From: "Ford, Charles - SCX" Charles.Ford@ogn.af.mil
To: hrw@dcr.net; bfwynn@sprynet.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2001
Subject: My A-2 Aircrew 57th SRS
Bernie, Harold
Ran across this cleaning up my files. Thought you would appreciate it.
Check out the logo on the nose.
| On the tarmac in front of one of the 57th's hangars at Hickam circa 1953.Left to right: Capt. Wogsland A/C Capt. Davis Pilot Lt. Daniels Nav Lt. Hall Nav Capt. Weather MSGT Ramsey Flight Eng A/2C Ford, 1st Radio A/2C Jackson 2nd Radio TSGT Reed Dropsonde SSGT Harmon Crew Chief | 
Click on the Photo for a larger view. |
Best regards
Charlie
Mr. Charles Ford Sr.
Functional Analyst
HQ AFOSI
1535 Command Drive
Room AA-306
Andrews, AFB, MD 20762
240 857 0820
Cell 571 216 4751
From: "Ford, Charles - SCX" Charles.Ford@ogn.af.mil
To: hrw@dcr.net
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2001 2:29 PM
Subject: my C54 crew from the 57th srs
I thought that you might appreciate the attached photo. it is the 57th C54 crew after we returned from Wetok in 1952 after an AEC conference.
|
- 2nd from left, next to TSGT Walker | 
Click on the Photo for a larger view. Top row Col. Cometh - pilot - Squadron Commander 2nd from left not in any necessary order. Maybe you remember who's who. I am on bottom row |
I remember flying to Edwards AFB, CA to pick up the plane. Tex and I also flew the Colonel to Japan for a conference. Tex and I really had a fling.
Will send more pictures if your interested as I get them scanned.
Regards,
Charlie
From: charles.a.ford@att.net
To: "Harold R Wainscott" hrw@dcr.net
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001
Subject: Re: YOUR E-MAIL OF 8/22
Hi Harold,
Good hearing from you.
Capt. Comstock was my AC. Some of
the aircrew members I remember are :
Squadron Commander - Colonel Cometh,
pilots - Maj Fazzollah, Captain Moller,
weather officer - Maj Himes,
navigators - Capt Feller, Dapt Hess,
engineer/crew chief - T/Sgt Walker, S/Sgt Thompson (Tex)
and radio operator - A/2C Fujimono.
The B-36 story was true. The story about the white B-24 with all the scientists is true. Watching a guy trying to land one of those really light Piper Cubs in a strong headwind is true. He even cut off the engine and still took forever to land. I think that was at Kwaj.
I have been looking for some time for something on the web about our part in history. I finally found the 57th web page and that then linked me to you and a couple other places.
I was 18 years old and had an attitude. Time and experience has tempered that attitude and I have become a much wiser person. I will say that no matter what happened since those days every one of the guys that took part in those tests from the deserts of White Sands to the Islands and ships of the Pacific will always stand proud in my memories.
Thanks so much for what you and others are doing to remind certain people of that history. Will call this evening.
It was a blast!
Charlie
From: Vern & Shirley Thompson
To: hrw@dcr.net
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2001
Sir,
My name is L.R. Thompson. I was at Eniwetok during the "Operation Castle" series, in 1954. I found your page several months ago and have found the letters written by Vets absolutely fascinating. For example, the letters that contained stories of the ship "Nickajack Trail" that sat rusting on the reef off Japtan Island.
I was with the Hq.& Hq. Det. 7126 AU. and everyday one could see that ship sitting out there to the east of us. I had always thought the ship was of Japanese origin that had become one of the casualties during the 1944 Marshall campaign. I was totally surprised to learn of its U.S. origin and the reason for its fate.
What I haven't seen, though, are any aerial photos of the "Rock" that would show placement of all the buildings. I have tried to put in perspective, where the mess hall was in relation to the outdoor movie area, the PX, the basketball court, "Duffy`s" and so on. Do you know of any? I would love to see them!!
Thanks very much
Luvernie ("Vern") Roy Thompson
11921 Ashford Drive
Yukon, Oklahoma 73099
Email:vernandshirley@mindspring.com
-----------------------------------------------From: Vern & Shirley Thompson
To: hrw@dcr.net
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 10:18 AM
Hi, Harold
Your Eniwetok map arrived and I couldn`t be more pleased. I had a lot of the placements remembered correctly and some others a little off, but my excuse for that is 47 yrs. do dim the memory "some", ha. By the way, I`ll be 72, come next Jan.18th.
I got your package off yesterday, but, let me say that the photos are copies of copies and not like a nice clear slick. I just hope you will find them satifactory for what they are intended. I`m really having a ball studying this map!, though it`s not the same feeling I had when I left the "Rock", ha. But, I think everybody probably felt the same when their rotating day came..........."Outta here!!!".
Thanks very much, buddy
Vern
Email:vernandshirley@mindspring.com
From: "Ford, Charles - SCX"
To: hrw@dcr.net
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2001
Hi
During Operation Castle my B-29 crew was sitting in line awaiting takeoff on the day of the test. I was one of the radio operators and was filling in at right scanner for the crew chief who was not feeling well. I noticed a white B-24 Liberator rolling down the runway "taking off". I asked my Aircraft Commander who was on the B-24. His reply was "All of the scientists, they don't have the foggiest on how big this puppies gonna be". Maybe not his exact words but you get the drift. As it turns out, unfortunately for many of our buddies in other areas of the test it was huge. They are still paying along with their families and the rest of us who are thankful it wasn't us.
As a sidenote, a B-36 flying photo recon directly over the site had its fuselage belly pushed in several feet by the blast. We never had a chance to talk to any of the aircrew as they were immediately rotated out.
Charlie
Work 240 857 0820
Cell 571 216 4751
Home 703 830 1277
Email:charles.a.ford@worldnet.att.net
From: Robert G. Eskridge stormy76
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2001 9:38 PM
Subject: Re: Some Aviation Humor
In 1943 the Army Air Corps had a need for a lot of P-51's to be moved to Mitchell Field, New York from LAX. There were a few of us who were checked out in the 51 so they decided to have a bunch of WAFS fly one to Mitchell. We check them out by taxiing around and giving then a cockpit check in one day. They were to fly to Phoenix, Amarillo, Dallas, St. Louis then to NY. These gals were supposed to be high time pilots but no fighter time so it was going to be "Harry." I have to add that they had flown AT-6's and when you bring the gear up on a AT-6 you have to brake the wheels to save the tires. You can't do this with a P-51 because they have disk brakes and they will weld tight so you let them roll.
The day came for these ladies to fly to NY they thought they were hotshots and most or them did not pay much attention to us, so OFF they went into the "Wild Blue Wonder." First stop was Phoenix and all 12 of them made it without much of a problem. One got lost but she found her way to Phoenix. By then they thought they knew everything about a P-51, but alas no such thing. I was leading so I felt a little more comfortable they had made it OK.
The weather became bad so we waited a day before going on. A "Blue Norther" blew through Amarillo the day before and covered the county with ICE. I wanted to go south but Orders are orders. So off we went. I left two hours earlier to check things out. When I got to Amarillo the runway was still coated with Ice but was usable. I had my second thoughts. I had no problems so what the heck.
We were flying at that time a chandelle pattern which allows us to see the runway all the way. The first gal did real fine eventhough she forgot and applied braking to her wheels. The next one was different. She had applied braking to her wheels and LOCKED UP the right wheel completely, which makes an interesting landing especially on ICE. She also was carrying too much approach speed. When she touched down with the right brake locked the plane went straight down the runway but it turned 180 degrees. At that time the right brake broke loose and she held it straight (Backwards) down the rest of the runway.
The Tower, a new man, said, " Are you having trouble?"
There was a long pause while the plane went off the end of the runway into the mud, then she answered "HELL NO, I always land the SOB this way."
We got all of the P-51's delivered to Mitchell in one piece, except a little paint on the backward one.
******************************************
I got more but next time.
Til again
Stormy
Robert G. Eskridge
Email:stormy76@home.com
From: plsulky@coastaccess.com
To: stormy76@home.com
Sent: Thursday, August 23,
Subject: your aviation humor
Stormy, what a funny ending to a story. You should try to have it placed in Readers Digest. You might get a few bucks for it. I, too, have one, from Eniwetok.
On the daily supply run (personnel, mail and various other whatevers) the planes were C-54 and one of the was numbered 5559, which we called triple nickel nine. Old nine was the favorite of the troops returning Z I because, although it alway seemed to have something wrong with it, each trip was a complete round trip Hickam-Eniwetok-Hickam with stops in between.
One day in April or May of 1952, before the build-up for Ivy was becoming too significant, there were problems with sending up an upper air sounding (rawinsonde) and we were trying to resolve the matter. Tower called to let us know that aircraft were in the pattern and that our release would be delayed. One of the other 2 men in the team wandered out to the runway to watch the landing. He noticed the plane about 7-8 miles out and started waving his arms like an USN landing officer aboard an aircraft carrier. In a very short time he noticed the plane was responding to his signals (a pilot with a sense of humor, no doubt). Caught up in the game, the airman on the ground waited for the plane to cross the inner boundary and then crossed his hands and forearms as if to say, "Cut your engines," which is exactly what the pilot did!! But the plane was 50-60 feet in the air!!! Well, it landed with a rather fearsome crunch which damaged one main landing gear. The pilot was heard to say over the next three days while the gear was being repaired that he thought he was back landing at Naval Air Station, Kwajalein and he was helping somebody practice landing control.
I don't think anybody bought that one.
Paul Sulky
From: stormy76@home.com
To: DandPWhit@aol.com
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001
Subject: Eniwetok Experience
Yes I know 5559. What a beast. On one trip from Hickam to Wekok, that bird ate 5 engines. 1- on the way to Johnson (three engine landing and two days), 1- on the way to Kwaj. (three engine landing and one day), 1- on the way back in to Kwaj on return trip ( three engine landing) and the real STOPPER of the trip was, lost an engine (swallowed a valve) and runaway propeller on an overfly to Hickam but diverted to Johnson and lost another one 30 minutes out of Johnson. I thought we would have to ditch her that time. Some fun.
I have lost track of all the people which were on the island with me. Maybe you could come up with some. One person I wished I could find is M/Sgt Dyer. He was my right hand on the island. I'll try and think of more things to write. Keep in touch.
Robert G. Eskridge
31-1 Det Commander
Staff Weather Officer
JTF 3.5.8, Project Greenhouse
Email:stormy76@home.com
. . .by Don Whitman
From: DandPWhit@aol.com
To: HRW@dcr.net
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001 8:41 PM
Subject: Fwd: Eniwetok Experience
Harold:
This proves the 5559 legend is not just legend. Isn't this fun? More later.
Don W
