Navy Wings and more of the story

[Jack P.]

Hi,

As many of you know, NCRS, if you are a member, will send you the Date of Assembly and the dealer that your car was delivered to .

I just got the official letter as to date of build and Dealer Name and Address.

Guess where the car was delivered to and bought.

Bob Salter Chevrolet
Pensacola Florida

It was built April 7, 1966 which I knew by all the numbers on car.

He sold many cars to pilots getting their wings at the Navy base .

I called the dealer and they were sold in 1986, and became Sandy Chevrolet. By luck, the women who answered the phone, had worked for Bob Salter for many years and was still working for the new owner.

She told me that they threw out all records after 6 years, so that by 1972 the records were gone. So I hit a dead end. I will try with Florida MVD, but am not optimistic, no computers in those days and privacy laws come into effect.

If you are a Phantom F4 pilot and was stationed in Pensacola during 1966-67 and knew a pilot with a 66 Maroon Roadster, let me know.

The following is a re post of my thread on the subject. I am also going to make a new post in addition to this one, for those who do not read this 48 state thread.

A while ago, I had posted pictures of the Navy Wings on my glove box, and the decal on the window. I had bought the car in 1970 from a Navy pilot (original owner) going to Nam. I still do not know what happen to him.

While at my brothers house in Ocala, (he is 25 years younger) he brought out this pin and said , he found it in one of my boxes that I had stored at my parents house, when he was a little kid. I must have taken it out of the glove box some 40 years ago and forgot about it.

It seems to be the uniform pin. Any information on the pin would help.

After all these years I have one more part of the original owners life in the car.

Glove box



Decal



Long lost pin







If you know other pilots, please spread the word

Jack

[William C.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

Hi,

As many of you know, NCRS, if you are a member, will send you the Date of Assembly and the dealer that your car was delivered to .

I just got the official letter as to date of build and Dealer Name and Address.

Guess where the car was delivered to and bought.

Bob Salter Chevrolet
Pensacola Florida

It was built April 7, 1966 which I knew by all the numbers on car.

He sold many cars to pilots getting their wings at the Navy base .

I called the dealer and they were sold in 1986, and became Sandy Chevrolet. By luck, the women who answered the phone, had worked for Bob Salter for many years and was still working for the new owner.

She told me that they threw out all records after 6 years, so that by 1972 the records were gone. So I hit a dead end. I will try with Florida MVD, but am not optimistic, no computers in those days and privacy laws come into effect.

If you are a Phantom F4 pilot and was stationed in Pensacola during 1966-67 and knew a pilot with a 66 Maroon Roadster, let me know.

The following is a re post of my thread on the subject. I am also going to make a new post in addition to this one, for those who do not read this 48 state thread.

A while ago, I had posted pictures of the Navy Wings on my glove box, and the decal on the window. I had bought the car in 1970 from a Navy pilot (original owner) going to Nam. I still do not know what happen to him.

While at my brothers house in Ocala, (he is 25 years younger) he brought out this pin and said , he found it in one of my boxes that I had stored at my parents house, when he was a little kid. I must have taken it out of the glove box some 40 years ago and forgot about it.

It seems to be the uniform pin. Any information on the pin would help.

After all these years I have one more part of the original owners life in the car.

Glove box



Decal



Long lost pin







Did pilots wear it on their uniform?

Jack...The wings are worn on the left breast above the ribbons...Bill

[Chuck S.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

Ah, man ...As young man of that era, raised on stories of combat heroes in WWII, he was living the best of dreams. Unfortunately, too many of the dreams ended in the skies over Indochina.

If you want to see if he made it out of Vietnam alive, and you know his name...go here: http://www.virtualwall.org/index.html. It has a history of each wall hero, his service assignments, and where the dream ended

I found one of my college classmates there: http://www.virtualwall.org/ds/SantosJC01a.htm

[Ridge K.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

Actually the chances are good that if this Navy pilot saw combat action over Vietnam, he survived his service. I started in high school in 1969, which is the year of the largest number of America troops serving in the Vietnam war. My brother-in-law had recently competed his stateside Air Force commitment, and went to work at NAS Pensacola in flight training. Specifically, in the selection process for Navy pilots. While still in my freshman year of high school, I decided I wanted to serve as a Navy aviator at the earliest possible opportunity. Fortunately for me (in hindsight), the Vietnam conflict ended before I could complete my college education which started in 1972. I had visited NAS Pensacola numerous times going into college...

Here's why the chances are good about this man's survival. Over the ten years of the Vietnam war, about 2.5 million American serice personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam. of this over 2.5 million, somewhere between 1 million to 1.6 million actually served in combat operations, or provided close combat support.
During this Vietnam timeframe, about 3,032 American military aircraft were lost. Of these loses, 445 were F4 Phantom II, which I had dreamed of flying. Of the 445 F4s lost, 382 were confirmed as lost in combat operation. These are aircraft aircraft losses, .....not pilot losses. In some cases, pilots were fortunately able to eject for rescue. Senator John McCain is a textbook example of ejection that wound up as a captured aviator. Keep in mind, the F4 was flown over the skies of Vietnam by three service branches .... US Air Force, US Navy, and the Marine Corps. Roughly a little more than one third were Navy based. Over 5,000 F4 Phantoms were built. To my knowledge, no exact records of specific aircraft pilot losses have ever been released as a total. Only the aircraft types.
Literally tens of thousands of pilots served in Navy aviator positions during the war.

p.s. my brother-in-law states that government privacy concerns keeps aviator records sealed except for direct family members.

Ridge

[Cecil L.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

I was in Pensacola for flight training from October 65 to Jan 67. I remember Bob Salter well. He was one of the big dealers there. The car lots were full of Corvettes and musclecars and anything could be bought by a cadet for about $200 down and $75 a month until commissioning, then the payments went up. Many of my friends bought Corvettes and, while I was a Corvette guy too, for some strange reason, I bought a new 66 GTO from Vince Whibbs Pontiac, another Pensacola dealer of the day.

You are assuming that your man was Navy Pilot, but as Ridge pointed out, he may have been a Marine.
There are organiizations, like the Tailhook Association, and the Assosciation of Naval Aviation, that may be able to post a query to their membership for you. I don't have the links handy, but you should be able to google them.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

Actually the chances are good that if this Navy pilot saw combat action over Vietnam, he survived his service...my brother-in-law states that government privacy concerns keeps aviator records sealed except for direct family members...

I hope that it's true...if Jack knows his name, he can advance his search a few years forward.

A person can also find out about people they know by simply typing the name in your browser search window...there are organizations (myLife.com?) that do nothing but accumulate information about peoples' private lives. Addresses and telephone numbers can be had for a price.

The Texas A&M former students association publishes a periodical for former students. On the back cover, there was/is a section called Silver Taps which lists all of the students and former students that have passed since the last publication. These days, it consists mostly of students accidently killed or old former students passing from natural causes. During the Vietnam era, I saw classmates and upper classmen names with regularity that made the odds of survival seem much slimmer than you describe.

I wondered how VirtualWall could have such specific information about the service of these honored heroes, and I have concluded that the organization probably gave the families the opportunity to submit materials and details to honor their loved ones. The details and uniformity of their service history, however, is very specific.

I am glad that we have this resource to honor the service our friends and contemporaries made to our country. All Americans should have the opportunity to understand and honor their sacrifice.

[Ridge K.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

.


I am glad that we have this resource to honor the service our friends and contemporaries made to our country. All Americans should have the opportunity to understand and honor their sacrifice.

Amen, Chuck.

here's a shot of the Marine's version:

[Jack P.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

I hope that it's true...if Jack knows his name, he can advance his search a few years forward.

A person can also find out about people they know by simply typing the name in your browser search window...there are organizations (myLife.com?) that do nothing but accumulate information about peoples' private lives. Addresses and telephone numbers can be had for a price.

The Texas A&M former students association publishes a periodical for former students. On the back cover, there was/is a section called Silver Taps which lists all of the students and former students that have passed since the last publication. These days, it consists mostly of students accidently killed or old former students passing from natural causes. During the Vietnam era, I saw classmates and upper classmen names with regularity that made the odds of survival seem much slimmer than you describe.

I wondered how VirtualWall could have such specific information about the service of these honored heroes, and I have concluded that the organization probably gave the families the opportunity to submit materials and details to honor their loved ones. The details and uniformity of their service history, however, is very specific.

I am glad that we have this resource to honor the service our friends and contemporaries made to our country. All Americans should have the opportunity to understand and honor their sacrifice.

Thanks for the info, I don't have his name. The car came with all the paper work including the wings, protecto plate, everything, as if he just got out the car one day, and his wife sold it. I lost all of that documentation because it filled the glove box and I wanted to put in a tape deck. It may have been in the box that I left at my parents house 40 years ago, which included the dress wings.

When you are 23 and your car is not a legend yet, you make things work so you can get to work every day.

Jack

[Don H.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

Thanks for the info, I don't have his name. The car came with all the paper work including the wings, protecto plate, everything, as if he just got out the car one day, and his wife sold it. I lost all of that documentation because it filled the glove box and I wanted to put in a tape deck. When you are 23 and your car is not a legend yet, you make things work so you can get to work every day.

Jack

ARGHHHH! Jack. A tape deck?

what can you say about that one except,,,, ARGHHHH!

[Jim T.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

I was in Pensacola for flight training from October 65 to Jan 67. I remember Bob Salter well. He was one of the big dealers there. The car lots were full of Corvettes and musclecars and anything could be bought by a cadet for about $200 down and $75 a month until commissioning, then the payments went up. Many of my friends bought Corvettes and, while I was a Corvette guy too, for some strange reason, I bought a new 66 GTO from Vince Whibbs Pontiac, another Pensacola dealer of the day.

You are assuming that your man was Navy Pilot, but as Ridge pointed out, he may have been a Marine.
There are organiizations, like the Tailhook Association, and the Assosciation of Naval Aviation, that may be able to post a query to their membership for you. I don't have the links handy, but you should be able to google them.

Cecil the first Blue Angle demonstation I saw was in 1967 at NZY and the aircraft used was the F4. Was the A4 and T2 being used for jet training when you were in NPA? The Navy kept the F4 for testing even after the F14 was flying from it's carriers. Testing was done with the F4 for many later years from Point Mugu in CA and still flying as late as 2004 in VX30 sqauadron. Our 1968 Corvette was bought new at Salter Chevrolet on March 23,1968

[Jack P.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

ARGHHHH! Jack. A tape deck?

what can you say about that one except,,,, ARGHHHH!

"Nights is white satin" , by the Moody Blues, and "Timothy Leary were are you" never sounded better.

Plus the usually selection of mood enhancers did not hurt

Jack

[Cecil L.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

Cecil the first Blue Angle demonstation I saw was in 1967 at NZY and the aircraft used was the F4. Was the A4 and T2 being used for jet training when you were in NPA? The Navy kept the F4 for testing even after the F14 was flying from it's carriers. Testing was done with the F4 for many later years from Point Mugu in CA and still flying as late as 2004 in VX30 sqauadron. Our 1968 Corvette was bought new at Salter Chevrolet on March 23,1968

Jim,
At that time, everybody started flight training at the Naval Aviation Schools Command on NAS Pensacola. After completion of the initial OCS/Cadet classroom training of about 3 months a student pilot would then transfer to NAS Saufley Field in Pensacola for primary training in the T-34. After completion of Primary, students were then split off into different pipelines according to the general type of misssion flying they would be doing, ie. fixed wing prop, fixed wing jet, and rotary wing. The prop and helo guys went to NAS Whiting Field in Milton, Florida for basic training in the North American T-28 while the jet guys went to NAS Meridian, MS , NAS Kingsville, Tx (my hometown), or NAS Beeville, Tx for their basic training in the T-2 Buckeye and advanced training in the Grumman F9F. The A-4 eventually replaced the F9F in the late 70's. We fixed wing prop guys then went to NAS Corpus Christi, Tx. for advanced multiengine training in the Grumman S2F.

Jack,
Your man probably bought his car in PCOLA while there for initial or primary training. He then would have gone to basic/advanced in Ms or Tx and only after graduation would he be assigned to a RAG (Replacement Air Group) for specific mission training in the F4. You didn't say where you bought the car, but that could narrow down the choices as to whether East Coast or West Coast RAG and might lead to locating someone who remembered the car and/or him.
BTW, the wings on the glovebox are the type typically bought as replacement for the ones with the folding pin as they were easier to use with clutchback holders.
The wings with the folding pin were probably the wings initally awarded to him on graduation and would usually be pinned on by his wife, girlfriend or mother, not necessarily in that order as my mother frequently reminded me.

[Jack P.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

I was in Pensacola for flight training from October 65 to Jan 67. I remember Bob Salter well. He was one of the big dealers there. The car lots were full of Corvettes and musclecars and anything could be bought by a cadet for about $200 down and $75 a month until commissioning, then the payments went up. Many of my friends bought Corvettes and, while I was a Corvette guy too, for some strange reason, I bought a new 66 GTO from Vince Whibbs Pontiac, another Pensacola dealer of the day.

You are assuming that your man was Navy Pilot, but as Ridge pointed out, he may have been a Marine.
There are organiizations, like the Tailhook Association, and the Assosciation of Naval Aviation, that may be able to post a query to their membership for you. I don't have the links handy, but you should be able to google them.

Hi ,

This is what the car would have looked like in 1970. He may not have flow F-4's until a few years later , up to the time I bought it in 1970




This is the car now as I started my 48 state trip this Summer 2010

[Doug F.]

Re: Navy Wings and more of the story

When I was in school in the early 80's, it was WWI veterans that were passing away. Now 30 years later Silver Taps consists mainly of the WWII Veterans.
Doug