1950 - KOREA TO LEBANON - 1958 THE RAMPAGERS of Attack Squadron 83, commanded by CDR James L. Holloway, III, have made their A4D Skyhawks and rams head insignia a familiar sight throughout the Mediterranean, especially during the Lebanon landings. Originally a reserve squadron at NAS Squantum, VA-83 was called to active duty during the Korean War, and since then has compiled an impressive series of firsts. These firsts include FIP-ing the F7U-3 Cutlass, being the first squadron to deploy with a Sparrow missile capability, first A4D squadron at NAS OCEANA, first squadron in the Navy to deploy with the A4D-2 and first to qualify in air-to-air refueling using the Douglas buddy-store. VA-83 received its A4D's in April, 1957, and immediately began an intensive pilot and maintenance training program. By September, basic training was completed and the squadron deployed with 10 aircraft to NAS GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, for advanced weapons training. Though beset by maintenance difficulties, many practice bombing missions were flown and all pilots qualified in over-the-shoulder and loft bombing. After a month of FCLP and advanced training at Oceana, the squadron deployed to NAS CECIL FIELD and the USS Essex for carrier qualifications. In November, all pilots qualified in both day and night landings. During the carquals, the Rampagers and the Essex chalked up another probable first when A4D number 312 was hoisted back aboard ship some two hours after making a water landing. Ltjg. Tom Anderson taxied over the forward end of the angle deck while coming out of the gear and hit the water in an inverted attitude. He pulled his ditching handle, cleared the plane, and surfaced to be picked up almost immediately by the Essex helicopter, wet but uninjured. The Skyhawk, with a light fuel load and two empty drop tanks, floated until the qualification period had been completed. The ship returned to the general vicinity and sent out a motor whaleboat to tow the plane alongside where it could be hooked to the aviation crane and hoisted back aboard the carrier. Back in Oceana in December, the Rampagers spent a busy month with transfer and acceptance checks and pilot familiarization flights as they turned in their A4D-1's for new A4D-2'S, Christmas leave and preparations for deployment filled all spare time. On the Essex once more as part of Air Task Group 201 under CDR E. H. English, the Rampagers gained valuable operating experience by taking part in Intex I-58 during January. The Rampagers departed for an eight-month deployment to the Mediterranean in February and immediately began using their new capability by flying practice in-flight refueling sorties with buddystore equipped tankers from VA-105. Lt. Bob Thomson, squadron operations officer, became the first Rampager to effect a plug-in and the first to qualify. Shortly after passing the Rock of Gibraltar, VA-83 pilots qualified in both high and low altitude plug-ins. In the months which followed, pilots and crewmen of VA-83 added to their reputation by taking part in a series of Sixth Fleet and NATO exercises. Efforts of the maintenance department, under LT Sam McKee and W. E. Jocelyn, ADC, kept an average of 12 of the 14 assigned Skyhawks available and it was a rare instance when it became necessary for the squadron to launch a spare. Two planes from the squadron helped represent the Sixth Fleet at the Liege air show in Belgium in June and thus became part of the first Sixth Fleet aircraft to participate in an European international air exhibition. The squadron was aboard USS Essex for a goodwill visit to Athens, Greece July 15 when word of the impending landings in Lebanon was received. A routine cruise suddenly became not-so-routine for VA-83, as the Essex got underway at 0430 and headed eastward at high speed. For the next two and a half weeks, the Rampagers covered Marine landings and conducted reconnaissance flights over the whole of Lebanon, as well as partcipating in show-of-force flights over rebel-held parts of the country and up and down the Jordan River Valley in Jordan. More than 500 hours were flown during this time as the Rampagers maintenance crew provided an even higher than normal availability. For example, on one of the flights over Lebanon, VA-83 put 13 of 14 Skyhawks in the air. The 14th was on the hangar deck with two rebel sniper bullet holes temporarily grounding it. Two A4D's were hit by a Lebanese rebel Annie Oakley just north of the coastal city of Tripoli. LT Bob Thomson returned with a bullet hole through the nose of his plane and just two hours later LTJG N.A. Butch Swenson received hits in the wing and fuselage of his plane in the same area. Both planes made it back with no difficulty. Ashore in the Mediterranean area, the Rampagers became bull fight aficianados in Spain, Bikini gazers on the French Riviera, spaghetti and pizza eaters in Italy, students of ancient history in Greece and tourists and souvenir buyers in all countries visited by the squadron members. Naval Aviation News Article - NOV 1958