Jake the Yeoman of the U.S.S. Hancock CV/CVA-19 Memorial
Introduces Richard A. Kirsch, PH3, USNR
 Hello, I am Jake Jaccard,
Web Yeoman of Jake's 'Yankee Station' - U.S.S. Hancock CV/CVA-19 Memorial. I am the Webmaster of several Veteran's Memorials, and this one is Special for it is a gift to my dear friend and
shipmate, Richard A. Kirsch, so I'd like to introduce you to Rich, a former Photo Lab Third Class Petty Officer,
who served in the U.S.S. Hancock CVA-19, from 1953-1955 - An important period of her "rebirth" as a continuing
Force for Peace in a troubled world.
Rich has been Middle Years Coordinator in our Admin Department
and Officiator for our Middle Years Galleries on the Hancock Memorial for a number of years now.
I've opted recently (31 May 2008) to move his Gallery to
his own location on the Internet, and let it grow there under his control and design.
Rich will continue to act as our Middle Years Gallery Host
on the Hancock Memorial, but this location will be his to continue the Hancock Tradition, which has always been
a Tradition of Excellence.
Therefore, it is with great pride that I introduce you to
Rich Kirsch, from Indio, California. His legacy is laid out here for you all to enjoy.
Rich Kirsch has a great outlook on life, and one I have enjoyed now for the past five years since
our meeting (2004) and his call to be our Middle Years Coordinator. I've discovered Rich's great sense of humor,
and his love of a good joke, good pictures and you will see by this photo - has taught his sweet wife, Gail, how
to compose a great photo - especially if he's in it  -
Rich by a highway overlook near Mamouth Lake, California
Click the Image for a 'Close-up' or Click here for the widescreen image (takes time on a dial-up connection - but is well worth the time).
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 I really think we all could take some of his advice, and get out and see some our country's beauty.
A good day-trip or an extended tour like Rich does; that would help us to keep out of the dumps, which we visit
on occasion in our lives. Keeping a Positive mental outlook is necessary to get us through the rough times. So,
lets enjoy a good joke; or go dancing like he loves to do, or go for a short spin down the road and see some of
America - it does a great boost to your outlook.
I'd like to say thank you to Rich for his friendship and
for providing such a wonderful and informative Gallery of our Ship during the 'Middle Years' of her career. Both
the later generation Hancock Crew and the Earlier World War II Crew can easily relate to Rich's gallery, because
his time was not far removed from the Vietnam Era, nor was it far removed from WWII. Then, she still sported the
open bow and double gun turrets, as WWII shipmates relate to, yet she is beginning her modernization that will
in time become the Vietnam Era Hannah. Another year after Rich left ship, she was back in the Yards for a Major
refitting, and this time (1956) she received her angle deck and closed Hurricane Bow.
So now you have a closer knowledge of who is behind this
Website and Gallery, and it will help you to understand who played such a major role in the Construction of the
USS Hancock CV/CVA-19 Memorial Middle Years Extended Gallery.
Ken 'Jake' Jaccard, YN3, USNR-R '61 - '67
From Rich Kirsch:
And now a little bit of my personal history, so you know how I come to be in the OP Division, assigned
to the Photo Lab:
I didn't go to the photo school with the Navy. I got most
of my training at John Muir college in Pasadena Ca. It was a summer school session in 1952. We did use the SpeedGraphic
among other Cameras including ones that were 8x10. At the time I was in the Naval Air Reserve. After graduation
I attended the University of California at Santa Barbara. While there my grades reflected the party atmosphere
that existed at that University, and I was "Drafted." My reserve unit activated me and I was sent to
Bremerton, WA.
I was assigned to the Hancock as a "Key runner" and my duty station happened to be the Photo Lab. A Key
Runner is someone who unlocks work spaces for the Yard Birds. They routinely keep all spaces locked down during
Refitting when no Crew is living aboard, in which case they need someone to go unlock the spaces that are being
worked in at the time. This is how I became very familiar with most spaces on the Hancock, from Stem to Stern,
from masthead to double bottoms. There was no space aboard the ship that I didn't see or know where it was. It
was a very "informative job" if nothing else. I probably have seen more of the ship than any other member
of our Crew living or dead today.
Since the ship had no photo personnel yet I was able to get transferred to the lab when the ship was commissioned.
I have always been lucky. We had a lot of onboard training with the Mitchell 35 mm movie cameras and the 16 mm.
Most of my time was spent with the A20 - a 4x5 roll film camera. The camera you see me holding in the picture to
the right.
Most of my time aboard the ship was shake down cruise's. As you know we were the first US ship with the Steam Catapult
and the Mark7 Arresting Gear.
We had cameras running full time while underway. All Flight operations had a full complement of cameras running.
High speed move cameras for speed calibrations on take-off's and landings. Still cameras for posterity. During
the busy months we would be on deck at sun up to sun down taking pictures and up until 2 am developing and printing.
Still I would stand in line to do it all over again.
We also had other kinds of training as well, such as being
called to General Quarters constantly (GQ). Although drills, we still needed to be ready for any kind of emergency,
as all Navy ships do, so we trained and drilled constantly during sea trials and the following photo shows us during
such a Drill.
Click for a Closeup
Rich is third from Right - rear row.
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Hannah finally goes to Sea again after
a long Mothball Period
and a modernization Refitting Period
After the commissioning ceremonies on 15 February 1954, the fun begins. I now
have the dream duty. I have a front row seat on one of the Navy's premier Aircraft Carriers. We have photo stations
in the catwalks, and in front and sides of the super structure. All we have to do is observe and photograph the
events. Every exciting event that will take place on the flight deck is ours to forever remember. The morning we
left Bremerton for its first journey to sea seamed to be a event in itself. As we inched away from the dock we
all knew we were part of a very special day. The Hanna was reborn. She seamed to be like a new mother, proud of
her new steam catapults and arresting gear, and eager to show them off. As we passed the tree lined shore of Washington's
Puget Sound the tall evergreens seamed to take note of a passing legend.
Continuing through the strait of Juan de Fuca, captain Butts
kept her harnessed, because she knew the open sea awaited her. Once in the open, the caption, let her loose. He
gave her a short burst of speed and then reeled her in. He let her turn to port then to starboard ever increasing
its angle. Soon we were zigzagging with ever increasing speed. Wow. She was incredible. All aboard were impressed.
She passed muster and knew it. Now it was back to Bremerton for minor adjustments.
Our next cruise was to San Diego which was to be our new
home port. The first weeks at sea were without aircraft and the sea trials went off without a hitch. We were not
restricted to the photo lab so we were allowed to get familiar with most of the non- restricted areas. During this
period we got ourselves familiar with the photo equipment, Enlargers, darkrooms, cameras chemicals, dryers, to
name a few. We read instruction books and manuals so we were not completely idle before the aircraft came aboard.
I can't remember if this period was called our shakedown cruise or if the Sea Trials.
When we got to San Diego the ship took on a new personality.
She was transformed into the Fighting Hanna again. With planes aboard her attitude changed, she seemed faster
and had a purpose. That may have been a reflection of her crew.
Now we were ready. Our first planes were flown on and we
were really an aircraft carrier.
Since everything was new, all flight operations were photographed from every angle and even calibrated the movie
cameras, making sure they were up to speed before the launch was initiated. We had civilian engineers all over
the place making sure every aspect of the tests were correct.
With all the activity during the day we were busy at night
developing the move film, and printing the stills. Many times our days would start before dawn and not end until
0200 (2 a.m.) when the last film was developed.
During this time we had all sorts of different aircraft aboard. They would come aboard to be tested with the steam
catapult. We didn't get squadrons for almost a year later. The variety seamed to be endless. Every type of aircraft
the Navy had was tested. Some to this day I haven't figured out what they were. One unusual plane that stood out
was a twin piston engine craft with a cigar shaped fuselage with a jet engine running through it.
By May our initial testing was over and we headed back to
Bremerton via San Francisco. They had one surprise for us. We got to take our personal cars back with us. I had
a yellow '49 Ford convertible. It had a V8 flat head engine with twin pipes. And it did roar!
My '49 Ford Convertible -
Boy was I proud of it!
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View
Recommissioning Ceremony Program
One last word from the Yeoman of the Hancock
Memorial:
A Question posted to Rich on the F7U Cutlass on the Hancock Memorial's Oral History Website, invoked this response
from Rich, which your Yeoman felt should be added to this section
"Hi Jake,
You asked if we had the F7U Cutlass aboard in a Squadron. Yes, we tested the Cutlass. Better known as the "Gutless".
I can't say for sure if we ever had Cutlass' aboard as an operating Squadron during normal Air Operations, but
we did have it aboard for testing.
When we had the Cutlass aboard it was the first twin jet with afterburners to be launched from a carrier.
On its first attempted launch it had to be aborted because it started to burn the wooden deck.
The next launch attempt had firemen lying on their stomachs spraying water into the jet wash.
A F7U in a Failed Launch
due to causing a fire on the Flight Deck.
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Firemen are spraying water to cool Deck for this Cutlass Launch
I was watching "Sea Wings" on TV awhile back and
I think I have this incident recorded. This wet-down was only done twice. They reinforced the deck with steel plating
in front of the deflector shields.
The first launch with the water spray was almost my undoing. My camera station was behind and above the deflector
screen on a little perch attached to the superstructure. When they turned on the water during the run-up, it turned
to steam leaving me breathless, useless and helpless. I tried to jump overboard but my headphones kept me from
reaching the railing. The ship quivered and I knew then that the plane was gone. I went to sickbay and was treated
for a burn on my wrist and under my eye where my goggles didn't cover my face. I was shaken, scalded some, but
otherwise OK. However, I refused to man that station as it was until things were changed. The next launch I was
given an extension cord to operate the camera from a safer location."
Rich Kirsch
Please write Rich
for more information on this event
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