Naval Air Station, Point Mugu, CAPhotograph Album9 June, 1963
President Kennedy visiting Point Mugu Naval Air and
Missile test base. Goodbye - President Kennedy flashes his
famous smile as he bids goodbye to the crowd who turned out to see him during
his brief stopover at Point Mugu during his half-hour stay at the Point Mugu,
Missile complex. President Kennedy went to the podium and gave a short speech.
"We did not come here from Washington, D.C., to encourage the military forces,
but rather to see the military forces encourage ourselves". "We have seen, for
the past 24 hours, seeing the military forces of the United States here on the
West coast". I go back to Washington with the feeling of renewed pride in being
an American and renewed confidence in being a citizen of the greatest republic
on earth". The 60,000 persons who visited here that day and heard him speak
those words could well paraphrase him; "We did not come to encourage the
President, but to be encouraged by him". Indeed it must seem ironic that on that
day the weather was dull, overcast, dark (President Kennedy laughed," I had
heard of the California sunshine, and I believe sometime today I am going to see
it"). He then laughed about the absence of the sunshine and concluded "I want to
express our thanks to all of you for coming out here and giving us a warm
hello". The mood was festive, happy perhaps even joyous. The President left the
speakers podium and in his typical fashion, mingled with the crowd shaking
countless hands. He was finally ushered to the Presidential plane, from where he
gave a farewell wave to 60,000 persons who were seeing him for the last time. A-4C Skyhawk BuNo 145092, 7L-46, parked on the ramp. February 1964 A-4E Skyhawk BuNo.
149654, from Naval Missile Center Point Mugu, California is pictured
firing a Shrike from a loft maneuver over one of the NAF China Lake Ranges. 28 March 1969 A-4B Skyhawk
BuNo. 142084, 7L-54
Point Mugu. 11 February 1971 A-4M Skyhawk
BuNo 158151, #83, and Bulldog missile upload photo 1 of 5. |
