HAVE YOU CHECKED THE HOME PAGE FOR THE LATEST INFO?
I have managed to resurrect some of the Guest Books from the previous FDR Websites. There are some that are lost forever but this is the best there is at the moment. There is a lot of good stuff there.
Click on the year you want to view. Click on the left arrow at the top of your browser to return to this page.
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006-09
MISUSE OF INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN COULD BE AN INVASION OF PRIVACY!
Sign in using the comment form at the bottom of the page and please leave a valid email address. It will NOT be viewable to visitors! If you want to hear from your shipmates leave your email address IN THE MESSAGE ALSO.
SO
Please put your email address in your message so your shipmates can get back to you (if they can remember you).
There is software on board that makes it unreadable to the “bots” who collect that sort of stuff.
All entries must be approved before they will appear in the book. Any inappropriate entries, as well as those with invalid email addresses, will be deleted and will not appear. I check daily so don’t despair if your entry doesn’t appear immediately.
Due to a rash of automated spam messages we now use “captcha” authentication. Just enter the “captcha” code and then SUBMIT. Don’t worry about upper or lower case….either will work. If you have trouble reading it just click the little button to the right and it will “refresh”. Thanks!
Many shipmates have told me, via email, about having visited this site. Oddly many have not left entries here for their shipmates to see. THEY do wonder how you are and probably would love to hear from you. This is a great way get back in contact.
REMEMBER….THE ONLY WAY FOR YOUR SHIPMATES TO GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU IS HAVING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR MESSAGE
For YOUR protection – No home phone numbers or addresses please. Please save that for when you make email contact.
REMEMBER….IF YOU WANT TO BE CONTACTED MAKE SURE YOU PUT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE BODY OF YOUR MESSAGE
served 1956-1959 bt 2nd class
I’m so glad I found this site. I was on the Roosevelt from 1963-the end of 1964. Before that, I served two years as an intelligence analyst at the Fleet Intelligence Center, U.S. Forces Europe (FICEUR) in Morocco before being reassigned as squadron Air Intelligence Officer to Heavy Attack Squadron (HATRON) 11 in Sanford, Florida. I was with the squadron for a few months when we left Mayport for a Caribbean “shakedown” cruise and then across the Atlantic for an extended Med cruise. Just before we left for the Med, the CAG Intelligence Officer got seriously ill and I drew the straw to replace him. So I was with the CAG for most of the cruise.
I’m looking for two men that were with the ship’s company, but who I worked most closely with during that time. One was the Ship’s Intelligence Officer Todd Lofton and the other was his first class assistant Ken Knuth. (I think that’s how you spell his last name.) I’m putting together a short 10 minute theater talk of my time on the FDR and I particularly want to recount the time we were competing in a combat “flyover” exercise with the Enterprise who had state of the art radar and surveillance equipment. Captail Jerry Miller was CO at the time. It seemed we didn’t stand a chance, but Ken who was studying ancient Greek history said he knew from his readings of a large, deep water inlet that was completely surrounded by very tall cliffs. He was convinced, we could sail the FDR into that inlet, turn off all our equipment, maintain complete silence and all lights out. We did and the planes from the Enterprise weren’t able to find us. They flew all around us for several hours and finally had to return to their carrier. That’s when we steamed out of the inlet, launched most of our planes and flew over the Enterprise just as their planes were beginning to land.
I’d appreciate it if anyone who knows where Todd or Ken are could let me know via this site and if there is anyone from HATRON 11 or CAG 1 who was on the FDR at that time, please let me know. I, of course, would love to hear from anyone who could elaborate more on the FDR/Enterprise flyover exercise.
All the best,
Bob Burke, Boston and Newton, Massachusetts
A quick story. As a youngster, my mother alway had me join her at choir practice and I started singing in the cherub choir and continued until today (now senior choir). Anyway, with all those years exposed to music, I had very acute hearing and when they tested us in Boot Camp in Great Lakes, I had great results in the hearing test. Upon graduation, I got orders to our Rosey boat to become a sonar technician due to my hearing. When I reported to the Quarterdeck, the Chief looked at my orders and said, “Moyer, we have a problem here. Carriers do not have sonar, all the ships around us do. What else can you do?” I knew how to type so I became a Yeoman.
Tis a favorite story of mine. U.S. Navy assignments.
Peter Moyer 1969 to 1972
scalese01@verizon.net
Well fellow shipmates, first time for me on our website and I hope there might be someone out there that can help me. I was on the “Rosey” from 1969 to 1972. I was in the Operations Department/ OP Division. I spent my time in the Operations Office and started by reporting to CDR Fred Dunning. Does anyone out there know if CDR Dunning is still on the high side of the turf? I was 18 years old and all three of us Yeoman’s were young and thought very highly of CDR Dunning. I would like to tell him how important he was to us and to thank him.
On the two Med Cruises I made, I worked the second shift (7 pm to 7 am) and I wrote, printed and distributed the Green Sheet (daily operations). Since I was part of OP Division, I bunked with the photomates, a great bunch of guys. When they had some photos that were below par, I would take them to the bake shop, did a little trade and bring back fresh bread right out of the ovens. Everyone was happy.
was looking at some of the e-mails and I was on her only war cruise to Vietnam and have no idea why my beu ta ful face not there. Well to late to complain,but it was the only cruise book i got. :<( TO ALL WHO HAVE OR ARE STILL IN SERVICE "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE"
Was on CAG 1 staff 63-65. On and off the Rosie from Cecil Field.
I was aboard the FDR from June 66 to June 67. I was in GM Division. I have been trying to get in contact with GW Greene who was an AO3 at the time. . Anyone know of him ? Thanks
Looking for Tom Schaefer
B division
1965-68
from Baldwin, L.I. N.Y.
rc1917@msn.com
rode the Rosie from ’71 to ’73
Was on the Rosie 1962-1965. Crossed the pond 13 times during that time. Twice due to loss of a prop. Was in VF-14 With both the demons and the phantoms. I really loved the time on the boat and it sure grew me up in a hurry. Am still in touch with a couple of my service buddies. I am now retired and live in Waynesville, NC. Grew up in Horse Shoe, NC. Am trying to live off the interest and sleep with the cook from time to time. Sure would love to hear from some of you guys that remember me.
Arrived on Rosie at the end of 1972 with VA-176, ended up in S-3 for the duration of that MED cruise. Made several other cruises to the south of Florida during 73/74. Have great memories of my time on board. Would like to thank Master Chief W. W. North for the wisdom he provided me while working for him in VA-176.
To 2 Guys fro VA15:
I was in your sister squardron VA87 (Golden Warriors). One of your fellow squardron mates named Ed Saunders stayed in Jax & married a gal fro there. He was a friend of a guy I haved stayed in touch with since ’73. They eventually lost touch after 12-15 yrs.
I was aboard the “Rosie” w/ VA 15 as an AO, serving in IM3 Div. Ordnance shop in forward hanger bay for the -71 and -72 cruises, married in Athens Nov. 2. -72 w/ the Great VA 15 CO CMDR Ellis’ help. Returned to East TN to raise a family in 1973. Would like to hear from anyone that may remember me or worked either for VA 15 or IM3 Div. Ordnance shop.
If CMDR Ellis is out there; thanks for not court martialing me and for your help w/ NATO paperwork.
Had a great time wished I did remember all of my crew!
Just remembered something else about the med cruise.. We lost two men from one of the squadrons ..
Been too long to remember the exact details .. but..
One was a plane crew member who was caught in the exhaust of a jet as it was taking off.. knocked him overboard.. some sailors went over the side to try and save him.. but he was dead before he hit the water..
and the other was a young pilot who missed the hook and had to eject.. his chute opened and we all cheered because we thought him safe..
but when the copter came over to pick him up the downdraft pushed his chute down over him and he drowned with his hand on his knife with the shroud lines tangled so he could not draw the knife out..
I remember the entire ship’s crew “passed the hat” to collect a college fund for his newborn child who was born shortly before his death.. and he did not get the chance to see his baby.
Good memories are nice, but we need to remember those ship mates who did not come home with us.. they too were part of our Navy Memories..
Was on the Rosie from 1961 to 1963, made the 62/63 Med cruise. I was in “M” division and assigned the Number one throttle for “GQ”
But when “FQ” sounded I was assigned to the steam catapult room up on the flight deck with my two team members .. our job was to monitor the steam pressure from the boilers and if it reached a dangerous low pressure we had to contact the bridge so they could hold off launching until the pressure came back up..
During FQ I was a “Green Shirt” ..
as everyone knows, if a ship is “Dead in the water” with no power/propulsion, it not good.
of all the 7 ships I served on the Rosie was my favorite.. I am a plank owner for three ships, USS Springfield CLG-7, USS Little Rock CLG-4, USS Ozark MCS-2 .. I also served on the USS Galveston, USS Briarus,
I made so many Gitmo shake down cruises I had a permanent sun tan.. heh heh…
and a little trivia for everyone.. the USS Roosevelt is actually the USS Coral Sea and vice-versa.. because The USS Coral Sea was ready for launching before the USS Roosevelt and they wanted to name a ship after President Roosevelt so they switched names on the ships and launched the Corel Sea as the Roosevelt.. but the keels still held their original names
Richard lane I was able to fly home also..contact me at kentanula@yahoo.com
I was on Rosie during the complete Vietnam cruise. Reason for not being on the roster as far
as I can tell is that after we pulled into Subic Bay on compleation of our final tour off the coast
of Vietnam, My commander, in the CR div ask me if I would like to fly home early. I accepted.
I would like to know if anyone has knowledge of the people who got to fly home early from that cruise? If so, they may contact me anytime.
Reunions are really great, we always take the tours and see the local sites. Next year we go to Mobile, AL
gaffga@hargray.com
Bleitner. Which division were you in??? Dates in VAH-3???
Do you mean the 57/58 Med cruise???
VKRETSINGER@bak.bb.com
Pulled to shore duty early. As AI for VA-15, only made one Med cruise (9 mos) and turned over with the Enterprise – many nuc jokes and much fun. Monitered Russian “trawlers” during the Cuban Missle Crises. Great time on the Rosie.
Served aboard the FDR from 09/59 to 08/62. OI Division.
You have done some great fact finding. Look forward to visiting this site often.
I was aboard the FDR with my squadron (VAH-ll) out of Sanford, Fl. for Med Cruise-1959
Kudos to Larry for the great Web site. I really enjoyed the 73-74 Med Cruise video. I spent that period as a midshipman USNA. I’m currently researching Rosie in Operation Nickel Bag and look forward to seeing the cruise book cd. As an elementary school student on Long Island, I built the Revel model much to my father’s chagrin, a USAF retiree.
derosae55@msn.com
To E.J. “Jerry” Hall I was also In V-6 in 1965 my picture not in cruise book, I was on the ships COD and ashore somewhere when the photos were taken. I remember all those names especially A.J. Smith LCDR. Do you remember Bill Godsel, Jerry Adair?
my Email is j400k002@gmail.com