USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) WestPac 1960–61: Rosters, Air Wing, and Command Staff

Front Cover, USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Now Hear This Cruise Book for 1960-61 Deployment to the Western Pacific Region. | GGA Image ID # 19bdaf8a4a

Coral Sea CVA-43 1953, 1954, 1956b, 1957, 1961, 1961a, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974-75

USS CORAL SEA 1960 61

COMMANDING OFFICER
John J. Lynch, CAPT, Boston, Massachusetts

EXECUTIVE OFFICER
John M. Rickabaugh, CDR, Oakland, California

Title Page - Now Hear This: USS Coral Sea Carrier Air Group Fifteen Com Car Div Five Western Pacific Cruise 1960-61. USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) WestPac Cruise, 1960-61. | GGA Image ID # 233d6e2683

Roster of Men - Coral Sea 1960-61 Cruise

Group photographs in the Roster - section have been indexed on outline drawings using separate sets of consecutive numbers for each division, squadron and detachment. These reference numbers appear in parentheses following names in the alphabetical roster.

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Command & Operations Roster – 1960-61 Western Pacific Cruise

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Western Pacific Cruise 1960-61

Content: Commander Carrier Division Five and Chief of Staff, Commanding Officer, Executive Officer (XO), Administrative, Operations [Officers], OA Division, OE Division, OC Division, OI Division, OP Division, OR Division, OS Division, Navigation, and Naval Security Group (NSG) Detachment 3.

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Medical & Support Roster – 1960-61 Western Pacific Cruise

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Western Pacific Cruise 1960-61

Content: Medical Department (H), Dental (D), Supply Detachment (S-1 through S-6).

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Air Department Roster – 1960-61 Western Pacific Cruise

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Western Pacific Cruise 1960-61

Content: Air Department Officers, V-1 through V-6.

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Engineering & Gunnery Roster – 1960-61 Western Pacific Cruise

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Western Pacific Cruise 1960-61

Content: A, B, E, M, R Divisions + Gunnery Department (First through Fifth Division).

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Marine Detachment Roster – 1960-61 Western Pacific Cruise

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Western Pacific Cruise 1960-61

Content: Marine Officers + Marine Detachment

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Special Weapons Roster – 1960-61 Western Pacific Cruise

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Western Pacific Cruise 1960-61

Content: W Division

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Air Wing Squadrons Roster – 1960-61 Western Pacific Cruise

USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Western Pacific Cruise 1960-61

Content: H-U1, Det D, Carrier Air Group Fifteen, Technical Representatives, Heavy Attack Squadron 2, Fighter Squadron 151, Fighter Squadron 154, Attack Squadron 152, Attack Squadron 153, Attack Squadron 155, Marine Attack Squadron 121, Marine Attack Squadron 324, and VAW 13, Det “D”

🧭 How to Use This Page

1. Pick your section:
   • S1 – Command & Operations
   • S2 – Medical & Support
   • S3 – Air Department (V-1…V-6)
   • S4 – Engineering & Gunnery
   • S5 – Marine Detachment
   • S6 – Special Weapons (W Division)
   • S7 – Air Wing Squadrons
2. Match faces to names: In the Roster section, group photos are indexed on outline drawings; the numbers in parentheses after names correspond to those outlines. Scroll to Images from USS Coral Sea… below and click “Click to View a Larger Image” (pp. 283–297) for high-res reading. 🔎
3. Decode abbreviations & roles: Use our reference pages to understand OA/OE/OC/OI/OP/OR/OS, V-Divisions, and Air Wing detachments (HU-1 Det D, VAW-13 Det “D”). 📚
4. Pro tip: After opening a large roster image, use your browser’s Find (Ctrl/Cmd+F) to jump to a surname on the page. ⚡

The USS Coral Sea Heading Out to Sea. | GGA Image ID # 233c7812d3

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 1 (Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, Administrative Division, Naval Security Group Detachment 3, Air Department, V-1 Division, V-2 Division (Officers, Barton-Conklin)). (Page 283) | GGA Image ID # 233c938f2e. Click to View a Larger Image.

✨ Most interesting content (and why it grabs readers)

ComCarDiv FIVE staff embarked: A full flag staff afloat (RADM + Chief of Staff) shows how a carrier becomes a command platform, not just a ship. Great case study for leadership structures. 🧑‍✈️

Naval Security Group Det 3: A rare glimpse into cryptology/ELINT aboard a Cold-War carrier — instantly compelling for advanced students and military historians. 🛰️

W Division (Special Weapons): Signals nuclear readiness in the at-sea environment — a striking window into Cold-War doctrine and shipboard security. ☢️

Air Wing diversity: Navy + Marine squadrons plus AEW (VAW-13) and helo plane-guard (HU-1) demonstrate how many communities made flight ops possible. ✈️🚁

V-Divisions footprint (V-1…V-6): For visual learners, this is the best hook into flight deck roles (handlers, fuels, catapults/arresting gear, hangar ops). 🟡🟣🟢

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 2 (V-2 Division (Cooney-Wolfe), V-3 Division, V-4 Division, V-6 Division, Operations Officers, OA Division (Officer, Bell-Hansen)). (Page 284) | GGA Image ID # 233ca37814. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 3 (OA Division (Hempleman-Wanters), OE Divsion, OC Division, OI Division, OP Division, and OR Division (Officers, Adkinson-Pennington)). (Page 285) | GGA Image ID # 233cb98e94. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 4 (OR Division (Pointer-Zinn), OS Division, Engineering Officers, A Division and B Division (Officers, Adams-Miller)). (Page 286) | GGA Image ID # 233d2f1acb. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 5 (B Division (Mitchell-Zimmer), E Division, and M Division (Officers, Ackom-Hahne)). (Page 287) | GGA Image ID # 233d651a74. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 6 (M Division (Haljdukiewies-Yowell), R Division, Gunnery Officers, First Division, Second Division (Officers and Anderson)). (Page 288) | GG Image ID # 233dca76f8. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 7 (Second Division (Blackwell-Wilson), Third Division, Fifth Division, Marine Detachment, F. Division, G Division (Officers, Ackerman-Black)). (Page 289) | GGA Image ID # 233e3fbd84. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 8 (G Division (Boyee-Zakalowski), GM Division, W Division, Supply Officers, S-1 Division, S-2 Division (CWO, Alexander-McCarthy)). (Page 290) | GGA Image ID # 233e4bd9cd. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 9 (S-2 Division (Mastein-Zeliun), S-3 Division, S-4 Division, S-5 Division, S-6 Division, Medical Department, and Dental Department. (Page 291) | GGA Image ID # 233e7184c3. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 10 (Navigation Division, H-UI, Det "D", Carrier Division Five, Technical Representatives, Heavy Attack Squadron 2 (Officers, Agner-Fronko)). (Page 292) | GGA Image ID # 233ec7341b. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 11 (Heavy Attack Squadron 2 (Fudge-Zepeda), Fighter Squadron 151 (Officers, Akin-Fennel)). (Page 293) | GGA Image ID # 233ee34f7d. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 12 (Fighter Squadron 151 (Fiuk-Zimmerman)), Fighter Squadron 154 (Officers, Abbott-Zachowski)). (Page 294) | GGA Image ID # 233f28f287. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 13 (Fighter Squadron 154 (Peaersen-Talley), Attack Squadron 152, Attack Squadron 153 (Officers, Alkins-Snider)). (Page 295) | GGA Image ID # 233f3a4c36. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 14 (Attack Squadron 153 (Spann-Zentner), Attack Squadron 155, Marine Attack Squadron 121 (Officers, Akers-Maier)). (Page 296) | GGA Image ID # 233fa268d4. Click to View a Larger Image.

USS Coral Sea WestPac Cruise 1960-61 Roster, Part 15 (Marine Attack Squadron 121 (Martin-Young plus Jarmon and Johnson), Marine Attack Squadron 324, and VAW 13, DET "D". (Page 297) | GGA Image ID # 233fbd72cc. Click to View a Larger Image.

🎓 Relevance by audience

Teachers & Students:

Use S1–S7 as a lesson map: leadership (CO/XO/flag), operations (CIC/Comms/Photo/Nav), engineering, medical, Marines, special weapons, and air wing.

Pair roster pages with the Glossary (Pri-Fly, jersey colors, CAP/CIC) and Carrier Roles (XO, Air Boss, CAG) for essay prompts.

Genealogists:

The outline-numbering system + large roster scans (pp. 283–297) support name confirmation, unit affiliation, and hometown cross-checks.

Historians:

Embedded NSG and W Division highlight Cold-War operational realities; ComCarDiv 5 staff lists help date command tours and organizational patterns.

Veterans & Families:

Clean entry points to divisions and squadrons make it easier to locate shipmates and reconstruct deckplate life. ❤️

🧠 Quick “Why it matters” wrap-up

This index gives readers a 360° view of a Cold-War carrier at work: from flag-level command to deckplate divisions, from cryptologic ears (NSG) to nuclear readiness (W Division), and from V-division flight ops to a joint Navy–Marine air wing. With the roster methodology explained and large images linked, it’s a research-ready launchpad for classrooms, family history, and serious scholarship. 🚀📚

Reference

Abbreviations of ranks, ratings, and carrier roles used in this cruise book are explained here:

• ⚓ Navy Ranks, Ratings & Roles (1940–2010) — decode divisions (OA/OE/OC/OI/OP/OR/OS), W Division, and leadership billets (XO/CO/CAG).
• 📖 Glossary of Naval Terms — Pri-Fly, jersey colors, CIC/CATCC, IFF, EMCON, and more.
• 🚢 Carrier-Specific Roles — XO, Air Boss, CAG/CVW Commander, LSO, handlers.
• 🎬 Navy on Film — use scenes from Top Gun, Midway, etc., to visualize carrier operations.
• 🧭 USNTC Pathways — boot camp → A-School → fleet assignments across eras.
• 📝 Essay Ideas — research-ready prompts for teachers & students.