Captain Meredith W. “Pat” Patrick, USN (Ret)

Naval Aviator Wings

Pat Patrick started his Navy career in February 1957 as a Naval Aviation Cadet. He flew F9F-8 Cougars in advanced training and completed his initial jet carrier qualification in the F9F-8 aboard USS Antietam (CVA-36) in the summer of 1958. He graduated from flight training, was commissioned an ensign on 3 October 1958, and reported to VA-44 (the A-4D-1 (A-4A) Replacement Air Group (RAG)) at NAS Jacksonville, Florida.
Pat reported to VA-172 deployed aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) in spring 1959 and made three Mediterranean cruises between 1959 and 1961. He then was assigned to VA-164 in the Spring of 1961 soon after Carrier Air Group 16 was commissioned. He then made one WESTPAC cruise with VA-164 aboard USS Oriskany (CVA-34).
Next came a two-year tour as aide to Commander, Pacific Missile Range and two years at USN Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.
Pat then went through A-4E/F training at VA-125, NAS Lemoore, California, starting in October 1966. Upon completion of training, he reported to VA-23 flying A-4Fs. He flew with VA-23 during his first combat cruise to Vietnam between Dec. 1967 and July 1968 in USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). A popular joke at the time was, “The definition of a true optimist is an A-4 pilot who gives up smoking.” The joke characterized that period well. Pat’s second combat cruise was with VA-23 to Vietnam, March 1969 to July 1969 aboard USS Oriskany (CVA-34).
He then went to Armed Forces Staff College for six months. AFSC was followed by two years at the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) as the Light Attack and Vigilante placement officer before returning to NAS Lemoore for replacement pilot training in the A-7E after having successfully screened as a prospective commanding officer of an A-7E squadron. He went on to VA-27, first as Executive Office under CDR Bud Edney, and later as Commanding Officer. His third combat tour was in A-7Es aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65) between December 1972 and July 1973. The nominal cease-fire was declared effective at midnight on 27 January 1973, but combat operations continued in Laos and Cambodia until March 1973. He then served as CO VA-27 during a cruise to the Tonkin Gulf, Western Pacific, and Indian Ocean in USS Enterprise as a part of CVW-14.
After completing his fleet squadron command tour he was Operations Officer in USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) between April 1975 and July 1977. One of his more interesting duties there was to assist with writing the after action-report for the SS Mayaguez incident of April 1975. In August 1977, he took command of the A-7E RAG, VA-122, and commanded the RAG until December 1978.
Because his wife died of cancer during his tour as CO of VA-122 and he had a thirteen year old daughter, he could no longer continue on sea duty. Consequently, he then was assigned to shore duty at the Pentagon in January 1979. He was the RDT&E coordinator for Navy conventional weapons programs and special access programs in the Pentagon between January 1979 and March 1983. After the Pentagon, he was assigned to the CNA, as a Navy captain, where he was the Project Director for the Navy’s Conventional Strike Warfare Master Plan Studies and other special access studies between April 1983 and May 1985.
Pat retired from the Navy on 1 May 1985 and continued working at CNA as a civilian research analyst and project director for the master plan studies and other highly classified studies. Pat is now a part time research analyst at CNA.