USS Essex Carries Load Of World War II Warbirds To Hawaii

| August 15, 2020


USS Essex carrying vintage World War II warplanes into Hawaii. 

Cranes began hoisting the 14 World War II-era warbirds from the amphibious assault ship USS Essex Tuesday at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. In two weeks they will take part in a series of aerial parades over Oahu to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the war’s end.

The collection of warbirds made the journey from San Diego, along with some owners and maintenance crews of the planes.

The first two flyovers are scheduled for the afternoons of Aug. 29 and 30. The routes have not yet been announced, but planners have said one will likely be viewable from Waikiki Beach, while the other will be over the western part of Oahu.

A Navy flattop just rolled up in Hawaii laden with World War II-era warbirds

Author: JARED KELLER

A Navy flattop just arrived in Hawaii with an unusual cargo: a fleet of World War II-era warbirds.

The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex arrived in Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor — site of the infamous Japanese surprise attack of December 7, 1941 — laden with a handful of vintage aircraft on Monday, according to the Navy.

The warbirds are set to take part in a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII from Aug. 29 to Sep. 2, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, with some 30 U.S. military veterans of the conflict expected to attend.

While the 844-foot Essex normally hosts aircraft advanced aircraft like the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, her current cargo consists of a B-25 bomber, two PBY Catalina flying boats, an SNJ/AT-6 Texan, four AT-6 Texans, an FM2 Wildcat, F8F Bearcat, Stearman biplane, TBM Avenger, P-51 Mustang and a T-28 Trojan.

The entire article may be found here: Task and Purpose
Thanks to Boomer for the link.

Category: Blue Skies, Gathering of Eagles, Guest Link

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Ex-PH2

What? No zippy title to attract the crowd? Reveille, Sailor! Front and Center! Where’s the title? 🙂 🙂 🙂 How about Mrs. Grundy Delivers?

Nice article, with or without a “title”.

5th/77th FA

Yep, see what happens when you slack off him Ex. Gets a little sloppy. Maybe he was up late, making rather merry with the Mrs? Caffeine to blood stream ratio out of whack? His give-a-sh^t meter like his field of phuques? Stuck on zero and none to give?

It is a good article, and am proud that the usual suspect is making sure to follow up on the FIRST story of this voyage. Nice to see that an aircraft named for an ARMY Aviator, that helped embarrass Big Navy. It will do little to be little our Main Man, he is trying to keep us informed AND entertained. Nice to see that they are practicing safe flight and are taking as Trojan along for the “ride.”

Ex-PH2

Likely, it was the Heat of Summer, 5th/77th.

You remember that kind of heat, don’t you? Humidity so high that an air conditioner set at 80F felt like a winter chill? And never mind the noises in the bush, it was the green tree snakes and that EFF YOU lizard that gave you the most worries, right?

5th/77th FA

Yes’um, I do. All cooking is done at 0God15 hrs (what little I’m doing; made up enough Thursday night for several meals). Got the chainsaw by the door to cut a path thru the humidity to go check the mail box, and nothing is going to stop my Trane. The cloud cover is keeping the heat indexes in the low 3 digits so there is that. The thunder boomers coming thru every night sound and look like rolling barrages.

David

send the rain to east Texas. We need it.

Ex-PH2

I’ve had 3 (count ’em) “red sky at morning, Sailor, take warning” mornings this week, including this morning. Wednesday, the Sun was as beet red as a sunburned Chihuahua.

Something’s coming. Keep your eyes and ears open, and remember all those pretty girls in ao-dais over at Bien Hoa watching the troop trucks rolling in with newbies? Every time the cameras focused on them, dropped their hats in front of their faces. Spies, every confounded one of them.

I know a spy when I see one, even if it’s later, ‘tater.

ninja

AW1Ed:

Low caffeine level?

Probably due to not having enough salt in your coffee…

😁😆🤣😂😅😄

gabn

Speaking of gabn:

Ex-PH2 posted an interesting story about the Spanish Foreign Legion.

Their Mascot is a G-O-A-T..

*What…Too Early?

🐐 😉😎

KoB

Matter of fact the mules did reproduce. They had twin goats, named one “Billy” and the other was named “Nanny.” They are Chief in our hearts and we keep them in a big locker.

ninja

From the article:

“According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, one of the B-25s involved in this year’s commemoration belongs to David Prescott, who sent his B-25 named “Old Glory” to San Diego to eventually make the trip to Hawaii aboard the Essex.”

“It’s important to me,” Prescott told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “It’s probably one of the last times (some of these veterans) will be able to see this.”

Thank You, Boomer and AW1Ed, for sharing.

Combat Historian

Interestingly, the F8F Bearcat and T-28 trainer were more known for their services in Indochina/Vietnam than anything related to WWII. The F8F served with French forces in the French Indochina War, and the T-28 in the early stages of Vietnam under the FARMGATE project, with VNAF T-28s being flown by American “advisor” pilots with a Viet crewman onboard against VC targets in RVN…

The Other Whitey

That’s a beautiful sight!

Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH B Woodman

Who’s going to be there to see and enjoy it? Teh state Gooberment has the island in total lockdown, anyone arriving has to undergo 2 weeks quarantine. Tourism? What’s that?