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VP-44
Azores Crash Report - Nov 1956
by Bill Stupka VP-44
Azores Crash Report - Nov 1956 Newspaper Article VP-44
Azores Crash
Nov 1956
Complete Story 
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A
Proud HISTORY
On
28 June 1991, the Golden Pelicans of U.S. Navy Patrol
Squadron Forty-Four
became only an entry in naval aviation's storied past, ceasing
operational service.
Disestablished at Naval Air Station (NAS) Brunswick, Maine,
the squadron would not post additional chapters to its
distinguished service record as an Anti-Submarine
Warfare (ASW)
squadron.
Over
a period of fifty-two
years of service,
including World
War II, the
Korean War, the
Cold War,
patrols during the Bay
of Pigs,
surveillance operations during the Cuban
missile crisis,
and hotspots
all over the world,
the squadron established the bench marks for excellence in patrol
aviation.
Garnering seven
Battle "E's"
(awards for excellence), three of them consecutively in 1956-1958
and several Captain
Arnold Jay Isbell Trophies
for Continuing Excellence in ASW operations, the Pelicans
established themselves as the premier ASW squadron on the east
coast. In its recent history, it received five Meritorious Unit
Citations.
During
WWII,
it was a VP 44 plane piloted by Ensign Jewell Harmon that sent a
report of the sighting of the "Main
Body"
of the Japanese fleet as it headed toward Midway.
Frequently identified as the "single
most important patrol plane contribution,"
that action helped to shift the tide in U.S operations in the
Pacific.
And during its proud history, the squadron was recognized
for many Meritorious Unit Citations and special recognition from
the Fleet Air Wings to which the unit was assigned.
Some
day in the future, the warriors will gather to tell of its
beginnings, and of its glorious deeds, to toast their fallen
comrades, and to seek the renewed comradeship of a time when they
joined arms in a common cause, when loyalty to one's country was
unquestioned.
Summaries
do not satisfy the need for full understanding of what took place
during the squadron history.
To fully appreciate the achievements, one should turn to
the following:
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James
Mills
Blue Catalinas of World War II, published by Sunflower
University Press, Manhattan, Kansas. |
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Nevil Frankel's
outstanding
website dedicated to all VP squadrons, www.vpnavy.com,
and |
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The
Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons. |
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This
website: www.vp44goldenpelicans.com
-- webmaster: Ray Beck |
There
are numerous books about the patrol arm of the U.S. Navy
identified on Frankel's website, and they can be purchased over
the net.
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VP-44
Sets Open Sea Taxi Record
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LM8
Long Taxi
LM8
Long Taxi Story
LM8
Long Taxi Trip
LM8
Long Taxi Press Release - Plus
VP-44
Cuban Missle Crisis News Article
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