Harrington F-84C, 1950

The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an early jet fighter. It came between the famous Lockheed F-80 and the awesome F-86 Saber. Originally designated the P-84, it's designation changed in 1948 from P for Pursuit to F for Fighter at the same time all Army Air Fields became Air Force Bases. This was shortly after the Air Force was created as it's own branch of the armed forces in 1947.

The F-84's engine began life as the TG-180, later re-designated the J-35. The engine was 2,500 pounds, twelve feet long, and 37 and 1/2 inches in diameter. Early jet engines had short life spans, and often suffered failures. In 1948, the engine run-time between overhauls was 45 hours. Engine production delays hampered early F-84 production, seemingly as much from developmental issues as from a change in engine manufacturers. The engines used by the F-84C developed 4000 pounds of thrust.

The F-84C followed the "B" model. The last F-84C, #47-1602, rolled off the lines at Republic Aviation in December of 1948. The 191 "C" models had a "fly -away cost of $147,699.00" per ship. This was some $16,000 less than the previous "B" models.

The early models of the F-84 suffered from various structural problems and thus each airframe had a fairly short life expectancy. Coupled with the engine problems, this could sometimes be an insurmountable challenge to pilots.

First Lieutenant Harold A. Morris mounted his steed, #47-1602, the last "C" model off the Republic line, sometime after three in the afternoon of September 24, 1950, for a local flight from Geiger Field, Spokane, Washington. He was an Air National Guard pilot assigned to the 60th Fighter Wing. He was thirty years old.

Lt. Morris was on the wing of 1st Lt. Dallas P Sartz, flying in #47-1531 at about 15,000 feet. They were 8-10 minutes from Spokane and began a 180 degree turn to the left and entering intermittent light cloud formations when Lt. Morris crossed under Lt. Sartz. When he completed the turn, Sartz began calling for Morris with no response. Sartz landed at 1625 hours.

Mr. Garske, of Spokane, was coming from Odessa, Washington on the outskirts of Harrington, when he saw an airplane in a bank. The landing gear was down and it looked to Mr. Garske like the plane would land on the road. Then the pilot apparently changed his mind and made a 45 degree bank to attempt a landing in a field somewhat off the road. Mr. Garske saw, at just the moment of impact a "great big flash and flame and everything....It seemed to burn all at once, not a lingering fire." He jumped the fence and went to the wreck, which was about 300 yards from the road. When he got there, the engine was burning. Mr. Garske did not hear the engine before the crash, and claimed the aircraft was going very slowly.

Mr. Garske looked around the field to see if the pilot had been thrown free, but a couple of truck drivers who had also stopped said they had "found part of him." There were several witnesses, all of whom seem to have seen much the same thing.

The authorities determined the crash was due to a loss of power. The cause of the engine failure was undetermined because of the extent of damage. The remains of 1st Lt. Morris were described by the commanding colonel, Col. Neece, as tiny. He further noted that cause of death was due to "severe crushing injuries involving disintegration and cremation of the body."


The location is noted as being about 2 miles from Harrington, Washington. It was a ignoble end to the last F-84C built and a sad end to First Lieutenant Harold Albert Morris.*





* Resources for this article were as follows:

1. USAF accident report for F-84C #47-1602

2. McLaren, David R., Republic F-84; Tunderjet, Thunderstreak, & Thunderflash: A Photo Chronicle, Schiffer Military/Aviation History, Atglen, PA, 1998.

USS Turner Joy

Bremerton, Washington has a relationship with the US Navy that is about 100 yers old. It seems only right that a place with ties so deep should also be home to a spectacular museum ship. The Navy Museum, however, is a let down compared to its previous glory, so don't bother with that.

Laid down in 1957 and launched on August 3, 1959, USS Turner Joy was the last ship of the Forrest Sherman class of destroyers. She was on patrol with the USS Maddox when North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the duo and precipitated the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which allowed LBJ to increase the number of troops sent to Vietnam. She received 9 battle stars and participated in various stages of the Vietnam War. It is said she even fired the last round of the war.

The ship is 418 feet long with a beam of 45 feet. She draws 22 feet and when empty, displaces 2800. When fully loded she displace 4050 tons. Her turbines and two propellers could push her through the water at up to 32.4 knots. When she got where she was going, she could bring her three 5"/54 guns to bear, and, if it was a ship, her six 12.75" torpedoes.

(three tubes on each beam)

The Ship is moored stern toward shore, with her bow pointing proudly toward Sinclair Inlet. She is only a short walk away from the ferry terminal. The charge is only about $10 for adults. For that you have the run of the ship. Almost all of the ship is opened up for guests to at least get a glimpse of. Some rooms separate the public from their content with plexiglass, but it is possible to lay your hands on the 55 pound five inch projectiles that are situated all around the ship.

I suspect the museum is not worried about this because it is tremendously difficult to pocket one of these rounds and NOT stumble around as though you have just thrown out your back. I hefted one, and they are not for the feint of heart. The wife frowned on my curiosity, and my pockets were the wrong size.

When you board the ship, you are on the stern, near the aft five inch turret. The door was open on our visit nd we were able to sit or stand in all the positions. The best was that of the gun captain, who sat in a plexiglass bubble at the top of the turret with all the controls in his hands. Otherwise, you could get a good look at the breech of the large naval gun, just by sticking your head in the hatch.

You can enter the ship through any of a number of entrances, each with a set of light blocking shees set up. Once inside you can choose to go forward or aft. This decision may depend on he amount of traffic, as the passage ways were built for young and fit men. You have the option of dropping down into the engine rooms and getting good look at the reduction gears meant to change the speed of the turbines into power for the propellers. One can only imagine the noise and heat in those confined spaces.

I recommend, if you are not a naval buff, taking your own personal navy person. If you do not have one, you can ask a docent to show you around. When I first visited Turner Joy, in 1998, I had with me an ex-engineer from the USS Long Beach, the shell of which is moored not too far away. He was able to explain things that were not obvious, and his descriptions, taken from his own memories of the Vietnam era fighting ships, were poignant and vivid. You can stand in front of the instrument panels and pretend you are at your station. Don't let the water disappear from the boiler glass, you will melt the tubes! But, don't let the water get too high in the glass, or you will send liquid water into the turbine blades! Seeing the massive reduction gears and the steam pipes covered with 4 inch thick asbestos insulation really helps you imagine the noise and heat.

If one is observant and has good spacal reckoning, you can envision the water tight spaces. One must go up a ladder from the engine room to move forward or aft. Only then can you descend again to after steering or forward to the paint lockers and Sonar rooms. Up one level, on the main deck, is the crew's mess and the galley. Beyond that is the officer's mess. You can walk by the pharmacy/operating room and the Ship's Store. You can also find the Exec's stateroom and the Captain's in port cabin here.

Up a level or two and you can find yourself on the ship's bridge. Here you can issue commands to an imaginery crew and con the ship. Have a companion step in the wheelhouse and you can talk to each other via the voice tubes. Step into the CIC and you can see the radar screens set up to look like they are searching the skies.

Go down to Sonar, then around the forward turret trunk and ammunition hoist, and you find yourself in the bow. Here you can see the tubes down which the anchor chains go to get to the chain lockers. Here, also, you can see various rescue and damage control equipment. The transducers for the Sonar are there and you can see the freezers for the galley nearby, too.

Overall, this is a great place to spend a few hours or all day. It is a great museum ship and you don't feel hurried to leave. You can go your own pace. There are identifying signs all over, but it may be preferable to have a friend who knows something about ships along or a docent if you want to get the full educational experience. If knowing every little detail is not necessary, then, you can go it alone. I really enjoyed my visit, and so did my wife...a noted history un-enthusiast.

P-39K #42-4440

As I have mentioned before, Ephrata, Washington was home to the Ephrata Army Air Field. Numerous aircraft types were stationed there during World War II. I have already written about a couple B-17s from there. Ephrata was also home to a few fighter training squadrons. Many P-38s and P-39s flew from there.

On the morning of August 5, 1944, a flight of five P-39s, Flight 16, took off for some elementary formation flying. About thirty-three minutes of flight, the formation was at 7500 feet and the flight leader began a turn. F/O Robert Parcher*, in ship #55, was on the lead's left wing. On his wing were two other ships. On the lead's right was only one ship. As the flight began a left turn, F/O Parcher's P-39 slid across the formation to the right. The lead was informed of the odd behavior and they followed the turn around until they could reacquire the wayward aircraft. As they came back around they observed a splash in the nearby Columbia River, but no other sign of the missing aircraft.

#42-4440 had only 428 hours on it. It's engine only had 98 hours on it. The ship, itself, had been through it's last 50 hour inspection on July 30. The only problem experience had to do with the magnetos. On the left magneto the engine cut out, on the right mgneto only the engine lost 300 r.p.m. After the maintenance, it was released for flight. The conditions on August 5th were Ceiling and Visibilty Unlimited, or CAVU.

The formation flew over the growng oil slick then headed back to base. The site was later dragged and some parts were recovered, though not enough to give a definite cause of the accident. F/O Parcher's body was recovered.

The location is written as 10 North West of Peach, Washington. It is not obvios where that place is, but the report also listed some vague coordinates. From those, it indicates the sight is near the Columbia river.

The cause was undetermined, though, it is likely all of us have suspicions. One might suspect engine failure. Others might suspect some sort of control malfunction. Still others might suspect the helth of the pilot. Still, there appears to be no evidence of any over others. The best evidence appears to favor an engine failure, but why was there no apparent attempt to leave the aircraft if the pilot was unable to start the engine again? The other members of the flight said there was no sign of smoke. He simply broke formation and made a shallow dive until the airplne struck the river.

* Note: F/O appears to be the Royal Air Force rank of Flying Officer. This is just a guess, and any clarification anyone might be able to add would be greatly appreciated.

Navy Ship Aground, Honolulu

So, someone is going to lose out on promotions....I only post this because the Port Royal(CG-73) is a sister ship of the one I had such a difficult time identifying at Bremerton. And because...well, avy ships don't ground often so when they do it's news. There have been some notable ones, too. For instance the USS Missouri in the 1950s(?). I got this story from Charter News.

Navy warship runs aground near Honolulu airportSaturday, February 7, 2009 5:04 AM EST The Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) — The Navy hopes a high tide due to reach Hawaii early Saturday will enable it to refloat a 9,600-ton warship that ran aground about a half mile off seaside Honolulu International Airport.
An initial effort by Navy tugs early Friday to free the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal was unsuccessful. The $1 billion ship ran aground Thursday night while carrying guests that included a rear admiral.
"We're certainly working on bringing to bear the resources we have to move her off the current position. We're still putting that plan together," said Capt. W. Scott Gureck, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet. "Obviously, the high tide gives us an opportunity to do that."
Divers and the salvage ship USS Salvor would try to tow the 567-foot vessel, the Navy said.
The cause of the grounding on the sandy bottom and the extent of damage to the vessel were under investigation.
"I'm not going to speculate on what happened," Gureck said.
The Port Royal left Pearl Harbor on Thursday for sea trials after being dry-docked for routine maintenance. The ship ran aground while shore-based officials were being transferred to shore by small boat, the Navy said.
An oil recovery vessel, the Clean Islands, was positioned behind the warship as a precaution as the U.S. Coast Guard monitored the situation.
"We know that there is no oil spill at this point, and we're confident the Navy is doing everything it can," Coast Guard Lt. John Titchen said.
Commissioned in 1994, the Port Royal has a crew of about 360. The crew stayed aboard the ship, along with Navy officials such as Rear Adm. Dixon R. Smith, commander Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.

Admiral Keating

Admiral Keating was an excellent speaker. The funny thing is, I found his picture in the Kitty Hawk Cruisebook that I bought on E-Bay last year.



It turns out there were over 2000 people at the decommissioning ceremony! I found that out at the Kitty Hawk site.

Here is the Kitty Hawk site.

Odd Shots

So, over the weekend, I went to Bremerton and visited the Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard. Whilst there, we attended the decommissioning ceremony of the Kitty Hawk. I also took a few pictures of ships tht were also there. There is no where ner as many ships there as there were 10 years ago, but the ones that are there are bigger.

Four super carriers and an *EDIT* Oliver Hazard Perry class ship. I don't know which one it is, though. It may be the USS Sides.*EDIT* I was wrong. I should have recognized that this was NOT an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate. This is a Cruiser. It appears to be of the Ticonderoga class, though I do not know which flight. I hope an observant reader will help me ID this ship! further research indicates it MAY be the USS Vincennes.

Click on the next photo nd you can see the bow of the USS Long Beach. CGN-9. Her superstructure has been stripped, but her hull remains.

The next is AS-39, the USS Emory S. Land. She is a submarine tender...active. I imagine there are a couple subs on the other side of her. Wish I had had the guts to wander down there, but the fear of encarceration due to curiosity was only slightly outweighed by my fear of my wife. So, I stuck to the path between our vehicle and Kitty Hawk.

Exit Beautiful Miss Kitty...

On the mornig of January 31, 2009, I stood on the pier and looked at the beautiful Miss Kitty and bid her good bye.

She was set for decommissioning. Dolled up in colorful ribbons and bows. Her best jewelery shining.

She awaited a throng of people. All come to bid her fairwell. She never looked better.

We had never met before, though I had met one of her sisters. I must say, I was proud to make her aquaintance.

She gazed down upon me, but bid me welcome.

It was a fascinating day for me. She stood, apparently ready for battle, despite the absence of her air groups. Her sailors were serious. While they were not apparently unhappy, they were somber. Proud. I was impressed. With men and women such as these manning the line, we have nothing to fear. Should death and destruction ever be required, these men and women will be ready to deliver it to our enemies.

Her sailors stood at attention, awaiting honored visitors.

It began with a 17 gun salute. Two ceremonial guns graced a sponson, they fired whilst we were on the hangar deck. It was my first decommissioning. There were a few speakers. One of them was the mayor of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. My favorite was Admiral Keating, although Captain Zecchin was entertaining as well. Here is Admiral Keating as he relates a story to the audience.

Before she was decommissioned, though, she was presented the Meritorious Unit Commendation. That flag was raised upon an representative yardarm on the flightdeck before she was placed out of commission.

After the ceremony, we were offered refreshments. I did not partake, but I did take photos of all the stuff they put on display.

One of the best was the ice sculpture of the Wright Flier.

Another was a huge cake...wish I had gotten a better picture, now...

Here you see a few items that were on display. that is an arrester cable on the bottom.

She flew the First Naval Jack. Here is my family in front of it. (many thanks to the sailor woman that took it, she was familiar with cameras and their operation, most impressive!)

See, I am happy to be there!

My wife and I, in front of the Island.

Her stern...

A 3/4 view

Four sisters... CV-61, CV-62, CV-63, CV-64. Remeniscent of the 1980s and the Essex class that resided there for so long...except, these ships are trully large!

dazzling.

These ships are AWE INSPIRING!!

Thank you Kitty for your years of service!