NWSA Historian
Information from Aerograph, May 2007

CDR Don Cruse, USN RET  
 

NWSA HISTORIAN’S COMMENTS

Also see: NWSA HISTORIAN'S REPORT FOR 2004-2005
Also see: NWSA HISTORIAN’S REPORT FOR 2005-2006
Also see: OCEAN WEATHER SHIPS 1940-1980
Also See: LCDR ROBERT F. FREEMAN, USN (Ret), NWSA President 1981-1982
Also See: NWSA Historian COMMENTS May 2007

We shall call this “Loose ends that are flying in the breeze.”  That is essentially what is happening on this desk.  Members may be interested to learn how many loose ends NWSA is dealing with, and how difficult it is to get some of them secured.

Sometimes things happen without any initiative on my part.  We had one of these episodes in 2005 when AGCS John Willoughby offered to donate a large selection of AG Training Manuals.  He wanted to clear out his California garage.  His offer happened to coincide with a 2006 request from the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society for Aerology memorabilia.  It has now worked out well; I’m pleased to report, and have benefited all parties concerned.  Who could ask for more!

As NWSA members are aware, nearly all of our accumulated Aerology memorabilia that was donated over the years now resides in the National Museum of Naval Aviation archives.  Members agreed that Aerology was always an integral part of naval aviation.  Recently I have asked for the indefinite loan of an old (1928) Aerographer’s Manual from the Pensacola archives.  If possible, it will be added to the Lakehurst memorabilia.

Also included in my request to NMNA was the collection of approximately twenty-four Christmas cards, which would be added to an album under construction.  My intention is to display the album at each NWSA annual reunion.  I feel that additional cards will probably be donated by members when they view the album.  The album was started with those donated cards still on hand.

Yes, donations continue to arrive, although the volume has diminished.  This means that I have some donated materials on hand that will be passed to NMNA in Pensacola.  One other stash of Aerology memorabilia has been in the custody of LCDR Frank Ivie in Monterey for some time.  AGC Zane Jacobs carefully inventoried that material, from which certain duplicate hardback meteorology books were donated to the refurbished Aerological Office in USS HORNET (CV-12) Museum.  They are now part of the display within that office, which is open to the public.

Speaking of refurbished shipboard Aerological Offices, another one is aboard USS MISSOURI (BB-63) in Pearl Harbor.  Thus far, NWSA has contributed a selection of AG Training Manuals to that office by hand carrying them to Pearl.  From our stash in Monterey, there are additional meteorology books destined for USS MISSOURI but await shipment under a USN Bill of Lading, if possible.  This effort remains in the hands of the CMDMC at NPMOC Pearl, AGCM Mark Burton.  He is coordinating with his opposite number at FNMOC Monterey.  Now I’m hearing scuttlebutt that AGCM Bob Tyo is Mark’s relief, so I hope that he will pick up the ball when he arrives in Pearl.

While I have been standing by to stand by on that effort, another coincidence has occurred.  Specifically, CDR Richard Herman offers NWSA a microbarograph in operating condition.  I feel that the instrument should go aboard USS MISSOURI, and am looking for a likely candidate to hand-carry it from San Francisco to Pearl.

Some members may ask, “Why not ship the entire Monterey stash to NMNA Pensacola and be done with it?”  My answer is that NMNA would only store the memorabilia, adding it to materials already in their warehouse.  I feel it is better to sort through the older materials that ended up in Monterey after being hauled around to several west coast NWSA annual reunions, and attempt to find appropriate homes for as much as possible.  It has become obvious that much of the residue must be junked.

Many, many old meteorology books were donated by NWSA members at the time our Aerology Exhibit at NMNA was initially planned and money was being collected.  CDR Ray Perry donated his entire bookshelf.  The majority of those books now reside in the Emil Buehler Naval Aviation Library, which is an integral component of NMNA.  They are available for reference use, just like similar library materials.

In like fashion, NWSA placed in that library for safekeeping all of the original Aerological School class photographs which, for many years, were transported to NWSA annual reunions and displayed.  Occasionally one or two of those photographs would disappear when a member took a liking to it.  Now we rely on the CD which contains all of those one-of-a-kind photographs after several years of dedicated effort by AGCM Moe Lambert—plus the invaluable cataloging efforts of AGC Zane Jacobs.  Each of our NWSA regional chapters was provided with a copy of the CD for reference use.

The aforementioned destinations for Aerology memorabilia do not cover the entire spectrum because it is continually changing.  There are museum ships with still un-refurbished Aerological Offices which should, with time, provide logical destinations.  It behooves NWSA to maintain a point of contact, such as the Historian, to whom requests may be sent and available materials provided if it is possible to match the request

I expect that there will eventually come a time when the supply and demand situation stabilizes—or there will no longer be a demand for Aerology memorabilia.