Navy Fighter Squadron VF-11

Comment

Comment by Gary F. Moeller on December 17, 2009 at 4:46pm

I left off dates. I was attached to them from very early 72 through 75.

Comment by Gary F. Moeller on December 17, 2009 at 4:44pm

My time in VF-11 was pretty miserable, mainly due to the optempo we kept. I lived out of a seabag the whole time I was in it. Out of a 47 mo. sea tour, I was actually gone 42 mo. After I was finished with that sea tour, the Navy finally saw the light and quit using people TAD from the squadron to AIMD - they created SeaOpDet to alleviate the crazy schedules that people like me experienced.
Except for the OpTempo, I enjoyed the people a lot while in the squadron. We did have a couple of a**hole officers in it, one in particular I will not name, but I remember him (as XO) trying to keep me from going to the closing on my first house. I went up the chain and spoke to the CO, who said of course I can go. All this took place during a packout of the squadron they had me on, even though I was TAD to AIMD!
The AT Shop Chief (Henson was his name, I believe) was a good guy, and he told me of the fire onboard the Forrestal, when he was an airman. He was one of the guys carrying bodies out of the berthing compartment.

Comment by Gerald Mc Donell on December 2, 2009 at 10:12pm

I was with VF-11 back in 1958. We were flying F2H Banshees. We went to sea aboard the USS ESSEX CVA-9. We lost our shipper, CDR ALLEN in a plane crash in the Med. One Great Squadron and a great group of men.