6 4 G(fte izd~a0 0 COVERS GTMO LIKE THE SUNSHINE Saturday, 4 October 1958 U. S. Naval Base, Guantaname Bay, Cuba Volume IX, No. 40 SeaBees Pass In First A3D Bombers Arrive Review For CO NavyRegulusFired Squadron To Qualify On FDR Inland From Sub. Of Public Works Washington (AFPS)-The 57-foot supersonic guided missile Regulus II A Parade and Pass in Review was has been successfully launched from held by the members of Mobile Con- the deck of a submarine for the struction Battalion One, Saturday, first time. September 20, for CAPT W. J. Thompson, CEC, USN, Commanding A Navy announcement said the Officer of Public Works, Guantanamo newly-commissioned Grayback fired Bay, Cuba. the missile shortly after surfacing off the California coast near Point This review, conducted entirely by Mugu Naval Air Missile Test Center. enlisted men, was rated as being more Capable of flying better than 1,000 successful than the review that was miles, the Regulus II was limited to held August 22, 1958, in honor of a flight to Edwards AFB, Calif., about Rear Admiral H. G. Clark, Command- 200 miles from the launching point. er Atlantic Fleet Seabees. Commanding Officer of the Troops At its destination the missile was was E. L. Bookhardt, DMC, with C. scheduled to make a controlled land- C. Maull, SWSC, as Adjutant. ing, using specially-installed recovery W. L. Holloway, CMC, Cowan, SKC, gear. However, the gear did not func- R. V. Higgins, UTC, A. E. Madden, tion properly, the Navy said, and the Douglas A3D Skywarrior, the largest, longest-ranged carrier aircraft in BU1 and B. M. Howarth, DK1, were missile had to be guided in for a the world. "wheels-up" landing. the members of the Commanding Of- It has been two weeks since the twelve mighty A3D "Skywarriors" of Heavy ficer's staff. Officials here said the Regulus II, Attack Squadron ELEVEN (VAH-11) arrived at Leeward Point, Gtmo, under which entered its final testing phase Company Commanders for the pa- the command of CDR R. C. Fernandez Jr., as a vanguard for the rest of the this summer, is an aerodynamic mis- rade were: J. P. Buckler, YNC, for sile suitable for use on "wide-open" squadron. In the short time since then, all 47 officers and 275 enlisted men "H" Company W. L. Lee, CDC, for targets for small, isolated pockets of VAH-11 have arrived here, set up shop, and begun a routine schedule of "A" Company, G. M. Gowan, CEC, requiring near-direct hits to destroy flight operations. for "B" Company, D. R. Bennett, BUC, radar station, and the radar operators It is capable of speeds greater than for "C" Company, and Clifford Moses, Until about 16 October, the Leeward on the ground compute where a bomb 1,000 miles an hour. was Company Commander, for "D" Point Hangar offices will continue to would have fallen had it actually been Company. The Grayback is the Navy's Arst seethe with sweat-soaked VAH-11 per- dropped at that moment. By compar- submarine built expressly for guided sonnel as the squadron prepares for The most outstanding platoon in ing this location to the location of missiles and is conventionally power- night carrier qualifications and other the review was the first platoon of the intended target, the error is de- ed, with an overall length of 320 feet. operations to be conducted on the Delta Company. This platoon was termined. VAH-11 crews also drop She was commissioned last March at USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) judged as first place winner because practice bombs on isolated targets the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in later this month. of their neat appearance and outstand- such as the one on the Gtmo Air California. ing marchin ability. Like all Heavy Attack Squadrons, Station grounds. The Navy said that future Regulus VAH-11 has as its mission the long- Repeated runs have improved crew II-firing submarines will be nuclear range delivery of nuclear weapons skills to the point that five members powered. They include the Halibut, in any kind of weather. For this pur- of VAH-11 belong to the exclusive Permit, Pollack and Plunger. pose the Douglas A3D provides an "Bulls-eye Club," which admits only excellent weapons system with long bombardiers who have scored direct range and endurance. It is the largest hits on targets in simulated bomb runs. and longest-ranged carrier aircraft Maintaining all the complex equip- October 5-11 National in the world. Although it weighs over ment in such a weapons system re- 35 tons at take-off fully loaded, it quires a high degree of skill and Fire Prevention Week can easily operate off the Navy's at- constant effort, VAH-11 assigns over tack carriers, and its twin jets drive two-thirds of its personnel to this task The week of 5 October through the it at speeds approaching the sound under the direction of the Mainte- 11th is the National Fire Prevention barrier. nance Officer, LCDR Byron Butts. Week. This is in accordance with the Carrying out intricate operations About the middle of October, the Presidential Proclamation of 1920 at high speeds and altitudes calls "Checkertails" (so named after their when the President of the United for a high degree of co-ordination aircraft insignia) will go aboard the among the three crew members of FDR for extensive operations, includ- States proclaimed a week in October the A3D. The plane commander han- ing night qualifications, simulated for CAPT year as Fire Prevention Week. SeaBees pass in review of each dles the aircraft controls, the bom- bombing runs, and an operational W. J. Thompson, CO of Public Works This became effective after the disas- bardier-navigator navigates the air- readiness inspection. VAI-11 will join Center. trous fire which all but destroyed the craft to and from the target as well CVA-42 again in November for an city of Chicago. as solving the bombing problem, and Atlantic Fleet exercise, and then the third crewman makes celestial again in January for an eight-month Here on the Base, fire can cause observations, operates the tail guns, deployment to the Sixth Fleet in the as much damage as enemy shells. A Sea Scouts Visit FOR and assists the other crew members. Mediterranean. careless discarded cigarette might as It takes months of training and Nineteen Sea Scouts of Troop #1, well destroy installations as well as bomb runs before crews got their first taste of carrier oper- your life, your property and your simulated reach the level of proficiency neces- State Elections To Be ations last Monday evening aboard family. the giant flat-top FDR. sary for operations such as those Be fire conscious not only during about to be carried out by VAH-11. Held Early November The Sea Scouts, under the leader- the Fire Prevention Week but every State elections will be held 4 No- ship of Lieutenant Albert C. Schutz Naturally, A3D crews cannot prac- day of the year. vember, and for you to vote for the left Fleet Landing at 1900 and were tice by dropping actual bombs on so men of your choice you must act now. transported to the aircraft carrier in Visit your Base Fire Department either American or enemy cities, See your Voting Officer in your re- one of the FDR's motor launches. during the Fire Prevention Week. they use a simulated bomb scoring system. The crew makes a practice spective command. After being welcomed aboard by Bring all questions and clear all your run on a city like San Juan, Puerto Each state has its own time limit the Officer of the Day, the young sea- doubts. Rico, and a radar station on the ground for acceptance of absentee ballots, so men were taken topside and explained "DON'T GIVE A FIRE A CHANCE tracks their course. At the moment it is ',cst to get your ballot in with (Continued on Page Four) TO START". of release, the bombardier signals the as little delay as possible. 6 Page Two THE INDIAN Saturday, 4 October 1958 The Chaplain's Corner President Of LAFRA The INDIAN'S mission is to inform and Visits Local Unit entertain all hands and to serve as a positive factor in promoting the efficiency, welfare and How Do I Look? The Ladies Auxiliary Fleet Reserve contentment of personnel. Association Unit 100 of Guantanamo The INDIAN is published weekly at the And all that sat in the counsil, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as Bay, Cuba was honored last week with Naval Base in accordance with NavExos P35, it had been the face of an angel. Revised July, 1958 and financed with non- an official visit from the National appropriated funds at no cost to the govern- These men had never seen an angel, but they recognized an angelic face. President of the Auxiliary, Mrs. Billie ment. The INDIAN is printed each week at We recognize the highest when we see it. Wirth. the TENTH Naval District Publictions and Highlights of her week's visit with Printing Office, U. S. Naval Base, Guantanamo The princess said: "I do not want to go out because the people are going Unit 100 consisted of an introduction Bay, Cuba. to make fun of my ugly face." "But," answered her little sister, "you only and meeting with RADM R. B. Ellis, The Command look ugly because you act ugly." "I act as I please," said the princess and Commander of the Naval Base, a RADM Robert B. Ellis, USN continued to look ugly, of course.