Thompson - Naval Aviation in the Korean War: Aircraft, Ships, and Men

The number of pilots, plane captains and carrier personnel that contributed to this project over a fourteen-year period are too numerous to list. However, some of them deserve special mentions because of their dedication to preserving naval aviation history for future generations: Doug Siegfried of The Tail Hook Association, Hill Goodspeed of The Naval Air Museum, Barrett Tillman, Frank Olynyk, Bill Burgess, Peter S. Swanson, George Smitman, Margie Brown, Dewey Ferrell, John Hotvedt, Thomas A. Smith, John Owen, E.M. Smokey Tollgaard, Norman Edge, George Schnitzer, Edward V. Laney, Jettie Hill, Bob Balser, Bill Barron, Don Frazor, Tom Randall, Lee Boles, Hal Schwann, Donald McNaught, William Tex Morgan, William C. Raposa, Ray Hosier, Clayton Fisher, Guy Lyons, Raymond Edinger, Robert Adkisson, Jack Hester, Benjamin Sutherlin, John M. Sherly, Neil Armstrong, Sam Catterlin, William M. Gortney, Ken Kramer, Ernie Beauchamp, Ken Brownell, Ted Landrum, Jack Sauter, Richard A. Cantrell, John Corrigan, Frank Jones, Ace Jewell, Henry Champion, Royce Williams, Wayne J. Spence, Len Plog, Richard Starinchak, Walter Spangenberg Jr., Wes Ralston, Jack Schlosser, Pete Colapietro, George McCallister, Leon Bryant, John White, William R. Clarke, John Moore, John DeGoede, W.D. Davidson, Robair F. Mohrhardt, Frank Glendinning, James Williams, Tom Cathcart, Dan Keough, Bill Wallace, James V. Rowney, John Ferebee, Ro Kellum, Jim Dodge, Gene Bazore, R.J. Kaps, Ed Mason, Bruce Bagwell, Norb Melsek, Jerry Stipanov, Allen Boot Hill, Joe Jannotta and Gerald H. Barkalow.

A destroyer pulls along side the USS Princeton off the coast of North Korea in the summer of 1952. On many occasions, this was to return a rescued pilot to his carrier. This had to be some rare downtime for the Princeton or there would have been no sunbathing on the deck. The F9F-2s in the background are from VF-191. ( John M. Sherly )

USS Valley Forge (CV 45)*

* (First US carrier to respond to the North Korean invasion)

Cruise dates: 1 May 1950 1 December 1950

Lt Commander Joe Murphy, Executive Officer of VF-53, is loaded and inbound to the Inchon area to support the Marine landing there on 15 September 1950. All strike aircraft from the Valley Forge supported the landings that were successful and led to the breakdown of the North Korean Army around the Pusan Perimeter. ( Edward Laney )

Taken from Ensign Laneys VF-53 Corsair, this photograph shows the landing craft loaded with Marines getting into position for the amphibious assault at Inchon in the early morning of 15 September 1950. This was taken one hour before they hit the beach. ( Ed Laney )

USS Philippine Sea (CV 47)*

*Second US carrier to respond

Cruise dates: 5 July 1950 26 March 1951**

The USS Philippine Sea returned to San Diego on 26 March 1951.

USS Boxer (CV 21)

Cruise dates: 24 August 1950 11 November 1950

The USS Boxer (CV 21) was one of the first big carriers to enter the Korean War when it began its cruise in late August 1950. This heavily loaded AD-2, preparing to launch, was flown by VA-65 while assigned to Air Group-2. The aircraft carried the letter M on their vertical stabilizers. ( James Williams )

USS Leyte (CV 32)

Cruise dates: 6 September 1950 3 February 1951

USS Princeton (CV 37)

Cruise dates: 9 November 1950 29 May 1951

One of VF-191s Panthers returns to the USS Princeton with battle damage, which requires the barrier to keep it from ploughing into the air groups aircraft parked forward on the deck. The squadron was assigned to Air Group-19 during the Princeton s 1952 cruise in the war. ( Wayne Russell )