Maverickson
Well-Known Member
By 1968 naval aviators obviously perfered the nylon flight jackets. Some of the pilots and aircrews are still wearing their G-1 jackets. Most wear Nylon. As seen here in the photo of my late father's squadron VA-152 aboard the USS Forrestal somewhere in the Mediterainean. They had just received the A-4 Skyhawk for this deployment having just transitioned from the AD Skyraider.
My father, Cdr. E.E. Sheeley can be seen wearing the big grin in the front row and in the sitting position with the "Piss Cutter" cap . In this picture dad was having the time of his life as he had just returned from a back too back, May of 1965 to January of 1968, Vietnam combat tours aboard the USS Oriskany attached to Air Wing 16.
Incidentially, father was one of twenty, and a section leader, present on the same alpha strike over Haiphong/Hanoi in which John McCain and one other pilot were lost on October 26, 1967. The attrition rate in 1965 the 1966 deployment alone for Air Wing-16 was 33% of pilots KIA and 50% loss of serviceable aircraft due to battle damage. These losses do not account for thoses pilots POWed. Cdr. Sheeley was a lucky survivor. I recently found his Air Medal citiation for this strike.
The Veterans Administration recently ruled his passing service related. He was buried in Arlington April 30, 2008. I will now ask that his name be added to the other Vietnam casualties on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C..
My father, Cdr. E.E. Sheeley can be seen wearing the big grin in the front row and in the sitting position with the "Piss Cutter" cap . In this picture dad was having the time of his life as he had just returned from a back too back, May of 1965 to January of 1968, Vietnam combat tours aboard the USS Oriskany attached to Air Wing 16.
Incidentially, father was one of twenty, and a section leader, present on the same alpha strike over Haiphong/Hanoi in which John McCain and one other pilot were lost on October 26, 1967. The attrition rate in 1965 the 1966 deployment alone for Air Wing-16 was 33% of pilots KIA and 50% loss of serviceable aircraft due to battle damage. These losses do not account for thoses pilots POWed. Cdr. Sheeley was a lucky survivor. I recently found his Air Medal citiation for this strike.
The Veterans Administration recently ruled his passing service related. He was buried in Arlington April 30, 2008. I will now ask that his name be added to the other Vietnam casualties on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C..
