VU-10 / VC-10 / VCF-10
Challengers
Early Official Call sign "Mallard"
| Patch / Logo up to 1962 (Then Utility Squadron 10) |
Patch / Logo 1962-71 (UTRON-10 before 1965) |
Patch / Logo 1972 |
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Older Paint Scheme (1971 & Prior)
Newer Paint Scheme (1972+)
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15 Nov 1945 |
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1972 |
Submitted Redesignation as VCF-10 |
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VC-10 Decommissioned |
VJ-16 was established at NAS Isla Grande in San Juan, Puerto
Rico in 1943. VJ-16's mission was to provide gunnery target tow services, radar
tracking, search and rescue, and photographic services to ships and aircraft in
the Caribbean area. Initially, the squadron's inventory consisted of Grumman J2F-5/6
Duck, Consolidated PBY-5/5A Catalina, Grumman TBF-1 Avenger, Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless
and North American SNJ-4 aircraft.
After a brief move to NAAF Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico in
April 1944, VJ-16 settled in at NAS Miami, Florida in May 1944 and added Martin
JM-1/2 Marauder, Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, General Motors FM-2 Wildcat and Grumman
TBM-1J/3J Avenger aircraft to its inventory. For the remainder of World War II,
the squadron operated detachments in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Brazil, Cuba, Panama
and Trinidad. VJ-16 consolidated its operations at NAS McCalla Field, Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba in April 1945 and was redesignated as Utility Squadron Ten (VU-10) on
15 Nov 1945.
Over the next fifteen years, VU-10 variously operated JD-1,
UF-1, Martin PBM-5A Marine, Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina, Douglas R4D-5 Skytain,
Beechcraft SNB-5, Grumman F6F-5D Hellcat, Grumman F7F-2D Tigercat, Grumman F8F-2
Bearcat, Grumman F9F-6/8 Cougar and North American FJ-3 Fury aircraft, as well as
Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat, Culver TD2C, and Radioplane KD2R-5 target drones. The
squadron was known as the "Proud Pelicans" at that time. In 1957,
VU-10 also established an operating detachment at NAS Jacksonville, Florida that
was absorbed into Utility Squadron FOUR (VU-4) in 1963.
In January 1960 with the closure of McCalla Field, VU-10 moved across the mouth of Guantanamo Bay to the Leeward Point airfield and added defense of the base as one of its missions after Communist rebels took over the Cuban government during the Cuban Revolution.
F-8A (F8U-1) Crusaders were received in January 1962. During the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, VU-10's Vought F-8A Crusader fighters became the front line defense force for the base against both Cuban and deployed Soviet forces. All dependents were evacuated and for three days the squadron continuously kept F-8's airborne on CAP station. Maintenance personnel worked around the clock to keep the aircraft in an "up" status. All men and officers moved to Leeward Point and pilots slept in the ready room to be constantly available. During the next few weeks, VU-10 flew 197 hours of CAP, 23 hours of escort, 85 hours of close air support and 330 hours of courier mission time. Subsequently VU-10 was relieved of its base defense commitment by a Marine Squadron and for the first time in its history it deployed. After a short stay at Roosevelt Roads, the squadron returned to Leeward Point on December 6, 1962 and resumed normal operations.
Redesignated
VC-10 in 1965, the squadron subsequently acquired Grumman US-2C Trackers and in
succession, Chance Vought F-8B/D/C/K Crusaders.
Since VC-10 was the only squadron assigned to GTMO and the
base is located in a Communist controlled country, the squadron was required to
provide alert fighters in support of reconnaissance operations in the Eastern Cuban
region.
In 1976 the last of VC-10's F-8 Crusaders were replaced with Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk IIs able to carry air-to-ground ordnance and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. These were augmented by the Douglas EA-4F Skyhawk II in the late 1980s. VC-10 was disestablished at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on 14 August 1993.
F-8 Commanding Officers
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1961 |
CDR G.
E. Buker |
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1962 |
CDR W.
B. Moore |
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1963 |
CDR E.
W. Keegan, Jr. |
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1964 |
CDR H.
E. Lang |
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1965 |
CDR H.
W. Kiker |
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1965 |
CDR T.
D. Brown |
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1966 |
CDR R.
C. James |
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1967 |
CDR D.
F. Cross |
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1968 |
CDR P.
Goslow |
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1969 |
CDR B.
H. Ashley |
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1970 |
CDR T.
D. Barrett |
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1971 |
CDR L.
P. Walsh |
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1972 |
CDR E.
W. Oehlbeck |
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1973 |
CDR S.
L. Zwick |
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1974 |
CDR W.
W. Miller |
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1976 |
CDR K.
A. MacGillivary |
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1965 - 1966 (Click picture to enlarge) Courtesy of Paul Forrest
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1966-67 Officers
Courtesy
of H.H. (Rich) Richartz
Back row:
Rich Richartz, Keith Weal, Len Schmidt, Jim Nuckels,
#5 Unk, Curt Anderson
Front row:
Cal Lancaster, Ltjg Ross, Cdr "Jimmie" James or Cdr Cross (CO), Don Hullride,
Dave Means, John Brewer or Gary Kellner (Far Rt end)
From Left to Right:
John Brewer (on wing), Jim Nuckels (pylon), Cal Lancaster, Dave Meads, Len
Schmidt, Ltjg Ross (mid top), Unk on canopy, Keith Weal (intake)
F-8D At Cecil Field 1967
F-8C At Guantanamo 1968
Dec 1969 - VC-10 Pistol Team Winning First Place in Inter-Command Tournament
This and next few pictures Courtesy of Bill Hinson
Back (L to R): Ltjg W.H. Hinson, Lt H.A. Williams, Ltjg Monihan, AT1 B.M.
Stansbury
Front (L to R): ABH1 R.P. Boulay, ADR3 E.C.
Booth, BM2 J.O. Bogler, ADR2 R.L. Goyens
Spring 1970 (est) - Funny Picture of Officers
Spring 1970 (est) - Officers
Courtesy of Bill Hinson
Back Row: UNK #1 Maint Officer, Jim DeNicola,
Ltjg Proegler, UNK #4, UNK #5 AIO "Spy", Lt Rick Crandall, Lt Harvey Scholz,
Ltjg Lane, Lt Hal Williams AMO.
Front Row: Ltjg Bill Hinson, UNK #2, Lcdr McMurry, Cdr Bruce Ashley
(CO), Unk #5 (Temp XO), Lcdr Dick Willett, Lcdr Dave Rottering, LTjg Doug Oldfield
1970 Change of Command
Fall / Winter 1971 - Officers
From Bob Sandweg
BACK ROW: Bill Moon (Maint), Bill Chambers (Maint), Vern Larson, Tom Ryan, Glen Lacy, John Carrier, Rick Hartman, Bob Sandweg (Papi), Mike Evans, Unk (Flt surgeon), Jim Pointe, (Intel)
FRONT ROW: Cal Staten, Herb Story (Herbie), Dick Willett, Pat Walsh, (CO), Ed Oehlbeck (XO), Unknown officer, Mike Garnett, Nate Brechbiel (Nate).
Missing: Roger Meek
1971 - 1972 (Click picture to enlarge) From Vern Larson
 Joint exercise |
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 Vern Larson |
 Bob Sandweg |
 Vern Larson |
 Bob Sandweg |
 Bombing practice Offshore from Leeward airfield |
 Refueling |
Late 1972 - Officers
From Buster Taylor
Back row: Bill Chambers, Dick Morrison, Steve Warren, Mark Swofford, Bill Moon, Ron Conner, John Carrier, Glen Lacy, unknown (WO)
Front row: Merle Keeney, Ed Oehlbeck (CO), Steve Zwick (XO), Buster Taylor
Missing: Duane Glisan, Frank Hecker
Dec 1972 - Dec 1973 (Click picture to enlarge) Courtesy of Daniel Coyne
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 Leeward Point Theater |
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Fishing Boat |
AOAN Daniel Coyne Fishing from Rocks by Runway |
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1972 - 1974 (Click picture to enlarge) Courtesy of Buster Taylor
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 F-8K in Alert Status |
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1974
Photo Courtesy of Kenneth Barkhurst. |
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| In the summer of 1974, VCF-10 had a pilot “borrow” the
Crusader sword from VFP-63 and mail it to Homestead AFB, After a suitable wait
to allow VFP-63 to go crazy looking for it, a ransom was agreed to. Rich
Redditt, the VFP-63 pilot holding the real Crusader sword (in the middle) flew
to Homestead AFB with a load of target paint which had been taken from VC-7.
When the VFF-63 pilot first landed, LTJG Ted Goldstone (at left) and LT Bill
Steger (at right) tried to trade a wooden sword for the paint. |
1974
General Base Photos - Click pictures to enlarge
All photos except the F-8's in the break were taken by Vern Larson
 Entrance to Guantanamo Bay Leeward airfield to left near ocean McCalla Field on right edge of bay |
 Leeward Airfield looking Easterly |
 Just inside mouth of bay looking N.E. McCalla Field (inactive) in lower foreground |
 Narrow portion of Bay in middle of picture is the Northern boundary of the base - bombing/mortar tgts are in foreground - picture is looking Northeasterly from over Leeward airfield |
 Northern boundary of base is at narrowing neck of bay - picture looking Westerly |
 Coming into the break |
 Marines doing mortar practice |
 Mortar and bombing targets on Leeward (west) side - Picture looking easterly with GTMO bay in background |
 Recreation beach on Leeward side |
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