The White Falcon - 23.09.1983, Page 5

4 THE WHITE FALCON/SePtember 23, 1983
September 23, 1983/THE WHITE FALCON 5
Hi HHi* ** W-
'X Or. |
/Okay, sir, what's the capital of Sri Lanka?/ With supplies arriving late for an early
school opening on the NATO Base, VP-11 rolled up its sleeves and went back to school. Un-
packing, collating, stamping and distributing various school supplies kept them busy...
proof again of the squadron's community involvement.
'Maybe not hi-tech help, but'... Members of the Pegasus team Pick up the pace a bit,
wielding an often times 'dangerous' hammer, screwdriver, or mop as they fine-tune the bas-
ic home improvement skills in helping the USO complete its facelift this summer.
'A Picture is worth a thousand words...' The waterfalls of Gulfoss offer a beautiful,
breathtaking and appropriate backdrop for one of the most meaningful of Navy traditions,
the reenlistment ceremony. The beauty and mystique of the often untamed Icelandic land
coupled with a deep-seated friendship with our host country has enabled VP-11 personnel to
fully appreciate their deployment to Iceland.
Patrol Squadron Eleven...
Pride, professionalism, community
The days are a bit shorter now and the
"Land of the Midnight Sun" has become a for-
gotten phrase. Different sights and sounds
usher in a new season. School books with
John travolta's picture are selling like hot
cakes at the local store. After an all-night
flight, an aviator opens a bedroom window to
see children playing kickba11 in the school
yard.
The scene might be anywhere. In actuali-
ty, the setting is Keflavik and the aviator
is from VP-11, the patrol squadron handling
the antisubmarine business here for the past
four and a half months.
The "Proud Pegasus" will be returning to
Brunswick, ME, this autumn, closing out an
impressive chapter in Patrol Wing Five's
contribution to North Atlantic ASH (antisub-
marine warfare operations.
It's appropriate that the Pegasus team be
the Brunswick squadron turning over the
reins to a squadron from its sister wing in
Jacksonville, FL, since VP-11 has been in
Keflavik for over half of the time since
January 1982. During that time the squadron
has amassed some remarkable and enviable
professional statistics, all of which will
hopefully add to the sophisticated and tech-
nical excellence of ASW operations in this
part of the world.
Squadron memories,however, can only part-
ly be based on the business of ASW. The de-
gree to which the Pegasus pride and spirit
have been injected into the Keflavik com-
munity and the country of Iceland as a whole
is also a gauge of the success the squadron
has enjoyed. VP-11 is a squadron that is
totally involved, as the photos on these two
pages illustrate. They have enjoyed working
with the proud professionals who live and
work at Naval Station Keflavik.
The squadron crewmembers, collectively,
hope that sometime in the future, when you
see someone here in Keflavik or back in the
States wearing that familiar VP-11 ballcap,
you'll think of something they've left be-
hind: Pegasus pride... Professionalism...
and a deeply-rooted sense of community.
We wish you the very best. Bless.
'Welcome to Keflavik and VP-11!' Always with a ready smile and eager hospitality, VP-11
hosted many aircrews and foreign diplomats, helping them to fully appreciate Keflavik,
Iceland, and the VP-11 role here. High-ranking officials from Norway, England, Germany,
France, Canada, the United States and Iceland all visited. Here Pegasus skipper, Cdr John
Ryan, and the former COMFAIRKEF, RADM Ronald F. Marryott, host the Foreign minister of
Iceland, Geir Ha I Igrimsson, and the U.S. Ambassador to Iceland, Marshall E. Brement.
'But, will I glow in the dark?' A participating veteran of the last two Radiothons, the
Pegasus team auctioned off seats for Island Familiarization flights to military personnel
of the Keflavik community in this year's fund-raising effort on behalf of Navy relief. One
of the more exciting moments took Place when the flights Passed over the Arctic circle and
recieved their coveted 'Blue Nose' and a certificate commemorating the event.
'You say you want to fly?' Youth groups, from both the NATO Base and the local Keflavik
community, have always been popular, While the squadron has fielded many well-thought-out
questions about their mission and aircraft, they have also used the opportunity to ask
questions themselves and make friends.
'Isn't it almost time for football season... maybe?' The Lovin' Eleven athletic teams com-
peted in a wide range of sporting activities. Whether rallying in the bottom of the ninth
inning, sinking a 20-foot jump shot at the buzzer, of sweating out an extra five Piunds on
the racquetball courts, members of the Pegasus team have enjoyed being involved.
'A method to our madness...' Mary Margaret Mercer, head of the Keflavik chapter of the
American Red Cross, is presented a check for $500 from the members of VP-ll's 'Big Mac At-
tack' team. The squadron raised the money for the Red Cross by selling the popular Ameri-
can burger at the annual Fourth of July celebration in Hangar 885.