Warbird Information Exchange

been reading alot about president ford in the papers. his ww 2 combat service in ww 2 is mentioned . it stated he served on the uss monterey?? or something like that??? i can't exactly recall. any way...... does anybody know what his job / responsibility was??? sounds as if this carrier was a smaller escort type, as i've never heard of her.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Tom, not at all sure but I think I just read in the paper tthat he was a fitness or physical ed type instructor in the service. He was an All America quality center at Michigan. Don't know if you play football, but that's major duty. Too bad he had to get down in the gutter with Nixon.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

He served on the light carrier USS Monterey (CVL-26) as the assistant navigator, athletic officer, and antiaircraft battery officer. During his time aboard, the ship served with the Third and Fifth fleets which took part in most of the major operations in the South Pacific, including Truk, Saipan, and the Philippines. The closest the ship and President Ford came to death was during the typhoon that hit the Third fleet in Dec 1944. President Ford lost his footing when the ship rolled 25 degrees and almost fell overboard. The ship was so badly damaged from fires caused by aircraft exploding after colliding with each other it was declared unfit for service and returned to the US for repairs. President Ford spent the rest of the war ashore.

CVL-26 USS Monterey"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Monterey_%28CVL-26%29

SNJ on deck


Ship's gunnery officers, 24 October 1943.
Lieutenant Gerald R. Ford, Jr., USNR, is second from right in the front row.









Shay
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Semper Fortis

shay........ you da man!!! how did you manage to find these pics?? they are great. thanks!!!!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Gerald Ford - WWII service

There is a photograph of a basketball game on a slightly lowered elevator of an a/c carrier that shows Mr. Ford jumping for the ball. This photograph was published in a book produced by the US Navy during or just after the war (sorry, my copy is packed away at the moment - "The Blue Ghost" was one book, but not this book I am thinking of, I think) and the photographs were taken by the men of the USN Photographic Institute (organized by famed photographer Edward Steichen).

Interesting Avenger photo..it appears to have gunport tape applied to the leading edges. I believe it's a TBF (not TBM) which did have one gun per wing, not three. Probably an attempt to fool enemy aircraft.

SN

Here's the photo of President Ford playing basketball from Stiechen's book:




Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Neat photos... I had seen that basketball photo before in a couple of books but
never had known that GRF was the guy in the middle.

The Monterrey appears to me to be a CABOT class ? Anyone know for sure?

I had a chance to check her out in New orleans a little a few years ago before
her time ran out and she went out to texas... Really too bad she couldn't have
been saved.

What always really annoyed me was that they couldn't save the 1st Enterprise
CV-6... that was a crime... but it was before I was born so I can't carry that grudge.

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"The best way to control the future is to create it".

She was an Independence Class Carrier.

here is a link with more info and thepictures source.


http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/26.htm

Whoaaaa...Don't get me started about my favorite ship!!!!!
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

The Navy has decided to name their next carrier after Ford.

hey there jiggers,

wow.. true thanks for the link..

talk about a two hour web trip - lots of great info there,
and links to all kinds of stuff... I'm amazed. Gotta sleep
though.. sometimes this crew on wix is pretty amazing..

.. and you're right the cabot was an independence class...
I had meant to say it was a sister ship to the monterrey,
which I had not realized before I saw the pics tonight...

thanks again!

hh

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"The best way to control the future is to create it".

ps. what part of philly are you around?

my inlaw's are around downingtown.

pss. know if you can get into the new jersey's
gun turrets for tour's yet?

thanks,

hh

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"The best way to control the future is to create it".

Dear HH,

I live in Havertown. I haven't been to the New Jerseyfor a few years, but my son was saying he wanted to go again so I will check then.