Evening star., 1934-01-08
HONOLULU FLYERS
WELL KNOWN HERE
Admiral Johnson, Who Will
Lead Pacific Hop, Once
Intelligence Chief.

A tall, lanky naval oficer-well
known in Washington will lead
Patrol Squadron 10-F planes TO Homo
lulu from the California coast either
tomorrow or Wednesday if the weather
Is pIopitious. He is Rear Admiral
Alfred W. johnson.
Rear Admiral Ernest J. King, chief
Of the Bureau OF Aeronautics, Navy
Department, has declared empnatically
that IN no sense Is the projected long
distance flight a stunt" nor are the
flyers picked aviators. 1t is all in the
days work. says the Navy, just like
the hop from Norfolk, Va, to the Canal
Zone was, recently.
Admiral Johnson, who Is now COM
mander Of aircraft OF the Base Force,
served here as assistant chief Of the
Bureau Of Navigation and before that
was director OF Naval Intelligence.
His squadron will comprise Tix naval
patrol planes. commanded by Lieut..
Comdr. Knet1er McGinnis. who will pilot
one OF the ships Cdmdr Mare A.
Mitscher, United States Navy, chief OF
staff to the commander of aircraft,
Base Force. and Lieut.. Comdr. George
r. Henderson, also on the admirals
staff, will be observers during the
flight.
When he served in Washington, Ad-
mifal johnson made his home at 2l37
r street, and that is still his official
address He served as president OF the
National Board of Elections in Mica
ragua and was Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary to Mica
ragua The President Of that republic
awarded him the Medal OF Merit for
that service. He was assistant chief
OF the bureau here from January. 1882,
until last August, when he went Oh his
present assignment.
He was born November lS. 1875 at
Philadelphia and during the Spanish
American War served with Admiral
Sampson. For his work as commanding
officer Of the destroyer U. S. S.
Conyngham during the World War he
was given the Distinguished Service
Medal He commanded the Aircraft
Squadron Of the Scouting Flee, which
made the first flight OF the United
States across the Caribbean to Panama.
He had charge OF the aerial bombing
exercises with the eX-German warshlpS
of the Virginia Capes. He was
assistant chief of the Bureau Of Aero
nautIcs for three years From 1927
to June, 1880. when he Went 10
Nicaragua, Admiral johnson served as
director OF Naval Intelligence al the
Navy Department.
Lieut. CCmdr. McGinnis is also
known here. He served in the Bureau
OF Aeronoutics from September, 1921
10 November, 1924 when he went with
the Aircraft Squadrons OF the Scouting
Fleet. His home is in indianapolis,
Ind. where he was born July q. 1882
Lieut. John Perry, another pilot OF
one OF the planes. served in the Aero
naGtics Bureau here from 1926 to 1928.
He is q native of South Carolina.
Comdr. MitScher Was a member OF
the crew Of the NC seaplane that flew
across the North Atlantic from New
foundland to the Azores and was given
the Order of Tower and Sword by the
Portuguese government. He commanded
the Naval Air Station at Anacostla
from 1921 to November 1922, when he
went to the Bureau of AeronauticS. He
returned to the bureau in july. 1880,
and served until June of last year.
when he went to the Aircraft SqIadrons
of .he Base Force.
Lieut.. Comdr Henderson seryed at
the Anacostia Air Station in 1924 and
he returned to Washington in 1880 TO
stay two years with the Bureau of
Aerona utics
Serving as pilots of the plane on the
forthcoming flight will be Lieut..
Comor. McGinnis, Lieut. Henry j.
McRoberts, Lieut.. Frank A. Davis,
Lieut. Thomas Duvall Quinn. Lieut..
john Perry and Lieut.. James K. Averill.
Each plane will have three or four
enlisted men aboard.