01 Jul 2004 Ken, a native of Cincinnati, came to the Academy by way of a Navy Fleet appointment. At the Academy as in the Fleet, Ken has never been known to miss a liberty. His main interest at the Academy has been the radiator squad, although at times he has given up this pleasant pastime to engage in batt football. His experience in this sport stems from his high school days when he won the Player of the Year award. Ken is a typical Navy man who manages to mix wine, women, and song into all of his liberties. On any weekend he can be found in the dragging section. Upon graduation the Navy will get another candidate for jet fighters. FOOTBALL - 4, 3, 2, 1 PING PONG - 4, 3, 2, 1 SOFTBALL - 4, 3, 2, 1 "The Lucky Bag, 1954" (USNA Yearbook) Visit the United States Naval Academy From a classmate at the US Naval Academy, J. Creighton Bricker Col, USAF (Ret) (USNA '54) creightb@aol.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On 26 March 1965 Carrier Air Wing 15 embarked in USS CORAL SEA was tasked with an ALPHA strike against North Vietnamese air search radar facilities on Bach Long Vi Island, which is located about 70 miles offshore roughly midway between Haiphong and the Chinese island of Hainan. The raid failed to knock out the radars but did lead to the loss of three aircraft - but no pilots. The air wing tried again on 29 March 1965, reportedly dispatching 70 aircraft against the target. As usual, the flak suppression aircraft went in first and took the brunt of heavy anti-aircraft fire. Three and a half aircraft were shot down - CDR Jack H. Harris, CO of Attack Squadron 155 flying A-4E BuNo 150078, lost his engine to enemy fire while over the target and ejected just offshore the island. He was picked up by a Navy submarine, the USS CHARR (SS-328). CDR William N. Donnelly, CO of Fighter Squadron 154 flying F-8D BuNo 148642, had his controls shot out while in a dive-bombing run against an AAA site. He ejected while inverted at 450 knots and 1000 feet altitude, landing about 4 miles from the island. He floated in his survival raft, evading North Vietnamese patrol boats, for 45 hours before he was sighted and picked up by an Air Force HU-16 amphibian. The "half" aircraft was CDR Pete Mongilardi, CO of Attack Squadron 153, whose A-4 was hard hit and bleeding fuel. He was able to meet up with a tanker aircraft which "dragged" him back to the ship, pumping jet fuel into the A-4 as fast as it was bleeding out of the holes. CDR Mongilardi recovered safely aboard CORAL SEA. LCDR Kenneth E. Hume of VF-154, flying F-8D BuNo 148668, was hit while making a ZUNI rocket attack against a AAA site. Although a small fire was visible, Hume decided to try to get to Danang, but within minutes his F-8 suddenly went into a dive and was lost at sea. Although his escort saw the canopy separate before water impact Hume did not eject. His remains were not recoverable.

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