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| 54 Messages -
Group 50 to 99
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| Current Message 50 - March 16, 2001 |
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Entry: 15466
USS Curtiss (AV-4) |
Sailor's Lament - poem |
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Lowell Gunselman wrote on 2001-03-16 09:03:35.0
Comments: A poem -Sailor's Lament - circulated on board our ship during the time I was on board - Sept. 1954 - Dec. 1956. I am interested in a copy of this poem if anyone has one. Please send to my e-mail - lgmag@msn.com. Thanks. Lowell Gunselman
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| Current Message 51 - March 3, 2001 |
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Entry: 15259
USS Curtiss (AV-4) |
Interested in hearing from anyone who served on the Curtiss from Sept. 1954 to Dec 1956 |
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Lowell Gunselman wrote on 2001-03-03 17:27:16.0
Comments: OPERATIONS DEPT.
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| Current Message 52 - February 13, 2001 |
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Entry: 14968
USS Curtiss (AV-4) |
Looking for friends of Walter (Bud) Farley WW2 |
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Kevin Coldani wrote on 2001-02-13 21:08:39.0
Comments: I am looking for any veterans that might have served with my Great Uncle Walter (Bud) Farley. He was like a Dad to me and now me and my children would love to know more of his life aboard the Curtiss. He was aboard the Curtiss during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I have more information on him if needed. I also have his uniform and some personal artifacts that I would like to know more about. Thank you.
Keywords: Pearl Harbor, USS Curtiss
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| Current Message 53 - December 31, 2000 |
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Entry: 13967
USS Curtiss (AV-4) |
USS Curtiss's Antarctic Voyage |
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William Lavris wrote on 2000-12-31 18:46:53.0
Comments: I was aboard the USS CURTISS AV4 when it made it's cruise to Antarctica in 1956 and 1957. I didn't know its fate until reading some of the above comments. Her Captain at the time was Capt Dickey and I can't remember the names of any more of her crew. How well I remember the Equator Crossing Ceremonies! I wintered at Little America Station during the International Geophysical Year in 1957...at Byrd Station in 1959 and returned as Summer support in the early 60s. I spent 4 years in the USAF 1950-1953...and also spent five 40 day cruises with the USCG in the N Atlantic.I can say that I enjoyed all of the above but have a special place in my heart for the personnel of the USN who treated me with much respect aboard the Curtiss and the Antarctic stations. She was a good ship with a good crew...I'm sorry to learn that she's gone. I'd like to hear from anyone who was aboard her during the Antarctic cruise and anyone who has wintered in the Antarctic.
Bill Lavris
Keywords: The USS Curtiss...Antarctic Support Ship! The closest I ever came to a luxury cruise.
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| Current Message 54 - April 20, 2000 |
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Entry: 8125
USS Curtiss (AV-4) |
2000 Reunion |
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John Ekstadt wrote on 2000-04-20 16:51:05.0
Comments: The year 2000 USS Curtiss AV-4 reunion will be held at the Hoiday Inn Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado September 6th through the 9th. All people who served aboard the Curtiss from day one until last day are invited. Please contact John C. Ekstadt at: 17390 Greenview Circle, Lakeville, Mn. 55044-9559. Phone 952/ 891-5954.or E-mail J_Ekstadt@webtv.net
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USS Curtiss AV-4 Reunion Assoc
On Wed, 7 Apr 1999
JOHN C EKSTADT Email address wrote:
Contact: John C. Ekstadt
17390 Greenview Circle
Lakeville, Mn. 55044-9559
Phone 612 / 891-5954
e-mail J_Ekstadt@webtv.net
Website: http://www.usscurtissav4.com
Thanks very much!
John
Ship's Company
On Sun, 8 Dec 1996
James E. Burress jburr@juno.com wrote:
147 CODYERIN DR
HENDERSON, NV 89014-0147
702 898-0447
I AM INTERESTED IN, 1. FINDING AN OLD SHIPMATE WHO SERVED ON THE USS
CURTISS AV4, AND ALSO WAS SHIPS COMPANY ON THE USS GARDNER BAY DURING
1952. HE WAS AN AV. BOATSUN 3rd CLASS. NAME WAS JOHNNY
FIKE AND HAILED FROM JASPER ALABAMA.
AND NO.2, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BOTH AFORE MENTIONED SHIPS PLUS THE USS
KENNETH WHITING (AV14) ADDED TO YOUR LIST OF SHIPS DURING THE KOREAN
'CONFLICT'.
THANKS, WILL BE BACK.
SWCS JIM BURRESS, RETIRED NAVY SEABEE
On Board
On Tue, 7 Jul 1998
"T. F. (Ted) Loughlin" Email address wrote:
un_org: U.S.S. Curtiss AV-4
ed note: all we got, waiting to hear from Ted to get more.
1 Division
On Sun, 17 May 1998
RAY HEYWORTH Email address wrote:
phone: 541-567-6758
comments:
Hi, Guys,
I served on the USS Curtiss from August 1950 - July 1953. 1st year and a
half Seaman 1st Division, the rest of the time I was a CSSN as a belly
robber. Honorably discharged july 30 1953
Update:
I got your message from my sister. Say Ted here is a man 2 get in touch
with it is:
Francis A Pavlu 9255 Magnolia ave. Sp #293 Santee, Calif. 92071-3168.
And put U.S.S. Curtiss ( AV- 4) Association. I have joined the
Curtiss club, and get a news letter every so often. It only cost ten
dollars a year 2 pay 4 his stamps stationary. they have a reunion every
year, they are going 2 Alaska this year.
Oh by the way a belly robber is a COOK.I will catch you later.
Ray E.H.
CSSN RAY HEYWORTH
Ship History
On Thu, 27 Aug 1998
Ted Loughlin Email address wrote:
Attached is some of the info you requested about this ship. Hope it
helps. Barker was my grandmother's family name back in Bradford,
England.
Ted Loughlin
USS Curtiss AV-4
Type: Seaplane Tender
Commissioned: 1940
The ship resembled an ocean liner that had the upper decks sliced off
about two thirds of the way toward the stern, leaving the after main
deck clear to hoist aboard seaplanes for maintenance or repair. It
housed the ships crew and all squadron personnel.
It contained a "Sickbay" with a doctor and operating room. All the
facilities for the support of seaplane squadrons were aboard, including:
hangar, workshops, small boats, aviation fuel tanks, photo shop,
aviation torpedo shop and storage, aviation munitions storage, etc.,
etc.. The Curtiss was scrapped in 1957.
The Curtiss was hit during the attack on Pearl harbor but was quickly
repaired and restored to duty. She also took a Kamikaze hit just below
the bridge down several decks into sick bay and a hit in the hanger area.
After the war the ship was converted for use in the atomic tests at
Bikni Atoll. Some of the spaces were converted to laboratories and a
lead lined elevator was installed leading from a laboratory up to the
hangar. The elevator was to bring the test bombs up from lead lined
storage compartment in the lab up to the main deck level for transfer
to boats for transport to the bomb site.
After the tests, the Curtiss was the flagship Of Rear Admiral Bogan,
COM 1st Task Fleet. The labs were used as hobby shops, etc.. The ship
then only had a crew of about 175, many of them "Plank Owners" who had
been aboard since the ship was commissioned. It participated in
maneuvers in Alaska and Hawaii. It was very good duty.
When the Korean war broke out, the ship was returned back to the
original mission of serving as a base for seaplanes. It was quickly
overhauled and refitted at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in
San Francisco, then in proceeded to Iwakuni, Japan, in the inland sea.
Japan was still under allied occupation and Iwakuni was in the
Australian occupation zone. There had been a Japanese airbase there
during the war. It was now an Australian base with a small contingent
of U. S. Air Force personnel.
The Curtiss anchored off the airbase, using the ramps and buildings for
maintenance; supporting them with living facilities, shop facilities,
parts, stores, and fuel. The planes were normally moored at anchor
between the Curtiss and the base. The seaplane squadrons supported were
two U. S. Navy squadrons and two Australian RAF squadrons. They were:
USN - VP42 and VP47, Aussies - RAF 205 and RAF 209. The Americans flew
Martin PBM's. The Aussies flew Sunderland's. Other squadrons were
rotated in, but I left The Curtiss just before Christmas 1950 to
recommission the Essex class aircraft carrier, USS Bon Homme Richard
CV -31, in Bremerton, Washington.
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