I do not remember the SgtMaj you named but I do remember a SgtMaj pilot from H&ms-36 back in the 1959/60 timeframe. We all called him "Flight Suit Phil Mattia". He was a full fledged HAC for the all new HUS-1N, flew HRS-3's prior to the 34's. He was a character to remember> SF

Last Living E Pilot??

I was on duty same years as Harvey Bearden. He was not the last living Enlisted pilot. There is a "Flying Peon" reunion group with something over 100 enlisted pilots that meet each year. There is about 350 that are decceased. As I remember the last 3 active duty Enlisted pilots retired in 1971. MGySgt Wildfang was one of those three and he had something over 33,000 flying hours. Dont believe many could top that!! Henry Wildfang graduated from NAP training in class 1943-47. Harvey Bearden graduated in 1946 from NAP training. Talked to the old Maint Chief from VMO-1 in 1966 he said Bearden had a problem and was grounded, didnt know what happened to him after that. SF PM

Mattia Phillip L.

Mattia graduated from NAP training in Class 110 in 1942. He is listed as deceased in the "Enlisted Pilots Reunion Roster". SF PM

Harvey was an active pilot in HMR162 in 1962-63. Lost contact with him when we returned to conus. I flew alot of hops [crew chief] with Harvey and always enjoyed flying with him. I remember He was rough on the officer type sometimes.

Enlisted Pilots

Fresh off the farm and newly arrived at Futenma in April of '65, I recall being invited (ordered?) to join a formation on the flightline
with other H&MS-16 sub-unit members. I think this gathering was to witness the last flight by an enlisted helicopter pilot and, as I recall, the last official flight of the HOK. I assume this was VMO-2.

Please let me be right about this. I always get corrected at home!

Lowell Johnson

Beardon

IKJohn,
That won't wash if, in fact, Beardon was still flying in 1967 a full two years later after you guys were on the flightline in 1965. Maybe it was last enlisted pilot in your squadron, and/or the last flight of the HOK before retirement??
I'd think Paul Moore (PM3777) would have an inside track on this since he was a UH34D pilot and a CH53 pilot and was in the Marine Corps since 1942 and knows almost everybody anyway. After he searches his memory banks he may come up with more information. Right, Paul??
Semper Fi
Joe

Last Enlisted Flight?/

Lowell, you may be right on the last enlisted pilot in the last HOK flight. As I have stated from the history of NAPs the last three active NAPs retired in 1971. As in the case of Wildfang he was involved in flying C130's and I belive orhers were flying the VIP jets dont recall their designation, think Bob Lurie class 72-45 was in that group. There was also an old NAP flying the Gooney bird down at Da Nang after the date you mention. Probably some others in this group can identify NAP's that were still flying helicopters after the date you mention. For sure they were few & far between in later years . SF PM Edit: Joe , your post came same as my last one in timing. Must correct. Yes Marine Corps 1942 thru 1987 when including 20 years active 1942-1963 than later 14 years Sr Rep MAG-36 Okinawa 1973-1987. Flew UH34 & various derivatives 4 years with VNAF, Vietnam, as Advisory test pilot, flew with Malaysian/RAF SH3D 3 years, 1969 1971, SH3 Wessex with Egyptians 1992. Never was CH53 pilot. Attended NAP training Dec 1943-jul 1944. not designated. SF PM

Back in 1970 I remember a retirement ceremony for the tower chief at ElToro who was an enlisted pilot.

We had several guys in my squadron at Campen VMO-5/HML-267 who were of an advanced age for their grade. Wimpy Norton was a 1st Lt and and a guy named Ford was also a 1st Lt and I believe I can recall him as a butter bar. This was circa 1967.

Enlisted Pilot

Flew with an enlisted pilot at SOES, El Toro in 1968. Also, flew with what seemed like the oldest Gunner in the world at Phu Bai in late 1968. Gunner Barber I think. When you're 20 they all look old.

Wayne Stafford

Naps

Back in my R4D Crew Chief days we often had an all enlisted crew on the flight deck. In 1959 as a member of HMR-362 we deployed to NAF Oppama and I think an NAP by the name of Jack Pittman (Trackin Jack) was in H&MS-16. I can remember Flight Suit Phil and Sid Willey. They were in H&MS-36 at MCAF Santa Ana. Those were the days. Any other Oppama Screws out there?

S/F

Ernie Needham

Tom Constantine wrote:

We had several guys in my squadron at Campen VMO-5/HML-267 who were of an advanced age for their grade. Wimpy Norton was a 1st Lt and and a guy named Ford was also a 1st Lt and I believe I can recall him as a butter bar. This was circa 1967.

Wimpy Norton, Will Greenleese, and Bruice Phillips were pilots who were offered (and took) WO rank after being passed over for promotion. Later they were given 2nd Lt. status again. Ford was enlisted and given officer rank along with many others at the time. He was a maintenance type.

Lanny

Enlisted Pilot

While with VMGR 252 at Cherry Point in 1968 I took a couple of hops to Puerto Rico with an E-9 flying a gooney bird. Sorry, but I don't remember his name.

I remember in February 1968, I was just out of Memhis newly arrived in LTA Santa Ana, there were two Master Gunnery Sergeants and one Sergeant Major flying with HMMT-301. I know the SgtMaj was the Air Station Sgt Maj. I don't know where the MGySgt's were assigned.

K.D. Logue

When I came back from Vietnam in Dec. 1970 I was sent to MCAS Cherry Point. I remember a story in the base paper sometime in the middle of 1971 about the last enlisted pilot in the Corps retiring. He was assigned to SOES, but I don't recall his name. Sometime in the late 1970's Henry Wildfang retired he was in VMGR-252 at the time. He was a Chief Warrant Officer 4 at the time, but retired as a Major the highest rank he held sometime back in WW II.

NAP's

When I reported to HMH-462 at Santa Ana during March 1968, I was living in the SNCO quarters and in the room next to mine was a Master Sergeant, Naval Aviator who was also the Tower Chief, I think. He had many wild stories of WW II, Korea and Vietnam. He had been enlisted, Warrant, enlisted, LDO, and back to enlisted. I only knew him about 3 months as I went to Phu Bai with the advanced party for HMH-462 in July, but he was still flying in 1968 and was part of an all enlisted crew that flew the station R4 down to Yuma with spare part(s) for one of the new 53's coming back from the factory in 1968.

Semper Fi

Duke Dearing
HMH-462 1968-69

Enlisted pilot

I was a friend of MGYST Bob Lurie, and father of Bob Lurie Jr (KIA) VMO-2 1968.
He was one of the last enlisted pilots with 20000+ hours and over 15 years at the top enlisted grade. The way I remember it was there were 4 enlisted pilots left in the early 70's. They kept extending year to year at CMC's discretion since they all had over 30 years in. Finally CMC made them all retire at the same time. I believe that date was 30 June 1973 at Cherry Pt. I could be off a year.
Duke Lind

(Flying) Sgt Major H. Beardon

I've just run across this old post about Sgt. Major Beardon. I reported to VMO-1 in Sept 1966 as a newly minted 2ndLt (Mustang w/9 yrs service), and newly designated Naval Aviator. Sgt Major Beardon was still flying, in fact I flew at least one hop with him (I'm scrambiling to find my log books). I was a new, but not that young (26), officer and because of my prior enlisted time the Sgt Major 'cut me a huss' in terms of attitude. I remember him as a physically big man, probably excused from the PFT.

The other 'newbies' I trained with in VMO-1 were Paul Marquard, Ben Brenneman, Joe Cestare, Jeff Pickett, Dick Gregson. The CO was LtCol Phil Crosswaite and the XO Maj George Dunn.

During my enlisted time, 1957-1964, I was a hydraulic mech with H&MS 24 at Cherry Point, and later with VMA-331 at Beaufort. I saw several NAPs of the time, but don't recall their names. Mag 24 was still flying Furies, Cougars, Sky Raiders, and of course, Goonie Birds! Time flies...

MSGT Baker?

Bill,
Dosen't anyone else remember MSGT Baker? (Not sure I have his rank right.) He was an enlisted pilot that I flew with some at New River in 1966.
BB

Flying Peon at CamPen 1968

Although I was an electrician, I was working for the VMO-5/HML-267 SgtMaj (WT Boyland) at MCALF CamPen sometime in 1968. One day, he told me to come with him. We went down to the pad in front of the hangar as an R4D taxied up. He waved at the pilot and they exchanged extreme vulgarities as the pilot came over to meet Boyland. As I remember the R4D was from ElToro and had some VIP pax.

I was startled to see that the pilot was an E-9 (can't remember which) and his name was Rip Schroeder, as I remember. I went back to work. Top Boyland later told me Schroeder (I think that was his name) was one of the last enlisted pilots in the Corps.

I was astounded to see a G-1 flight jacket sell a year or so ago on Ebay with Rip Schroeder's name tag on it, a Flying Peon patch, and 3 or 4 Korean coins on the leather zipper pull. The item description said it was customary for Korean war pilots to add one coin for each landing on Korean soil.

Enlisted Pilots

Seems I remember flying with a CWO-4 Anderson with HMH-463 around 76-79. Gunnar Anderson ran the night crew but was a very experienced pilot on the Ch-53. I flew with Gunnar Anderson many times. Seems like Gunnar told me that he was an enlisted man around the Korean conflict? Thanks

NAP Classes (Enlisted pilots)

Looking in the Roster for Enlisted Pilots Association there are 3 Andersons listed: Arthur M. Anderson Class 66-47, John V. Anderson Class 50-46 & Robert J. Anderson Class 56-43. Dont see A Gunnar maybe that was an moniker added later in the Marine Corps. I was in the class 45 & was to complete in 47 but took a year out of the Corps & missed the last 47 class. SF PM

Enlisted Pilots

PM,

I apologize in that his name was not Gunnar Anderson. As a CWO we called him Gunner! My mistake..It seems to me his name may have been John but he told me that he he joined military around Korean War. He was still flying Ch-53's Jolly Green Giants with HMH463 in 1979. Thanks

Rick Brohmer
Sgt HMH463
USMC

CWO4 Harding

When I checked into VMO1 in late 1968, there was a CWO4 Harding flying OV10s and HUEYs. He told me one day while waiting his co-pilot for a test hop that he was in the original VMO1 at Guadalcanal and was going to retire soon. He originally flew OY-1 observation planes out of Henderson Field. When he did retire, all of MAG26 and half of Naval Operations.

Msgt. Baker

ben.brenneman wrote: Bill,
Dosen't anyone else remember MSGT Baker? (Not sure I have his rank right.) He was an enlisted pilot that I flew with some at New River in 1966.
BB

Ben...just read your post from 3 October (it's 29 November)...yes, I remember Msgt. Baker...and I believe I flew with him also. GB&SF! Bill