Colonel A. M. Moran March Page 2 Windward Marine
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Colonel A. M. Moran March Page 2 Windward Marine .... Moran Retires After 27 Years Service Story By GySgt Ron Harwood Art Works By Cpl Mike Brown A career as a Marine Corps speed of 121 m.p.h. aviator that started 27 years ago In comparison, the F-8 Crusader seat a "Yellow in the student's of jets here at Kaneohe are capable Peril" will come to a close here of developing 16,000 pounds of February 29, 1968, when Colonel thrust from their jet engine, and Arthur M. Moran, Commander of move faster than the speed of the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air sound. Station, retires from active duty. Colonel Moran's first "overseas" Born in Center, Nebraska, the assignment was here in Hawaii 51-year-old colonel has elected to where he flew with Marine Scout remain in Hawaii after he retires Bomber Squadrons VMSB 231 and and is now in the process of pur- 234 out of Ewa. He was here chasing a home in Kailua. from April until June 1942 and During his more than a quarter then transferred to Midway where of a century as a Marine Corps he flew with VMSB-241 until pilot, Colonel Moran has flown November. F-9 every aircraft in the Corps' inven- He rejoined VMSB-234 and tenant colonel, he commanded tory since 1942, except the KC- served in the Solomons for the Marine Fighter Squadron VMF- 130 refueler transport, the A-6 at- next year as squadron operations 235 and then Marine Attack Squad- tack bomber and the UH -IE and officer. He returned to the United ron VMA-25l at El Toro. In Korea, he commanded VM F- 311, among whose pilots were a baseball player named Ted Williams and the man who would be the United States' first astronaut, John Glenn. Returning from Korea in July 1953, he went to Senior School at Quantico, Va., and then served three years with the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, Sandia Base. Alburquerque, New Mexico. Another tour at El Toro fol- lowed. He commanded Marine All Weather Fighter Squadron VMF(AW)-542 for one year and SBD Yellow Peril then served as Marine Air group CH-53 helicopters. States in late 1943 with VMSB- 132. A short tour with the Dive Of all the aircraft he has flown, Bomber Training Unit at El Toro, the colonel's favorite was the F9F California followed. Panther jet that he flew in combat during the Korean War. "Of In March, 1944, he received his course," he said. "I have a soft first command, when, as a major. spot for the Dauntless dive bomb- he took over VMSB-144 at El er (SBD) that I flew during World Toro. The unit was later redesig- War 11. It was a real reliable air- nated as a torpedo bomber squad- RRInEs craft." ron (VMTB) and stationed at Mo- jave. California, and then aboard After being graduated from the aircraft carrier Salerno Bay. Wentworth Military Academy. Lex- ington, Missouri, in 1936, he at- Between WW II and the Korean tended the Universities of Missouri Conflict he served at a variety of and Southern California. He en- locations in aviation-connected the tered the Marine Corps through work. Included was a year at the Naval Aviation Cadet program and F-8 was commissioned a second lieu- Joint Army-Navy Guided Missile 15's operations officer and then on the staff of the Commanding During his career. Coin tenant on February 2, 1942. School, Ft. Bliss, Texas, followed executive officer until July 1959. General, Aircraft, Fleet Marine Moran earned three Distinguis by a year Force. Pacific. Flying Crosses, the Bronze - His first flight as a pilot was in (Aug.1950 to Aug.1951) at El Toro. Cali- A tour in Washington, D. C., with Combat "V." 12 Air Me an N3N, the aforementioned "Yel- at the Naval Air Development fornia, for a brief period. with the Office of the Chief of and the Navy low Peril." Built by the Naval Center, Johnsville, Pa. Commendation Naval Operations. where he was "I've been very fortunate in bon for personal valor and ac Aircraft Factory. the two-seat bi- With opening of hostilities in promoted to colonel in July,1960. having exceptionally good Fleet ment. plane trainer was powered by a Korea, he was once again assigned was his next assignment. After Marine Force duty."Colonel Moran He is married to the f 235 h.p. engine, and had a top a tactical command. Now a lieu- two years he was assigned to said, speaking of his career in the Cordelia Green of Erwin. T Headquarters Marine Corps in the Marine Corps. "The Air Station They have a daughter. Ka Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff. assignment is particularly reward- Susan. born Sept. 15, 1949. and Air. ing as our mission is service to son, Arthur M., Jr-born June others." 1952. A trip west was next in line for the colonel.. Or the way he at- tended the helicopter transition course at Marine Air Group 36 and then served with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in the Far East from November 1963 until November 1964. During that period he was commander of Marine Air Group 11 at the Naval Air Station, At- sugi, Japan. Just prior to his assignment here in January of 1965, he served tiAilA I I BY BROWN PAGE 8 I NilENT PAGE 10 Lancer' Squadron EATERTA Marks SPORTS PAGE 12 The Windward Marine is published by the World Wide Publish- 26th Anniversary Today a private company in no way connected with the Depart- ing Co.. Twenty-six years ago, on Point Naval Air Station. However, their skills through air-to-air of the Navy or the Marine Corps. Opinions expressed by the ment March 1, 1942, Marine Fighter after participation in three wars, gunnery practice using towed publishers herein are not to be considered official expressions by Squadron 212 was commissioned 212 is still a Marine Fighter target banners. The squadron is Department of the Navy nor the Marine Corps. Appearance of the at Ewa, Territory of Hawaii. Squadron whose primary mission one of the last, if not the last, in this publication does not constitute an endorsement advertising Today, there is no longer any remains to "destroy enemy units of its type to utilize the Navy nor the by the Department of Marine Corps of the firms, "Territory of Hawaii" as Hawaii is aircraft." air-to-air gunnery. or services advertised. products now the 50th State. and what was During the past month, Lancer This is the missile age, and Ewa then is now part of Barber's pilots have been sharpening up shooting enemy planes down with machine guns or cannon is thought of as a thing of the past. nil r ups However, in the past two years cannon fire has accounted for about one out of every four planes shot down. The F8 Crusader leads in the number of enemy aircraft destroyed in this MAI manner. In addition to guns, the t) Lancer's Crusader jets are also Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Ray, Hawaii March I.1968 equipped with missiles, the combat-proven, heat- seeking, Sidewinders, and air-intercept orps Opens 'Hot Line' radar. Although it may be partially phased out, air-to-air gunnery by Marine aviators is as important a or Fast Reenlist ments weapon in the Corps' arsenal now Re, og ni/ing that Marine,' options open to hint as it has been for the past 50 times have other distracting three to five months before his years. ess to attend to, like retaking enlistment is due to expire. Leatherneck aviation units e. guarding infiltration routes, But these are not normal times, were not committed to duty in king guerrillas out of American so Headquarters now says that France during WW I until early bassies and running Charlie those who want to re-enlist for summer 1918, and didn't get any across the DM Zone, the one of the options listed in MCO planes to fly until September. rps has set up a "re-enlistment I133-15H and vho are within 30 There is no accurate count of uon hot line" at Headquarters. days of the end of their the number of planes shot down ally geared to giving a quick enlistment can send their request by Marines during their two to short timers whose by radio message. The answer will months of action in France. Some tion dates have more or less come back the same way. records show four and another ed up on them, it was Option requests from thii,k source estimates 12. The actual ounced in Navy Times. whose enlistments expire within number appears to be six. Usually, the Corps likes to have 10 days or less the 'II take by Lieutenant Ralph Talbot and man put in for one of the phone. his observer, Cpl. Robert G. When these urgent icquests tic Cash Awards Offered Robinson, are credited with three QMC States made, though, skippers should be enemy planes destroyed. Another careful to include all the To Officer Dependents was shot down by Capt. Francis P. information Headquarters will Mulcahy (who retired in 1946 ss a erseas Tour need to arrive at a decision. Graduating from high school a high school on Oahu. LtGen.) and GySgt. Thomas L. Under the new "hot line" this year? You may be eligible for The Merit Award is based un McCullough. larification procedures outlined in new Corps one of three $500 Merit Awards scholastic ability, school and The Royal Air Force gave Lt.