Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Nine

1959-Apr61, CV-40 Tarawa, CV-9 Essex, CV-15 Randolph Quonset Point Plane capt. 53 Med cruise Remember the Nerdy guy who came up with the name Sea Griffins and that 48 cad he drove

1962 October fatalities Lt. Cmdr James Robert Hughes. His son Charles E Hughes

1963, I joined Hs9 right out of boot camp I made my first voyage on the Essex and was on her in the November storm. I advanced from Mess cook to ADJ 3 to flight deck trouble shooter and Jet shop overhaul .I spent 2 med cruises , One on the Essex one on the Randolph We also did a short cruise on the Forestall Flying plane guard. WE also sent a detachment of six planes on the USS Lasalle .n where we picked up an unmanned capsule this is where we received our shell back badge. nAll of these different assignments were because the Essex was in the yards because of the damage in the 63 storm. I remember that We lost 3 planes while I was in the Squadron. one in the red sea I don't remember where the last two were. I lost a friend in one of those crashes Of the 3 crashes I think only 1 survivor of the 12 crewmen . WE were flying the A model of the Sea king and all the kinks had not been worked out .We think transmission failure was the cause of all three crashes.n I spent all 4 of my years in HS 9.nRobert Shupe ADJ 3

1963-1966, AX3, Plane Captain, and worked in operations after tour on the flight line. Experienced flying under the bridge!!!!!! And following road signs at low altitude (tree top) to get back to Quonset in a fog bank from Martha's Vineyard. Was aboard the Essex, with the squadron (HS-9) during the hurricane in the north Atlantic. That was voyage I will never forget. Two Names stick in my mind(Griffen and Dormant). Maybe someone out there can come up with a few more from the era..... I spent my last 6 mo on shiore patrol assigned NAS Quonset Pt. Oh yeah I left my class ring (Holland High School Class of 63 in the gym in Quonset. If you got it I want it back

1980, participated in the movie The Final Countdown

1981-1984 I was a plane captain A/F trouble shooter USS Nimitz 2 Med and 2 Caribbean USS Carl Vincent 1 Caribbean. I beleive 610=148995, 611=149898, 612=148995, 614=149734, 615=149735,616=152132,617=SH=3D=149000. We nick named 617 The Truck,received it from Rota Spain 82-83 cruze. I beleive it went to the Ike. and heard later that it had crashed.