[ARC5] Navy LM Use-(plus some personal history)

[Sandy Blaize]

All,
My outfit was originally a Bombardment Squadron (light).  We had Douglas 
B-26 bombers half with the 8-50 cal. guns in nose, and half with the glazed 
nose and a Norden bombsight.  The Douglas B-26 being a later airplane that 
replaced the Martin B-26.  Also had a couple of AT-6's and a C-47 "Gooney 
Bird".  Only the C-47 carried a BC-221 (which I never used in flight as all 
the operations of the ART-13 were by myself (T/SGT at time) , my M/SGT who 
ran the Avionics shop, and one other ground communications man who like 
myself had a ham ticket.  So we were never setting an actual military net 
operational frequency.  Sadly, by then, they took out the trailing wire 
antenna as there was no need for any long haul liaison communications as 
they never did anything but mostly short cargo runs and used VHF/UHF radio 
(ARC-3 and ARC-27).

Eventually the squadron's mission changed and we went into jet aircraft 
T-33A's.  We ditched the AT-6s and got a Twin Beech C-45.  Eventually 
changing the squadron to the 122 Fighter Interceptor Squadron that flew 
F-86D
Interceptors.  (Looked basically the same as the "open mouthed" F-86 ground 
attack fighter, but had an afterburning engine and armed with 24-2.75" FFAR 
rockets in a retractable pod under the belly of aircraft. We actually had an 
Active Air Defense role with several aircraft on 5 minute, and one hour 
alert parked and loaded for "Bears"? eventually going into F-86L (a rehashed 
F-86D with more up to date radar fire control system), and then into Convair 
F-102A's.   I left the squadron for a civvy job which led me into marine 
electronics then into Shipboard Radio/radar work on large seagoing vessels.

So that was my "military career" in the Louisiana Air National Guard, first 
as an electrician (no openings in avionics), the avionics, E4 Fire Control 
systems in radar shop, then finally back into Avionics majoring on the 
ARC-27, ARC-34 and RT279/APX (IFF) and the associated KY-95 coder.  (until 
my enlistments were up)  I worked as "permanent party" during the F-86 and 
F-102 years plus the usual weekend stints on drill weekends.

It was interesting, maddening and gratifying to be able to do that work and 
I learned a lot as I went.  Knowing what I know now, I would have joined the 
Navy or Naval Reserve aircraft unit and tried hard to make Radioman CPO.  I 
have NEVER seen a Navy base where the Chiefs were shown disrespect unless it 
was by an Ensign or a Lt. (JG).  The more stripes the officers had the more 
they confided in the CPO's!  Actually an Air Force E9 is almost the same 
thing rank wise, but the hallowed respect they got was not the same as the 
Chiefs got!

73,

Sandy W5TVW