CHAPTER 3

ARCHIVE INDEX

Summary of military career. USS SARATOGA. USS BLUE. Lacouture has the most flight time of any 1940 grad, and has led more flight groups than anyone in Navy.

June 1940-7 Dec. 1941 USS SARATOGA. Happy it was an aircraft carrier. Long Beach. Time in San Diego away from ship with classmates. XO was Read, who had flown first across Atlantic, 1919 to Lisbon. En route to PH once, storm hit, knocking out electricity on ship. Got to ride with a bomber. SF. Long Beach. After Xmas, shocked to be transferred to BLUE. Learned who ran the Navy: petty officers.

James Buckley was a LT on SARATOGA and conducted drills when his wife was there so she had to join in. Later became lifelong friend of Kennedy's and was in charge of Guantanamo during Cuban Missile Crisis.

BLUE in PH. Asst. Engineering Officer. USNA courses in engineering were of absolutely no value in entire naval career. Bremerton, Washington. PH. Joined destroyer squadron. Escorted to Samoa and Tongataba. Coached a baseball team. Hernia and operation. Socialite and her mother took him home for convalescence. Parties. Communications Officer on BLUE. Fiji trip. Fall, training exercises got serious. Halsey ordered wartime readiness at end of November. Japanese subs surrounded the Hawaiian islands. Big party Sat. night. Spent night with hosts, socialites who lived in house that Marcos' moved to when overthrown in 1980s. Awakened with news of attack. BLUE out of harbor by the time L. arrived. Joined with an officer to try to reach their boats; reached another ship instead. As a Commun. Officer, told to organize messages from everywhere. Rumours abounded. Found BLUE. Four ensigns had run it out to sea and shot down a plane and sunk a sub. All 3 carriers at PH spared. Dec. 1941. Martial law in Hawaii. Japanese Americans badly treated. BLUE searched for subs around islands. Out to help the Marines at Wake, but dallied. Marines surrendered. Dec. 30 and 31, Japanese shelled Hilo and other Hw. towns. Comment: PH should be remembered. Reagan has run up a deficit by refusing to raise taxes for overdue mil. build-up; Congress should remember now that it isn't right to risk the future so that consumers' comforts can keep increasing.

BLUE sunk off Guadalcanal in 1942.

Instructor in F4Fs, F6Fs, NAS Melbourne, Fla. June 1944, VF-5 as Ops Officer, soon XO when classmate Tom Earle was killed. First squadron to train at Fallon. USS FRANKLIN. Sunk. Guam. US to command VF-4 (the Red Peppers). USS TARAWA. PG School in Advanced Flight Test Engineering under Perkins. TARAWA. LAKE CHAMPLAIN. First Program Manager for McDonnel F4H aircraft. F4 program director. CO VA-43 at Oceana. SACLANTREPEUR in Paris 2 yrs. CO DIAMOND HEAD. SARATOGA. Chief of Staff of Cardiv(?), TF-77, perm. off Vietnam. OPNAV, Deputy Naval Aviation Plans and Requirements. Killed F111 in favor of F14. First ComFair Lemoore, just as A7s were coming aboard. Retired 1970. Civilian employment. LACOUTURE, JE 7 January 1987

Comment: Lacouture, John to Love, 16 April 1989 Encl. Lacouture to DCNO (Air), 30 Mar 1954, "Carrier Aviation; A Discussion and Constructive Criticism of Policies Concerning" Letter (16 Apr 1989) explains Lacouture's purpose in writing the 1954 memo.The 1954 memo discussed problems with safety and led into proposals for improved training ashore, improved air group orgranization, less duplication among planes for the same mission, and a series of complex recommendations. (Note: This is an excellent example of the way the Navy tried to cope with the problems of introducing jet aircraft into the fleet in the 1950s. Good material for research on air safety, tactics, naval air organzation.)

USNA Recollections: Wanted to go to USNA since 9th grade. Randles prep for USNA and USMC reserves. Tied for first place in US on exam for reservists. Regrets taking German instead of French; was counseled by a Nazi spy professor to do so. Fell in love right after inauguration parade; she married someone else and he has never recovered. Youngster cruise to Germany, tension between mids and German soldiers. Cut in on an officer's dance and was challenged to a duel. Other stories. Madeira. 10pm curfew meant that girlfriends went next to St. John's for late dates. Decided to be aviator. Over Xmas break, Roosevelt family dance. Danced with Eleanor. Battleship. Cruise to Halifax and Quebec. Many road trips for parties. As senior, went to Superint. and recommended 150 lb. football team and squash team. Both instituted. Dinner at CNO Stark's house after graduation; talk about war. Captain John Lacouture, Comment on "The Navy's Final Frontier" USNIP, 1 December 1986.

(Namefile)Inventory of Papers and Photographs, Pictures and newspaper articles on USS BLUE, Jan. 1941-Aug. 1942. Articles on bombing of USS FRANKLIN, March 1945. Picts and arts on Red Peppers, when L. was CO, 1945-47. Masters thesis on stability and control of aircraft, 1950. Picts, arts, possibly cruisebook from USS CORAL SEA, CO 1950-52. Hist. of Tactical testing at NATC 1944-53, which L. is writing. TARAWA cruisebook, 1953-54. Picts and cruisebook LAKE CHAMPLAIN, 1954-56. Etc., etc., etc. (Including letter from Herman Wouk on why he used Lacouture's name in Winds of War and War and Remembrance.)

1 pg account details Lamiman's service in the TENNESSEE after the WEST VIRGINIA (BB 46) was sunk after Pearl Harbor. Lamiman went back into the water after the TENNESSEE was sunk, and later went to the survivors camp.

Served in destroyer SHAW (DD 373) which was repaired at Mare Island and later served in the Solomons Campaign.

Lamiman returned to San Francisco in the AYLWIN (DD 355) and reported to Bath for duty in the BARTON (DD 722). BARTON served with the Destroyer Force off Utah and Omaha Beaches at Normandy on D-Day. BARTON was hit with a 14-inch shell in the engine room, but the crew evacuated before the shell exploded. BARTON later served in the Pacific, and escorted a group of minesweepers into Lingayen Gulf during the January 1945 invasion.

Lamiman later commanded the PHILIP (DD 498), opened up the Yangtze after VJ Day, and participated in the delivery of the 76th Chinese Army to Kurun after the surrender of Formosa.

Lamiman decomissioned the WOOLSEY (DD 437) and made serveral Med cruises. He commanded the BRAINE (DD 630), then taught at USNA in the Marine Engineering Dept.

Later, Lamiman was Logistics Officer on the staff of CinCEastLant, and coasted the RAF crew from the Henley and Head of the River races on the Thames.

Lamiman retired in 1960 and spent 20 years with IBM, working on, among other things, the systems for the Trident submarine and the FAA in-flight control.

Commander Lamiman died on 1 Aug 1985. Note stamped at bottom: "Mrs Eugene D. Lamiman, 6307 Phyllis Lane, Bethesda, MD 20817."3. Photocopy of Naval Dispatch, dtd 11 May 52: "MSG CAPT LAMIMAN X YOU HANDLE YOUR SHIP LIKE A DESTROYER SHOULD BE HANDLED X BROWN SENDS ...." Note handwritten below that Brown was Vice Admiral "Cat" Brown.

Biographical statement written by Mrs. Eugene D. Lamiman. When West Virginia sunk at Pearl Harbor, Lamiman took over Tennessee's AA Guns. Was on board the SHAW to Mare Island via the Battle of Santa Cruz and later reported to BARTON, at Maine. After WWII, Lamiman cruised the Mediterranean aboard PROVIDENCE and ROANOKE. After BRAINE, headed 3rd Class Comm., Marine Engineering, USNA. In 1957, shifted from NATO to NORAD and retired in 1960. He died 31 Aug 1985 following unsuccessful pancreatic surgery.

"The Naval Academy Remembered" traces Lanier's entrance to USNA as a bluejacket from OKLAHOMA on a SecNav appointment to receiving his diploma four years later while packing every interesting side he could remember in 29 pages. Also included is a prediction of success in the Navy based on performance at the USNA. 2 pages. Perhaps the most interesting memoir in this Class of '40 Archives Project on Academy life.

"My own memories of the peacetime Navy go back to December 10, 1934, when, lured by the attraction of big money ($21 a month, at the depth of the Great Depression, loomed bigger than can now be imagined) I was sworn in as an apprentice seaman, at the Naval Recruiting Station, Raleigh, North Carolina" (13 pages of interesting reading.)

BIOGRAPHY

Born 1 January 1918 in Washington D.C. son of Richard H. and Marguarite B. Laning. His father was a Naval Surgeon who retired a Rear Admiral after serving as Medical Inspector of The Pacific in WWII.

Graduated Vallejo High School 1934, U.S. Naval Academy, BSMEE in 1940. University California Berkeley, MS BioPhysics 1950, U.S. National War College in 1960.

Served as AA Division Officer YORKTOWN (CV-5) 1940-41 in Pacific and Atlantic Neutrality Patrol,

Radar Officer & OOD HORNET (CV-8) Doolittle Raid and Battle of Midway 1942, then went to Submarine School and married Ruth Richmond with whom had two wonderful daughters.

1943-44 served in SALMON (SS-182) mostly as XO for 5 patrols, the last one ended as returning to Saipan the worst beaten up boat to get back. Whole crew transferred to STICKLEBACK (SS-415) which made last patrol of war going through minefield of Tsushima.

1945 CO Pilotfish (SS-386) which was a target submarine in the OPERATION CROSSROADS at BIKINI ATOLL. The test Baker underwater blast put PILOTFISH on the bottom where she still lies.

1946 Staff COM 1 in Boston, MA setting up Submarine Reserve. Fascinating PIO job.

1947-50 Graduate School. Studied under 9 Nobel Prize winners Univ. Cal, Berkeley, covered wide range of sciences as recommended by Scientists I'd met at Bikini.

1950 Staff Officer Joint Task Force 3 conducting Nuclear tests. CO TRUTTA (SS-421), fleet boat operating out of New London.

1952 Commissioning CO HARDER (SS-568); operating in Atlantic in newest "Fast Attack" boats.

1953-54 OP-365 in Pentagon planning development and production Nuclear Weapons.

1955-58 PCO and CO SEAWOLF (SSN-575); developed ASW tactics and set World Record submerged cruise for 60 days.

1959-60 OP-31X Studying new ship construction methods; attended National War College.

1961-62 Commissioning CO PROTEUS (AS-19) first Polaris Tender; set up facility at Holy Loch, Scotland.

1963 Assistant Chief of Staff (N2/3) Commander Submarines, Pacific. Retired to become a Corporate Planner, United Aircraft Corporation (Now United Technologies). This job covered most sciences and technologies of the time.

1973 Moved to Florida, became life member Orlando Chamber of Commerce. Began writing articles; about 100 for Submarine Review and Naval Institute.

Decorations: Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Unit Commendation, Various Campaign Ribbons , The Stephen Decatur Award , Marjorie Sterret Award.

Memberships: U.S. Naval Institute, Navy League, Military Order of World Wars, Naval Submarine League, Submarine Veterans Of World War Two , National War College Alumni Association , The Retired Officers Association, Naval Academy Alumni Association, University of California Alumni Association, Orlando Chamber of Commerce, University Club or Winter Park, The U.S.S. Hornet Association, Bally Health Club, Prodigy, America On Line, National Space Society, The Planetary Society, The Smithsonian, The New York Academy of Sciences, The Fleet Reserve Association, Futurist Society, American Society of Naval Engineers, Associate Library of Congress, exMember of Many More. See: Who's Who In The South and SouthEast, 1993-94; Who's Who in the World 1995.

Articles by Laning of possible interest to researchers:

1. Ltr, Laning to Clay Barrow, ed., PROCEEDINGS, 16 Mar 1983, with copy of proposed article, "It All Happened So Fast!"

2. Undated article, Laning, "Sea War."

3. Laning, undated, Comment, "The Principles of Economic War," (apparently a reply to a Dec 1983 PROCEEDINGS article.)

4. Laning, article, undated, "Submarine Launched Cruise Missile: Attack on Ships in Port." Attached to this is copy of Laning to D. A. Paolucci, Santa Fe Corp., 23 Dec 1982, transmitting the article.

5. Laning, undated, article, "Dynamic Concentration."

6. Laning, undated, article, "Thinking About Surprise."

7. Laning to Archive, 23 Dec 1988, re above articles

Letter describes two (2) TRS-80 Mod III discs containing 19 articles. The article HIFLART was published in the PROCEEDINGS in August 1982. Most other articles appeared in the SUBMARINE REVIEW.

"Experiences and Lessons Learned During 1943." In January 1943, Lee reported to the Quincy shipyard as PCO of the subchaser SC-979. Unlike his previous command, the SC-513, his new crew contained only two enlisted men who had seen sea service.

The vessel was commissioned on 15 January, then ran down to Miami for Submarine Chaser Training, but soon after Lee was relieved and told to return to Quincy to prepare another SC. He complained, and the next day was ordered to report to Houghton, Washington for duty in the AVP HALF MOON. She was commissioned on 15 June 1943 and headed for the Southwest Pacific with Lee as XO and additional duties as navigator. She arrived at Brisbane in September, and her CO, Captain William Gallery, took command of TG 73.1 and the first squadron VPB-11 reported aboard. The HALF MOON inaugurated the system of "Black Catting" -- moving night flying from reconnaisance to bomber strikes.

Lee concluded this item with his experiences about training and the high quality of the crews in the World War II Navy.

Career Listing. 1940-42. Commns, Gunnery, and Staff on board CV RANGER. 1942-43 Flight Training Instr. 1943-46 XO VPB-130, Pacific Fleet. 1946-47 AtCom and CO, NAB Closed down Fleet Base, Majuro.1947-50 PG School and Stevens Instit of Technology. 1950-51 Composite Sq 7 (VC-7) Ord and Maint, Dept Head, Nuc Weapons 1952. Heavy Attack Sq 8 (VAH-8) for intro of AJ-2 bomber. 1953-55 Fleet Air Training, Op-561. 1956-57 CO, Deploying Detachments to LantFlt CVs. 1958 XO, CV MIDWAY, completed reconversion and joined PacFleet. 1959 Heavy Attack Wing 2, Chief staff officer, deploying squadrons to Pacific Fleet. 1959-60 Fleet Air, Whidbey Island, Ops Officer. 1960 Retired from Navy. 1960-63 Princeton Theological Seminary. 1963-68 Pastor, Calvin United Presbyterian Church, Hartsdale, NY. 1968-78 Pastor, Waterford United Presbyterian Church, Waterford CT. 1978-82 Pastor, First Presbyterian Churches of Port Henry and Minewille, NY.

Little served in the DOD Personnel Office, the National War College, and on the faculty of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces for two years. Little found at the Pentagon that "the duties assigned me of such a mundane nature they could have been accomplished by a middle grade clerk." DOD was overstaffed and staff was not given authority to make any policy decisions. He contrasts this with his work at NNWC and ICAF.

Peacetime Navy: "Our design, maintenance and battle practice was not adequately realistic. Our ships were firetraps, our watertight integrity was a myth and we were not facing the critical nature of these deficiencies in combat. Golfing at Oahu Country Club and Dinner at Waikiki on an ensigns' salary was great but we should have been facing the inadequacies of our fleet more effectively."

Dec 7 -31, 1941: "My ship, MISSISSIPPI was anchored in a fjord in Iceland (thank God!). I was Lookout Officer--got my only 4.0 fitness report for getting us back to Norfolk safely through the submarines packs."

Entered USNA from NROTC at Georgia Tech. through "what I believe was the first competitive exam" and won an appointment. Capt. Little describes the stay at USNA "as inspiring, competitive, healthful, effective, and enjoyable -- in that order." Father was career army colonel who died before Little entered the Academy. Concludes with "some of my classmates continue to be my closest friends... the chief reason I believe, is the deep sense of integrity and dedication which was nurtured in us at the USNA."

1942: MISSISSIPPI (BB 41), defended the West Coast for about six months.During Battle of Midway, MISSISSIPPI was in support position about 400 miles east of the islands. Returned to San Pedro and reported for duty in IOWA on 25 Jan 1943.

Little reported to the commissioning crew of the new battleship IOWA in January 1943 and was assigned as one of three "full-time" underway OODs. "While in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, my PCO, Captain John L. McCrea, had conferred at length with Captain Gatch, CO SOUTH DAKOTA, who had just returned from extensive combat action as 'battleship X.' Captain Gatch strongly recommended that Captain McCrea select three seasoned deck watch officers and have them stand all underway OOD watches, including general quarters, to relieve the captain of conning worries during combat." Little served as one of these full-time OOD lieutenants during his entire 18 months in the IOWA.

Little saw the torpedo wake then the destroyer TURNER inadvertently fired at the battleship during a drill while FDR and JCS were embarked en route to Oran, Algeria for the Cairo-Teheran Conferences.

"We were firing 20mm guns at weather balloons for drill and for 'entertainment' for our passengers. After I got the captain's attention to the threat, he ordered full rudder to turn toward the torpedo. The 60,000-ton ship at 25 knots healed about 30 degrees, and we watched the torpedo wake miss us by about 20 yards." (Note: Worthy added information to the off-told tale about this famous incident.)

On another occasion, the IOWA was bombarding Mili Atoll in preparation for the landings in the Marshall Islands when she was fired upon by one or two 4-inch shore guns. One shot struck the Turret Number Two. "The projectile sent shrapnel into the turret ranger finder port, down the length of the rangefinder and into the face of the operator. He sustain minor facial cuts -- the only wounds on aboard the IOWA during the entire war, I believe.

Memo from Helen Longino describing enclosures.

Navy - Office of Information, Updated, April 1974, biographical information which concludes with "Rear Admiral Longino assumes his new duties as Defense Attache, Naval Attache And Naval Attache for Air, U.S. Ambassy, London, in June 1974."

Amplified Resume. Mrs. Longino writes at the bottom of page 1 of the resume, "died while we were skiing in Switzerland, 13 March 1977. Retired in London, 1 July 1976." Some positions held: A) Defense Attache, U. S. Embassy, London; B) Deputy Director (Plans), Defense Intelligence Agency; C) Commander, Anti-Submarine Warfare Group; D) Commander Fleet Air, San Diego; and E) Staff, CINCEUR, Stuttgart, Germany.

Hanley to Archive, 24 May 1988 Re: Rear Admiral J. C. Longino, Class of 1940, deceased (Admiral Longino was killed in a skiing accident in 1976 following his retirement from the Navy.) Hanley recounts an incident when Longino was US Naval Attache in London in 1973 or 74 during which Longino introduced him to Captain Vladimir C. Khushokov, the Soviet Naval Attache. Hanley says that Mrs. Longino lives in Washington and that she has Longino's papers, but that she will not turn them over to the Archive.