VA-772 / VA-776 |
Point of Contact = Squadron Duty Officer (SDO).
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 Provided by Jerry Kopff |
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Patch No info yet. |
Sources David Weber Jerry Kopff Tailhook Association Clay Jansson Gary Verver John Gabbard |
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Handle VA-772 Red Devils? VA-776 Golden Eagles Heritage VF-776, VA-776 January 27, 1968 Reserve Attack Squadron 776 was called to active duty. October 18, 1968 Reserve Attack Squadron 776 was returned to reserve duty. |
Home Ports 19XX - - - - - - Naval Air Station Los Alamitos, California. June 1968- - - - Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. |
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Air Wings 1968 - - - - - - - - - - NR - - - - - - - - - - - |
Aircraft Date Type First Received - - - - - - Type of Aircraft: Date Type First Received - - - - - - Type of Aircraft: 29 January 1968 - - - Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk * 29 July 1968- - - - - Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk * 5 June 1967 - - - - - Douglas TA-4F Skyhawk 17 July 1968- - - - - Douglas A4D-5 (A-4E) Skyhawk * * November 30, 1962 The A4D-2 designation changed to A-4B The A4D-2N designation changed to A-4C The A4D-5 designation changed to A-4E For A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit see lower in this page: |
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Deployments No info yet |
Commanding Officers 1962 era - - - - - - - - - CDR H.A. McMillan. January 1968 - - - - - - - CDR M. E. Johnson, Jr. |
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Awards 6 Jan 1962: RADM William I. Martin presented the "CNO Safety Award" Citations and a "Well Done!" to the 22 Naval Air Reserve squadrons at NAS Los Alamitos. |
Awards continued No additional info |
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Events Drill Dates for VA776: 14-15 Apr 1961, 19-20 May 1961, ...., 21-22 Oct 1961, 18-19 Nov 1961, 16-17 Dec 1961, 20-21 Jan 1962, 17-18 Feb 1962, 17-18 Mar 1962, 14-15 Apr 1962, 19-20 May 1962, Jun 1962, 28-29 July 1962, 25-26 Aug 1962, 29-30 Sept 1962, 20-21 Oct 1962. Oct 1961: On Aug. 27 Clinton P. Randle, 2nd, enlisted in the Naval Air Reserve Program and as assigned to VA-776 with his father, LT Clinton Randle. LT Randle had enlisted in the program 21 years ago at the old station then located at Long Beach a year before NAS Los Alamitos found its new home on the present site. Young Randle will be under the wind of Chief Gordon P. Saunders, who enlisted at the same time with LT Randle and still serves in the same squadron with his old shipmate. Recruits Graduate: Recruits Martin Fox and William Meyer last month garnered awards as recruit company honor man at graduation exercise conducted by Captain R.B. Buchan. Fox, 23-year-old Compton resident, is an assistant film editor for ABC, and drills with VA-776. "The Crews News" U.S. Naval Air Station Los Alamitos by Jerry Kopff. 1962: Kniss makes Chief. August 5, 1966: LCdr. Edward H. Wood (A-4B BuNo 144900) and Lt. Joseph Feldman (A4D-1 BuNo 139964) VA-776 (NARTU Los Alamitos) were killed Friday when their A-4 Skyhawks dropped out of formation and crashed near Starks, LA, enroute from New Orleans to El Paso. Lake Charles, LA, The Lake Charles American Press, Lake Charles, LA, The Lake Charles American Press. September 1, 1966: FALLON (UPI) - Cdr. Duane W. Anderson (VA-772 A-4B BuNo 142912) of Palos Verdes, CA, was killed and LCdr. Henry Adema (VA-772 A-4B BuNo 145042) of Los Alamitos, CA, ejected safely when their Skyhawks collided at 8,000 feet 9 miles southeast of NAAS Fallon while returning to the base after a routine gunnery practice mission. A base spokesman identified the dead man as Cmdr. Duane Anderson, Palos Verde, Calif: He is survived by his widow and six children. Star News, Friday, September 2, 1966, Pasadena, CA. Press Telegram, Friday, September 2, 1966, Long Beach, CA. Nevada State Journal, Friday, September 2, 1966, Reno, NV, Long Beach, CA, Press Telegram, Friday, September 2, 1966, Pasadena, CA, Star News, Friday, September 2, 1966 January 27, 1968: Reserve Attack Squadron 776 was called to active duty following the capture of United States Ship Pueblo - AGER 2 by North Korea January 23, 1968. March 7, 1968: LCdr. David Best, 35, from NAS Los Alamitos based VA-776 was killed when his A-4B Skyhawk jet (BuNo 142903) crashed into the Colorado desert about 12 miles east of Needles Thursday while flying a solo training mission. Redlands Daily Facts, Redlands, CA, Friday, March 8, 1968, and Independent Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA, Friday, March 8, 1968. Douglas A-4B, BuNo 142903, VA-776, crashed into a mountain near Oatman, AZ, during a low-level navigational flight on March 7, 1968. Lt. Commander David Best, of Playa del Ray, CA., was killed in the crash. Chris McDaniel. 17 April 1968: Lt. Jerry P. Shafer, VA-773, (A-4A Skyhawk BuNo 137828) departed NAS Los Alamitos with a VA-771 wingman on a STARP low level navigation training flight at 1410U for the flight on Miramar SANDBLOWER Route 326. The flight was terminated on the third leg of the route over the northern part of the Salton Sea. The pilot was climbing through 8,000 feet at 90% RPM and 280 knots IAS when he heard and felt a small explosion, followed by vibration. He reduced power and informed his wingman that he had problems. All instruments were normal, except the EGT which was rising rapidly and continued to rise when power was reduced to idle. He secured the ac unit, switched to manual fuel control and slowly added power. EGT went to 900C. He reduced power to idle and returned fuel control to primary. As RPM increased the EGT increased and remained at 800-900C. Within three minutes of the first explosion a second milder explosion occurred, and the engine began to unwind. By this time altitude was critical and the pilot ejected. The aircraft crashed about 17 miles SSE of Borrego Springs, CA in a remote unpopulated are of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The pilot was picked by a park Ranger and campers in the area and taken to park headquarters. A C-45 from El Centro picked him up and took him to NAF El Centro. The most probable cause was a failed 1st stage compressor blade, failed inlet guide vane or associated carrier ring. Los Alamitos AAR. Lt. Jerry P. Shafer assigned to VA-773 at NAS Los Alamitos ejected safely at 3,000 feet Wednesday when the engine of his A4 Skyhawk failed over Borrego Springs, CA and crashed in an unpopulated area. Long Beach Press Telegram, Thursday, April, 18, 1968. Joe Idoni October 18, 1968: Reserve Attack Squadron 776 was returned to reserve duty. April 25, 2015: My husband Commander John Brame has passed away. He is buried at Jacksonville National Cemetery. |
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Unit Photos Webmaster note: Prior to 1970, reserve aircraft belonged to the local NARTU or Reserve Naval Air Station. Except for those squadrons on active duty, as in Korea, no reserve squadron "owned" their aircraft, as they were assigned to the NARTU/Station. In 1970, during that reorganization of the reserves into the "Reserve Force" concept, each new squadron was made independent of NARTU (later called NAR) and assigned either to CVWR-20 or CVWR-30. All squadrons were then made in the image of active-duty units, with the reserve unit Commanding Officer owning the aircraft and reporting to the CAG. March 1968:USNR VA-776 Skyhawk BuNo 142824, NR-5, tail section. Photo by Clay Jansson via Tailhook Association Circa 1968: Reserve squadron VA-776 Skyhawk BuNo 142682, NR-01. Douglas photo, Gary Verver Collection. Los Alamitos Navy/Marine Reserve Skyhawk BuNo 137827 on display at an open house. Gary Verver Collection Off-Duty Photos No info yet. |
A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to VA-776:
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