In April 1958 U S Navy Fighter Squadron 174 (VF-174) had its mission changed from fighter to training squadron as it became the sole F8U Crusader training squadron on the east coast of the United States. All pilots assigned to future F8U aircraft squadrons would learn the intricacies of flying the bird at this facility. All fleet squadron maintenance personnel would also be trained here.
Two years later, April 7, 1960, I joined the VF-174 Hell Razors as they were known, based in Jacksonville, Florida. I was due to spend some 2 ½ years in that illustrious and coveted position. The previous November 1959 I had been selected as a First Class Petty Officer, an AMS 1, or Aviation Metalsmith Structures First Class. As such it was but a short while until I became the training petty officer for the structures division of the squadron, responsible for the training program for aviation metalsmiths throughout the east coast concerned with the F8U aircraft. I also ordered and received all maintenance parts and supplies necessary for the day to day operations of our division.
In mid-October 1962 when I arrived at the squadron one morning there was such a flurry of activity I was hardly sure I was at the right place. As a training squadron we had no use for guns in our aircraft and as a precaution against them being fired by accident the guns were all removed from the aircraft. Now they were all being reinstalled using all manpower that could be made available. Suddenly overnight our mission changed from training to fighter status. It seemed Soviet attack missiles had been discovered on Cuba’s north shore, and that President John F. Kennedy had committed our country to having them removed. We were closer to a possible nuclear war than I hope the world shall ever see again.
Thankfully cooler heads kept this possible catastrophe from escalating, in a few days the extreme danger was over, and things quieted back down, but I hope the world never comes this close again to that possibility.
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