The White Falcon - 10.07.1965, Page 1

PERSONNEL AND GUESTS—IDF personnel, officers, and honored
guests listen to the Hail and Bless speeches given by the incoming and
outgoing CO’s during Change-of-Command ceremonies, July 6, in
Hangar 831. (Photo by Chambers, PHAN)
AFWL’s Eighth Ranked Sea Service Newspaper - 1964
THE WHITES

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U.S. NAVAL STATION, KEFLAVIK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ICELAND
Volume IV, Number 26 Saturday, July 10, 1965
Capt E. E. Pierre, Jr., Installed As CO;
Cdr R. C. James Assumes XO’s Duties
Captain Emile Eugene Pierre, Jr., relieved Commander Richard C. James as Com-
mander, U.S. Naval Forces Iceland and Commanding Officer, U.S. Naval Station,
Keflavik, during a formal Change-of-Command ceremony held at Hangar 831, July 6.
Distinguished guests who witnessed the ceremony included American Charge
d’Affaires Valdemar Johnson, RAdm Ralph Weymouth, Commander Iceland Defense
Force, and other key military officers, as well as prominent Icelanders.
The ceremony began at 10 a.m. LCdr Normand A. Ricard, CHC, Naval Station Catho-
lic Chaplain, delivered the invoc-'^
ation, then Commander James in-
troduced Captain Pierre, who read
his orders and assumed command.
Following a few remarks by
Admiral Weymouth, the benedic-
tion was given by LCdr Robert C.
Blade, CHC, Naval Station Pro-
testant Chaplain.
Military Guests
Military guests who attended
the ceremony included Col. Da-
niel P. McLean, USAF, Chief
•of Staff, Iceland Defense Force;
Capt Richard A. H. Sampson,
USN, Chief of Staff, Barrier
Forces Atlantic; Col. Alan G.
Long, USAF, Commander Air
Forces Iceland; Capt. Toria J.
Bratten, Jr., USN, Commanding
Officer, Naval Communications
Station, Iceland, and Maj. Walt-
er E. Kiracofe, USMC, Command-
ing Officer, Marine Barracks.
Icelandic Guests
Icelandic guests included Mr.
Hordur Helgason, Chairman of the
Iceland Defense Committee; Mr.
Hordur Bjarnason, State Archi-
tect and Icelandic representative
on the Defense Committee; Mr.
Sveinn Jonsson, Mayor of Kefla-
vik and Judge Alfred Gislason,
Chief Judge of Keflavik.
Guests from the U. S. Infor-
mation Agency in Reykjavik were
Public Affairs Officer Don Torrey
and Information Officer Reuben
Monson.
Commander James
Commander James has served
as commanding officer of the
Naval Station and commander of
Naval Forces Iceland since May
1, 1965. He assumed command up-
on the death of Capt. Robert
R. Sparks, former commanding
officer.
The commander has resumed
duties as executive officer of the
Naval Station and chief staff of-
ficer of Naval Forces Iceland.
Captain Pierre, a naval aviator,
served as an Anti-Submarine
Warfare assistant to the Chief of
Naval Operations in Washington
before taking over his present
duties.
Entering Service
He entered the Navy as an avi-
ation cadet in July 1942 and, a
year later, was commissioned an
ensign upon completion of flight
training at Corpus Christi, Texas.
After flight training he served
as a patrol plane pilot with Patrol
Bombing Squadron 101 in the
southwest Pacific. In February
1945, he was ordered to Pensa-
cola and Jackonville, Fla., for
seven months of advanced avia-
tion training.
Following pilot training in
Florida, he served for two years
as executive officer of the Naval
Officer Procurement Office in At-
lanta, Ga., then was assigned
staff duty with Commander
Hawaiian Sea Frontier at Pearl
Harbor Hawaii.
Flight Instructor
Later he served as primary
flight instuctor at the Naval Air
Station, Whiting Field, Fla., and
as flight officer and patrol plane
commander of Patrol Squadron 19.
In September 1953, he was as-
signed to the staff of Commander
Fleet Air Wing, Alameda in Ala-
meda, Calif. The following year
he was ordered to the Armed
Forces Staff College in Norfolk,
Va.
After completing his studies in
Norfolk, he served on the Naval
War College in Newport, R. I.,
for two years, then attended the
Combat Information Center (CIC)
School at Glynco, Ga.
Other duties include: CIC offi-
cer of the attack carrier Franklin
D. Roosevelt; executive and com-
manding officer of Patrol Squa-
dron 2; Air Weapons System
Analysis staff, office of CNO, and
commanding officer of Patrol
Squadron 31.
Immediate Family
Captain Pierre, whose official
address is Sunnyvale, Calif., is
married to the former Betty Jean
Weeks of Jacksonville, Fla. They
have two sons, Emile E. Ill, 18,
Vance A., 12, and a daughter,
Claudette T., 16.
CAPT EMILE E. PIERRE, JR.—Takes command
of the Naval Station during Tuesday’s Change-
of-Command ceremony.
(Photo by Greenman, SN)
CAKE CUTTING—Captain Pierre cuts the cake with
his sword while his wife, Betty, waits for a slice. The
event took place at the Officers’ Club, July 6, im-
mediately following Change-of-Command ceremonies
at Hangar 831. (Photo by Weese, AN)
SWOOSH-VROOM!—Spectators look skyward as the U.S. Navy’s Blue
Angels perform their world-renowned aerial acrobatics. The air
show was presented at the Naval Station Tuesday afternoon near
Hangar 885. (Photo by Lang, PH3)
Blue Angels Make Debut;
Perform Feats Over Kef
The U.S. Navy’s precision flying team, the Blue Angels,
made their debut at the Naval Station Tuesday afternoon
under clear and sunny skies.
A throng of spectators assembled around Hangar 885 as
well as around facilities in and around the airfield to wit-
ness the air show.
Prior to the Angels arrival, two
escort aircraft, one a Grumman
F-9F “Cougar” and the other, a
modified version of the Northrup
F-5A “Freedom Fighter,” landed
at the airport.
Then, tiny flecks appeared
streaking across the sky above.
It was the start of the high and
low flying antics of this dare-
devil team.
The Navy’s Blue Angels went
through barrel-loops, rolls, 360-
degree turns and a Fleur-de-lis
breakup in their supersonic Grum-
man F-11A “Tigers.”
At the closing of the show, the
team landed in a diamond forma-
tion, And, after the planes’ en-
gines cooled, onlookers were per-
mitted to take snapshots, get
autographs and talk to the Blue
Angel pilots.
Before the aerial acrobats put
on the show, they were refueled
in the air by A3D “Skywarriors”
approximately 150 miles off-
shore of Iceland. The A3D’s came
up from Argentia for the refuel-
ing operation.
The Navy’s flying precision
team had just completed a tour
of Europe which began with the
Paris Air Show, June 20, and
ended at Yoevilton, England,
July 5.
After a brief rest, the Blue
Angels will be off again on their
next scheduled performance the
11th of July at Ottumwa, Iowa.
In This Issue
Capt Pierre Talks .... Pg. 2
Iceland-American Society Pg. 3
Entertainments..... Pgs. 4-5
Sports.................Pg. 6
Base Sheepherding .... Pg. 7
Cash For Suggestions . . Pg. 8
Discontinued Service
Due to the summer vacation
of the local printers, the White
Falcon will discontinue its nor-
mal publication for the next
four weeks. Look for the
smaller editions and mimeo-
graphed copy which will be
put out each week to fill in
this interim gap.
Next regular issue of the
White Falcon can be seen
August 13.
Baldwin Attains
High Navy Post
The Honorable Robert H. B.
Baldwin assumed the duties of
Under Secretary of the Navy July
2, succeeding the Honorable Ken-
neth E. Belieu.
Prior to receiving his new post,
Under Secretary Baldwin served
as Special Consultant to the Sec-
retary and the Under Secretary
of the Navy since April 19, 1965.
The former Naval officer from
East Orange, N. J., was appoint-
ed a midshipman in the U. S.
Naval Reserve in October, 1942,
and attended Midshipman School
at Northwestern University in
September, 1944. There he served
as an instructor in navigation and
later in the administrative de-
partment.
His next duty was on the USS
Mission Bay (CVE-59) and m
November 1945 reported aboard
the USS Solomons (CVE-67) as
gunnery officer.
On March 19, 1946, the Honor-
able Mr. Baldwin was released
from active service as Lieutenant
and resigned his Naval Reserve
commission on May 11, 1955.
Mr. Baldwin resides in New
Vernon, N. J. with his wife, the
former Geraldine Gay Williams,
and five children.