Strike Operations USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) - 4/26/1972

[@richardrondinelli6449]

I served aboard USS CORAL SEA (CVA 43) from June 1970 to 26 January 1974. CS3 S2 division. I left the ship, applied for a Civil Service job at Naval Hospital San Diego. I started work 4 march 1974 as WG -02 3566 Janitor! I retired in 2000 as a Hospital Administrator GS 11-10, (Went to SDSU on the G.I. BILL nights). I am so thankful for my experience aboard CORAL SEA ! I loved it , and I hated it!. I just turned 71 in 2021 (December 16) FARE WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS CORAL SEAMEN!!!!!

[@Ksseadog]

Was a CS2 on her at that time so we must have known each other. I had the after bake shop at the time. Got out and ended up as a MSW and worked for the Army for 28 years.

[@nanii414]

Amazing footage. I was an 8 year-old headache at the time, shuttled back and forth between Manila and Subic. Miss my parents terribly.

[@charlesbukowski9836]

What did your dad fly?

[@nanii414]

@@charlesbukowski9836 a desk, lol

[@charlesbukowski9836]

@@nanii414 oh LOL well the planes don't go zoom zoom without ink!

[@Dwhinery]

I was in Marine Squadron VMA (AW) 224 during this time. I was a Plane Captain . I have awesome memories of 1972 including the mining of Haiphong Harbor. I remember the USO show. I saw some of my old buddies from Ordinance. I remember their faces but not their names. Sure wish I could talk to some of them.

[@TheDustysix]

VMA(AW)224 starting at 1:09 was the unit I joined in 1977. Many of the old hands were there.

[@lenmaclean3815]

You have to hand it to the entire crew, they are the tip of the spear, we are very fortunate indeed.

[@kellywilson8440]

My Ordies putting in work , Great video and sure would like to hear the audio on these old clips !

[@Dwhinery]

Was you in 224?

[@kellywilson8440]

@@Dwhinery No sir VFA-131 Wildcats out of NAS Cecil Field fla 85/88 .

[@Dwhinery]

@@kellywilson8440 Those are my friends in the video. I was a plane captain on the coral sea. If you notice they loaded all the bombs by hand on the aircraft carrier. Back on land they loaded them with SATS loaders. I watched them go from skinny weak Marines to pumped up bodybuilders in a few short weeks aboard the coral sea. Good times, bad times.

[@kellywilson8440]

@@Dwhinery Friends you will never forget im sure those days were the best , Thats how we loaded our ordnance on our f-18's aka (fleetloaded) by hand anything under 1000 lbs , Best shape of my life but back and knees are done for because of it , I sure miss those days and like a redo . Thanks for your service brother and plane captains Rock ! Did the 87/88 med-cruise on The Coral sea .

[@tazman572]

I was an armourer in the Canadian Air Force, 1981-2016. "C" man on CF-101 primaries, "B/C man secondaries, and load crew on CF-18's. Good times.

[@samparker2969]

I was a LTjg on board the USS Waddell DDG-24 which escorted the Coral Sea to and from Westpac for that deployment and provided plane guard duties during some of the time on Yankee Station. This brings back many memories.

[@peatmozz5545]

Midway swabby here...Ahoy 43 and Saluuute'''

[@njaneardude]

What a different world, a different war. So many things to focus on, I liked the Red Cross ladies dancing with the sailors, and that one young sailor bashfully not wanting to dance.

[@tonyrollman3991]

Served vfa-137 med cruise 87-88 89

[@stephenkimble7132]

Me too! Steve Kimble

[@jasonshuster4748]

The next day VF-51 lost a F-4 to a MIG-21 crew became POW's.

[@robertferguson9764]

I was on it 1975 vf 111 plane captain

[@charlesbukowski9836]

@@robertferguson9764 are the yellow shirts officers only? and I assume the brown shirts are E6 and above?

[@charlesbukowski9836]

stupid ROE I assume?

[@robertferguson9764]

@@charlesbukowski9836 no, yellow shirts are plane directors, brown are plane captains,carry chains and do pre inspections for next flight and strap pilots in and chain aircraft down when landing

[@robertferguson9764]

@@charlesbukowski9836 brown shirts are e1 to e4, e6 is the supervisor

[@davidlmorgan9450]

.HMAS Hobart was tired up next to her in Huners Point Naval Shipyard late 1972 .

[@robertferguson9764]

Caught carrier in Phillipines, 1975 vf 111 f4 phantom plane captain

[@TheBlues088]

5:51 where can I get this black jacket?

[@rogermurray9058]

April 26,1972 50 Year ago I was Born September 20,1972

[@josephstevens9888]

Happy belated Birthday!

[@jhollie8196]

MarDet on the Coral Sea from 77-80

[@John-lv1zq]

A war we lost A war we should never have fought 2 million indochinese men women and children were killed

[@John-lv1zq]

@@tonytumbaga7365 not for the rightwing politicians of both parties thst pushed Afghanistan Iraq and Virtnam on us. Who won the last wars? General Dynamics won. If you had invested 10000$ in General Dynamics in 2001 that stock woukd be worth 130000$ today .

[@darrellsavage3417]

We did not lose this as a military. Our Government lost the war for us

[@robertferguson9764]

That was .y Sqaudron vf111 plane captain 1975

[@lannydante9390]

Where’s the sound- boring without it - I was aboard when this was made.

[@omarresendiz3790]

You should have recorded the sound

[@lannydante9390]

You need music!!!!

[@tonymanero5544]

Our Vietnam Vets are in their 70’s and early 80’s. They will die off in the 10-15 years. We now have thousands of Iraq 2 PTSD troops thanks to Dick Cheney falsifying evidence to invade Iraq and our VA system cost $249 billion annually. We can build 20 Ford Class carriers every year for that money, rather than 1 every 3 years as currently.

[@robertferguson9764]

Lol made 2 west pacs on it

[@lannydante9390]

Sucks without music