Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron FOUR

1956, I was transferred to HS-4 from ADA School. I was working on their last HO4S aircraft ,then to the HSS-1. I was a ADAN ,Schooled on the maint of the HISS as we called it. We left NAAS Ream Fld with 16 Helos went aboard USS Boxer (CVS-21). With VS-23 and VC-35 (Stoofs and AD Guppies ) they called us the SunDown kids ,couldnt fly at night because of NO Doppler I Was the plane Capt of VO-7 ,Folding Blades was a Challenge ! Air Boss Kinda Mad ,fouling his deck ! Got it down to 3i/2 mins ,Pilot Shut down to, plane Capt Riding Brakes, Blades Folded Had a couple of Engine & Main Trans Changes ,Tracking Blades were a Blast ,with a Flag ,Hit by Whirling blades ,Marked with different colored Crayons , Got them under your Thumb, A GO!!! did a 6 month Cruise ,Brought them all back in one piece. Great Squadron I made AD 3 in HS-4 ,Capt .was CDR .C S Tanner Exc was CDR Payne. I transferred to HS-8 as a HSS-1 plane Capt. Went on to retire, as a Naval Reserve with Total of 41 Yrs, ADC

My Dad (then LT Louis DiGiusto)was a Naval Aviator in this squadron same deployment. My Dad was one of the original Navy test pilots with Sikorsky on the HSS-1 and ferried them from Sikorsky's Stratford, CT plant to NAS North Island, Coronado. He set the helicopter land speed cross country record with the HSS-1. He lost his life in the line of duty at NAS Jax flying an H-34 on a training mission in 1965- CDR L. DiGiusto. He really enjoyed his tours and deployments 7th Fleet with HS-4. I still have squadron coffee mugs from 1950s. His grandson followed in his footsteps and is a Naval Aviator.

1958, Anyone remember the typhoon we rode out aboard The USS Princeton (CVS 37)