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PATROL SQUADRON SIX VP-6
“The World Famous Blue Sharks” (1943-1993) PATRON SIX“
“This site is dedicated to preserving the history and memories of the shipmates of Patrol Squadron SIX.”

 

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HomeFallen Shipmates

In Honor Of Our VP-6 Shipmates who have passed

 

We would appreciate notification, via the "Contact Us" page, should you be aware of the passing of any of our VP6 shipmates.




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Patricia Moore Pettit was born August 2, 1967 in Bellevue Washington and passed away March 19, 2022 in Spokane Washington. Patti is a 3rd generation Navy veteran ( Patrol Squadron Six 1986-1989 ) and was a Spokane Valley Fire Department civil servant working in the SVFD IT Department. She is survived by her husband of 19 years, Bill Kinnison. She is also survived by her brother Timothy Pettit, her sister Suzanne Pettit, her nephews Nathan Pettit and Noah Pettit, her niece Sarah Schimmel, her great nephew Ryder Pettit, and her great nieces Avery Pettit, Sofia Mineo, Rio Pettit, Eliana Schimmel, Sophia Schimmel and Reese Pettit.

Patti touched the lives of so many and made this world a better place. She is deeply loved and heartbreakingly missed.

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Agendrew L. (Jim) Heffner, Jr., age 83, a resident of Sugar Camp, WI died on June 6, 2022. He was born May 4, 1939 at Beloit Memorial Hospital, Beloit, WI son of Agendrew L. Heffner Sr. and Christine Mae (Machtan) Heffner.

Jim graduated Brodhead High School 1958. After graduation, enlisted in the USN. Served Active Duty 1958 – 1962 in Navy Aviation. Two years Reserves and Honorable Discharge 1964 as an Aviation Structural Mechanic Petty Officer 2nd Class AMS2.

Assigned to NAS Alameda, CA This was the largest jet base on the West coast. He serviced every jet the Navy had except two. In 1961 as a Crew Chief he was assigned to CDR Edward Holley who was the Flight Leader of the famous Blue Angels. Jim’s last tour of duty he was assigned to Patrol Squadron 6, the famous Blue Sharks at Barbers Point, HI. He received the Good Conduct Medal and was an Aircrewman as a BOW/MAD Operator and Plane Captain/Engineer. He was very active in baseball and softball while in the Navy. Special Honors were 12th Naval District All Star Team as a second baseman and played as a Centerfielder in the 11th Naval District and played third base for the Hawaiian All Stars at Pearl Harbor. His ball awareness made him a Milwaukee Braves Silver Slugger in 1958.

Jim worked 2 ½ years at Fairbanks/Morse Colt Industries as a machinist and diesel mechanic. Joined the Green County Sheriff’s Dept. in 1965. He served as a jailor, dispatcher, but was primarily a Patrol Deputy. Retired March 1990 as a Sergeant Patrol Supervisor. His special assignments were training officer, accident reconstruction, crime scene sketching and range officer. He won several pistol shooting awards. After retiring from the Sheriff’s Dept., he worked part time for Albrecht Taxidermy and as a messenger for Swiss Colony Data Center, Monroe, WI.

He served as Chairman of the Christian Education Committee at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church at Brodhead. He served several terms on the church council. Presently a member of Christ Lutheran Church at Eagle River, WI.

Jim was a life member of the NRA, former Officer/Director of the Blackhawk Musky Club, member of the Winnebagoland Musky Club, Life member of Headwaters Muskies, Inc. Chapter 12, Director/Chairman, Life member of North American Fishing Club, Life member and former Guide for the World Musky Hunt, past member of the Musky Nutz Club, Associate member of the Northwoods Chapter Muskies, Inc., Certified DNR Angler Instructor, and taught DNR Hunter Safety for 22 years during which time he taught over 1,000 people. Director of Musky Clubs Alliance of Wisconsin for 30 years.

He always loved to hunt pheasants and ducks. He worked with and trained his favorite breed, black labs. Two of his best were Heffner’s Stormy Knight and Heffner’s Sunny Daze.

Director/Chairman with his wife Carol headed the Kids Fishing Tips program. Together with the other instructors they taught thousands of people fishing and enjoying the outdoors.

He was an avid musky fisherman and written and published some special articles on musky fishing. He won several awards for fishing. In 1994 he had the Largest Release at the National Open Musky Championship at Eagle River. He wrote a story called “A Perfect Day”. 2008 the largest release at the World Musky Hunt. Club Sportsmanship Awards from the Blackhawk Musky Club, Al Hermanson Award, Mr. & Mrs. Musky Award from Headwaters Musky Inc., Bob James Ranger Boats Sportsmanship awarded at the National Open Musky Tournament, 2015 Educator of the Year from the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, 2018 Headwaters President Award, in 2021 Jim and Carol received an Exemplary Service Award from Headwaters Chapter, M.I. Jim was elected to the Oneida Conservation Congress and served as Youth Mentor and served on the Youth Oversight Committee.

Licensed fishing guide for 30 years, 36 years as a Team Suick Field Rep, St. Croix Rods Pro Staff.

Survivors include wife, Carol, son, Rev. James (Rachel) Heffner, stepchildren Heather (Larry) Seefeldt, Heidi Fisher, and grandchildren Courtney (Taylor) Andrews, Sarah, Tim, David, Ruthie, and Isaac Heffner and great grandson Myles Andrews. He was preceded in death by his father and mother. Honorary Pallbearers: Jim Erb, Robert Voegeli, Steve Suick, Jeff Skatrud, Scott Pedley, Dennis DeVoe, Rory Strehlow and Glenn Curless.

A memorial service will be at 11am on Saturday August 27, 2022 at Christ Lutheran Church in Eagle River, WI. Visitation will be held two hours prior to the service.

A second memorial service will be at 12 noon on Saturday September 10, 2022 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Brodhead, WI. Visitation will be held two hours prior to the service. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Brodhead, WI.

Memorial Fund donations to Christ Lutheran Church, Headwaters Chapter 12, or Friends of Wisconsin.
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Victor Symonds

Retired US Navy Master Chief, local business leader and beloved husband, father, and
grandfather, Victor Symonds, passed away on September 19th, 2021 at the age of 80.

 

Victor was born to Virginia and Victor H. Symonds on January 2nd, 1941 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and grew up primarily in Van Buren, Arkansas. Looking for more than his small-town upbringing had to offer, he joined the US Navy at the age of 17 and boy, did he find it. Though his time in the Navy, Victor saw much of the world and lived in all corners of the US as he rose through the ranks. He retired from the Navy after 21 years at the distinguished rank of Master Chief Petty Officer. Victor dearly loved his tenure in service and it was during this time that he met Betty Jo (BJ) and started a family.                                          

 

Following his retirement from the Navy at the ripe old age of 38, Victor went to work for Hiller Aviation in Porterville, CA. Now with a family that included three children, he looked forward to avoiding regular relocations, which was customary in the military but, seemingly like clockwork, after three years, Hiller decided it was going to move its operations to another state. Having started a small business n the side, Victor and BJ took a chance and put everything into their new venture, Arrow Falcon Exporters, so that the family could stay put. Although he had seen a good portion of the world through his military service, with Arrow Falcon, Victor seemed to see the rest, and made countless friends the world over. Victor and BJ ran this successful business , based out of the Porterville municipal airport for more than 40 years.

 

As empty nesters, Victor and BJ enjoyed the tranquility of their Sierra Nevada home in Posey, CA for ~18 years where they enjoyed nothing more than entertaining family and friends. This was a special place to Victor that surely reminded him' of his country upbringing and allowed him to indulge in woodworking and looking after the land. A lover of bluegrass music and the occasional bourbon, Victor was a southern boy to the end and maintained close family ties in Arkansas and Texas. In his later years, Victor was less able to travel but turned to the online world as both a means of communicating with his global network of friends and family and to satiate his ever-inquisitive mind.

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Victor is survived by his wife and partner of 55 years, Betty Jo; his children, Cheri (Kevin) Lindquist, Kate (Nacho) Orduno, and Vaughan (Jennifer) Symonds; and five grandchildren, Shae, Brooke, Jake, Henry, and Jack. His warm smile, dry wit, and sage advice will be missed by all who knew him.

Date of Enlistment: 14 Jan 1958

11-1958 to 5-1962 USS Pine Island
7-1962 to 12-1962 VP-31 NAS North Island, San Diego Ca.
6-1962 to 6-1966 VP-22 Pacific Fleet Moffett Field Ca.
Moffett Field until 1968 went to advanced B school in Pensacola, Fla for 6 or 7 months
Then to NAS Barbers Point, Hi Patrol Squadron Six VP-6
1969 to 1972 Barbers Point Hi VP-6
1972 to 1976 Traron Seven, NAS Meridian Miss
1976 to 1978 VA-195 NAS Lemoore, Ca Served aboard the USS Kittyhawk
Retirement

Special Awards:
Five Good Conduct Awards
Two Air medals
One Meritorious Unit Citation
One Navy Achievement Medal
The Ltjg. Bruce Carrier Award for Excellence in Aircraft Maintenance was presented to VA-195 while maintenance Chief


"Charles H. Fuller (Chuck) was born in December 1929 in Durham, North Carolina. He was the first of four children born to John Emory Fuller and Dorothy Julia Lowe. (Chuck’s father was a mechanical engineer with patents and inventions; one most notably involving the Liberty 450 HP engine where he developed a direct injection high compression gasoline engine which he patented in 1937 and tested on Pikes Peak just three months before the end of WW2.) The apple did not fall far from the tree, as they say, as Chuck also became an inventor and patent holder after 7 years in the Navy. He was in Navy squadron VP-6 during the Korean War and worked radar navigation on missions. Later he was stationed at China Lake developing missile technology. He was recruited by Northrop (working with Nasa) and designed a sensor that successfully maintained communication with the Mariner Venus program. Highlights of his career include oceanographic sensors for the US Navy and Scripps at UC San Diego, the Gemini space project, remote thermographic sensors for the medical field, electronic locks, co-founding Xing Technologies with friend Eric Redemann, developing audio encoding (which was sold to Real Networks in 1999), and working with Dr. Carl Buzceck at Laser Research and Design on classified projects. He is survived by his wife Renate; sons Keith and Phil, stepson Randy Jones, and daughter Rhonda and son Chris. Chuck loved history and was an avid reader. He had a special ability to recall stories with incredible detail and often with much humor. He was known to play a few shenanigans to get a laugh. He liked corny jokes, dogs, classical music, and good books. You could ask him any question and he would have the answer like a walking encyclopedia. His health declined after a throat cancer diagnosis in 2016 left him unable to take food through his mouth or speak well. He was cared for at home until his peaceful passing on June 2, 2021 in Fallbrook, California. He was 91."

Ira Dean Catlin Jr.
October 17, 1951 - June 14, 2021

We are sad to announce that on June 14, 2021 we had to say goodbye to Ira Dean Catlin Jr. (Albany, Louisiana). Family and friends can light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Ira Dean Catlin Jr. to show support.

He was predeceased by : his parents, Ira and Margaret 'Peggy Catlin, Sr.; and his father-in-law Frank Carl, Jr.. He is survived by : his wife Cheryl Carl Catlin; his sons, Nathan Catlin (Sheila) and Jason Catlin (Crystal); his grandchildren, Elijah, Caragen, Ryder and Synclair; and his mother-in-law Shelva Carl.

Edward A Arnold Sr.
February 1, 1953 - May 9, 2021


Edward A. Arnold, Sr., 68, of Hallstead, PA entered into rest on May 9, 2021 peacefully at home.  He is survived by his cherished wife, Kathy; his children, Edward Arnold Jr., Marianne Babiez, Allison (Ajay) Singh, Krystal (Gear) Robinson, Ginny (Jonn) Lord, Amber Brecht, and Lizzie Mollo; grandchildren, Alia Arnold, Rory Singh, Raegyn Singh, King Richard, Princess Trinity, Duchess Mira, Prince Logan; siblings, Marjorie Cook, Billy (Mike) Arnold, and Victor (Pat) Arnold; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.  Ed was predeceased by his parents, William and Virginia Arnold; his sister, Betty Armondi; brothers-in-law, Jack Cook and Richard Armondi.       
Ed was a true American Hero, his motto was “Honor, Family, Country.”  He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1970 shortly after graduating from high school.  He retired from the Navy as AD1(NAC), with 22 years of honorable service, as a Flight Engineer and Company Commander.  He was a Combat Air Crewman with various squadrons, with his most accomplished tour being with the VP6, the World Famous Blue Sharks.  Ed spent most of his Navy career deployed with over 10,000 flight hours, supporting operations in Southeast Asia, Europe, the Med, and the Middle East.  He worked with the Chicago Police Department with stress management.  Following his retirement, he became involved with the V.F.W. where he served as the Post Commander and District Commander for many years, working his way to the State Department of Internal Affairs.  Ed’s personal love of fire arms drove him into instructing others to show respect and have knowledge of fire arm safety.  Locally he was a strong presence at Rob’s Market for 20 years and was elected to the Blue Ridge School Board where he was head of Security.  Two words come to mind when we think of Ed, “An original.”   
Ed was a man who valued his family over everything else.  He made great sacrifices and the extent of his generosity and influence will never be fully known.

Henry Crowhurst
August 12, 1940 – April 20, 2021


Henry Crowhurst passed away peacefully on April 20, 2021 in his house in Chico, California.  He was 80 years old.  He served in VP-6 in the early 1960s as a TACCO with Crew 9.  Some may remember that his dog Chan also flew with his crew when the squadron deployed to Adak, Alaska.  Interestingly, over 20 years later I also served as a TACCO in VP-6, albeit as a member of Crew 10.
-Dean Crowhurst



Henry "Hank" Dalton Crowhurst passed away peacefully on April 20, 2021, in the arms of his wife Iola at their home in Chico, CA. He was 80 years old.

Henry was born in Yuba City, CA, in 1940, to Estelle and Herbert Crowhurst. His years growing up in Yuba City with his four brothers, Herb, Tom, Harold, and James (Willard), all of whom predeceased him, were chronicled in his mother's weekly newspaper column, "Diary of an Average Housewife".

He graduated from Yuba City High School in 1958 and from Oregon State University in 1962. After college, Henry was commissioned as an officer in the US Navy and flew in P2V Neptune and P-3A Orion antisubmarine/maritime patrol aircraft as a Tactical Coordinator during the Vietnam War.

Following his tour in the Navy, Henry graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO; completed his internship and residency at San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, CA, and his fellowship in vascular surgery with Dr. Lester Sauvage in Seattle, WA; and set up his vascular surgery practice in Chico, where he was known for his compassion, intelligence, quick wit, medical expertise, and surgical talent.

In Chico, Henry served on the Medical Board of Trustees and at different times as Medical Director of Trauma/Surgical ICU, Chief of Staff, and Chief of Surgery at Enloe Hospital, and as the President of the Butte-Glenn Medical Society.

AE2 Colleen Maxwell

past away July 23 2018

VP-6 1985-1989

RADM Gerald W. MacKay, USN (Ret)

RADM Gerald W. MacKay, USN (Ret)

April 7, 1936 ~ August 10, 2017


Rear Admiral Gerald Wallace MacKay, USN Ret. passed away peacefully at his home in San Carlos, his wife Linda, at his side.

Jerry was born in Truro, Nova Scotia Canada, moving to Boston at age 8. There he attended Boston Technical H.S. After graduation he joined the United States Navy Reserve Submarine Service. At age 20 he was commissioned an Ensign and designated as a Naval Aviator at Hutchinson Kansas, October 16, 1956.

RADM MacKay flew multiple aircraft while performing Anti-Submarine and Patrol missions amassing over 4500 flight hours flying P-2V and P-3 aircraft over the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

His first duty assignment was with Patrol Squadron Sixteen flying the P-2 Neptune. Here he qualified as a Patrol Plane Commander while serving as Avionics Officer as well as Air Intelligence Officer. Deployments were to Iceland, Africa and Newfoundland. In 1959, MacKay reported to Naval Air Development at South Weymouth, Massachusetts where he served as a Research and Development Project Officer. He then worked at Grumman Aircraft as an aircraft acceptance test pilot. Next he was ordered to the aircraft carrier Lake Champlain and received his qualification as Officer of the Deck Underway. In June 1967, Jerry joined Patrol Squadron Thirty-One first as Operations Officer and then as Training Officer.

RADM Mackay held Command of six aviation organizations during his distinguished Naval career including Patrol Squadron Six, Patrol Squadron Thirty-One, Commander Patrol Wing One/ Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Force Seventh Fleet/ CTF 72, Commander Patrol Wings Pacific, and Commander of U S Naval Forces Japan. He considered his coordination of the sea rescue of thousands of refugees fleeing Vietnam to be one of his greatest accomplishments. Jerry's final Navy assignment was as Deputy Comptroller of the Navy.

RADM MacKay's military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Navy Commendation Medals, Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Expeditionary medal and the Vietnam Service Medal. He was honored in Japan and Korea with the Second Class Medal of the Sacred Treasure, and the Third Class Medal of the Rising Sun and the Order of National Security Merit, respectively. His Navy career spanned thirty-two years, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. 

Jerry retired from the Navy in 1986 in San Carlos, CA. He then began his career in the electronics industry. He closed out his civilian career as President of Advent Systems in 2005. Jerry was an active member of the Fellowship Forum, the Naval Order of the United States, the Association of Naval Aviation, the Coyote Point Yacht Club, the St. Andrews Society, and the Sons in Retirement.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Linda Seaton of Richland Washington. Our family includes the Patricia Ford family, the Finnegan family, the Seaton family and the Henton family. We would also like to acknowledge our extended families: the Havens, Stamms, Sullivans and Castros. 

A funeral mass will be held at St. Charles Catholic Church, San Carlos CA on Thursday, September 21st, 4:00 pm. Military honors for Admiral MacKay will be conducted at Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, Friday September 22nd at 10:00, 22555 Cristo Rey Drive, Los Altos, CA.

DAVID L. ZINDA

DAVID L. ZINDA

AMHERST JCT., WISCONSIN


Age 74, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at Ministry Saint Clare’s Hospital in Weston, WI. He was born July 5, 1942 in Stevens Point, WI; son of Leo and Katherine (Keen) Zinda. On July 10, 1965, David married Judith Dombrowski at St. James Catholic Church in Amherst, WI. David was employed at UW-Stevens Point for twenty years. He was also employed by the US Post Office, retired from the US Navy, and loved his farm. David enjoyed entertaining people and inviting them for a drink at “Dave’s Bar”. TEDA MOSH! He will be deeply missed by all of his loving family and many friends.


David is survived by his wife, Judith “Judy” Zinda of Amherst Jct.; a son, David “Davy” Zinda, II of Stevens Point; a daughter-in-law, Pamela Zinda of Almond; six grandsons, Robert (Cortney) Zinda of Minneapolis, MN, Michael (Amanda) Zinda of Stevens Point, Jared Zinda of Stevens Point; Allan, Alex, and Austin Zinda of Almond; and one great-granddaughter, Kyla Zinda of Stevens Point. He is also survived by many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.


He was preceded in death by his parents, Leo and Katherine Zinda; a daughter, Jody Sue Zinda; a son, Thomas “Tommy” Zinda; two brothers, Gerald Zinda and Ben Zinda; and four sisters, Ramona Gunsolley, Edwina Caldwell, Dorothy Zinda, and Bernadette Printz.


A Funeral Mass will be on Monday, February 20, 2017 at 10:30 AM at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church – Fancher in Amherst, WI. Father Dan Hackel will preside. A visitation will be held on Sunday evening, February 19th, from 4:00 – 8:00 PM at the Jungers-Holly Funeral Home in Amherst with a Rosary Service to be at 4:30 PM. A visitation will also be held on Monday morning from 9:30 – 10:30 AM at the church. Burial with full military honors will be at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Catholic Cemetery following the mass on Monday. The Jungers-Holly Funeral Home of Amherst is assisting the family with arrangements.

Alvin Morris Miller

Alvin Morris Miller: VP-6 1960-1963


July 06, 1943 - March 03, 2017

Alvin M. Miller, 73, Wamego, KS passed away at his home Friday, March 3, 2017.


 Al was born on July 6, 1943 in Colby, KS to Harree and Martha (Stoeker) Miller. Al ran Al's Barbershop in Wamego for over 30 years.


 He is survived by two daughters: Kelli Miller, Colorado Springs, CO, and Staci (Scott) Coleman, Wichita, KS; a sister: Marlene Carpenter, Colby, KS; a brother: Jarree (Nancy) Miller, Wichita, KS; his faithful companion: Elizabeth "Liz" Taylor; a handful of loving grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and a host of wonderful friends.


 He is preceded in death by his wife, Rita, parents, and a brother, Harree.

Joseph T. Gross

Joseph Gross


from his daughter May Contreras:


On 09/18/18, this world lost a truly beautiful source of light — My father, Joseph Gross.


This proud Navy veteran had endless stories of his experiences and the knowledge he accrued and generously shared over the years was beyond plentiful, to say the least.

He could make a friend as easy as a handshake and “hello” and took pride in every part of his life. He was a man who radiated positivity and always found the humor even in a somber situation.

He touched the lives of so many and brought a joy and warmth to my own life that I never imagined I’d find myself living without so soon.


If my father impacted your life in some way, whether great or little, my family and I humbly invite you to attend his memorial service on Friday September 28, 2018 from 11am - 3pm.


Service will be held at the Marlatt Funeral Home (713 Central Ave N, Kent WA 98032).


His final resting place and service will be in Elgin, Illinois and will be announced at a later time.

Stanley V. Donelson

Stanley V. Donelson



who served in VP-6 during the Korean War, died in Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii, at the age of 95 on June 8, 2018. He was born in Braggs, Oklahoma, according to the obit in Honolulu’s Star-Advertiser posted on June 15, 2018.

 

Known as “Don” to his squadron mates of 1950-51, the years I served with him, he was an AD1 and a key man in VP-6 Maintenance, the people who kept our aircraft flyable. Digging through my files, I found photos of him taken at Tachikawa AFB and NAF Atsugi in 1950. I also recall that in 1950 he led the detachment of maintenance personnel in Iwakuni, which was an Australian airbase at the time, that we used as a forward base for missions into the Yellow Sea and along the west coast of Korea.

John “Jack” Krostag

John ""Jack"" Krostag


Friday, October 2nd, 1936 - Wednesday, June 26th, 2019


John “Jack” Krostag, age 82, passed away at MCHS in Eau Claire on June 26, 2019 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on October 2, 1936 in Chippewa Falls to Peter and Sarah (Badman) Krostag. He married Yvonne Fosburgh on April 14, 1984 in Tomah. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War and worked as an auto body shop manager for much of his life. Jack was a skilled craftsman and woodworker. In his free time he enjoyed camping, traveling, reading and fishing.


He is survived by his wife: Yvonne of New Auburn, sons: John (Connie) Krostag of White Bear Lake MN, Rick Krostag and Judy of Sun City Arizona, Tony (Janelle) Trowbridge of Urbana MD; daughters: Lisa (Phil) Franklin of Two Harbors MN and Sara Krostag and Darren of Superior; brother: Peter (Cathy) Krostag of Pensacola FL; sisters: Irene Haller of Bloomer, Ruth (Robert) Sather of Eau Claire, Viola Jones of New Auburn, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.


He is preceded in death by his parents: Peter and Sarah Krostag and infant sister: Jane.

Funeral services will be held at Olson Funeral Home in Bloomer on Monday, July 1, 2019 at 11:00 AM. There will be a visitation on Sunday, June 30, 2019, from 4:00-7:00 PM at Olson Funeral Home in Bloomer and one hour prior to services at the funeral home on Monday. Interment will be in the Island Lake Cemetery with graveside military honors performed. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred and will be given to benefit the “Freedom Honor Flight”.

RICHARD F. NAVARRA

RICHARDF. NAVARRA

June 25, 1938 - February 16, 2020


“Richie” originally from Brooklyn, NY ,relocated to Alexandria, VA in 1989.He was a member of the VP-6 Blue Sharks from 1955 to 1959. He was referred to as, “Dick” Navarra by his squadron mates; served as assistant to Chief Brouillette and enjoyed playing outfield with the Base All Star Softball Team which travelled to Oppama to the All Japan Championship Tournament.


After leaving the Navy, Richie spent many years working for the NY Department of Sanitation and then driving a delivery truck for Hostess Cakes.

Richie was buried in Virginia at Quantico National Cemetery on April 24, 2020.He is survived by his wife Kathy; daughters Rosemarie Navarra &Susan Tiwari, (husband Mani); two grandchildren, Louis & Mayah; Brother Henry Navarra (Hank-also a Navy man); and many nieces, nephews & cousins.

Little, George


AVCM 1964-66 "Navy-Ret AVCM Hewlett Packard-Ret"

ATC Bill Margerum (Margerum, William E.) 

ATC Bill Margerum (Margerum, William E.) in VF-114, WesPac '62-'63. Friend & Shipmate.

Obituary: William E Margerum

Birth  23 March 1914

Death  8 March 1971

Residence: San Diego, CA

Address: Dawson Ave, San Diego, CA 92115

Known Residences: San Diego, CA

Relatives of William: Betty Margerum, Robert Keil Margerum

Cemetery El Camino Memorial Park

San Diego, California, United States

Transcription: ETCA US Navy World War II, Korea, Vietnam

Branch(es): US Navy

Conflict(s): Vietnam War, Korean War, World War II.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Citation: Margerum, CAET William E.

General Orders: All Hands - June 1953

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Chief Aviation Electronics Technician William E. Margerum, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving with Patrol Squadron SIX (VP-6), during operations against enemy aggressor force in Korea from 8 July 1950 to 28 January 1951. Completing thirty-five missions during this period, he participated in patrol and reconnaissance flights over an active combat area in the face of grave hazards and contributed materially to the success of his squadron. His skill, courage and devotion to duty throughout were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/p_flying_cross.htm#M

JIM MARTIN

RADIO OPERATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

Jim was already at VP 6 when I joined the squadron in 1961.  A devil-may-care free spirit and one of 2 radio operators that I know of that used a “bug” to send code.  A bug was a special radio key that allowed for faster speed and was outlawed for use in Navy communications at that time.  The other operator was Dave? Blunt, who somehow got the moniker Baby Huey.  Anyway, Jim could send and receive code at a rate that I could never read.  I think the Wing radio operators who were all highly skilled black-shoe radiomen enjoyed Jim because they really got a chance exercise their skills.  They would haul out their bugs and they and Jim would ratchet up the speed until someone had to send an IMI (repeat) because they couldn’t copy that fast. Guys like me were doing well to do 16-20 words a minute while Jim was up at the 50 wpm area.  My wife Sherrie and I had some of the guys over for Thanksgivings and Jim was always a live wire.  He and Hopkins, PJ McDonald, Curt and Carol Martin, Blunt, Ben Fewell and others I can’t remember would enjoy a good meal and the telling of lies and sea stories.  Jim bought a huge AKAI stereo system in Japan that was top of the line at that time.  I don’t know that Jim ever took the ratings exams because he seemed happy being who he was.   I hope he never lost that elan.