I was a buddy to Frank he was sucked into the A-7 as he was setting the bird up for launch. I was in S-6 Div we [ the COD crew] watched in horror as we were coming up Elevator 1. I was splashed as was the other men in the COD crew I was driving the Fork lift. Frank lived in Tampa Florida. Frank had a little baby girl and he had not seen her. All he did whenever we saw him was bring out pictures of her. She was only 4 months old when he died. Frank was gone on tour with the USS Kittyhawk for a very short time but he was a good guy and friend to be around. Frank is Buried at the National Cemetery in Pensacola. IN Fact I'll going to his grave this next week. I'll tell him you asked about him. I miss him so too! The ingestion happened the day before his Birthday, June 19th 1972.
Garland L Young
S-6 Divison COD crew
USS Kittyhawk CV63
1970-1973
I always have thought that the officer was new on board, and was an O-4. I thought he was a replacement flight-deck officer. I was the AIMD/IM2-division officer in '71 and AIMD/IM1-division officer in '72. I think LT Bill Dazel had IM2 at the time of the accident. AIMD received the engine from the squadron, and we crated and shipped it back to North Island. There may have been a memorial-service for the officer. There's no "more dangerous" place on earth than the flight deck of an attack-carrier during combat operations, hazardous-duty pay notwithstanding.
I was assigned to P-1 Div.#4MMR,heard from a couple of people who had been in the hangar at the time,said that he was basically in the wrong place/wrong time just a couple of days as safety Officer.I also heard that while they had the eng.removed for cleaning,someone(fuel crew) painted sharks teeth on the sides of the intake cowl and called it the purple people eater.True story.Fuelers wear purple jerseys.
