Today has been one of the worst I have had in some time. I received an email from the daughter of probably one of my best NAVY buddies saying that he had passed away.
Thinking about him and our time together in our last command (VA-35) as well as the rest of our squadron is really breaking me up.
In the attached photo you see three of our aircraft doing a fly by of NIMITZ. We usually went to sea with 10 bombers (as in the picture) and four configured as tankers (to refuel other aircraft).Notice the Black Panther!!
The origins of VA –35 go way back before the squadron was designated VA-35. They were designated as Bombing Squadron 2 during WWII. In 2-15-50 they were officially designated ATKRON35 (VA-35).
In 1985 we had a reunion at NAS Oceans celebrating 50 years . Our patch said 1934-1984, 50 years of Naval Attack Aviation.
Look at the Black Panther again. On 1-31-1995 the Department of the Navy by direction of the Department of Defense “disestablished” VA-35 after 60 Years???? The oldest Attack Squadron in the NAVY!!! DISESTABLISHED??? NOT DECOMMISSIONED!!???
WHY?????
Could it be political correctness?? BLACK PANTHERS????????????????
I know what I think!!
What a put down for all those that served VA-35 and crews lost in NAM and WWII. I remember many of the guys getting tattoos of the Black Panther!!
As the squadron was deactivated more than 20 yrs ago, I don't think the reasoning behind its decommissioning was the current paranoia about political correctness. So, I looked up the squadron in Wikipedia, which tracked its origins back to the beginning, including the fact that a previous existing VA-35 squadron was deactivated in 1945.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the deactivation had more to do with the fact that the A-6 (The last plane the squadron flew) were replaced by F-14 Tomcats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_A-6_Intruder
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_inactive_United_States_Navy_aircraft_squadrons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_VA-35_%28U.S._Navy%29