A lost Submarine Sailor

Since 09-08-05

From: k6iii@juno.com [mailto:k6iii@juno.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 5:56 PM
Subject: Fw: A lost Submarine Sailor

An anecdote from Tex Weatherford, a ROCK shipmate (EN1) in the late 1950s. He later went over the the surface navy with the Swift Boats in Viet Nam and later with the A/C Carrier-Navy.
Jerry
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From: Texrock274@aol.com [mailto:Texrock274@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 3:36 PM
Subject: A lost Submarine Sailor

I once told Capt. Tollefson this story of what can happen to a Submariner that changes Navies. I cannot remember all others that I have sent this too, so some get to read it again.
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On the USS Oriskany CVA-34, I was hooked with Transportation Petty Officer, having the responsibility of flying in the day before the ship's arrival to arrange cars for the Admiral and the Captain. To do that, they stuffed me in our C-1 and shot me off the end of the flight deck.

A C-1 is a twin prop aircraft assigned to a carrier for mail runs, special or emergency parts, men that have emergencies and have to go home, etc. Two pilots, a plane captain, and seating for eight more, or they fill that space with items to fly in. Normally the pilot was my division officer and the plane captain was out of my division. So I got the first class seat. Behind the pilot under the escape hatch. The C-1 could be deck launched without the catapult but when loaded it was safer to use the catapult. Just as I was getting use to flying in every time we headed for port the USS Kittyhawk lost their C-1 on take off and all eleven aboard went down with the aircraft.

Seating is facing aft. The first time my buddy the plane captain instructed me to draw my shoulder and lap harness tight, cross my arms, hold on to the harness and lean into it. Seated where I was, I could watch the Launch Officer, see him make the circling motions for turning up the engines and then as he turned and dropped while slinging his arm down forward, I knew we were on our way. I am going to tell you, you go from nothing to a hell of a lot of speed in very little distance. Your thrown violently into your harness and your legs will fly out, wave behind you, and hit the seat there. Setting there you can watch the deck rapidly pass by under you, suddenly you see water, much further down, and you are airborne. To compare it to something we all did, it was something more exciting than a buoyant accent.

On one trip we stopped at Manila. The Rock made that port of call on its 1954 and 1956 WesPac trips. I remember that the harbor was still full of sunken ships in 1956. From Manila we passed over Corregidor. The jungle was taking it back, trees growing up through the buildings. And that was in 1967. I can only imagine the growth by now.

Wayne