I was on Yorktown V1 division Rep 8 Crash crew 65-67 I went on magic carpet run and one westpac. I drove the tilley and was a crew leader in rep 8.  I was on the flight deck when John Mandel got hit by prop of a S2Etucker forward of island after plane shut down it's engine and John walked too close to prop. I drove tilley when a s2e went in to the starboard cat walk forward of lsland and Dick Sterpka put a tie down on the plane to keep it from going over side and then we attached a sling and pulled plan back up on deck.

 

 

We had similar situations on Yorktown in the 50's. We had an AD go over the starboard side forward of the Island and if you've searched this website much, you should have seen some pix of Lt. Arnicar's ditching and also his ship to ship transfer in a specially designed rig to protect his broken back.

We also had a Flight Deck Crewman who was chocking up an AD and stepped out from under the wing just as the prop kicked over one turn and took the side of his head. But thank God, Guy Hudson survived, thanks to the outstanding work of our Yorktown surgeons and several direct transfusions of blood while Guy was operated on. I don't know what the long term results were for Guy, but I have always wanted to believe that he was okay. I hope he had a good life and is still with us.

We had an arresting gear cable snap once and kill one of our mates at his station in the flight deck catwalk, port side, aft. Very bad and painful for all of the crew. These events all happened in 1953 or 1954. I'd have to do some more research to pinpoint dates, etc. The flight deck of the Yorktown and every other carrier was a very dangerous place.

My own worst personal flight deck event happened when I was re-fueling an AD Skyraider with a 2" hose and a sudden pressure surge kicked the hose out of the fill tube. I was totally soaked down, head to toe with AvGas; lost my vision and my footing and fell of the wing to the deck. I was transported to sick bay in one of those wire basket stretchers, unable to see anything at all. As with all injured Yorktown sailors, I was treated by our great medical staff and my vision was restored by the following morning. I remember that one of our great doctors was Dr. (Lt., I think) Meckleberg. (not sure of that spelling. I ought to wise up some day and move my cruise books up here where my computer is).

I have plenty of great stories from my time aboard Yorktown. I've persisted in a plan to write a book or screenplay but the years keep easing past and I have only made a small dent in the projects. The truth is that I have far too much material for a screenplay.