Some interesting facts about the original VP93. Our first Skipper Commander C.W.Haman had been the CO. of the V Division on the U.S.S.California which was hit and sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor. I remember his words at the commissioning " We are at war, I know as I just came from there, lets go to work!" We trained on operational flights along the east coast during all those sinkings in early 42. We lost Commander Haman in Argentia Nfld. in a BOQ fire when he tried to save a fellow officer. He was an outstanding C.O. We lost 3 PBY5A's and 1 Ventura PV3 in all those years. On e PBY was lost in Greenland Hit a mountain, On PBY lost at sea, both with all hands. One PBY hit an earth mover crossing the runway as he took off an tore out the starboard wheel complete. Chief Brown a boswain patched the hole with anything on board and Frank Henderson water landed the plane and beached it just as it was ready to sink. All hands climbed out and didn't even get their feet wet. The PV made a wheels up landing and was loaded with a 2000lb. Torpex bomb. Crew bailed out into a ditch along side of the runway.Plane was on fire and exploded, pieces all over NAS Argentia Nfld. According to my certified Flight log I was involved in 120 air cover over convoys, we were busy!

ADJC Lew Masters USNR(Ret.)

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