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FLIGHT LINE

Featured Member: RADM L.W. Moffit

Lloyd William "Bill" Moffit, RADM USN (Ret)

Bill Moffit enlisted on 9-17-42 as a Naval Aviation Cadet. Civilian Pilot Training Program Prescott, AZ, flew J- 3 Cub. Then Preflight in Monterey, CA at the Del Monte Hotel (and now is the Navy's /Post Graduate School). Primary Flight Training at NAS Livermore, CA, flying N2S Stearman "Kaydets" and Timm N2Ts.

Basic Flight Training at NAS Cuddihy Field in SNV "Vibrators", then to NAS Corpus Christi, TX for Advanced Flight Training in SNJ "Texans". Served as Cadet Regimental Commander. Commissioned Ensign. Then NAAS Cecil Field, FL for fighter pilot training, but in SBD "Dauntlesses". From Cecil Field for carrier quals in SNJ "Texan"on the Wolverine and Sable. The "fighter pilot in a dive bomber" training backfired when the ComAirLant detailer sent him to VB-85, a new SB2C "Helldiver" squadron being commissioned at NAAS Wildwood, NJ (Now Cape May Municipal Airport). During this period he met his future wife, Junia Deborah Taylor

Air Group assigned to the newly commissioned USS Shangri-la, CV-38, in Norfolk. During the shake-down cruise, he was transferred to VF-85, flying F4U-l "Corsairs". Flew 36 combat flights from the Okinawa Campaign through the Japanese Home Islands Campaign until the end of the war on 15 August 1945 during which he shot down 3 "Zekes" (A6M "Zero").

On returning to ConUS he married Junia Taylor on 1 October 1945, and then to Honolulu, HI for a two year tour at NAF Honolulu. During this tour he transferred into the regular Navy. Then ordered to NAS Pensacola, FL to become a flight instructor. He transferred to NAS Corpus Christi to instruct in the Navy's All Weather Flight School. Afterwards was a six month Navy Photo School at NAS Pensacola, and then to VC-61, the Fighter Photo Squadron at NAS Miramar, CA just prior to the Korean War.

At the outbreak of the Korean conflict, he was sent into combat aboard USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) as OinC of the F4U-4P/5P Photo Detachment with Air Group 11. In this 9 month combat cruise he flew 97 combat missions. On returning to NAS Miramar he flew F9F-2P "Panthers" until the end of that tour. It was then back to Washington, D.C. for a tour instructing in the Photo Intelligence School. Next came an "Exchange Tour" for a year with the USAF at Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC flying RF- 80 "Shooting Stars". Schooling at Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA and the Navy's Line School at Monterey CA followed. Another 2 year tour in Honolulu with CincPacFleet and a tour in the Pentagon before he was assigned as skipper of VA-164 equipped with A4D-2 "Skyhawks". After becoming CO he moved the squadron from NAS Cecil Field to NAS Lemoore, CA and then aboard the USS Oriskany (CV-34) for a WesPac tour. Next came a tour as Navigator aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59) in the Mediterranean, followed by another tour in the Pentagon. He was next made the CO of the Troop Transport USS Telfair (APA- 210), cruising in Mediterranean.

Again back to the Pentagon, never to "escape" until his retirement 12 years later on 1 June 1975. Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1971 and the Director of the Navy's Space Program and later the Deputy Director of Operations (Recon and Electronic Warfare) for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

His decorations included two Legion of Merit medals, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, twelve Air Medals and four other rows of medals, awards and ribbons from the two wars in which he participated.

Admiral Moffit is ANA's Regional Vice President for the South East States.

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RADM Moffit, 1971

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Bill, 1945