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Personal Experiences
USS Forrestal
John J. Cavanaugh Service Dates: AUG 1962---NOV 1964 jocavy@louisa.net "While on the FID during a cruise for carrier quals. some hot shot pilot made two landings and two launches (not on cat) with a C130. to this day I can't find anyone to beleive it. "
BT3 Bryon Haslam (Barney) 509 Kadluback Way It was a time I won't forget.We were in port,one plant on line,2 boilers lit,no load.I had pulled mid-8 watch with my friend in 1MMR,we had partied and were tired.Well somewhere around 4am,on the boiler front we fell asleep in between both 600psi main steam boilers while watching fires.I woke up once,my partner asleep next to me,I checked the fires,all looked good then nodded out again.I slept for what seemed like awhile,to be woken by someone who gave me a shake and said "hey". I looked at my partner,Phil he was still asleep.I looked to my left & right of the burner front,no one there.I looked at the fires in 1a boiler OK. I looked at 1b and saw FIRES OUT.I woke Phil as the other boiler screamed picking up the load,Phil jumped to his feet,called the control booth,and took care of his equipment.I loaded up one boiler while securing the other. We saved the load.We were given KUDOS for a job well done.Later we found out that ther was water in the fuel,which put the fires out.We were 50 gallons of water away from being vaporized when raw fuel would of lit off the back wall of the affected boiler.I don't know if it was a Forrestal ghost or my Guardin Angle,but someone save my life... Patane Joseph M. I served aboard Forrestal at the time of the fire aboard ship while attached to fighter squadron eleven out of Oceana Va. It just so happend that I was working on the flight deck at the time of the fire onthe flight deck, if it wasn't for this I believe in all honesty that I would have been killed with the 80 0r 90 some of my shipmates caught in their bunks asleep, I also believe that I wouldn't be able to say I saw what started the fire to begin with, and that's why I was put back on forrestal when she came home from PI ON her way back to Norfolk Va. McCain keeps blaming my squadron for this fire, when in all actuality, it was a fuel leak off his center line tank, and the ships power cords used to supply the electrial to turn up our craft, not VF-11 SHOOTION a missle acrost the flight deck as we we blamed for, and still are to this day,and if able I would tell Senator McCain what a lier he really is.
Donald E. Sabo A great day , the day I went aboard this great ship with our squadron VF103. When I first reported to VF103 they had just got the F8U Crusader's. I was assigned to line duty as a plane captain. At the time I never thought I would be involved sending out almost daily an individual destined to become one of our greatest astronauts, of course this was John W.Young. A Ltjg at the time I can recall a day he went out on a gunnery flight when the banner was examined his green paint from the 20mm shells was the only ones that could be seen. His explanation was that the aircrafts fire control system was not working properly so he used the fixed site. He was a fly by the seat of your pants pilot and to this end it never ceased to amaze me later when I was discharged that I leared of his space accomplishments. My tour aboard the FID was very memorable, when she comes to Baltimore I will be there to see her again, I'm 66 now that may be my last chance, I would like to hear from any former shipmates from VF103 that served during 1958-59 . Donald E. Sabo 4889074 ADJ3 Sailor=Gerald W. Farrier Relation=Friend |
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