My Carrier War by Norman E. Berg Page A

longer used a helmet and goggles. I wore a baseball cap, a headset for the radio and sunglasses. Since it was bright sunny day, I decided to get some sun while flying. I stripped my flight suit free of my shoulders and bunched it around my waist. I was naked from the waist up.
    A Douglas TBD-1 Devastator
    I called the tower at Corpus for clearance, made my approach, landed, and taxied up to the operations building. I shut down my engine and stood up in the cockpit. Then I saw a very large group of officers and sailors standing in formation. God! There was a personnel inspection going on. The next thing I saw was a Navy captain stopping and looking directly at me standing there—half-naked. Suddenly, another officer came running out of the operations building yelling, “You! Get your ass out of that airplane. The captain wants to see you.”
    Twenty minutes later, I was standing at attention (my flight suit in place). I responded with “Yes, Sir” and “No, Sir” and the captain told me never to land again at his base.
    I returned to New York by military transport and was flying again on the 15th, picking an F4F at the Grumman plant and flying it back to Floyd Bennett. When I returned, there was a message to report to Commander O. J. Whitney, the commanding officer of the ferry command. I reported to his office. He handed me my orders to a carrier squadron based at N.A.S. Norfolk, Virginia. My reporting date was 23 August 1942.
    Well, Jean’s greatest fear has come true. I’m going! So little time. Jean will have to stay here and pack our gear. It takes time for the Navy to arrange for a move. Maybe Jean should go back to Bremerton now. No, she will want to come to Norfolk to be with me. Wonder what kind of planes a VGS (composite air group) squadron has? Hope they have dive-bombers...TBFs would be fine too—what carrier will we get? Wonder how long before we leave? I hope Jean understands. I know she will. It’s orders. She knows, though, that I didn’t volunteer...I kept my promise.

Chapter 4
Squadron Duty in Norfolk
 
    I didn’t have much time after Commander Whitney handed me my orders on August 15. I did take some leave to help Jean with the packing and to enjoy New York City with her before reporting to my new assignment in Norfolk.
    My log book shows a flight on August 23, 1942, in an F4F to Norfolk. I was reporting for my new assignment with Escort Scouting Squadron 28 at Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia. I didn’t even know what an escort scouting squadron did—all I knew I was going to the fleet and I would be a carrier pilot.
    I had said good-bye to Jean that morning at our apartment. We both knew it would be only for a short time. She was very excited about joining me in Norfolk. There was going to be a slight delay though, before she would join me. Jean’s younger brother, Ed, was coming east for a visit. He had just graduated from Bremerton High School, and this visit was his graduation gift from Jean and Ed’s parents. Jean didn’t want to ask her folks to cancel his trip because of my orders, so she decided to remain in New York until Ed left. Then she would finish packing and join me in Norfolk.
    As I flew from New York to Norfolk, my thoughts took over as I guided the plane through the sky.
    You’re on your way, and this is no routine ferry flight. There will be no plane from Floyd Bennett to pick you up, Norm, and fly you back to Jean. No complaints. This is what I really want, isn’t it? I haven’t been completely honest with Jean about my hopes for the future. Well, I got my wish, and now she’s going to join you. Watch those clouds! Better fly around them. Get back on course for Norfolk. There, I better pay a little more attention to my flying. OK, so Jean’s coming to Norfolk and I’ll have to find a place to live. First, though, I’ve got to report to the squadron for duty. Wonder if there will be some time off to hunt for an apartment. Well, I’d better ask. I’ve got a