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Squadron Members Have Mini-Reunion

• (2/24/19)
  
  

  (L-R)Gerald Mason, Marion Swinford, George Montgomery, Robert King

  
  

  About five years ago- Marion Swinford, Robert King and I met at Cracker Barrell in Cartersville for a visit. Today, we "reunited" for another visit at the same location - none of us has aged - and we asked another Navy Vet to join us. Gerald was a member of VR-22, an "ADR" type on the larger aircraft, station in Norfolk. He was asked to join us - one for being a Navy Vet, two since he worked with Marion and Robert at Southern, Central, Republic and Northwest (this was all due to mergers of airlines) AND I had worked with Gerald at Chevron Oil when we both got out of the Navy in 1965 (and I hadn't seen Gerald in the last 50 years).
  
  Marion, Robert and I talked about the potential of having a VFP-62 Reunion in Pensacola later this year. Hard task to get a good feel for. We three would like to get together. I am going to send out some additional email request/info challenges to see if this is a possibility at all. We will see how this goes.---George Montgomery

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• (6/21/18)
  
  

  (L-R) Tom Pinkley and Barry Hertzog (VFP-62 USS Forrestal Det 1964-65) reconnect October 20, 2017: Indianapolis Bob Evans Restaurant. Tom says, "The manager even picked up the tab".

  
  

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• (7/11/17)
  

  George Montgomery & Lyman Peckman

  
  

  USS Intrepid VFP-62 Det 1959

  
  While putting together the 62 roster, I came across the name of Lyman Peckman, Shawnee Mission, KS. When Joann and I began planning our trip to Olathe, I began making arrangements for Lyman and I to meet.
  
  On June 11th, Lyman and I met at Cracker Barrel for lunch and a visit. It was good to meet another VFP-62 member and get to know something about his time with the squadron. Lyman is another example of the "rating war", he had completed AT "A" school, but assigned to the Photo Department upon arrival. John McKenna is one whom Lyman has kept in contact with. The cruise book in the picture is from Lyman's 1959 cruise on the USS Intrepid. The other picture is of the roster for that detachment - a total of 5 officers and 26 enlisted.
  
  Looked at the personnel for Det 59 I was on: 5 officers / 41 enlisted - don't know what contributed to the increase for our det. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but I should not depend on the "phone" as a camera - or maybe it was the operator.
  
  George Montgomery

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• (5/19/17)

  VFP-62 Officers Reconnect

  
  
  
  
  Photo Officer Wes Bartlett and pilot Don McCoy [CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE]
  
  "Don and Judy visited on Monday [May 26, 2017] in Greensboro, NC. As you can see Don is still bigger than me!! Great reminiscing but no at-sea stories--- what happens afloat stays afloat!!!???? Back to the early 60's!!!!

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• 
  
  (3/6/17)

  VFP-62 pilots Lt. Cdr. Tom Larson, Lt. Rodney Rogers and photo officer Wes Bartlett met recently and in 2015 at Cape Canaveral to discuss, "Many memories and chat about our times in the squadron back in the early 60s."

  ---photo via Wes Bartlett

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• (9/12/15)
  Ken,
  Just wanted to thank you for your assistance in helping me contact Rick Maioriello. I reached Rick by phone after a couple of emails and we had a nice chat on VFP 62 history and other stuff that old guys talk about. Also enjoyed the VFP 62 Memorabilia on the VFP 62 website. I don't have any additional photos from the Det 37-59 FDR cruise. It looks like you have the pics from the 1959 FDR Cruise Book--which is all I have.
  
  I have also just finished reading your "Blue Moon Over Cuba"--really enjoyed it. You did a great job in preserving the squadron history working with Captain Ecker's memoir. Hope your writing career has continued to be rewarding.
  
  All the best.
  Ted Mendenhall VFP-62 pilot circa 1958
  
  [Webmaster: Ted contacted me after my article Dedication appeared in the National Naval Aviation Museum's "Foundation" magazine (Spring 2015). I helped him connect with Rick Maioriello, the pilot whose story is in the article. See "Squadron History" page for a link to the article.---Ken Jack]

Lt. to Rt. : Robert King, Watson Kimbrell & Froyd Sneed, who served together Det. 59, 1965-'66.

(10/27/12): USS Forrestal Assn. Reunion--Sept. 2013
(L-R): George Montgomery, Tom Pinkley

(10/27/12): George Mason University/Cold War Museum
50th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis panel discussion.
(L-R): Capt. Adam Miklovis, Ken Jack, Lt. Cdr. Tad Riley (panel speaker), Phyllis Riley

Ga. VFP-62 Ga. Breakfast Meeting 8/18/2012.
(L to R - Marion Swinford, George Montgomery, Robert King)
Location: Cartersville Ga. Outside The Cracker Barrel Restaurant (note U.S. Military rocking chairs).

Forrestal Reunion, Dulles, VA
July 24-30, 2012
In front of the RF-8G at Udvar Hazy Space & Air Museum, Dulles
L-R: George Montgomery, Tom Pinkley, John Sees, Ken Jack

This is the first of the photos from the 25th Annual "Last Annual Crusader Ball". This picture was taken at the "formal" ball on Friday , May 7,2011. A total of 336 Crusader pilots and brides attended this event. Left to right: Norm Green; Mo Hayes; Chuck Neuchterlein; Joe Hood; Bob Deputy. We were all in the squadron in 1963-1967. I guess Mo was there until the end.

When John Sees and Tom Pinkley got me interested in finding "ole" members of Det 59, the first "find" was Barry Hertzog. While searching for members I came accross a "Hertzog" in Hudsonville, MI - kept on and found his address - and thought this can't be - it is "two doors down" from where my daughther lives. (What's the probability of this happening? - Webmaster) I made the phone call - did not tell him of my daughter's location - we visited a bit and then I told Barry I would be back in touch. Then I called my daughter - asked that she take some cookies to her neighbor and waited.

Our daughter and her family have lived there for about three years, I have been there to visit on two occasions prior to this Christmas visit.

This year Barry and Brenda hosted Joann and I for dinner and a very enjoyable evening. Barry and I spent time together in the afternoon, going over the photo's, booklets, cruise notes and memories.

The following photo shows that Barry has retained his looks over the years, and there I am.

WOW, this was a great visit.
George Montgomery

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[1/5/11]:Update on the George Montgomery visit [2010]. ----- As you know, George's daughter only lives two houses down from ours. So after Christmas, George gave me a call and said that we needed to get together. Which we did.

Both of our wives were a little under the weather so it was only George and myself for lunch. That was good. It gave us a chance to talk more freely about stuff --- and I mean the really good old stuff --- that happened forty years ago --- and we didn't have to worry about boring any one else to death. We talked a lot about most of YOU, that is the ones that we could remember --- some good --- some bad. And of course, I only said good things.

George will have to speak for himself, but I really enjoyed the meeting. George looked great, told funny stories, and we laughed a lot. It was great to see him.

Barry Herzog