The
VX-5 (AIRTEVRON 5) VAMPIRES
This page is posthumously dedicated to
Lieutenant Bennett W Hooks, United States Navy.
Please read about him below.
The Squadron Duty Officer
(SDO), is the unit's contact point. They maintain unit rosters, help
old friends link up, coordinate with unit reunions, and gather unit
information. The
SDO List.
The Association is particularly interested in your Skyhawk related
information and photos, but will gladly accept information about all
eras of the unit. e-Mail the Association Webmaster.
AND we welcome "anyone with an interest" in the Skyhawk to JOIN The Skyhawk Association.
Airtevron Five Patch
from Gary Verver
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Airdevron Five Barracks
Photo from Ken Savage
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Patch
- In 1951 the original VX-5 squadron members sat downto
design an emblem that would reflect their squadron's mission. They
faced several problems: first, the design had to be within guidelines
set by the Chief of Naval Operations, and the proposed emblem would
have to be officially approved. Second, since the mission of VX-5 was
to develop day and night, all-weather attack tactics, the task of
designing a meaningful symbol to signify that broad a charter was not a
simple one.
- The central symbol, the "Vampire" bat, was
picked for its notorious night-flying abilities. The blue and gold
background (as well as being Navy colors) represents the squadron's
all-weather capabilities, with the sun and moon included to represent
day and night capabilities. Lightning bolts from under the bat's wings
depict VX-9's role in strike aviation. The burst at the bottom of the
emblem represents a bomb burst and is normally depicted in red, gold
and green. In 1994, the four stars were added in remembrance of the
disestablishment of VX-4.
- The squadron's emblem is used on everything from
aircraft to stationery and can also be seen on the patches worn on
jackets and flight gear by squadron personnel. The largest examples of
the Vampires' emblem can be seen today on the east and west walls of
VX-9's Hangar One at Armitage Field.
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Handle
Heritage
- Air
Development Squadron FIVE (VX-5), was commissioned on 18 June 1951 at
NAS Moffett Field, California, with 15 officers, 100 enlisted men, and
nine AD Skyraider aircraft. The Squadron, under the operational control
of Commander, Operational Development Force, now Commander Operational
Test and Evaluation Force (COMOPTEVFOR), was assigned to develop and
evaluate aircraft tactics and techniques for delivery of airborne
special weapons.
- Over
the years, VX-5 has maintained numerous detachments around the U.S. to
take full advantage of the variety and diversity of facilities
available, and to help keep the Squadron abreast of the latest fleet
tactics. These detachments have included NAS Oceana, VA; Naval Weapons
Evaluation Facility, Albuquerque, NM; NAS Whidbey Island, WA; and NAS
Sanford, FL.
- In
July 1956 VX-5 moved to the Naval Air Facility, China Lake, CA, as an
independent tenant command because of the availability of vastly
improved ranges and instrumentation facilities. In January of 1985, the
VX-5 Detachment at Whidbey Island, which oversaw developments relating
to the EA-6B weapon system, was relocated to China Lake. Since then,
temporary detachments have been made nationwide from Alaska to Florida,
as required to test airborne weapons in a variety of conditions. To
keep pace with the changes and improvements in Navy weapon systems
since VX-5's commissioning, the Squadron's mission has evolved over the
years to include independent operational test and evaluation of all
air-dropped munitions destined for use in the attack role by the Fleet
and Marine Corps; development of initial tactics to be employed with
new weapon systems; and incorporation of electronic warfare advances
into the self-defense capability of attack aircraft.
- In
June 1993, the CNO directed the consolidation of VX-4 and VX-5 into a
single operational test and evaluation squadron designated as VX-9,
with a permanent F-14 Detachment located at Point Mugu, CA. This
initiative was launched as part of the "right-sizing" of our Naval
Forces in the aftermath of the Cold War.
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Home Ports
Air Wings
Deployments
Aircraft
Commanding Officers
Assumed Command - - - - Commanding Officer
- ca. 1956 - - - - - Capt. Gilkeson
- Feb. 1964- - - - - Commander Jack M. Manherz
- 21 May 1965- - - -
Commander Edward E. Riley
- July 1965- - - - -
Commander Don Loranger
- 1967 - - - - - - - Captain W. B. Muncie
- 1969 - - - - - - -
Capt. Charles W. Fritz
- ca. 1971 - - - - -
Capt. Birdwell
- ca. 1973 - - - - -
Capt. Edwin Crowe
- ca. 1975 - - - - -
Captain R. N. Livingston
- 1976 - - - - - - -
Captain Gulliana
- 1978 - - - - - - -
Captain Paul Stephenson
- Back to Table of Contents
Events
- 1957 - 1958:
VX-5 aircraft flown by VX-5 project pilot Commander Larry Cauble, USN:
- Grumman F9F-8B Cougar (1957):
- BuNo. 131075
- BuNo. 131086
- BuNo. 131089
- BuNo. 141056
- Lockheed TV-2 Sea Star:
- BuNo. 131824
- BuNo. 141545
- North American FJ-4B Fury most of Commander
Cauble's
hours were in the Fury:
- BuNo. 139549
- BuNo. 139551
- BuNo. 139554
- BuNo. 139555
- BuNo. 143493 (these latter two FJ-4Bs
appeared in August 1958)
- BuNo. 143494
- Douglas AD-5N Skyraider:
- BuNo. 132498
- BuNo. 132598
- Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk:
- BuNo. 142095
- BuNo. 142121
- BuNo. 142122
- BuNo. 142417
- BuNo. 142727 - during a May 26, 1958 Corpus
Christi, TX air show,
Commander Cauble ejected after a flameout.
- BuNo. 142792
- Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior:
- BuNo. 142250 - passenger time. After his May
26,
1958 ejection and at the insistence of a flight surgeon - Commander
Cauble was flown back to China Lake on a stretcher placed on the A3D
flight deck floor.
- 18 Apr 1961
VX-5 XD-3 - BuNo 145075
VX-5 A4D a/c over Dallas, TX while enroute from
NOTS to Cherry Point,
LT Georges E. LeBlanc had a flame out, attempted two air starts and
then had to bail, using RAPEC to exit.
Rest of flight, LT Paul Weitz and LT Charles H. Brown, landed at NAS
Dallas to report the incident. LeBlanc took a walk to farm house, was
transported to NAS Dallas.
- Back to Table of
Contents
Awards
|
Award |
Inclusive Dates: |
No info
Back to Table of Contents
Sources:
- Lawrence Cauble
- Ken Savage
- Gary Verver
DEDICATION:
This Skyhawk Association VX-5 Vampires website page is
posthumously dedicated to:
 |
Following graduation he served aboard the USS
Philippine Sea (CVA-47) as a division officer in the gunnery
department for three years. During this period he acted for a short
time as an Aide to Admiral Richard E. Byrd on an expedition
to the Antartcic. |
 |
He was then assigned duty with Anti-Submarine
Squadron 22 and later served on the staff of Commander Carrier Division
Eighteen. During this assignment he served as an Aide to Admiral A. B.
Vosseler and Admiral F. T. Ward. |
Lt. Hooks next attended the United States Navy Postgraduate School at
Monterey, California where he successfully completed the
course of instruction in nuclear engineering in June 1955.
Lt. Hooks was assigned duties as a VX-5 Project Officer at Moffett
Field and at China Lake.
According to the base newspaper (Rocketeer account of the accident)
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Bennett W. Hooks died around noon Wednesday, 05
October 1956 when his A4D Skyhawk was destroyed in a crash five miles
south of Inyokern. CA. According to Henry White (VX-5 Feb.1956 - Oct.
1957) it was determined that Lt, Hooks was trying to bring
his A4D in on the deserted runway at Inyokern during an
in-flight fire. It was also said that the papers for his advancement to
Lt. Cdr. were on his desk unsigned. The whole Squadron attended the
funeral and he was buried at the Military Cemetery in San Diego with
full military honors.
Lt.
Hooks was 33 years old and was survived by his wife, a son, a daughter
and his mother..
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