AES-12 was the first squadron I was assigned to following Class "A" School at NAS

 Memphis (Millington) Tennessee. I arrived and reported in on August 13th of 1954

and departed there for MCAS EL TORO, Santa Ana, California on June 22, 1956

when I shipped over (Re-enlisted). I worked in every job related to my MOS 6413.

check crew performing maintance inspections, engine changes and engine build ups.

I even spent time in the Hydraulic. Shop removing and installing a wing.

On the Flight Line, I did daily pre-flight inspections on the OY-1, SNB, SNJ, AU-1 and F7F.

 The R4D's had their own flight crews that cared for them.

The duty on the Flight Line consisted mostly of meeting aircraft and parking them

using hand signals with the pilots to the proper location and refueling them. This also

included many nights of night flying, and sometimes being able to fly with the pilot,

 which was very exciting for a young 18 year old.

Of course there was also other details which we were assigned to such as Mess Duty,

Guard Duty and once I was assigned to a detail of retrieving a crashed  Navy P2V.

It was a total loss and made a huge mess at the crash site. All of this duty allowed me and

the other Marines to learn and build on what we learned at our Formal School as aircraft

mechanics.

MCAS Quantico, Va.  1954 Operations, Tower, Visiting Aircraft Line

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