Any AWs here lose Friends/Relatives on 9/11?

[BusyBee604]

My good friend & former Boss CAPT John D. Yamnicky, Sr. (Ret.) 1930-2011, fallen on AA Flight 77 at the Pentagon. Big John aka "Mr. Yams" was our (VA-146) OpsO in '65-'66 at which time I was AsstOps /TrainingO. John was a pleasure to work for & a superb aviator to boot (TPS Grad.). Never saw him without a huge grin on his face.

An integral part of our fine All-USNA 'front office', John was Class of '52, later was CO of the VA-172 "Blue Bolts" (A-4s), then Director, Naval Test Pilot School (TPS), prior to his retirement. Mr. Yams had been selected for 'CAG', but turned it down, desiring to spend more time with his family while his children were still in their formative years, thus sacrificing his further career potential, which was very bright.

*John with his new "scrambled eggs" cap at his O-5 (& my O-4) wetting down @ Kalyaan O Club 09/66

At the time of the 09/11 tragedy, Big John was employed as a A/A missile consultant for a DOD Contractor in DC. On that fateful morning, John was heading to NWS China Lake, CA for A/A missile discussions. He boarded AA #77 Dulles-LA, and the rest is part of the sad history of 09/11/01. John was the last of the 9/11 victims to be laid to rest at Arlington in April 2oo2. RIP Rocket "BusyBee 3" Mr. Yams!

*Arlington National Cemetary
BzB

 

[phrogpilot73]

Classmate & friend (and fellow Computer Science Major), LT Darin Pontell. He was an intelligence officer stationed at the Pentagon, and had arrived early that morning to prepare a brief.

His family has sacrificed more than any one family should for this country....

A young Navy pilot, attempting his first touch-and-go landing on the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, came in at the wrong angle and slammed into the ship's bridge structure Sunday afternoon, cartwheeling onto the deck in a fiery explosion that killed him and four others, according to eyewitness accounts. As Ensign Steven E. Pontell, 23, of Columbia, Md., a Naval Academy graduate, roared toward the carrier in a T-2C Buckeye trainer jet, the shipboard observers noticed he was far to the right of the landing deck's center line. The landing signal officer began waving at the pilot and barking into the radio, "Power! Power! Power!" warning Pontell to abort the touch-and-go and accelerate, according to Navy officials.

"The nose pitched up and he lost control of his ability to fly the aircraft," the ship's skipper, Capt. C. Flack Logan, said during a press conference at the ship's Pensacola, Fla., homeport Monday. With dozens of crew members and officers looking on from the deck and many others watching on the carrier's closed circuit television system, the plane flipped upside down and smashed into the ship's "island" structure that houses the bridge and other operations.

Darin decided to go the Naval Academy because of his brother...

 

[HAL Pilot]

Larry Getzfred. He was going through the Rag for his DH tour when I was doing my intial training. We were paired up during the tactics phase as we both were heading to VP-46. When I got to VP-46, he was the Training Officer. He took me under his wing and became my mentor and friend. A great guy who is missed.

http://pentagonmemorial.org/explore/biographies/capt-lawrence-d-getzfred-usn

http://navy.togetherweserved.com/us...pp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=327944

 

[Flugelman]

Larry Getzfred. He was going through the Rag for his DH tour when I was doing my intial training. We were paired up during the tactics phase as we both were heading to VP-46. When I got to VP-46, he was the Training Officer. He took me under his wing and became my mentor and friend. A great guy who is missed.

http://pentagonmemorial.org/explore/biographies/capt-lawrence-d-getzfred-usn

http://navy.togetherweserved.com/us...pp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=327944

I served with him briefly in VP-6. He left 6 shortly after I checked in.

RIP Sir...

 

[robav8r]

This is what I respect and look forward to so much on this board. Honoring our past, the patriots that have gone before us, and of course the fallen. I sometimes liken my continued desire to serve on active duty as being able to drink from the fountain of youth and serve with our Nation's very best. Heroes much greater than I. We should take a pause from the petty, insignificant bitching & personal attacks and remember who we are, what we represent, and the obligation we hold to the next generation.

God Bless those that gave the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11.

 

[Renegade One]

Rear Admiral Bud Flagg. Aboard Flight 77 with his wife, Dee. Career-long F-8 pilot, logging over 3,200 hours, more than any other Crusader pilot. Three combat tours in Vietnam, from '64 - '67. American Airlines pilot from 1967 to 1998.

 

[BusyBee604]

His family has sacrificed more than any one family should for this country....

Not 9/11 related, but this sentence brought vividly to mind... the Widow & Family of LT Bob Gershon. Bob was a CVW-9 shipmate on the '60 RANGER westpac. A VF-91 'Crusader' pilot, he was lost when he flew into a mountain on a night penetration into Iwakuni. He left 2 sons, one of whom became a VP pilot & is a ret. CAPT. The other son Mike also earned his Navy wings & became an A-7 driver. I met Mike around '77 (he had just reported to A-7 RAG), & spent about 2 hours talking with him in a crowd, watching an F/A-18 demo at Lemoore. He was very young when he lost his Dad, and had little memory of him. Mike drained my memory of everything I could remember abou him.

Fast forward to 1985, Mike has

 

[BusyBee604]

(continuing, computer posted while I was writing)! 1985, and Mike is a 2-cruise A-7 veteran & obviously, a top notch performer & pilot flying #6 Solo for the (A-4) Blue Angels. At an July Air Show at Niagara Falls, Mike was killed in a mid-air collision with BA #5, whose pilot ejected safely. Mike & his widow had a son, 1-month old at the time Mike died. I recently learned that his Son passed away at the age of 19 (cannot ascertain how as of yet)! I cannot fathom the sacrifices and anguish this Navy family has suffered over a span of 50 years!
BzB

 

[Catmando]

At least two:
Captain Charles “Chic” Burlingame III, the pilot initially flying AA flight 77 - prior to his murder - that hit the Pentagon.

First Officer Thomas Mcguinness, the pilot initially flying AA flight 11 - prior to his murder - the first plane to hit the World Trade Center.

May they all forever now rest in peace.

 

[jmcquate]

Nice choice of words Cat.

 

[Yardstick]

At least two:
Captain Charles “Chic” Burlingame III, the pilot initially flying AA flight 77 - prior to his murder - that hit the Pentagon.

First Officer Thomas Mcguinness, the pilot initially flying AA flight 11 - prior to his murder - the first plane to hit the World Trade Center.

May they all forever now rest in peace.

View attachment 11370 View attachment 11372

Cat, were you close with Mr. McGuinness? I only ask because I've been good friends with his son since high school. Small world indeed

 

[Catmando]

Cat, were you close with Mr. McGuinness? I only ask because I've been good friends with his son since high school. Small world indeed

No, not really close. I only knew him in VT-21 when I went back on active duty and as his Ops O. He was an SNA there and a Seregrad. I do remember him as a pretty sharp officer and aviator, and very well liked within the entire squadron. His son would be proud. I still maintain some contact with a few of his contemporary friends - Redhawks - of that time and place who were much closer to him than I.

Chic Burlingame I knew better. Although starting on opposite coasts as F-4 drivers, we crossed paths many times TAD together, or on respective XCs. Later we went through Safety school together. As JOs, we had some good and memorable times.

 

[Shpion1]

i worked in CNO IP at the time and finished the night shift that morning and skipped the Hotwash. we lost 7 friends and coworkers that day including Darin above whom I knew previously with CVW 7. Hes burried next to his brother in Baltimore. Also mpurdered was LT Jonas Panik, the briefer who I first met when i was doing the SLAM FIT with VP30 WTU and he was the Grey Knights Spy. Jerry Moran was our SCI AV guru, retired Navy PHC who always talked about his kids. Brady Howell was a Presidential Management Intern, The first ever with N2, just qualified Watch Officer, sharp guy. Angie Houtz was just a good person, the senior naval analyst from ONI, just got back from her first at sea period. saw her as she was headed in, was gonna tell me about her trip. She loved the navy more than some sailors. LCDR Vince Tolbert, a mountain of a man was the heart of IP. between him and Jonas, both who played college ball, I thought they could go through the walls in the new IP as we waited for word that afternoon at ONI. the JIOC in Tampa is called the Vince, appropriately. CDR Dan Shanower was our OIC and i was on the phone with him right before the plane hit. all good guys who are sorely missed all the time, taken in the prime of their life. a good tale about them and IP in http://www.socnet.com/archive/index.php/t-12755.html a story which ran shortly after.

every year we get together this time and go to arlington where Vince, Jerry and Dan are, and send flowers to Bellefonte, Utah, Laplata Md and Utah where the rest are burried. then usually grab a few in old town and reminisce with whomever can make it, and plan on doing it till there arent any of us left...doesnt get any easier. for the last 4 years since my daughter was 4 we take flowers to the pentagon memorial a couple times a year and i tell her stories about each one of them, just so we dont forgete. and to teach her that there is evil in this world but people sacrifice to keep it suppressed. 4 IPers made it out through a hole in the wall to an inside corridor made by the blast presure blowing out an old window type plug. glad the upgrades to segment one didnt find that and fix it before.

sorry about the misspelling, typing this on ipad.

 

[wink]

I knew "Stout" McGuinnes though not well. He was based at LAX with me for some time. Stout's Reserve Squadron was in CAG 30. My squadron, though not part of CAG 30, got underway with and trained with CAG 30 occasionaly, so we'd share bid sheets if on a Reserve gig during company bidding.

Admiral Flagg's son is an airline pilot. He was one of the lead guys that got the armed pilot program pushed through congress. He remains the face of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Program fighting to this day to keep the program funded and improved. The entire flying public should be indebted to him.

 

[ltedge46]

LT Jonas Panik was my intel officer in VP-46 for my first deployment in 99-00, still the best intel officer I've seen through my tours. Lost in the Pentagon crash wile prepping the morning briefs.