1960s Vought Crusaders F8U Navy Aircraft - CDR Howard H.H. Skidmore Photo 8x10 for Sale

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1960s Vought Crusaders F8U Navy Aircraft - CDR Howard H.H. Skidmore Photo 8x10 For Sale

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1960s Vought Crusaders F8U Navy Aircraft - CDR Howard H.H. Skidmore Photo 8x10 :
$94.98

Vought Crusaders F8U Navy Aircraft CDR Howard H.H. Skidmore Photo 8 x 10

AboutCDR Howard H.H. Skidmore:

Howard Skidmore grew up in Villa Grove, Illinois and joined theUnited States Navy in January 1942. He received his commission and Gold NavalAviator's Wings in November 1942. Skidmore's first carrier landing came when heflew the SB2U aboard the USS Charger (CVE 30). He joined VGS 29 and made 3cruises to Africa on the USS SANTEE (CVA 29) flying submarine patrols.

Skidmore reported aboard the USS CABOT (CVL 28) in October 1944with VT 29. Flying in one of the CABOT's nine torpedo planes, his was in thelead attack that sunk the MUSASHI, sister ship to the YAMATO, the two largestbattleships ever built. On November 25, 1944 Skidmore had a front row seat whenthe CABOT took two hits from Japanese suicide Kamikaze pilots. Skidmore wasgetting ready to launch his Avenger loaded with four 500-pound bombs, when onof the Kamikaze pilots made it through the CABOT's defensive fire. The enemy'splane sheared off Skidmore's propeller and crashed into the deck just ahead ofhim and exploded in the catapult room. In April 1945, Skidmore was involvedwith the sinking of the YAMATO. The CABOT carried only nine TBM-TBF Avengertorpedo planes. Skidmore flew the Avenger in combat over the Philippines,Formoa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and against the Japanese Fleet.

Howard Skidmore's naval career continued after World War II; hewas executive officer of Atlantic Jet Photographic Squadron VFP 62 and laterSkipper of VF 41 and VF 11, the Red Rippers. While with the Red Rippers aboardthe USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62), Skidmore flew the F8U Crusader. On May 5, 1961,Skidmore was the Air Boss on the USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CV 39) which recoveredAmerica's first astronaut, Commander Alan Shepard.

Skidmore was in charge of special projects in the office of NavalIntelligence from 1961 to 1965. During The Bay of Pigs, Skidmore was involvedin the confirmation of the Soviet missiles based in Cuba. From 1965 to 1968,Howard Skidmore was assigned as Senior Military Attache and Naval Attache tothe American Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark. Howard retired from the Navy afterover thirty years of service on May 1, 1972, with the rank of Captain.

After retirement, Skidmore worked for Global Marine, Inc. whichoperated the HUGHES GLOBAL EXPLORER, a on-of-a-kind ocean mining ship. Since1989, Howard Skidmore has been heavily involved with the effort to save andpreserve his old ship, the USS CABOT. The CABOT is the only fast light carrierremaining of the nine INDEPENDENCE class carriers and is the only World War IINavy straight deck carrier remaining. In this effort, Howard has worked withpast President George bush, who flew off the USS SAN JACINTO, and pastPresident Gerald Ford, who was aboard the USS BUNKER HILL, both are sisterships of the CABOT.

Some of Captain Howard Skidmore's decorations include the DistinguishedFlying Cross with 2 stars, Air Medal with 3 stars, navy Commendation Medal,Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation with 2 stars, National Defense Medal,and the Danish Commander Order of the Dannebrog, similar to out Legion ofMerit.

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