VF-193 Squadron Officers

Top Row: Homer Miller (McDonnell Rep), Neal Gieske, Jack Thetford, Ron Schupp, Alex Demerseman, Jim Cooper, Earl Cambell, Clint Smith, Ralph Fore.
 Front Row: Stan Dunlap, Jack Somerville, Tom Ryan, J.T. Parks, "Daddy Jack" Bent, Bill McLucky, Don Swank, Bob Jellison, Dwight Williams
Missing from the photo: Tom "Taz" Alford. Also missing is Commander Charlie Demmler, the previous Commanding Officer.



VF-193 Demons piloted by Lt. Bob Jellison, LtJg Jack Thetford,
LtJg Jim Cooper and LtJg Alex "Ajax" DeMersseman

GHOSTRIDERS IN THE SKY
 By Dwight Williams

A Demon Driver mounted up one dark and stormy night,
Upon the cat he waited as he checked in with his flight,
Then all at once a mighty shove, those "surly bonds" cut free,
And hurled him toward those ragged skies ---- VF193. 

Yippee ay yaaaaaayyyyyyy, Yippee ay yyooooooo, Ghostriders in the sky

 The seas were rough, the bow crashed down and threw him from his rack,
Our skipper bold, whose deeds are told, the legend Daddy Jack,
Decisions he must make today were made, his mind was clear,
To wear my silk scarf, or my hat, or maybe have a beer.

Yippee ay yaaaaaayyyyyyy, Yippee ay yyooooooo, Ghostriders in the sky

He hurried to the ready room, his boys were waiting there,
Bribery, persuasion, lies might get some in the air,
A bolt of fear went thru him as he walked in thru the door,
For he saw his pilots sound asleep and heard their awful snore.

Yippee ay yaaaaaayyyyyy, Yippee ay yyooooooo, Ghostriders in the sky

Their faces gaunt, their eyes were puffed, their flight suits soaked with sweat,
They're trying hard to catch their breath but they ain't caught it yet,
Cause they gotta fly forever in their planes up in the sky,
In Demons snortin' fire, as they fly on hear their cry.

Yippee ay yaaaaaayyyyyyy, Yippee ay yyooooooo, Ghostriders in the sky

Now some of us have gone ahead and some we cannot find,
Our duty's to remember them and keep them in our mind,
Let's drink a toast, about them boast and raise our glasses high,
To Chuck and Pappy, Stan and Bill, GHOSTRIDERS IN THE SKY!!!!


VF-193 F3H-2 Demons over Mt. Fuji

Piece of cake!

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to fall.
Comes the sound of Demon’s starting,
The night fighters answer the call.

Door 34 is red with fluid,
The dashpots are dangerously low.
But with quick kick of the tire,
That Demon is ready to go!

The trip up the deck is eventful,
Dodging mules and tugs all the way.
But snug in the catapult tension,
He watches the end of the day.

Green wand of the two-finger turnup,
The throttle is rammed to the wall.
TOT stabilizes at 620,
No standbys, he’ll go after all.

Off the end of the catapult,
That Demon falls like a rock.
With an end speed of 129’er,
Could only have been a soft shot!

With burner glowing brightly,
A fading light to discern.
Why sweat that fuel consumption,
His ramp time is sure to be firm.

On station at angels thirty,
The pattern he knows like his hand.
An electronic eye ever vigilant,
Keeping watch over air, sea, and land.
Back to the marshaling area,
And the letdown through the soup.
Rocket weather three hundred and one half,
But he’s the pride of the carrier air group!

You have an immediate approach time,
Says the calm voice of CCA.
Never mind the pitot and deicers,
He soon will call it a day.

Gate 2 with all down and dirty,
Rocket casually asks him his state.
With 1000 pounds remaining,
“Clean up and conserve, launch is late!”

Four hundred pounds at the 180,
Nary ship or cans to be seen.
In the groove, a fast bobbing meatball,
And petrel is getting quite lean.

One twenty knots on the spin gear,
The approach light is green all the way.
A dive for the deck and the 1 wire,
Almost flew into number 3 bay!

Our pilot returns to the Readyroom,
A hot cup of coffee to partake.
When asked by the CO how the hop went,
He replies with a shrug, “Piece of cake!”


VF-193 Demons with a slow-flying W2F "Willie Fudd"

LINKS


John Newlin's Website

F-3H Demon
LOSSES AND EJECTIONS