. Poorman (ARM1c)
Douglas K. Proctor, Jr.* (ARM1c)
Rollin R. Reed (ARM2c)
Wallace F. Rhodes (ARM3c)
William R. Richards (ARM1c)
Jack J. Riley (ARM3c)
Bernard P. Rom (ARM3c)
Harold W. Rounds
William E. Rozmislowicz (AMM3c)
Harry M. Rutherford* (ARM3c)
Albert J. Sabol (AOM3c) KIA 20 Jul 1944
Dale L. Shanafelt* (AOM3c)
Curtis B. Sharp (AOM1c)
Michael V. Shea (AOM2c) MIA 20 Jun 1944
Robert L. Smedley (AOM3c)
David N. Smith* (ART2c)
Owen LeRoy Smith (PhoM1c) Temporary assignment to VT-1
Charles E. Spade, Jr. (Y1c)
Earl J. Steffen (AOM2c) MIA 9 Jul 1944
Karl V. Stolzer (ARM3c) MIA 19 Sep 1943
Garnet L. Storey (ARM3c)
David W. Sylvester (AOM3c)
William E. Test (AMM1c)
Herman P. Tiritilli* (AMM1c)
Anthony W. Tomsich (AMM3c)
Charles A. Trau, Jr. (ARM2c) MIA 20 Jun 1944
Charles W. Travis (ACRM-AA)
Herman L. Triebelhorn (AOM3c)
Douglas Vickery (AOM1c)
Charles K. Walker (Y1c)
Clarence T. Wall (ACM)
Daniel J. Walsh (ARM2c)
John W. Weaver* (AMM1c)
Edward R. Webster (ARM2c) MIA 15 Jun 1944
Wayne L. Wernet* (AOM3c)
James R. White (AOM2c)
August F. Whitman* (AOM1c)
Alton O. Willoughby (ACOM-AA)
Lyle L. Young (AOM2c) MIA 20 Jun 1944
Robert K. Yount, Jr. (AOM1c)
Robert E. Antos (Ltjg)
Ralph R. Budd (Ens)
Henry L. Coster (Lt)
John M. Cram (Lt) Ground Officer (Administrative)
Joseph Dacko (Ens)
Paul A. DeMarco, Jr. (Ltjg)
William R. Eddins (Lcdr) Executive Officer
J. Fedhracky (Ltjg)
Genz
George A. Gustin, Jr.* (Ltjg) KIA 24 Jul 1945
Robert J. Haughton (Ens) MIA 10 Jul 1945
E. O. J. Helland (Ltjg) Ground Officer (Radar)
Robert L. Immel (Lt) Temporary C.O. (Oct 1944)
David S. Jones (Ens)
Stanley B. Kobielski (Ens) KIA 23 Apr 1945
William P. Knickerbocker (Lt) Ground Officer (Air Combat Intelligence)
James P. Lang (Lt) Navigation Officer
John Carlton Leslie (Ens)
Robert T. Mahoney* (Lt) Temporary C.O. (Oct 1944), Flight Officer
Ray H. Mathis* (Ltjg)
George E. McGovern (Ens)
Clifford S. Mehelich (Ens)
Joseph Robert Murphy* (Ltjg)
John W. Nielsen (Ltjg)
Wilbert E. Oakley (Lt) Ground Officer (Ordnance)
Richard L. (M?) Paget* (Ltjg)
Lee M. Pasley*
George R. Pinney (Ens)
Julius Podhrasky (Ltjg)
Robert W. Ramage (Lcdr) Commanding Officer
G. L. Rigg (Ltjg) Ground officer
Gordon K. Sell (Ens)
Roy C. Sell (Ens)
Francis (Frank) Shaughnessy (Ens)
John I. Simmons (Ens)
Roy Glenn Snyder* (Ltjg)
Richard B. Walters (Lt)
Jack D. Wiegand (Lt)
Jack M. Williams* (Ltjg)
Enlisted Men…
Daniel M. Bass, Jr. (ARM2c)
Charles R. Beatty (AOM3c)
Gail A. Bergen (ARM3c)
Allan M. Bjornstad (AOM2c)
Dominick J. Blase (ARM3c)
Paul S. Bonazinca (AMM3c)
Clinton D. Boyce (AMM2c)
Richard Branning (AMM3c)
William L. Brown (ARM3c)
Robert R. Campbell* (ACRM)
Joseph A. Caruso* (ACOM)
Leo A. Casper* (AMM1c)
Charles W. Chalk (ARM2c)
Joseph C. Ciccarelli (AMM3c) MIA 10 Jul 1945
George A. Clegg, Jr. (ARM3c) MIA 10 Jul 1945
Harold T. Coty* (AOM2c)
Chalmer D. (Dale) Cruze (AOM3c)
Ernest J. Davis (AOM3c)
Harold O. Davis (Y3c)
Orris C. Day (ARM2c)
Bruce E. Deets (AMM3c)
Joseph J. Dell’orto (ARM3c)
Ralph F. Digiaimo (AMM3c)
Jack W. Dixon* (AOM1c)
Joseph C. Dortsch (ARM3c) MIA 15 Jul 1945, KIA 20 Jul 1945
William R. Edlin (AOM3c) KIA 23 Apr 1945
Billy M. Ellison (AMM3c)
Walter R. Ellis* (AMM1c)
Atlas J. Ennis (AMM3c)
John O. Erving (Y1c)
Arthur O. Fettes*
Adrian K. Freels (AOM3c)
Martin Fritz* (AOM2c)
John G. Garabadian (ARM3c) KIA 23 Apr 1945
Edward R. Glowe (PR3c)
Walter V. Goscicki* (ACRM)
Floyd C. Griffin (ARM3c)
Leland W. Grisham* (ARM2c)
Henry M. Gubitosi* (AMM1c)
Charles W. Hacket* (ARM3c)
John C. Hall (ARM3c)
William E. Hefner* (ARM2c)
Harold W. Hobson (AOM3c)
Josef (Joseph) B. Juvik (ARM1c)
Lawrence W. Kallstrom (AMM1c)
Linus B.U. Lammers* (PR1c)
Ray R. MacPherson (AMM3c)
Norman G. Marten (ARM3c)
John B. McCarthy (ARM2c)
Paul L. McKinney (AM1c)
Edward McShane (AOM1c)
William J. Metzger, Jr. (AOM3c)
John W. Mogge (AOM3c)
Berton L. Morgan (AMM3c)
Raymond W. Nunnink* (ARM1c)
Durell Osbon (ARM2c)
Richard J. Paruso* (ARM1c)
David B. Pendley (ARM2c)
Roy L. Porter (ARM3c)
Douglas K. Proctor, Jr.* (ARM1c)
Leroy Rector (ACEM)
William C. Reichert (AOM3c)
Jacob B. Renick (AOM1c)
John O. Roberts (ARM3c)
Maurice R. Rugroden (AMM3c)
Harry M. Rutherford* (ARM3c)
Waino R. Sauvola (AMM3c)
Dale E. (L.) Shanafelt* (AOM1c)
Richard P. Sharick (ARM3c)
Samuel E. Shipley (ARM3c)
John W. Sibley (ARM3c)
Claude Skinfill (ARM3c)
David N. Smith* (ACRT)
Wesley R. Smith (ARM3c)
Stephen J. Somogyi
Mitchell S. Stanek (AMM3c)
John J. Taylor (ARM2c)
Herman P. Tiritilli* (AMM1c)
Edward J. Walsh (ARM2c)
John W. Weaver* (ACMM)
Wayne L. Wernet* (AOM3c)
August F. Whitman* (AOM1c)
Walter L. Williams (ARM3c)
Charles S. Wright (AMM2c)
So, who were these guys and what did they experience?
(A few observations/opinions about VT-1 squadron members in general)
They were mostly just kids. Nearly all in their early twenties and some even in their teens. They were a bunch of young guys, out on a great adventure, and having the time of their lives (for the most part).
They were well prepared. They had completed 9-13 months of rigorous flight training before deploying on their respective ships (Bennington and Yorktown). Unfortunately, they encountered a very steep learning curve as they learned to fly and fight in the combat aircraft of the time. At least 8 planes and 6 squadron mates were lost in training accidents. By the time they were called upon to fly their first combat mission they were ready for it.
These were very brief and fleeting moments in these young men's lives. Each combat mission usually involved flying through a barrage of Japanese anti-aircraft fire (often times intense) while they maneuvered to find and hit their targets. The threat from the Japanese guns would last only seconds – a minute or two at most. There was great peril and intensity in these brief encounters. For some those fleeting seconds or minutes would be their last.