FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF EARL C. BISHOP Earl Cecil Bishop was born in the Village of Pinemount, Suwanee County, Florida on 25 Mar 1924. He enlisted in the US Navy on 14 May 41 at Jacksonville, FL., and attended AMM School there. In the European Theatre in WWII he served and flew in Patrol Squadron 52, Patrol Squadron 83, Hedron Patrol Wing 5 (Fleet Air Wing 5), Hedron 9-2 Fleet Air Wing 9, Patrol Squadron 92, Hedron Fleet Air Wing 15, Bombing Squadron 111 and Hedron 9-1 Fleet Air Wing 9 from 29 Nov 41 until 11 Oct 44. In the above squadrons he flew out of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Bermuda, French Morocco, Gibralter, and England, participating in anti-submarine and anti-shipping, search and rescue, and bombing missions, including the Anzio and Normandy allied invasions. On 08 Sep 43 he became one of the first enlisted men to be awarded Combat Air Crewman status. Transferring to the Pacific Theatre on 11 Oct 44 he joined Hedron 14-2 Fleet Air Wing 14 at Camp Kearney, CA, and embarked upon a three month combat deployment. He remained with Hedron 14-2, then Torpedo Squadron 11 (re-designated VA-12 Able) until his discharge on 25 Mar 47, as AMM1. On 13 Oct 48 he re-enlisted as AD2 at NAS Jacksonville FL and joined Flight Test, Naval Test Center, NAS Patuxent River, MD. On 24 Jan 52 he joined VC-8, later again attaining 1st Class Petty Officer AD1, and again qualifying as Combat Aircrewman, in the AJ Savage, flying as plane captain. He was killed in the AJ-1 Savage crash at Naples, Italy on 20 July 1955, along with pilot Lt. Donald Bowman and bombadier/navigator Ltjg. Clark McConnell. Photographs of Earl and VC-8 shipmates are at: http://community.webtv.net/charles379/USNComposite Greg Bishop - konabish@hotmail.com - son of Earl C. "Bill" Bishop. Cecelia Graham - wccgraham@prodigy.net - daughter of "Bill" Bishop. Jim Bowman - sky@hawaii.rr.com - son of Donald Bowman The family's search for information about their dad and the crash led to finding many VC shipmates, whose names appear on this website, and led to the creation of this website iteself. John Denehy Sgt USMC, remembers: One of our guys, Cpl. John Kolesar, was the NCO in charge at the main gate to the Ships' Store/commisary; he witnessed the crash [into the civilian glass factory] and called it in to the Sgt. of the Guard at the Albergo Grilli. The family would love to hear from John if he is still with us. I served in the unit from Jan. 1954 to Jan. 1956. It was a two-year tour of duty. We stood duty at Esso, Via Medina, (forgot the name of the building) and the Guggenheim Bldg. down on the water front. My section (Port) was also divided so that half the guys were sent out to Bagnoli to guard the Blgs. there. The worst post to stand was the 5th deck of the building on Via Medina. We were stuck out in a hallway (one guy) and hardly ever saw another human being. The 2400 to 0400, as well as the 0400 to 0800 watches, were especially brutal. More than a couple of guys lost their stripes for falling asleep or sitting down. Tom Frohne - tfrohne@eudora.mail.com - Naval Aviator (Ret), and son of Cdr. Charles Thomas Frohne II, VC-8 and first Exec. Officer of VAH-1. Cdr. Charles T. (Charlie) Frohne II, was killed in an A3D-2P Skywarrior crash on the USS Saratoga July 29, 1960, after becoming Commanding Officer of VAP-62 on November 11, 1959, to facilitate transition from the AJ-2P to the A3D-2P. C. E. "Rock" Guthrie USMC (ret) - nomeroc@worldnet.att.net - son of Cdr. Charles E. Guthrie. Cdr. Charles E. Guthrie, CO of VAH-8 was killed on 12/12/63 in a VAH-8 A3D-2 Skywarrior crash near Subic Bay, Phillipines. Crew Lt. Ray G. English and Russell J. Marshall ATCS were also killed. Cdr. Guthrie was involved in the early days of VC-5 and also in VAH-1.