1963-Contin ued
craft inventory, an informal Review Board was estab-
lished with representation from CNO, the Bureau of
Naval Weapons, the Aviation Supply Office, and the
storage facility at Litchfield Park, Arizona, to review
the inventory at least every six months for the purpose
of recommending the retention or disposal of specific
models.
18 October The selection of 14 men for a new
astronautic team was announced by NASA. Among
those chosen were five naval aviators: Lieutenant
Commander Richard F. Gordon, Jr., Lieutenant
Commander Roger B. Chaffee, Lieutenant Alan 1.
Bean, Lieutenant Eugene A. Cernan, and Captain
Clifton C. Williams, USMC.
25 October Navy ships and aircraft began departing
from Port-au-Prince after nearly two weeks of relief
operations in Haiti, laid waste by Hurricane Flora.
Four Navy ships, including the carrier Lake
Champlain and the amphibious assault ship Thetis
Bay, aided by Navy and Marine Corps cargo aircraft
from east coast stations, delivered nearly 375 tons of
food, clothing and medical supplies donated by relief
agencies, and provided other assistance to the strick-
en populace.
26 October The long range A-3 Polaris missile was
launched for the first time from Andrew Jackson (SSBN
619), a submerged submarine, cruising about 30 miles
off Cape Canaveral, Fla.
8 November During 8, 21 and 22 November,
Lieutenant James H. Flatley III, and his crew members,
Lieutenant Commander Smokey Stovall and ADJI Ed
Brennan, made 21 full-stop landings and takeoffs in a
C-130F Hercules on board Forrestal. From this test the
Navy concluded that the C-130 could carry 25,000
pounds of cargo and personnel 2,500 miles and land
on a carrier. However, the C-130 was considered too
risky for use in routine COD operations.
30 November The Secretary of Defense approved
use of funds effective 1 July 1964, for the purpose of
placing Naval Aviation Observers in the same pay sta-
tus as pilots.
2 December The Chief of Naval Material reported to
the Secretary of the Navy for duty as his assistant for
Naval Material Support and assumed supervision and
command of the four material bureaus-Naval
Weapons, Ships, Supplies and Accounts, and Yards
and Docks.
UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995
253
6 December Transit 5BN-2 was launched into polar
orbit by a Thor-Able-Star rocket from Vandenberg
AFB, Calif. This, the first navigation satellite to become
operational, provided data for use by surface and sub-
marine forces.
20 December Carrier Air Groups (CVG), were
redesignated Carrier Air Wings (CVW).
21 December Saratoga began receiving weather
pictures from the Tiros 8 weather satellite while
moored at Mayport, Fla. This was the start of an oper-
ational investigation of ship borne readout equipment
in which Saratoga continued to receive test readings
from Tiros, in port and at sea, through May 1964 and
from the experimental weather satellite Nimbus in
September 1964.
1964
1 January Fleet Air Wings, Pacific was established
with Rear Admiral David J. Welsh in command.
1 January The last three seaplane tenders under
Commander, Naval Air, Atlantic (COMNAVAIRLANT),
Duxbury Bay, Greenwich Bay and Valcour, were
transferred to Cruiser-Destroyer Force Atlantic.
Although the employment of these ships as seaplane
tenders had been secondary to their use as flagships
for Commander, Middle East Force, for several years,
this transfer was the final step in the phaseout of
patrol seaplanes in the Atlantic Fleet.
15 January The commands Fleet Air Southwest
Pacific and Fleet Air Japan were disestablished.
15 January Carrier Divisions 15, 17, and 19 were
designated Antisubmarine Warfare Groups 1, 3, and 5
respectively and transferred from Commander, Naval
Air, Pacific (COMNAVAIRPAC) to Commander,
Antisubmarine Warfare Force, Pacific (COMASWFOR-
PAC) for administrative control. Mission of the new
groups was to develop antisubmarine carrier group
tactics, doctrine and operating procedures including
coordination with patrol aircraft operations.
17 February An Office of Antisubmarine Warfare
Programs was established under the Chief of Naval
Operations to exercise centralized supervision and
coordination of all antisubmarine warfare planning,
programming and appraising.
28 February A helicopter piloted by Commander
Dale W. Fisher of HU-l made the first landing on the
deck of the combat store ship Mars (AFS 1) during her

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