New to the group

Greetings all, very interesting group of folks. I hit the jackpot with all of the wonderful warbird information and chatter going on in here.

And I thought I was the only one out there that had such a passion for Warbirds. I live in sunny Santa Barbara, CA and I love all the photos and information and aviation experience you all are posting.

The only problem is now I'm hooked and my office is suffering because I tend to hang around in here a little too long.

I hope to contribute soon to you all. My father was a Navy Hellcat pilot on the USS Franklin. He has some very rare personal photos of his experiences. Including some very interesting kamakazi attack photos.

More to come ... and thanks for a great place to go and learn and share.

Mark

[RyanShort1]

I hope to contribute soon to you all. My father was a Navy Hellcat pilot on the USS Franklin. He has some very rare personal photos of his experiences. Including some very interesting kamakazi attack photos.
Mark

Welcome to the board! That sounds very interesting. My Great Uncle Gerry was also on board the USS Franklin - in the radio rooms as a runner. He lives out there in California and I've had two wonderful visits with him. I'd be very interested in seeing your USS Franklin information.

Ryan

My father was sitting in his Hellcat waiting to be waved off the Franklin's deck. I believe he was the 4th F6F to the last in line when a kamakazi slammed into the deck behind him. The impact lifted his tail section up and his prop tore into the deck. He scrambled out of his cockpit and dove into a hatch opening and fell one floor down. Aparently the other Hellcat's behind him were destroyed. I need to scan some photos that could be fun for you all to see.

My father's name is Esn James E. Mansfield, maybe your great uncle Gerry knows him. That would be a very cool thing.

Mark

[vg-photo]

Cool, and welcome aboard, Mark. Have you been down to Camarillo to see the Hellcat at the CAF museum?

Yes, I have stopped by a few times on my way to LA ..... sat in the cockpit once as well. Very cool.

[mustangdriver]

Welcome aboard. I think that you will learn a ton here. I know I have.

[Former Member]

Welcome aboard Mark!

John

[warbirdguy]

Welcome!

[Jack Cook]

Hi Mark,
Very cool info on your dad.
I had a friend named Jim Schiller who flew F4U's in VF-5 (VBF-5?)
on the Frankin. He had just trapped and was standing on the flight deck when they where hit. Jim was blown off into the sea and was picked up by a DD. He was from Pendleton, OR by practiced law in Nampa, ID until he passsed away a few years ago.

[Paul Krumrei]

The only one with passion about warbirds?


LOL you hit the jack pot coming on this board sir!

Welcome glad to see another face on the board!

[Robbie Stuart]

Welcome to WIX Mark. I think you have come to the right place, if you have the love for these old machines in your system.
Robbie

I just scanned two photo's of my Dad in a Hellcat and a Corsair. Hellcat photo is during the war and the Corsair is after the war when he was in the reserves out of Detroit.http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x192/mam121061/Picture001.jpg

Oops! .. Sorry! ... guess I need to work on my photo posting. First time. More to come as soon as I can scan ... etc.

PS .... anyone know any info on the Hellcat photo. Dad is getting very old now and is difficult to understand at times, especially the war years. ...