Lockheed P-2 Neptune

I was stationed at Roosevelt Roads in VC-8 (VU-8) from '63-'65 as an ATN3. I spent a short time in our P2's before being reassigned to the Fox Van. One of our P2's (BU# 147969) is on display at the Air Museum, Greenwood, NS, Canada. Also know Paul Mosbacher who commented several months ago. Many found memories.

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My father, Angelo "Ang" Guarino jr. ADR1, was a plane captain in VP-836 for the P2V-5 aircraft. He retired as ADRC November 1963. I would like to hear from anyone who may have been stationed with him at Floyd Bennett Field.We lived in the projects on base.I was born 9 /48, and we moved to LI in 1952. I joined the Navy, became ADR and flew heavily modified AP-2H with Project Trim /Vah21 in Viet Nam '68 - '69. Great memory's of time spent at FBF.

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Served with VP7, late 1950 to 1953. Crewed on P2V2s and 3s.Flew in radar position and later filled in on radio due to temporary shortage of radiomen. Flew patrols out of Argentia, Nfld. and Iceland (AJE3). Anybody left, I would like to hear from you. dm15389@frontier.com

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i was in vp7 in 1955 to 1959 on he 12

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I flew in P2V-7's from 63-67. Does anyone know what was in the Soundproofing in these Aircraft. Fiberglass or Asbestos.
Ed Jaworski

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I was an air crewman on the DP-2E, Crew 3, in VU-8. We were based at Roosevelt Roads, P.R. I flew from 1962 to 1965 as an ATR. It was a great old aircraft. I loved every minute of it.

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Flew with VP-23 out of Brunswick, Maine 63 to 67 was an Air Crew member on LJ-10 as an AE3. Deployed to Key West, Iceland and Sigonella, Sicily. Great aircraft. Logged about 1000 hrs on them. It waas a good time in my life and I'm proud to have served.

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Reservist, ATN2, Aircrewman-Jezebel, Glenview NAS between 1961 and 1966. Exciting times: on the way to Memphis for AT school the back door on the R4D opened and we all got sick. In late October of 1962 VP 723 was in Jacksonville for our 2 week training when President Kennedy (former USNR) decided to get the USNR involved so we took pictures (from the bottom camera hatch) of departing (from Cuba) Soviet missiles and aircraft. These 12 hour patrols were hard for a bunch of civilians with only box lunches. On another 2 week training out of Willow Grove we developed 2 engine fires over the Atlantic and made a MADAY landing at Norfolk and watched the starboard wing burn immediately after we landed and exited.

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I'm building a Neptune P-2V, the original Hasegawa 1 /72 kit (JS-082). The kit instructions would have me paint the crew's uniforms orange. However, I'm using PrintScale decals, and building tail code "ZE," 140967, Patrol Squadron 17, "White Lightnings," NAF Cam Ranh Bay,1967. From what I find on the Internet, I haven't been able to figure out whether the flight suits for this squadron during this deployment were orange or olive green. I'm also wondering what model and color life preservers they were using. Anyone out there with a good memory for detail? I can barely remember what I was wearing yesterday ... .

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I served in the Navy from '66-'70. Was assigned to VP-19 in 1968 for almost two years at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. I flew as an AO3, crew 9 as the ordnance man in the SP-2H7,(140963). I loved every minute of it. Our squadron was decommissioned and I was sent to the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt CVA-42 where I was stationed in the Ship's Armory. I got out with an honorable discharge as an AO2. Sure did love that old plane!!!!

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Addition to first post. I was on ADAK from 1965 to 1967. I was a crew member that brought SP2V 135569 from Seattle to ADAK in February 1967 ( 4 months before I discharged)

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I was stationed on ADAK 1965 /1967 and was a crew member ( February 1967. It replaced Adak 135560 ( which I turned many a screw and bore scoped many a jug and replaced a few props from the gravel runways on a few of the islands) Had many a traini.ng mission searching for life boats and bouys dropped in the worse weather you could imagine!

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I went from Point Mugu (PMR) flying Wv-2 and AD-5Q,to VP-31 for P2V training, then to VP-1 in July 62. VP-1 was deployed so I was assigned to VP-17 until they returned. I joined a Point Mugu buddy, Jim Baker, assigned to 141913 (YB-III) with LTJG M.E. Huston as PPC. It was called III instead of 3 because when it went from A /C #1 to #3 instead of repainting the number on the port tank, they just painted two more 1's. Flew Jezebel, MAAD, and Radar as 2nd class AT. Most memorable flight was when the a /c filled with smoke. Opened the back hatches to draw it out but signal came to prepare for bailout. I was first to go off the flight deck, was on the ladder looking at the water when I was called back. Baker found the fire caused by a radar magnatron and extinguished it. After the extension for Cuba was discharged in 1963. Served with VP-702 in NAS Dallas. A great airplane.

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Spent two years with VP-2 home based at Whidbey Island, WA; with deployments to Kodiak, Adak & Shemya in the Aluetians. My aircraft and crew was YC-10, BuNo 141247 from '61 to '63 with LT Vic Gulliver in command, Ltjg Jerry McDonald and Ltjg Dan Bowen as 2p and 3p; I was the PC, Dick Whipple as Radio, Henry VanAller and Daniels as AT's; Charlie Jennings as Ordnance, Ron Surman as Electric and my dependable 2nd mech Floyd Palmer. The crew achieved 'E' Status with the new equipment installed prior to our last deployment and had the distinct pleasure to nab a Rusky 'Whiskey type' that surfaced off the northwestern coast of the US. I am very proud to have served in the squadron and to fly the SP-2H.

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I flew as aft observer, SP2H, NAVSTA Adak, Al. SAR, from April 1967 to April 1968. With Bombay fuel bladders installed, we could stay airborn for over 18 hours. Ir wasn't the most comfortable plane to fly in, especially the two after station seats, but it was dependable. We once were called out on a Search and Rescue mission close to Kodiak Island. It was for a sinking cargo ship named the Pan Oceanic Faith. The round trips, plus on-station time came to about 18 hours, give or take. I remember having to move foeward to the wing station during take off and landing. As aft observer, I also made the coffee, so on a long flight, I became the most important crewmember aboard. I also rember, when, many years later in my Navy career, while stationed at the bone yard in Tuscon, Az., I had to open up one of the P2s in class A storage. As I stuck my head up inside the aft hatch, I got a wiff of the pecular wood odor that all P2s had. Almost instantly, a flood of memories came back. I always enjoyed telling the Pilot, just before rollout: two turnin and two burnin. What a great plane!!

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I was a crew member in VP-23 in Brunswick, ME. Deployed to Iceland, Newfoundland and Porto Ric. This was in 1959-1962. Later served in VP-42 in Whidby Island, WA and went to Sangle point, PI and to Nam in 1967.

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I'm an 80 year old ex P2V radioman. Retired as ATC in 1973. Spent my time in P2V's with VP-28 (Home, Barber's Point) 1959 to 1962. Then went to VP-31 rag outfit (Home, North Island)1962 to 1955. Then I transitioned to the P3 in 1965 (VP-9)

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To Anthony's comment dated 7 /1 /2010
I was a reservist at Los Alamitos from Nov. 1949 to May 1964.
I was an ADRC in VP 772. I flew all over the country in the P2V-5F and loved every minute of it. Also flew to Hawaii for our 2 weeks cruise in 1960. I may have known your dad.

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I was with VP4 from Mar.1956 until Sept.1957 as an Am striker and AM3. In Aug.1956 we transferred our permanent home from Whidbey Island, Wash. to Naha, Okinawa. I wasn't part of any crew but I flew with all of them. I flew with crew 9 a lot. The plane captain(flightengineer) was AM1 Canfield. Ron Reimenschneider (AT3)was our radio man. Also a ordnance man by the nickname of Smitty but I don,t remember his full name. It was fun flying those P2V-5Fs.Anyone who was there about that time please send me an Email. We might know each other.

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I was born while my dad, Robert Butscher (aka Butch or Bob) was on active duty in the Navy at Patuxent River. Prior to that my dad was stationed in Jacksonville, fla.

My dad worked on the airplanes, he was not a pilot, and he was a friendly outgoing guy. My dad died from mesothelioma in mid-march, 2012.

We are looking for people who may have known my dad and what he worked with on the planes. I know he worked on P2V-7. My dad would have been 18-20 yrs old when at Jax in '55-57 /58 and 20 /21 years old at the time he was at Pax River in '57-'58. He left active duty and Pax River the end of June, 1958.

He became a reservist in 1960 and retired from the Navy in 1987. Most of his reserve time was spent at Selfridge AFB in Mount Clemens, Michigan. I think the last planes he worked with there were P-3's

We are looking for anyone who might know if my dad replaced brakes, clutches etc on the planes or if they don't have personal knowledge themselves, if they know someone who might know, or if they know how to find records of the duties my dad performed at any time he was in the Navy, whether active or as a reservist. Also anyone who would know who manufactured the brakes, clutches etc used by the Navy on the P2V Neptune, or P-3's. We also think he may have worked on the A-4 Skyhawks as a reservist. We suspect that my dad was exposed to asbestos working on those planes and this may have caused his mesothelioma.

My dad loved the Navy, made a number of life long friendships while serving, and he also loved those planes.

I would appreciate any information anyone would like to share.

Thank you for your time and I wish you a wonderful, blessed day!

Alisa Butscher
daughter of Robert Butscher (aka Butch or Bob)

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