VP-5 Squadron Shipmates
http://www.vpnavy.org		 VPNAVY Address

ShipmateVP-99 ShipmatesShipmate

BREON, Wallace c/o His Son Shawn Breon JSWILDMAN@AOL.COM "...I would like to hear from anyone who knew my grandfather WALLACE BREON of VPB-208. Thanks...He was with OTU-4 July 1945 thru September. He was with VPB-99 October 1945. He was with VPB-100 November 1945 thru January 1946. He was with VPB-208. I would like to hear from anyone who flew with him. I would also like to know if there is a squadron patch for VPB-208. I would also like to thank Ken Maddock for his E-Mail. Thanks..." [BIO Updated 14JAN2000 | 01SEP99]

BUTTS, LT Joseph W. "...MILITARY RECORD OF LIEUTENANT JOSEPH W. BUTTS, A-V(N), USNR (RETIRED) - June 17, 1941, Enlisted in US Naval Air Corp. as a Seaman 1st Class in Pueblo, CO. Sent to U.S. Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Oakland Airport, Oakland CA. Soloed in N3N Aircraft. Remained on base till July 23, 1941. Sent to U.S. Naval Air Training Base, Corpus Christi, TX. Appointed Seaman Second Class V-5 on September 23, 1941. Named an Aviation Cadet on October 11, 1941. Appointed Ensign June 12, 1942. With designation Naval Aviator A-V(N). Operational training was in OS2U type seaplanes. Ordered to report to scouting squadron VS-1-D7, NAS Banana River, Florida. On June 27, 1942. We did antisubmarine and ship identification patrols off the coast of Florida. On January 5, 1943 I was ordered to the U.S.S. Iowa Aviation Unit, NAS Floyd Bennett Field, New York. We were to outfit the unit with OS2U-3 aircraft, which we ferried from Norfolk, VA. We trained personnel for the U.S.S. Iowa, which was being built in the New York shipyards. On February 19, 1943, I was ordered to the U.S.S South Dakota Aviation Unit, and remained aboard ship until September 10, 1944, A total of nineteen months. I went from Ensign to full Lieutenant, and Senior Aviator aboard. During this period we were attached to the British Fleet in Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, Scotland, with code name "H.M.S. Black Prince" to disguise our identity. We operated out of Iceland attempting to lure the Von Terpitz (German Pocket Battleship), out of its Norway fjord. In this endeavor we crossed the Artic Circle shadowing a convoy of ships to Spitzbergen, Norway. No luck! We then went to the Pacific, and were involved in the bombardments of Nauru Island, (Gilbert Islands), Ponape (Caroline Islands), Roi-Namur (Marshall Islands), and Saipan (Mariana Islands). We were also involved in the Mariana Turkey Shoot, where we took a 500-pound armor-piercing bomb dropped by a Japanese "Judy dive bomber", which we shot down. Detached from the U.S.S. South Dakota on September 10, 1944, and spent 15 days with a Utility Squadron on NAS Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, flying B-26 tow planes, towing targets for the 5 inch guns on the destroyers for target practice. Assigned to Naval Air Operational Training at NAS Jacksonville, Florida for temporary duty in multi engine aircraft on September 26, 1944. Assigned to Naval Air Operational Training at NAS Pensacola, Florida flying PBY aircraft, November 23, 1944. Assigned to NAS Banana River, Florida for flight training in PBM aircraft, on February 26, 1945. Designated Patrol Plane Commander, May 23, 1945. Assigned to VPB-99 squadron for training my crew. Attached to VPB-100 MCAS/NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii as a Mariner combat replacement crew, on August 14, 1945. On August 30, 1945, assigned VPB-17 in (NS Sangley Point, Philippines) Cavite, Philippines. We then were ordered to Shanghai, China, and operated from a seaplane tender on the Whangpoo River. We made daily flights on a squadron schedule to Hong Kong south, and to Singtao, China, over to Jinsen, Korea north. We flew cargo, military personnel, and what have you on a daily basis. On January 30, 1946 I was assigned to VPB-212, at Oak Harbor, WA, as flight officer. On May 17, 1946 the squadron was deactivated, and I was released from active duty, and placed on reserve status..." Contributed by EASTMAN, Jack G. vsnavy.org@westnet.com.au WebSite: VSNAVY http://www.vsnavy.org/ [19MAR2006]

Memorial Picture "...BURKE, ADCS Donald K...My father, Donald K. Burke, passed away November 18, 2012. Dad served in the Navy for 28 years. He proudly served with VP-209, VPB-99, VPB-98, VPB-100, VPB-28, VW-4, VA-51, VA-44, VA-135, VA-15, HT-8, VP-44 and VP-8. I would love to hear from anyone that may have served with Dad..." Contributed by Donald Burke, Jr. donnieburke2@gmail.com [02JUN2017]

ESCH, CDR R. R. "Bob" Retired resch2@woh.rr.com "...In WW-II from a few days after Pearl Harbor I served sequentially in VP-74, then VP-18 and finally in VP-99 until January 1946. I served on board the USS Greenwich Bay (AVP-41) a Seaplane Tender from Jun 1948 to Mar 1950. I was Commanding Officer of FASRON-114 at NS Kodiak, Alaska in support of PBM and P-2V squadrons from June 1952 to Jan uary1953..." [01FEB98]

FURR, AMM3 Franklin E. fef228@comporium.net "...I served with VPB-4, VP-98, VP-99 and VP-100. I was FE on a PBM at Tokyo Bay (1944-1946) operating off the USS Pine Island (AV-12) and USS Norton Sound (AV-11). Crashed our PBM J11 on takeoff from the river in Shanghai..." [16NOV2013]

GATZKE, Lavigne K. lgatzke@aol.com "...I served with VPB-99 as a Radioman and Turret Gunner on a PBM in 1944 out of NAS Alameda, California. At the end of World War II, many of us did not have the required two years of service needed to be discharged. So were were sent back to our own Naval District (in my case New Orleans) and served in the Shore Patrol Unit for six months..." [03AUG2004]

HAUSER, George R. grhauser@sbcglobal.net "...Served with VPB-17 from June 14,1945 through September 9,1945. I was designated as PPC in April in April 1945 at NAS Alameda, California, VPB-99. I enlisted May 1,1942, Commisioned May 1,1943, instructed in SNV at NAAS Saufley Field, Florida, Pensacola instructed in PBY at Squadron 8A, Main Station, Pensacola, operational training at NAS Banana River, Florida, NAS Alameda, California, and MCAS/NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, honhorable discharge January 25,1954. May first mission with VPB-17 is dated 17 June 1945. We were based on the Currituck at Linguyen, Luzon. We were credited with the sinking of a Fox Tare Charlie on June 22, 1945. I was detached from VPB-17 on 10/09/45 at Shanghai, China..." [12NOV2000]

KNEF, Andrew W. jatoamk@comcast.net "...I served with VPB-214 on November 8, 1943 at NAS Norfolk, Virginia. My pilot was Lt. E. G. Loftus. We flew the PBM aircraft. I was a Seaman 1/c then AMM as a tailgunner. My last flight was on September 15, 1944 with Pilot LTjg Gilmore. We flew anti-sub patrol for convoys while stationed at Norway. I was transfered to VPB-99 in October 12, 1944 and finally transferred to VPB-98. This was followed by a 19.8 hour trans-pac flight from San Diego to MCAS/NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. On August 28, 1945, we landed in SagamiBay, Japan. While there we flew over airfields to check aircraft to see if they were flyable. They never allowed to fly over the Emporias Palace. We went back to the States from there...Flew with VP-208 from 2/45 till 9/45. I served under Commander Anton J. Sintic in Air Crew Sugar. Crew Skipper, Q. F. Baker our crew picture, on page 28 in Peter Bogey Mike book. Would love to hear from any of the old crew members. Standing by. God Bless this site Andy (the BB kid)..." [E-Mail Updated 02NOV2003 | E-Mail Updated 27JUL99 | BIO Updated 24JUN99 | 23JUN99]

Memorial Picture Shipmate PixCirca 1945 "...MIKITA, ARM2 Ted E. "Theo"...My father, ARM2 Theo E. Mikita, passed away May 26th, 2004. Dad served with VPB-2 OTU 3 as a radio operator aboard the PBM-3 out of in out of NAS Banana River, Florida until reassigned to VPB-2 OTU 4 prior to shipping out (August 1944) to train on new PBM-5 at the Radar School in NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. Attached to crew 72C, PPC LT(jg) Harold J. McKibben. After NAS Corpus Christi, Texas flew to NAF Salton Sea, then to NAS Alameda, California VPB-99 for crew ASW and Navigation training. Next the crew traveled to MCBH Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and attached to VPB-100 for advanced training covering sleeve gunnery, ASW sonobuoy, and radar bombing. They were finishing this up when the atomic bombs were dropped in Japan. They made preparations for shipping out to the war zone, and reached Kerama Retto, Okinawa to join VPB-208 and the USS Hamlin (AV-15) on August 21. Crewmates were copilot Ensign Koch, S2 Lawrence "Smokey'' J. Verstraete, AOM3 Douglas H Watts, Sidney Lee Hawkins, AOM3 Donald Roy Battenschlag, Joseph L Mugnolo, and Arthur B Street. By then offensive operations had ceased for the most part while negotiations for the surrender of Japan were being carried out. On August 24, 1945 they tracked and bombed a Japanese trawler in the Chusan Archipelego. Flew in squadron formation over Tokyo bay as part of surrender ceremonies on September 2, then participated in occupation duties in Tokyo. The crew spent the squadron’s final days in theatre providing VIP, courier and passenger service between major water accessible cities in Japan including Tokyo, Nagoya, Hiroshima, and Sasebo. When the squadron transferred out in November Ted was reassigned to a new crew in VPB-26. VPB-26 was based initially out of Tokyo, and was serviced by the USS Hamlin (AV-15) (Yokosuka) and USS Bering Strait (AVP-34) (Sasebo) until the end of January when it relieved VPB-25 in Shanghai for service between Shanghai (USS Duxbury Bay (AVP-38)) and Tsing Tao. He flew with PPC’s LT(jg) Eymann, LT(jg) Roussey, LT Bedford and LCDR Demarest. Anyone with interest in or ties to VPB-208 and VPB-26 during this period are invited to email me..." Contributed by MIKITA, Ted E. ted@lwranch.com [17NOV2012]

Memorial Picture "...NICHOLSON, John Howell...Shipmate Pix...My Dad, John Howell Nicholson, is deceased. He took Basic at NAS Great Lakes, Illinois, Communications Training at NAS Seattle, Washington, reaching MCBH Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii in February, 1942. He joined Patrol Wing 1/FAW-1 and flew missions with them from NOB Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands and NAB Henderson/Carney Field, Guadalcanal. Afterward, he went to HedRon FAW-8 at NAS Alameda, California, and later flew with VPB-98, VPB-99 and VPB-100. He was in combat with VPB-18 from March to August, 1945, and received the Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross. He retired from active duty in December, 1960...Jon Nicholson nicholson_jon@yahoo.com..." [29MAY2009]

SCOFIELD, AO3 Robert W. c/o His Son Ken Scofield PaigeLane@aol.com "...I am trying to verify my father's location in all this: Robert W. Scofield, AO3/c. His discharge papers list two squadrons: VPB-99 and VPB-25. As I read the history accounts in the Dictionary of Naval Aviation Squadrons, it would seem he started in VPB-25 around October 1944. He talked about the daylight patrols in the Philippines that were so routine that he thought the Japanese would watch their clocks and then man their AA guns just before the planes flew over. I have some photos of planes and tenders. I also have a crew photo showing three officers (pilots?) named Crane, Vallade & Reed. The photo also shows six enlisted named Sandberg, Simmons, Zisa, Scofield, Hadaway, & Wilpert. The back of the photo says "UNIT FAW-20(?)." What can I do further to establish a better connection? Thanks!..." [21JAN2002]

Memorial Picture "...SMYTH, AD1 Roger W...Shipmate Pix...Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class (Flight Engineer) USNR. Dad enlisted September 1942 and was discharged February 1946. He completed USNTS (AM) NAS Norman, Oklahoma; NAGS Purcell, OK; OTU (PBY) NAS North Island, San Diego, California; and OTU (PBM) NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. He saw service VP-91, VPB-99, VPB-100 and VP-17. He earned the Victory Medal World War II, American Area Asiatic-Pacific Area (3 Stars) and the Good Conduct Medal. He identified traveling/patrolling Honolulu & Kanehoe, HI; Johnston, Suva Is; Fiji Is; New Caledonia (Ile Nou); Espiritu Santo; Guadalcanal; Tolagi; Soloman Is; Admiralty Is (Manua & Rabual); Cafiete (sp?) Philippines; China (Shanghai & Whangpo); Saipan Marianas; Eniwetok; New Zealand (Auckland & Wellington). ..." Contributed by Claudia Smyth Strock cjstrock@comcast.net [12NOV2013]

Memorial Picture "...ZIEMAK, Ed...I would like to know if anyone remembers my uncle, Ed Ziemak. He flew with VPB-99 out of the Aleutians. He flew for most of 1945 in PBM BUNO: 84604, BUNO: 84519, BUNO: 59232, BUNO: 84746, BUNO: 84756, BUNO: 84761, BUNO: 84646 and BUNO: 84648. He died in 1949 and I never met him or knew much about him. I would like to communicate with anyone that might have know him. Any help will be appreciated. I was an OS (RD in your days) on USS Albany, originally CA146, converted to CG10, sister ship of USS Chicago..." Contributed by Paul Ziemak pjz037@adelphia.net..." [E-Mail Updated 04NOV2005 | 04OCT2005]

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