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NAS Memphis

NAS Memphis



Courtesy Steve Wetzel
Courtesy Steve Wetzel

Patch
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Handle
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Heritage
  • 1917 established in Millington, near Memphis TN.

Air Wings
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Aircraft
Commanding Officers
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Events
  • November 1917:
    Army Signal Corps Aviation School "Park Field" established.

  • September 15, 1942:
    Naval Reserve Aviaton Base (NRAB) commissioned for the purose of training pilots.

  • January 1, 1943:
    NRAB was designated a Naval Air Station.

  • June 15, 1965:
    A-4B BuNo 142724 & A-4B BuNo 144877 144877 flown by Cmdr. Monroe C. Smith & LtCdr. James L. Hilkie lost instruments in bad weather. Both ejected near Okolona, AR with Smith suffering a dislocated sholder. Hilkie was uninjured.
    Fayetteville, AR Northwest Arkansas Times article

  • November 5, 1966:
    Lt. Col. Wilzie Eston Cooley (VMA-124) perished in A-4B BuNo 142699 in a crash south of Munford, TN shortly after take-off from NAS Memphis, TN
    Kingsport, TN Kingsport News article

  • 17 April, 1987:
    VMA-124 with A-4M Skyhawks were aboard with BuNo.160036.

    VMA-124 is the reserve unit of MAG-42, 4th Marine Air Wing (parent of all Marine reserve squadrons).

  • October 1, 1998:
    NAS Memphis was redesignated NAVCSUPPACT (Naval Support Activity) Memphis.

  • October 1, 1998:
    The name was changed to "NAVCSUPPACT Mid-South".

strong>Awards
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Photographs

Webmaster note:
Prior to 1970, reserve aircraft belonged to the local NARTU or Reserve Naval Air Station. Except for those squadrons on active duty, as in Korea, no reserve squadron "owned" their aircraft, as they were assigned to the NARTU/Station. In 1970, during that reorganization of the reserves into the "Reserve Force" concept, each new squadron was made independent of NARTU (later called NAR), and assigned either to CVWR-20 or CVWR-30. All squadrons were then made in the image of active duty units, with the reserve unit Commanding Officer owning the aircraft and reporting to the CAG. On this site you will find all era reserve combat aircraft images in the appropriate squadron photo page, and only non-combat support aircraft images in the reserve station photo page -
UNLESS the unit can not be determined or the aircraft was TDY to the station.

NATTC Memphis:
NATTC Memphis A-4A BuNo 137823, #56.
Gary Verver Collection

21 OCT 1975: NARU Memphis Skyhawk BuNo 153492, 6M-692, parked on the ramp.
Gary Verver Collection via R. Dowers

21 OCT 1975: NARU Memphis Skyhawk BuNo 153680, 6M-680, parked on the flight line.
Gary Verver Collection via R. Dowers

TA-4F BuNo 159796 with a center line drop tank.
Photo taken by John Freeman at NAS Memphis in April 1982.

21 Oct 1975 A-4A Skyhawk BuNo 142144 sitting on its tail in the NATTC Memphis dump. F-3 Demon behind #8.
R. Dowers, Gary Verver Collection.

21 Oct 1975 A-4A Skyhawk BuNo 142194 riding on a dolly in one of the A school hangars.
R. Dowers, Gary Verver Collection.

21 Oct 1975 Skyhawk BuNo 142929, 002, surrounded by work platforms in one of the A school hangars.
R. Dowers, Gary Verver Collection.

21 oct 1975 Skyhawk BuNo 142940, 007, surrounded by work platforms in one of the A school hangars.
R. Dowers, Gary Verver Collection.

NATTC:
NATTC Memphis BuNo 142940
Photographer is B. Curry, from Gary Verver.

21 OCT 1975: NATTC MemphisA-4B Skyhawk BuNo. 142834, #12, and BuNo 142715.
R. Dowers photo, G. Verver collection

28 OCT 1975: Memphis A-4A BuNo 142180
Gary Verver Collection

NAS Memphis in April 1982. Photos taken by John Freeman.
Aircraft do not carry unit markings.
BuNo.149635
BuNo.149635
BuNo.149556

27 MAY 1983: NATTC Memphis Skyhawk BuNo 145082, side number 010.
W. Munzenmaier

2007: BuNo 149505 waits on the restoration flight line at the Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola FL.
Richard Lane

VMA-223 160039 taxiing at Memphis. Name below the canopy is CPL Myers.
Photo by D. Wilton


Sources
  • Joe Turpen
  • Gary Verver
  • John Gabbard
  • John Caldas
  • John Gabbard


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