Skyhawk Association Leadership
Association Officers/Board/Staff
PresidentGene "Blade" Atwell |
Director/VP Navy/Historical ResearchDennis Carroll |
Director/VP MarinesBill "Gunny Rav" Ravgiala |
Secretary/DirectorTerry "Cardinal" Cooney |
Treasurer/DirectorMark "Senator" Willams |
Webmaster/DirectorGeorge "Woodpecker" Blosser |
Navy SDO CoordinatorTerry "Spirit" Wolf |
DirectorTed "Bear" Langworthy |
DirectorSteve "Dwarf" Linder |
DirectorCharlie "Tuna" Stender |
DirectorJoe "Snoopy" Turpen |
DirectorTodd "Hun" Frommelt |
DirectorPete Cole |
DirectorDave "Hide" Dollarhide |
Association ModelerJoe "Snoopy" Turpen |
POW Contact |
Journal Editor EmeritusBob "Raven" HIckerson |
Journal EditorDave "Hide" Dollarhide |
Modeling ContactJoe "Snoopy" Turpen |
WebmasterGene "Blade" Atwell |
DirectorEd "Viking" Jobin |
Historical Research/Web SiteGary Verver |
Director/Historical ResearchDennis Carroll |
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Founder of the Skyhawk Association
The Beginning!
In 1993 the Skyhawk Association was started from names on a clipboard.
1. DAVE WHITE 2. DANNY WHITE 3. OTTO KRUEGER 4. GENE SIZEMORE 5. KEN BLOOD 6. HUGH MAGEE 7. JIM HOLLOWAY 8. JOHN LACOUTURE 9. JIM SEELY 10. PAUL DUDLEY 11. RICK DALE 12. WHITE 13. FRED “ZEKE” CORMIER 14. JOHN DUNCAN 15. JOHN MAMMACK 16. WAYMAN DUNLAP 17. FRANK BURROWS 18. BUD SOUTHWORTH 19. PAUL SCANLAN 20. JIM LUSK 21. BILL EADS 22. ULEAD MASSA 23. WALT STOCK 24. NEMETH 25. DEMMING 26. BILL NEVIUS 27. DICK THOMAS 28. MATT MOORE 29. BUDGE HALL 30. HANK CARUSO 31. DR. ALAN SCHRAMM 32. TOM LANNON 33. “BOOM” POWELL 34. JIM CURTIN 35. DEAN BKER 36. AL BAUMAN 37. CAL LANCASTER 38. FRANK JANS 39. VIC CALISE 40. JAY LAUGHLIN 41. TED CAMICIA 42. JERRY T. ABERCROMBIE 43. JOHN GREEN 44. OGAR |
45. BILL MOLLE 46. ROYCE WILLIAMS 47. BOB BENNETT 48. CALVIN D. SHOEMAKER 49. GARY P. GRISE 50. RAY INSWELL 51. JIM KIDRICK 52. “GUS” EGGERT 53. LARRY P. YARHAM 54. SKIP HARVEY 55. ROB ADAMSON 56. JASON LEAVER 57. “SMOKE” WILSON, JR. 58. RICHARD A. CLARK 59. STREEPER 60. JAY SVENSON 61. DICK WILLETT 62. JOHN HELLMAN 63. AL BRADFORD 64. JIM “GORDO” COOPER 65. DICK DE PREZ 66. BRANT BAUDER 67. CHARLIE WRITHE 68. JIM LYONS 69. SCHKEIS 70. FA??? MCRNHE?? 71. CHARMAINE HOPKINS 72. ED PHILLIPS 73. JOHN FRIER 74. BOB CANERA 75. BOB HUNTER 76. ERNIE THABET 77. JOS SINGER 78. JOHN LOPEZ III 79. BRAD TAISEY 80. RUSS PENNIMAN 81. JOHN BLOORE 82. LEN DUNCAN 83. STU FINCH 84. KEN MCARTHUR 85. LES JACKSON 86. LLOYD L. EVANS 87. TOM WAYNE 88. GEORGE A. CARLTON |
89. RICHARD W. REDDITT 90. WILLIAM H. “BUCK” ROGERS 91. BOB ARNOLD 92. BILL EVANS 93. DICK WRIGHT 94. GERRY MAHONEY 95. WILLIAM H. HARRIS 96. BOB COOGAN 97. BEAR TAYLOR 98. DICK DUNLEAVY 99. TOM “LUCKY” LUCIANO 100. DAVE KAPLAN 101. RICHARD W. “RED” ANDERSON 102. ROBERT S. PANDIS 103. GARY “SNAKE” TURNER 104. BOB PERGLER 105. BOB RAHN 106. JACK CROSTHWAIT 107. “WOODY” WOODBURY 108. MIKE MAHAN 109. WYNN F. FOSTER 110. “BLACK” JACK DALBEY 111. KAY DUFOUR 112. “TOBY” TOBIN 113. HOFSTEITER 114. RICK ZAMBORI 115. WALLY SHIRRA 116. BRUCE MARTIN 117. JEFFREY TOMAIKO 118. DORSIE PAGE 119. HARMAN 120. KENNETH SPIERS 121. DENNIS JOYCE 122. KENNETH L. CHURCH 123. SAM D. TURNER 124. JOE TURNER 125. HOWARD HEAN 126. BILL EGEN 127. DICK POORE 128. BILL DEPLITCH 129. PAUL GERMAN 130. ED GODFREY 131. GORDON KELLER 132. BRENT DENNIS |
M. Davis "Whizzer" White, DDS Association Founder Past NHF Historical Liaison and Program Coordinator Past Association President Past Association Director Past Association Events Director Past VA-94 Squadron Duty Officer. |
Otto E. Krueger Past Navy Coordinator Past Association President Past Association Director |
Asahel D. "Bud" Southworth" Association Webmaster Emeritus Past Association Director. . |
R.R. "Boom" Powell Past Association Director Past Association Treasurer |
Bob Rahn - Test Pilot Bob took the very first Skyhawk into the air. |
Wynn "Captain Hook" Foster Coronado, CA Past Association Secretary Past Association Director Past Association Newsletter Editor Past VA-163 Squadron Duty Officer. |
"Whizzer", the "Founder": (BIO)
Captain Hook:
The Association began as an idea and a clipboard. During the 1993 Tailhook convention in San Diego, M. David "Whizzer" White, DDS, of Bossier City, LA, put up a small sign at a table in the exhibit area. The sign said merely "Are you interested in starting a Skyhawk Association? Sign up here." At the end of the three day convention, the sheets on the clipboard contained 136 names.
Throughout the following year (1994) an undetermined number of "members" were "signed up." Unfortunately, only fragmentary records were maintained and many who signed-up were subsequently "lost." At the September 1994 Tailhook convention in San Diego, about 80 individuals attended a "Skyhawk" luncheon. Following the luncheon, a preliminary organization took place, with "Whizzer" White, Harry Gann, Wynn Foster, and R.R. "Boom" Powell "elected" as President, Historian, Secretary-Newsletter Editor, and Treasurer, respectively. Annual dues were established and bylaws were mentioned, but no further action was taken at that time. It was agreed that the next membership meeting would "piggy-back" with Tailhook '95 at the Nugget Hotel in Sparks (Reno), Nevada.
The first Skyhawk Newsletter was published in March 1995.
Bylaws, patterned after those of the Tailhook Association, were drafted during 1995 and, with the assistance of member-attorney Roger Maino, necessary actions were taken to incorporate the Association. At the 9 September 1995 meeting at the Nugget Hotel in Sparks, NV, the Association was formally incorporated, with five members (Foster, Powell, White, Jack Woodul, and Hugh Magee) elected as Directors. By consensus, it was agreed that the Board of Directors would meet twice a year, in January and in conjunction with the Association annual membership meeting.
The 1996 annual membership meeting "piggy-backed" with the May ANA-Naval Aviation Museum convention in Pensacola, Florida. The 1997 and 1998 annual membership meetings were held in Sparks (Reno). NV, in conjunction with the annual Tailhook conventions. The 1999 annual membership meeting was held in Pensacola, FL, in conjunction with ceremonies for the retirement of the Skyhawk from service in the Naval Air Training Command. The 2000 and 2001 annual membership meetings were held in Sparks (Reno). NV, in conjunction with the annual Tailhook conventions.
The paid membership of 403, as of 01 January 1996, grew steadily to 791 as of 01 January 2002. Beginning in 1998, the Association was sufficiently solvent to allow offering of a complimentary one-year membership to each Student Naval Aviator upon graduation from VT-7 at NAS Meridian, MS, the last training command squadron training with the TA-4J Skyhawk. A total of 70 complimentary memberships were accepted through June 1999, when training command TA-4J operations were ended.
"Puresome", on his recollections of the birth of the Association:
My first recollection of a formative meeting was in San Diego in 1993 at the first TAILHOOK REUNION after the festivities of HOOK 91. Not many of the faithful were there. I somehow found out about the lunch meeting, went, and signed on to help carrying groceries or whatever. CAPT Hook was one of the first Board Members and always counted our beans and kept us honest about bylaws and stuff that the rest of us allowed as necessary, but stood in the way of sea stories. Bud Southworth, Boom Powell, and Ernie Laib did important work at our Reunions, along with our other presidents, Otto Kruger and Tom Brown.
"Whizzer" was heavily involved in the "Skyhawk Tribute" and CNATRA Skyhawk Retirement Ceremony at Pensacola, June 25 to 27, 1999. Lots of folks got involved in attending VT-7 winging ceremonies at Meridian, where SA gave plaques and memberships to the graduating Skyhawkers. The kid, here, got to VP it and mediate sword-fights some.
A DECADE TOWARD A-4’s FOREVER
Whiz
June 2004