Ted Williams F9F rebuild and WIX get together .
Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:20 pm
NEW ENGLADERS, WIX members. LET's have a once a month get together and put the TED William F9F Back together! This would be a chance for non mechanics to learn some new skills, have a cook out, B.S. and work towards a common cause. Any ideas????
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 26, 2005
Contact: USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc.
Frank Lennon
(401) 831-8696
Ted Williams Museum
Dave McCarthy
(352) 476-6042
Museums plan Rhode Island exhibit to honor celebrities who have served their country; late Red Sox great Ted Williams to be first honoree
Aircraft type Williams flew in Korean War to be centerpiece of permanent display
PROVIDENCE - The USS Saratoga Museum Foundation today announced a cooperative agreement with the Ted Williams Museum of Hernando, Florida which will result in a permanent display of Ted Williams artifacts and memorabilia as part of the proposed aircraft carrier museum at the former Quonset/Davisville naval complex on Rhode Island's beautiful Narragansett Bay.
Catalyst for the agreement was the Foundation's acquisition of a rare F9F Panther jet, the same type Williams flew in combat as a Marine fighter pilot in Korea. According to Frank Lennon, Foundation President, the plane will be restored in the colors of Ted's unit, Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-311. It will form the centerpiece of a major display that will eventually honor celebrities and other individuals best known for their successes in other walks of life, but who also served their country honorably and well.
The two museums, along with the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame, will co-host a golf tournament on May 1 at Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown, in which former Red Sox ballplayers and other celebrities are expected to participate. The event will raise money for the aircraft restoration and the Williams exhibit. Former Red Sox GM and Rhode Island native Lou Gorman will be Master of Ceremonies at a kickoff dinner scheduled for April 30.
Dave McCarthy, a former Major in the New Hampshire State Police who is now Executive Director of the Ted Williams Museum, enthusiastically embraced the idea of working together on the project when Lennon presented it.
"Lou Gorman, a retired Navy Captain with service in Korea, is also on the Saratoga board, and he put Frank in touch with me," said McCarthy.
"Captain Theodore Samuel Williams flew 39 combat missions in Korea, after previously giving up three years of his career while on active duty during World War II," added McCarthy. "We will do whatever we can to help honor Ted's military service, as well as that of all members of our armed forces."
The Ted Williams Museum will open a satellite museum in Rhode Island centered around the Panther. Their contribution will include Ted's own Marine Corps memorabilia as part of a special Ted Williams exhibit.
"We will also provide enough baseball material so that visitors can make the link between Ted's military and baseball careers," added McCarthy.
Lennon, a West Point graduate and a Vietnam combat veteran himself, has struggled with the challenge of getting the youth of today to acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifices of their fathers and grandfathers, members of previous generations who fought and died so that these youngsters could live the lives they enjoy today.
"Educating kids today means first getting their attention. Who are the icons and role models youngsters look up to? For the most part, they are sports stars, entertainers, and other celebrities. By involving recognized names from those fields, we will go a long way toward closing the gap," Lennon concluded.
McCarthy stressed the Ted Williams Museum staff has adopted the motto of the US Marines, "Semper Fi", when it comes to honoring the memery of Captain Ted Williams and all those former major leaguers who served their country. "We are and will be 'always faithful' ," said McCarthy.
Eight years ago, while Lennon was running an aviation museum in western New York, he came up with the idea of honoring people such as Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Jimmy Stewart, and Clark Gable to help demonstrate that celebrity status does not preclude service to one's country, and to present service in today's Guard and Reserve as a positive thing.
Ted Williams accepted Lennon's invitation to participate in an inaugural event, and to help get other celebrities involved.
The project was put on hold when Lennon left the New York museum. "They decided not to pursue the concept, so I brought it with me to Rhode Island, planning to revive it as part of the Saratoga project as soon as circumstances allowed, " Lennon said.
Ted Williams' death in 2002 forced another revision of the plan, and the concept was not revived until November, 2005 when Lennon had an opportunity to acquire one of the two privately-owned F9F Panther fighter aircraft in the United States.
"We've had feelers out to friends on the warbird circuit for years," said Lennon. "Although Grumman built more than 1,300 of these fighters, only nine are still in existence, and of those only two are privately owned."
This particular Panther had been flying on the air show circuit for a number of years, winning many awards for the combination of the quality of its restoration and its rarity. The plane crash-landed near the Kalamazoo, MI airport a few years ago, and was donated to the local air museum by the injured owner/pilot.
"Plans to restore the aircraft to flying condition never materialized, and when the F9F was put up for auction we seized upon the opportunity and purchased it with private funds," said Lennon.
******
An aircraft of "firsts," the sleek Grumman F9F Panther was the first jet-powered fighter to see widespread service with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It was the first Navy jet to shoot down an enemy aircraft, the first Navy jet to shoot down an enemy jet-powered aircraft, and the first jet aircraft used by the Blue Angels aerobatic team.
The Panther entered service in May 1949. They were none too soon. On August 6, 1950, Panthers were the first carrier jets to see action in Korea and performed almost half of all attack missions for the Navy and Marine Corps.
*******
There are a number of sources offering details of Williams' exploits in Korea. This is from ESPN's obit:
...Williams turned out to be baseball's longest-serving military warrior, missing three full seasons (1943-45) during World War II and most of the 1952 and '53 seasons when the Korean War was going on. Trained as a Navy fighter pilot and slated for combat in the South Pacific in '45, Japan surrendered before he could see action. Seven years later, at age 33, his reserve unit was recalled to active duty with the Marines and he flew 39 missions over the Korean mainland.
On Feb. 19, 1953, flying low on a bombing run far above the 38th parallel, Williams' F-9 Panther was hit by small arms fire and started leaking hydraulic fluid. With his plane shaking badly (he didn't know it was also on fire), his control panel lit up with warning lights, and his radio dead, Williams followed a fellow pilot back to base, flying without hydraulics and wrestling his stick all the way.
Approaching the landing field, an on-board explosion blew off one of the wheel doors and Williams was forced to land his crippled jet at 225 miles-an-hour and on one wheel. When the F-9 finally came to a stop at the end of the runway after skidding over 2,000 feet, Williams walked away from the burning wreck as firemen hosed it down with foam. Fortunate but enraged, he reacted to nearly auguring in as if he had just popped out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth -- he yanked off his helmet and slammed it to the ground.
- 30 -
Web page creation and site maintenance by West Bay Web.
Last Updated:
12/28/05
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 26, 2005
Contact: USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc.
Frank Lennon
(401) 831-8696
Ted Williams Museum
Dave McCarthy
(352) 476-6042
Museums plan Rhode Island exhibit to honor celebrities who have served their country; late Red Sox great Ted Williams to be first honoree
Aircraft type Williams flew in Korean War to be centerpiece of permanent display
PROVIDENCE - The USS Saratoga Museum Foundation today announced a cooperative agreement with the Ted Williams Museum of Hernando, Florida which will result in a permanent display of Ted Williams artifacts and memorabilia as part of the proposed aircraft carrier museum at the former Quonset/Davisville naval complex on Rhode Island's beautiful Narragansett Bay.
Catalyst for the agreement was the Foundation's acquisition of a rare F9F Panther jet, the same type Williams flew in combat as a Marine fighter pilot in Korea. According to Frank Lennon, Foundation President, the plane will be restored in the colors of Ted's unit, Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-311. It will form the centerpiece of a major display that will eventually honor celebrities and other individuals best known for their successes in other walks of life, but who also served their country honorably and well.
The two museums, along with the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame, will co-host a golf tournament on May 1 at Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown, in which former Red Sox ballplayers and other celebrities are expected to participate. The event will raise money for the aircraft restoration and the Williams exhibit. Former Red Sox GM and Rhode Island native Lou Gorman will be Master of Ceremonies at a kickoff dinner scheduled for April 30.
Dave McCarthy, a former Major in the New Hampshire State Police who is now Executive Director of the Ted Williams Museum, enthusiastically embraced the idea of working together on the project when Lennon presented it.
"Lou Gorman, a retired Navy Captain with service in Korea, is also on the Saratoga board, and he put Frank in touch with me," said McCarthy.
"Captain Theodore Samuel Williams flew 39 combat missions in Korea, after previously giving up three years of his career while on active duty during World War II," added McCarthy. "We will do whatever we can to help honor Ted's military service, as well as that of all members of our armed forces."
The Ted Williams Museum will open a satellite museum in Rhode Island centered around the Panther. Their contribution will include Ted's own Marine Corps memorabilia as part of a special Ted Williams exhibit.
"We will also provide enough baseball material so that visitors can make the link between Ted's military and baseball careers," added McCarthy.
Lennon, a West Point graduate and a Vietnam combat veteran himself, has struggled with the challenge of getting the youth of today to acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifices of their fathers and grandfathers, members of previous generations who fought and died so that these youngsters could live the lives they enjoy today.
"Educating kids today means first getting their attention. Who are the icons and role models youngsters look up to? For the most part, they are sports stars, entertainers, and other celebrities. By involving recognized names from those fields, we will go a long way toward closing the gap," Lennon concluded.
McCarthy stressed the Ted Williams Museum staff has adopted the motto of the US Marines, "Semper Fi", when it comes to honoring the memery of Captain Ted Williams and all those former major leaguers who served their country. "We are and will be 'always faithful' ," said McCarthy.
Eight years ago, while Lennon was running an aviation museum in western New York, he came up with the idea of honoring people such as Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Jimmy Stewart, and Clark Gable to help demonstrate that celebrity status does not preclude service to one's country, and to present service in today's Guard and Reserve as a positive thing.
Ted Williams accepted Lennon's invitation to participate in an inaugural event, and to help get other celebrities involved.
The project was put on hold when Lennon left the New York museum. "They decided not to pursue the concept, so I brought it with me to Rhode Island, planning to revive it as part of the Saratoga project as soon as circumstances allowed, " Lennon said.
Ted Williams' death in 2002 forced another revision of the plan, and the concept was not revived until November, 2005 when Lennon had an opportunity to acquire one of the two privately-owned F9F Panther fighter aircraft in the United States.
"We've had feelers out to friends on the warbird circuit for years," said Lennon. "Although Grumman built more than 1,300 of these fighters, only nine are still in existence, and of those only two are privately owned."
This particular Panther had been flying on the air show circuit for a number of years, winning many awards for the combination of the quality of its restoration and its rarity. The plane crash-landed near the Kalamazoo, MI airport a few years ago, and was donated to the local air museum by the injured owner/pilot.
"Plans to restore the aircraft to flying condition never materialized, and when the F9F was put up for auction we seized upon the opportunity and purchased it with private funds," said Lennon.
******
An aircraft of "firsts," the sleek Grumman F9F Panther was the first jet-powered fighter to see widespread service with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It was the first Navy jet to shoot down an enemy aircraft, the first Navy jet to shoot down an enemy jet-powered aircraft, and the first jet aircraft used by the Blue Angels aerobatic team.
The Panther entered service in May 1949. They were none too soon. On August 6, 1950, Panthers were the first carrier jets to see action in Korea and performed almost half of all attack missions for the Navy and Marine Corps.
*******
There are a number of sources offering details of Williams' exploits in Korea. This is from ESPN's obit:
...Williams turned out to be baseball's longest-serving military warrior, missing three full seasons (1943-45) during World War II and most of the 1952 and '53 seasons when the Korean War was going on. Trained as a Navy fighter pilot and slated for combat in the South Pacific in '45, Japan surrendered before he could see action. Seven years later, at age 33, his reserve unit was recalled to active duty with the Marines and he flew 39 missions over the Korean mainland.
On Feb. 19, 1953, flying low on a bombing run far above the 38th parallel, Williams' F-9 Panther was hit by small arms fire and started leaking hydraulic fluid. With his plane shaking badly (he didn't know it was also on fire), his control panel lit up with warning lights, and his radio dead, Williams followed a fellow pilot back to base, flying without hydraulics and wrestling his stick all the way.
Approaching the landing field, an on-board explosion blew off one of the wheel doors and Williams was forced to land his crippled jet at 225 miles-an-hour and on one wheel. When the F-9 finally came to a stop at the end of the runway after skidding over 2,000 feet, Williams walked away from the burning wreck as firemen hosed it down with foam. Fortunate but enraged, he reacted to nearly auguring in as if he had just popped out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth -- he yanked off his helmet and slammed it to the ground.
- 30 -
Web page creation and site maintenance by West Bay Web.
Last Updated:
12/28/05
Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:28 pm
True American hero.
Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:10 pm
Didn't John Glenn say something like Ted Williams was the best fighter pilot he flew with?
Sat Dec 20, 2008 10:40 pm
I say we just get together, drill out rivets, sand paint, Rewire, shoot rivets, cook out. B.S. ect maybe in the summer camp out at the airport at night.. It would be alot of fun.... and the plane is a high profile project and maybe get to meet some of the red sox.
Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:33 pm
Makes me wish I was up North (Did I just say that? 
)...
Great idea.
Ryan
)...
Great idea.
Ryan
Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:39 pm
I had the privilege of being around Ted Williams for 3 seasons when he was the manager of the Washington Senators and I was the sports rep. for UAL.
He was a helluva hitter and pilot but a worse curMUDGEon than me. The stories I could tell....
Mudge the mudge
He was a helluva hitter and pilot but a worse curMUDGEon than me. The stories I could tell....
Mudge the mudge
Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:09 pm
Broken-Wrench wrote:I say we just get together, drill out rivets, sand paint, Rewire, shoot rivets, cook out. B.S. ect maybe in the summer camp out at the airport at night.. It would be alot of fun.... and the plane is a high profile project and maybe get to meet some of the red sox.
Hey Chuck, great idea!
I can B.S. and cook, I just hate working on airplanes!
Every winter I try to think up ways to not touch my Beetle, this is a good one.
Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:46 pm
It isn't going to fly so there is no pressure.... Turn wrenchs B.S. cook out have a good time.... Maybe we could learn some new things or teach and reinforce what we know.. It sounds like they have money for parts so that is a plus... 
Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:16 pm
The Panther is Art Wolk's old aircraft.
Glad to see it's gonna be put back together.
GO SOX!
Jerry
Glad to see it's gonna be put back together.
GO SOX!
Jerry
Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:15 pm
Hmmm
Maybe a week off work and some time in New England is needed! That sounds like a lot of fun!
Tim
Maybe a week off work and some time in New England is needed! That sounds like a lot of fun!
Tim
Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:47 am
ww2John wrote:Didn't John Glenn say something like Ted Williams was the best fighter pilot he flew with?
Glenn sure didn't want him as a wingman in wartime because he could hit a curveball....
Ted Williams was the kind of guy who never did anything half assed. So if he was going to play ball, he was going to be the best ball player there was. If he was going to be a fighter pilot, he was going to be teh best fighter pilot there was. The man is in the sport fishing hall of fame also.
To back up mudges point, if Ted Williams was going to be a p.i.t.a, he was going to be the biggest p.i.t.a around too.
http://www.tedwilliams.com/index.php?pa ... ry&level=2
Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:19 am
I'm gonna' tell a story about "Teddy Ballgame" and me.
When I travelled with the Senators, I had my own "uni" that the clubhouse manager had assigned to me. I was allowed to go out in "pre-game" warmups and chase balls around the outfield, play "pepper" with some of the guys, sometimes throw "BP" to the pitchers.
Let me preface this by telling you that Ted was quite disdainful of the press.
Anyway...one day we're in Cleveland and Nellie Fox was hitting ground balls to the infielders. I was catching the balls as they were being thrown back in.
Ted comes up to me and says, "I want you to go start throwing some pitches to the bullpen catcher along the sideline in front of the visitor's dugout. If anyone asks you who you are, tell them you've been asked not to say as you might be joining the team soon."
Well...back then, in my middle 30s, I could still make the mitt pop pretty well. It wasn't long before 2 or 3 reporters were there in the stands watching. Sure enough, one of them asked my name, where I was from, and where I'd played. I replied just how Ted had told me to. Pretty soon, they were in his face trying to get info on me. To this day, I don't think they know that he was playing a trick on them.
For me, it was a helluva lot of fun.
Mudge the prankster
OH...so maybe this IS the wrong forum...I don't care
When I travelled with the Senators, I had my own "uni" that the clubhouse manager had assigned to me. I was allowed to go out in "pre-game" warmups and chase balls around the outfield, play "pepper" with some of the guys, sometimes throw "BP" to the pitchers.
Let me preface this by telling you that Ted was quite disdainful of the press.
Anyway...one day we're in Cleveland and Nellie Fox was hitting ground balls to the infielders. I was catching the balls as they were being thrown back in.
Ted comes up to me and says, "I want you to go start throwing some pitches to the bullpen catcher along the sideline in front of the visitor's dugout. If anyone asks you who you are, tell them you've been asked not to say as you might be joining the team soon."
Well...back then, in my middle 30s, I could still make the mitt pop pretty well. It wasn't long before 2 or 3 reporters were there in the stands watching. Sure enough, one of them asked my name, where I was from, and where I'd played. I replied just how Ted had told me to. Pretty soon, they were in his face trying to get info on me. To this day, I don't think they know that he was playing a trick on them.
For me, it was a helluva lot of fun.
Mudge the prankster
OH...so maybe this IS the wrong forum...I don't care
Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:42 am
Mudge wrote:I'm gonna' tell a story about "Teddy Ballgame" and me.
When I travelled with the Senators, I had my own "uni" that the clubhouse manager had assigned to me. I was allowed to go out in "pre-game" warmups and chase balls around the outfield, play "pepper" with some of the guys, sometimes throw "BP" to the pitchers.
Let me preface this by telling you that Ted was quite disdainful of the press.
Anyway...one day we're in Cleveland and Nellie Fox was hitting ground balls to the infielders. I was catching the balls as they were being thrown back in.
Ted comes up to me and says, "I want you to go start throwing some pitches to the bullpen catcher along the sideline in front of the visitor's dugout. If anyone asks you who you are, tell them you've been asked not to say as you might be joining the team soon."
Well...back then, in my middle 30s, I could still make the mitt pop pretty well. It wasn't long before 2 or 3 reporters were there in the stands watching. Sure enough, one of them asked my name, where I was from, and where I'd played. I replied just how Ted had told me to. Pretty soon, they were in his face trying to get info on me. To this day, I don't think they know that he was playing a trick on them.
For me, it was a helluva lot of fun.
Mudge the prankster
OH...so maybe this IS the wrong forum...I don't care
Ha! That's great stuff mudge.