CHAPTER 3

ARCHIVE INDEX

"I joined the SALT LAKE CITY in July 1940. Normal routine at that time was 2-3 weeks at sea and a week in port. We had a 3 month overhaul in Mare Island January to April 1941. Our skipper was Zacharias (Top Naval Intelligence Officer on Japanese Matters). During the overhaul our 5" ready boxes were loaded in case of an air attack by the Japanese." Traveled to the strait between Australia, and New Guinea, Brisbane, Port Moresby, Rabaul, Pearl, and San Pedro. "On returning to Pearl we were sent out to accompany the ENTERPRISE with some destroyers. The mission was the delivery of 2 Marine Squadrons of planes to Wake. The scheduled return to Pearl on 5 December was delayed by rough weather and unplanned fueling of the destroyers. This also resulted in very low oil for the SALT LAKE and made refueling very necessary for us."

Entire issue of 13 March 1955 San Diego Union. Headline: Navy Atomic Forces Patrol Two Oceans; San Diego Is Base For Pacific Unit. Refo interviewed in an article on front page, with photograph of Refo, VC-6 CDR. Entire issue of 13 March 1955 San Diego Union Metropolitan Edition. Headline: AJ2 Atom Bomb Plane On Deck of YORKTOWN. Navy Atom Striking Force Ready. Same interview with Refo (see above).

The Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile Weapon System Fact Sheet. Ca. 12 pages.

Let's Go Aboard, formerly Confidential manual on Composite Squadron "6" (VC-6) Carrier Operating Information. Original. A packet of Secret photographs re target-finding (?) stapled together inside.

Folder containing official size photographs, a copy of a photograph, and The Account of Accident of AJ-1 BUNO 124173. Photographs of plane on USS FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT runway, plane splashing into water, plane wreckage. Backs of several photos identify pilot of plane as squadron (VC-6) CDR Refo. Bombardier Lt. Mabee killed in crash. All material Restricted.

Dec. 1941 through 1942 USS NEW MEXICO. Improvements to ship, inc. better AA and radar. Maine. Norfolk. Collided with OREGON. Machine guns added. SF, Jan. Backup at Coral Sea and Midway. Aug., Ordered to Torpedo Boat training in RI, but requested and got flight training in Oct.

Certificate from USS OBSERVATION ISLAND confirming Refo's witnessing of the first Polaris missile firing on the Atlantic missile range. Original.

Listing and explanation of main positions in service and civilian life. Retired USN 1958. Worked on AEGIS via RCA. Retired 1983.

July 1940-4 Dec. 1941 USS INDIANAPOLIS. PH. Social life on Oahu. Drills and routine gunnery practice. 5 Dec.-31 Dec.

1941 USS INDIANAPOLIS to Johnston Island, 5 Dec. to land Marines. Betting on whether PH attack was a drill. Tried to attack Truk, but found that ammo was dud. PH for new ammo.

1. Rodgers lists his year in naval aviation training in 1943. He spent five months as a student, two to three months in advanced training, and four to five months as a flight instructor (operational patrol). "They flew us 7 days a week but otherwise several of us in this same category had an easy time of it. We just read about the war."

Re: postwar VP duty. Admiral Rodgers recounts two postwar episodes. Between 1952 and 1955, while serving as Head, Landplane VP Design Branch, BuAer, he was partly responsible for getting auxiliary jet engines [using surplus J-34 engines already owned by the Navy] added to the P2V-5 to assist with heavy takeoffs and emergencies.

The second incident involves Rodgers' role in the Navy's decision to move from the P2V to the P-3 Orion maritime patrol plane. This occurred while Rodgers was serving on the staff of CinCLant-CinCLantFlt in Norfolk.

Rear Admiral E. A. Rodgers to Archive, 3 Oct 1989 Re: Admiral Rodgers "second career" with the Maine Maritime Academy. In 1964, then-Captain Rodgers was CO of the NROTC Unit at Harvard when he decided to apply for the superintendancy of the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine. He was offered the job, accepted, and was delighted with the outcome.

Rodgers gives few details about his accomplishments as a college president [Note: It is evident that these were considerable], but he does reflect on the preparation for a second career that was provided by his various Navy training billets and experience in command.

Biographical Record card. Front and back sides. 1964, retired. Copy. Officer Biography Sheet. 1960.

Rodgers writes "I'm afraid that I can't contribute anything of value in these areas since my experiences were very routine. The only lesson learned is one that stayed with us all--the importance of being strong, well trained and alert."

"Eureka" 1. Rogers recounts incident during which blimp K-74 of ZP21 was off the NE coast of FLA (or SE coast of SC) out of Richmond, Florida in late 1943 or early 1944 on ASW patrol when the U-134 surfaced and fired its rapid firing guns on the blimp, blowing it to shreds. The blimp splashed and the U-boat took them as POW.