V°I- 3 _ U. S. Naval Air Station (LTA) Weeksville, Elizabeth City, N. C., July 8, 1944 No. 14
New Station Skipper
CAPTAIN BENJAMIN MAY II, USN
Until last month commanding officer of the Navy’s lighter-than -air
base at Houma. La.. Captain May reported here on 26 June to assume
command of the Station. A graduate of the Naval Academy in the
Class of 1925, his lighter-than -air service has included tours of duty
as executive officer of NAS, Moffett Field, watch and division of¬
ficer aboard the USS LOS ANGELES, and instructor and Ground
Handling Officer at NAS. Lakehurst. He was atop a mast directing
landing of the huge German dirigible HINDENBURG when the latter
exploded and was destroyed at Lakehurst in 1936.
Presidential Unit
Citation Awarded
Hedron Man Here
Walter H. Summers, AM M 1c,
Served With USS ENTERPRISE
Group in Pacific
(Picture on Page 8)
Walter H. Summers, 29-year-old
Aviation Machinist’s Mate, first
class, of Hedron detachment, has
been awarded a Presidential Unit
Citation as a member of the Air
Group of the USS ENTERPRISE
during the carrier’s action in the
Pacific in the first year of the war.
Summers, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Norman E. Summers of Route 3,
Chaffee, Mo., received the Citation
from Lieut. Comdr. A. P. Sewell,
USN, Commanding Officer of
Blimp Headquarters Squadron 1,
in a surprise ceremony before as¬
sembled officers and men of the
Hedron detachment in Dock No.
1 here two weeks ago. He had
served aboard the USS YORK-
TOWN for four months before it
was sunk in the Battle of Midway
in June, 1942, and then transfer¬
red to Scouting Squadron Six,
which also was part of the Enter¬
prise Air Group.
Outstanding Record
The Presidential Unit Citation,
signed by the late Secretary of the
Navy Frank Knox in the name of
the President, was awarded the
USS ENTERPRISE “for consis¬
tently outstanding performance
and distinguished achievement
during repeated action against
enemy Japanese forces in the Pa¬
cific War Area, December 7, 1941,
to November 15, 1942”, and said:
“Participating in nearly every
major carrier engagement in the
See CITATION, Page 8
Officers May Date
Waves Off Station
It’s now permissible for com¬
missioned offivers to “date” en¬
listed WAVES outside the limits
of the Station.
A modification of Station orders
this week authorized officers “to
escort or otherwise appear in
company with enlisted personnel
of the WAVES at social functions”
off the Station.
Next V-12 Program
Cut to 1,000 Men
A limited quota of approximate¬
ly 1,000 enlisted men has been
established for the fifth addition
to the Navy’s V-12 program be¬
ginning 1 November, Secretary
Forrestal announced in a brief
Alnav this week.
Full details of the college train¬
ing program, under which enlisted
personnel can qualify for commis¬
sions in the Naval Reserve, will
be released later this month. Re¬
quirements will be substantially
the same as in the past.
Officers' Work Day
Reduced Half Hour
An extra half hour of off-duty
time per day was granted Station
officers this week under a new
order providing that the regular
working hours shall be 0800 to
1630 on week-days.
The change, making officers’
schedule coincide with those of
civilian employes also brought a
change in the Station bus sched¬
ule, moving the evening trip to
Elizabeth City up a half hour.
The bus will now leave Dock No.
1 at 1630, instead of 1700, and
will leave the Administration
Building at 1635 and the BOQ at
1640 daily.
Station Bond Drive
Winds Up Tonight;
Still Short of Goal
Cash Sales At Half-Way Mark
Thursday in Campaign
for $39,300
(See Pictures, Page 3, 5)
Spurred on by a congratulatory
message from the Commanding
Officer, the Station rolled up its
sleeves and hoped to top its rec¬
ord-breaking quota of $39,300 in
extra cash sales before the Navy’s
Fourth of July bond drive ends
tonight.
Up until Friday morning, when
the PASQUOTANK PATROL
went to press, sales to military
and service personnel here totaled
just about half that amount, but
several expected large purchases
had not yet been recorded.
Progress of the drive brought
this message, meantime, from the
Station skipper, Captain Benjamin
May:
“This being the last day of the
Navy’s Fourth of July War Bond
campaign, and considering all the
publicity that it has had, I feel
that there is little left that I can
say. We set a goal for ourselves
that was very high and to reach
it will be a first class miracle
comparable to, say, the Jonah and
the Whale episode or something
equally astounding.
Huge Success
“I think this bond campaign is
a huge success, considering the
fact that the personnel of this
Station — both naval and civilian
— already are buying war bonds
hand over fist under the allotment
plan. There is still time enough
left, however, to step right up and
See BONDS, Page 4
Compulsory Exercise
Set Up for Officers
Two and a half hours per week
of compulsory exercise for Station
officers is now the rule.
The organized athletics have
been scheduled on Wednesdays
from 1400 to 1630 in the area to
the rear of Officers’ Club and
Bachelor Officers’ Quarters. Ath¬
letics on other days will be op¬
tional.
