Evening star., 1953-08-14
Reserve Flyers
Training
AT Squantum
Anucostiu Squodrons
Find Plenty to Do
After Flying Tasks
BY Harry Lever
Stor Stoff Correspondent =.

Star Stoff Correspondent
NAVAL AIR STATION, Squan-
tum, Mass, Aug. 14.-A series
OF comprehensive training pro-
grams for reserve squadrons from
the Anacostia Naval Air Station
in Washington is under way here.
But after the serious work is
done, no trainees in the history
OF naval aviation ever had it
so good.
The location of Squantum, old
est Naval Reserve training base
in the country (and soon to
close down because its runways
can't handle jets) is most con-
ducive to recreation after the
lessons.
Squantum is only 9 miles from
Boston. The base also is an
ideal fishing center with cod,
sea perch and haddock easily
hooked. There is swimming at
nearby Nantasket Beach, skeet-
shooting. boating and sightsee-
ing.
The idea should not be
gotten. however, that there is
all play. It may in the sense
that the men enjoy their duties,
but these duties are deadly
serious. They include gunnery
firing. maintenance, simulated
carrier-landings in the Gruman
F-8-F Bearcat fighters, inStru-
ment flying, strafing with the
alrplane's 50-caliber machine
guns, rocket firing, bombing
and so on.
Typical Day.
Here is a typical day with
the Anacostia squadron, which
yesterday finished up it's two
weeks of training. 1t is known
as VT 664. commanded by 1t.
Comdr. Donald j. Ludwig. 403
East Westmoreland road, Falls
Church, Va.
The main purpose is aerial
gunnery. According to 1t. Will
liam beavers, of Adelphi, Md,
ordnance officer, all pilots have
qualified except in fixed aerial
gunnery, and bad weather on
seven days Of the two weeks
made this almost impossible.
The pilots usually take of
twice a day to fire on the range
about 70 miles off the Massa-
chusettS coast, over the Atlantic.
Many times their target is
sunken merchantmen, the Long
street, lying on the bottom in
shallow water. The hulk is rid
died, attesting to the accuracy
of the pilots.
Typical of the maintenance
men are Aviation Apprentice
Harrison Somerville, 20, of 1850
Glenbrook road NV, in WASH
ington, who attends Washington
and Lee University in Lexington,
Va, and Recruit Paul Milstead,
10, of 4412 Jefferson Davis high
way in Fredericksburg, Va.
And there is Airman Appren-
tice William Honeycutt, 20, of
4413 Potomac street Sc, a
former carrier for The Star.
They've been watching him.
Whenever a Bearcat is grounded
for a check, he is known to have
worked several hours of "over-
time" to get it back into the air
as soon as possible. An officer
pointed out that because of this
kind of spirit, the F-8-Fs of VT
664 haven't been grounded very
much. And neither have the
RAD and SNB transports, &C
cording to Aviation Ordnance
Chief James E. Dolan of 5000
Brunswick street, Springfield, Va.
Bethesda Pilot Flies RAD.
Enlisted men, if they qualify,
also may taxi the F-8-Fs. At
least one of them has flown an
RAD, which is the Navy version
Of the DC-3. He is Tom Laug-
head, "a, Of 5512 Oak place.
Bethesda, Md, who has a pri-
vate pilots license. A sergeant
in the Civil Air Patrol, he spent
Is minutes at the wheel of the
transport.
Whenever possible, Capt. j,
P. Lunger, commanding the
Naval Air Reserve Training
Unit (NARTU) at Anacostia, flies
up for inspection.
Late yesterday hurricane
warnings curtailed VT 664's fly
ing. But this wasn't important.
since it meant only elimination
Of the finishing touches to a
successful two weeks program.
explained Comdr. Thomas CHS
holm of 235 Hampton street Sc.
training officer for all the Ana
costa Squadrons.
Another important supervisor
OF VT 661 is 1t. Robert H. Hell
derer, 1926 Fort Sumter drive
NV, ex-pilot of an F9F-3 Pan
ther jet fighter in Korea, and
representative of the chief of
Naval Air Reserve Training at
Glenview Naval Air Station Qll.)
headquarters.