VMF-512

Lt Jack Moss in the cockpit


his name tag


this photo is called ''the Minessotans''


Fuller


Spjeldet jan 20, 1946 at Cherry point


byeeeeeeeee marcel

The following quote is from a VMF-512 squadron history I found on the 'net.

VMF-512 was equipped with Corsairs and first based at the Marine Corps Auxiliary Air Facility (MCAAF) in Oak Grove NC, a newer outlying field of the larger air station at Cherry Point NC. The base was also known as New Bern, but the pilots referred to it as Pollocksville so that's what it will be called here. The 40 or so pilots were a mix of newly commissioned 2nd lieutenants and veterans who had seen action in various campaigns in the Pacific. For example Tom Liggett was a dive-bomber vet of the campaign on Guadalcanal. You can read more about his career on the web page Tom Liggett found elsewhere on this site. Harry Williams was also in the initial cadre. His log book entries show his first flight in 512 was Feb 22, 1944. Harry flew the F4U-1 and FG-1A, two designations for the same plane. The former was built by Vought and the latter by Goodyear.

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I know that I've posted about this before, so Old Timers, please forgive me, but Oak Grove MCAS is located next door to my home. It was totally abandoned after the war, but it is now used as an auxiliary landing field for rotary-wing aircraft stationed at Cherry Point and New River Marine Corps Air Stations. Frankly, I think that the last photo above was actually taken at Oak Grove, and not Cherry Point.

Here's how the old abandoned field looked in the 'sixties. The last photo is of a Navy jet that made a forced landing at Oak Grove sometime in the fifties or sixties. The Marine Corps tried to helicopter the plane over to Cherry Point to be repaired, but just off the end of Oak Grove's runway, the tether broke. The jet remains in the woods where it fell, uncomfortably close to where my house is now located.







AF

Once again, interesting variations in fit! From the chap fifth from left in the third pic, with sleeves some would call too short (me included, although I know provision was made for the wearing of gloves) to the chap with the Corsair in the last pic, with the sort of tunneling some of us would not be happy with!
Atticus, that 's a cool place to have next door! (I do remember you mentioning it before). Any idea what the jet is, and what sort of state is it in? If it's any good, I'm surprised nobody's had it away for restoration.

Hi Mikey,

The jet is still there...but it is difficult to get to. It is located about a half mile from the end of the runway, in an almost impenetrable forest, on private land. To give you an idea what the terrain is like over there, just think Deliverance.

Truthfully, the last time I went over to see the jet, the ticks and deer flies almost ate my ass alive. And there's no longer much to see there. Just the shell of the plane, really.

AF

Atticus said:

Hi Mikey,

The jet is still there...but it is difficult to get to. It is located about a half mile from the end of the runway, in an almost impenetrable forest, on private land. To give you an idea what the terrain is like over there, just think Deliverance.

Truthfully, the last time I went over to see the jet, the ticks and deer flies almost ate my ass alive. And there's no longer much to see there. Just the shell of the plane, really.

AF

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I think we used to do touch and goes there with the new butter bars getting in there landing and take off time. Isn't there another abandoned MCAS somewhere near the coast not far from there also? Holly Ridge or sump'm like that? I remember we used to fly in to a place called Bogue Field (sp?)

Atticus, can I post your pic of the jet on the WIX? That's very interesting!

Django, at first I said yes, but it isn't my photograph and I can't find the site where I got it to know if it is copyrighted. I'm pretty sure it isn't, but I don't feel comfortable saying you can use it without knowing for sure.

AF

Atticus said:

.... I can't find the site where I got it to know if it is copyrighted.

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http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NC/Airfields_NC_SE.htm

the incredible David is here again.

dujardin said:

the incredible David is here again.

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Why thankyou, Marcel .... here's one for you.

http://media.englishrussia.com/ww2_aerial/1_009.jpg