Sunday, June 23, 2024
Well, I have to share this with everyone as no one else is around to do so. Dick and I shared a special bond from our time in the NAVY as we were both crew members of "Seashell 4" an anti-submarine hunting seaplane. He was the tactical coordinator and back up pilot and I was the radio operator when we ditched and sank while on a night mission on 9-6-62. Lucky for us we were working an exercise with the nuclear submarine USS Sea Dragon which rescued us after only about thirty minutes in our life raft. I never forget Dick running down to the lower section of the plane to check for water atter yelling great "landing"?? Then he had to say we are taking on water fast, get out the life rafts. Well, the plane sank in five to ten minutes, and we were wet, cold and in the life raft. One of the two life rafts got caught under the wing when inflated and we lost that one. So, twelve us had to try pile into one raft which was sized for about six to eight people. Had we not been rescued very fast none of would have survived due to the cold water and weather. The safety review board that did the write up on our ditching called us the "Lucky Ones" and we knew of course we were. Dick went on to become our command pilot and the squadron's NATOP'S pilot who gave check rides to other pilots to check their abilities. He had the sad duty to ground our squadron commander (a full Captain) until he got back his flight status. So, you can see even back then he was an outstanding aviator. I will miss him; he was a great man and leader. Quint Lohse, Chatfield, Minnesota. P.S. My wife and i had the privilege of visiting him and Tina years ago and cerish that visit.
