VAQ-34 SHIPMATES
and SHIPWRECKS
PAGE 1
(click on the photos for a larger view)
 
 
vern202crashcrewphoto.JPG (93771 bytes)
The crew in the yellow is all of us from the
GD202 Crash site above Santa Barbara
Photo from the Collection of Vern Valdez
 
 
The following pictures are either by Matt Hribar or from his collection. 
Fill in the names, we can't remember everyone!
matta7planewash.jpg (49919 bytes)
Washing an EA-7L on the line in Purto Rico.
At least they are wearing their boots.... 
 
matta7troubleshoot.jpg (52252 bytes)
VAQ-34 trouble shooters trying to figure out what's wrong.
(ask Matt Hribar why the pic is cropped like that)
 
mattamcoffeepurtorico.jpg (92009 bytes)
Morning coffee while waiting for the bus from Bundy to the hanger.
L-R AME3 unk, PR1 Fridd (I think), ukn, AMSAN Clay (last name)
 
mattbusstoppurtorico.jpg (88593 bytes)
Waiting for the bus at Bundy.
AMS2 Heinze Deluca wins!
 
mattchiefsworkinggd210.jpg (75592 bytes)
Chiefs troubleshooting GD 210.
I think that's AMHC Rich "Doctor" Dukes on the left.
 
mattfunnyglasses.jpg (21738 bytes)
Anyone have an idea who this is?
Look like ops normal for a Purto Rico DET. 
 
mattjimheinzcards.jpg (35636 bytes)
Da Boys playing cards and drinking beer.
L-R  AN Jim Sicillion, ADAN unk, AMS2 Heinze Deluca, AN Park
 
 mattmacheinz.jpg (35119 bytes)
AE1 John McCormick and AMS2 Heinze Deluca
Caught zapping the bottom of someones boots.
 
matttape.jpg (49004 bytes)
Can you say "hazing"?
L-R  AEAN Matt Hribar, unk (night be Joe Acerni), unk.
 
mattwes.jpg (26538 bytes)
AMS2 Wes Pyles riding a Harley...
 
mattwessleep.jpg (21616 bytes)
Whathehell.....
 
mattwestroubleshooters.jpg (54779 bytes)
WC 320, the "Troubleshooters"
L-R  unk (with firebottle), AMS2 We Pyles, AE2 John McCormick, unk,
AMS2 Heinz DeLuca AEAN Matt Hribar, unk.  
 
purtoricovaq34party.JPG (39267 bytes)
photo from the collection of Sheldon Brown
Beach party in Purto Rico circa the late 80's.
L-R: unknown, Migual Carrion, Jon Baker, Terry (Chaisson) DeSplinter,
Gary Edmonds, Sheldon Brown, unknown, unknown.  
 
3vaqf18pilots.jpg (16706 bytes)
(Photo by PH2 Thomas Milne)
3 VAQ-34 F-18 Pilots 
L-R   LT.Sue Hart, LT. Brenda Scheufele, LT. Pam (Lyons) Carel
(Thanks to Loree (Draude) Hirschman for the info)
 
202crashrecoveryteam.JPG (22381 bytes)
Photo from the collection of Cliff Littlejohn
GD 202 crash recovery team
Cliff Littlejohn:   "This is a pic of me, Armagost, Clay, and I cant remember the other guys name, he was a mech or a framer, maybe you know him. We were in Santa Barbara picking up little pieces of 202 they always had 4 of us stay the night to watch all of the gear. It was a 2 hour bus ride from where the plane crashed to the nearest store, but true to form we made the trip every night to buy beer....er um, cokes...yeah, cokes...
 
VAQdunkinglittlejohn.JPG (36241 bytes)
Photo by Cliff Littlejohn
A time honered tradition (started about 2 minutes ago) of dunking
the newbie into the water at the beach.
Dunkee:  PRAN Adam Lane
Dunker to the left:  Dan Waddell, the other 3 are unknown.
It's all fun and games untill someone drops their beer.
 
vaqgd200littlejohn.jpg (27049 bytes)
Photo from the collection of Cliff Littlejohn
A boy and his airplane
 
vaqtroublelittlejohn.JPG (46371 bytes)
Photo by Cliff Littlejohn
Trouble!
LT Jim "Hoser" Paulsen,  LT Jeff Justice,  LT Chris "Meathead" Meehan
Notice the name on the side of Double Nuts?
LCDR Springer....
 
vaqtroublepart2.JPG (27669 bytes)
Photo by Cliff Littlejohn
Trouble Part II!
LT Laura "Moose" Mason,  LT Mike "Goober" Pease, and LT Lori  "Wrench" Melling
On top of an airplane AND drinking beer...
Where is the Safety Officer when you need him!
 
vaqhawlittlejohndet.JPG (43509 bytes)
Photo by unknown
From the collection of Cliff Littlejohn
L-R  Unknown (Hehe, he crashed on a Squadron Safety Stand Down day
motorcycle "safety ride" up on Portreo Canyon Road in Camarillio, right Ace!)
Cliff Littlejohn (in the back), AN Londono (being held up), unknown.
It's all fun and games till someone gets the ordie tape out...
 
vaqHollinsLongGusman.JPG (25424 bytes)
Photo by Cliff Littlejohn
L-R AT3 Guzman, AT2 Lenny Hollins, AD3 Kim Hall
 
vaqtravelhollinslittlejohn.JPG (27041 bytes)
Photo by Cliff Littlejohn
Traveling to a DET in Hawaii in style.
L-R / F-R   AQ2 Lenny Hollins,  AZ? Huges, 
Chief Wyatt,  Senior Chief "Froggy".
 
vaqlittlejohnVelasquez.JPG (8105 bytes)
Photo by Cliff Littlejohn
AE1 Rich Velasquez
 
vaqlittlejohnkibbler.JPG (23423 bytes)
US Navy photo
From the collection of Cliff Littlejohn
Skipper Rex Kibbler
 
vaqlittlejohnhollins.JPG (24981 bytes)
Photo by Cliff Littlejohn
L-R   AT2 Fred Butel, AT2 (AQ2) Lenny Hollins,
ATAN Kim Long at work
 
vaqlittlejohnquarters.JPG (35739 bytes)
US Navy photo
From the collection of Cliff Littlejohn
Skipper Kibbler presents an award to AEAN (AE2) Littlejohn
 
NancyandLorie.JPG (102745 bytes)
Photo by Jim Dunn
From the collection of René Francillon
LT Nancy "NoFun" Dykhoff (now Fechtig) and LT Lori "Wrench" Melling
at Beal Airforce Base in 1988 with the Mighty EA-7L
 
1000traps.jpg (24723 bytes)
Official Navy photo
Commander Jeff Gruetzmacher scores his 1,000 trap in Dec 99.
Congratulations!!
(what's a trap?)
http://www.naswi.navy.mil/vaq-137/rooks.htm
4000hrs.jpg (37663 bytes)
Official Navy photo
G + 11 reached 4000 hours of total flight time in June of 99
as the Skipper of VAQ-137. 
How many hours of that was in the Whale?
Congratulations!!
 
vaq34zapsblues.jpg (23299 bytes)
Photo by Dave Gowin
L-R: AMS1 Wes  Pyles,  NADEP Alameda employee ED Dille, and AE2 Greg Lee
have just "acquired" a Navy Blue Angel F-18 for use as a super sonic missile platform.
 
vaqa3buds.jpg (249059 bytes)
A-3 Buds 
L-R  AD1 Rich Harrison, LT Doug "Duck" Patton,
AMS2 Joe Hawkins, LT Doug Grilliot
Preflight 1988 for the A-3 "Whale Ball" in Key West Fl.  Not that the flyby was a goat rope or anything, but Lt Patton had us on time and in the right spot.   We didn't drop out with aircraft problems...
 
vxemikes4.jpg (180366 bytes)
Photo from the collection of Mike Selke
AFCM Mike Selke in front of some Commie pile of junk
The Ice Runway, McMurdo Station, Antarctica
 
Barracks 26 Saturday afternoon party
Life was GOOD!
vaqjoe1.jpg (25443 bytes)
Photo from the collection of Joe Hawkins
L-R AT2 Eugene Santos, AE2 Bob Nagle, AMS2 Joe Hawkins,  José Cuervo
 
vaqjoe2.jpg (31456 bytes)
Photo from the collection of Joe Hawkins
L-R unk,  AT2 Eugene Santos, unk,  AO2 Bruce Webster, unk sitting, AE2 Bob Nagle
(Anyone seen Dr Dukes?)
 
vaqjoe4.jpg (44424 bytes)
Photo from the collection of Joe Hawkins
Before Softball practice.
L-R   AMS1 Wes Pyles,  unk,  AO1 Dave Battle,  unk,   AO2 Bruce Webster
 
wpe4.jpg (28344 bytes)             swappa31.JPG (30919 bytes)
Photos by Nathan Swapp
AD1 (ret) Nathan Swapp   
A-3 Crewchief VAQ-34
hard at work with our tax dollars....
 
vaqace.jpg (50245 bytes)
Photo by Ace
AT2 (civilian) Joe "Ace" Acerni  
and
AT2 (civilian) Mick "Micky" Willis  
 
Back in their "Squid days" out in front of a "real" VAQ-34 Aircraft,
KA-3B GD 220, 138944.
 
nowak.gif (14338 bytes)
Official NASA photo
LCDR Lisa Nowak   NASA Astronaut
NFO VAQ-34
EA-7L and ERA-3B aircraft Mission Commander and EW Lead
 
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