VP-17 Patrol Squadron Commander
Says He Lives Very Uneventful Life
By Miriam J. Angell
In our interviews we have talked
w-ith people of many and various
interests and occupations. Each
one, in his or her own way, has
been interesting for particular rea
sons; the townspeople, because
their lives and livelihoods, their
memories of events long past in
the rich and fascinating history of
Kodiak, are outside the common
experience and knowledge of we
who are lately come to the island;
or because they are prominent in
the town’s activities. The experi
ences of service people, with their
widely diversified backgrounds
and professions, trigger the imag
ination and stimulate manifold in
tember 7, 1960, in which a picture
of 11 of the squadron crews ap
pears, with this caption: “The
patrol squadron scored eleven ‘E’s’
for excellence in competitive exer
cises at the Naval Air Station,
Whidbey Island, Washington. The
high scores were made in air-to
ground rocketry and low altitude
bombing. Squadron 17 has com
piled a safety record of 30,585
accident-free hours over the past
four years, flying 24 per cent of
its total flight time under actual
instrument conditions in high
winds, icing, and fog of Alaska and
the Aleutian Islands.”
We commented that this was
indeed a record to be proud of;
CDR CLYDE B. McKINNEY
terests. Sometimes they represent
commands with which even other
service people are nonconversant.
As an important part of the life of
the community of Kodiak, and im
portant in the far reaching net of
continental security, these com
mands deserve our attention and
approbation.
One of the more quietly prom
inent commands aboard the Naval
Station is the patrol squadrons
whose tours are so rotated that
rarely do townspeople become ac
quainted with its personnel as they
do with members of the other base
activities. The squadron currently
in residence is VP-17, called also,
Patron 17. We made an appoint
ment with its busy skipper, CDR
CTyde B. McKinney, and found him
in his office on the second deck
where one view overlooks the
cavernous hangar interior and the
other looks out on Woman’s Bay.
We asked him first about the
designations. Patron and VP-17.
CDR McKinney told us that Patron
is short for Patrol Squadron, that
V means heavier than air, and P
stands for Patrol. VP-17 flies the
Navy Neptune, a dependable plane
with auxiliary jets.
The Commander showed us an
issue of Navy Times, dated Sep
CDR McKinney’s only answer was
a proud smile, and he continued,
“Our primary mission is anti-sub
marine warfare; our crews rotate
their flying between Kodiak and
Adak. These patrols are routine,
along with ice reconnaisance
flights.
“We have approximately 300
officers and men; none of our fam
ilies is here. A few wives do come
up sometimes but we don’t have
any with us this time. I know my
whole family would like to be here
but school and all the extra-cur
ricular activities down there pre
vent this.”
‘Down there’ is Whidbey Island,
Washington, the home base of
VP-17, where the families wait out
the squadron’s return.
CDR McKinney went on. “Of
course, we would all be happier
here if we had our families with
us, but in the meantime, the men
participate, as time permits, in
fishing, bowling, basketball, volley
ball, and the various athletic pro
grams on the base. We haven’t
been up here long enough to get
into some of the competing leagues,
but a little later on basketball will
be a big thing. Our men won a golf
match at Whidbey; of course they
can’t play the game here. We have
'P'UMtier 'R.ecaid ^(otven,
and, Shaft
Genuine Indian Mox
In a Squaw Boot, Ankle Boot and a Slipper
In White and Natural
Phone 2631
9-6 Weekdays
10-8 Friday
Relatives Visit
James Robinsons
Miss Ruth VanDeWalle and JM
Jeanette G Rc.b.nsonmret,,edhestc,,
school tCdChd a pra
New YorU. and Mrs Fanny G
ar ”us "mes3" Robin
°' “ , ?h« Naval Station. Miss
SO" .of th' ‘ Mrs Graham are
Mr d-es Ramson .
The guests we™ a^r around
Expansion on its Id a inch a
the island. Before leavingAlas'™
they will tour the mainland,
owing which they will vent points
ofWinterest in Vancouver, B.O.
Washington, Oregon a
“tss VanDeWalle and^Mrs
Graham ”'U ^"uf'"'while Miss
Robinson will he joined to Doe
Angeles by other fr.ends from the
East coast and they wi
Hawaii for a fortnight.
New Druggist Here
Bud Duhamel. new druggist c
Wodlinger Drugs, arrived in Ko
“‘^wafassume management of
ating from his l&cent 1 -
our own smokehouse where the
men smoke salmon, and some men
do their own canning. We also have
one fellow who is a disk jockey
during his off-duty time; YN-3
Nick Steele has a show on AFRTS
radio, called Turntable Review.”
CDR McKinney is here on his
third tour and, probably because
of this rather unusual circum
stance, is known in some circles
as Mukluk Mac. He is a quiet,
genial and pleasant gentleman
who is known also to favor Buskin
on the Rocks (to those who may
not have heard of the Buskin Lake
Reservoir, this is just plain ice
water) in preference to stronger
drink. ,
We are reluctant to probe be
yond the willingness of people to
talk about themselves. The Com
mander, modest and self-effacng,
told us these few things about
himself, prefacing his remarks
with, “I really don’t know what
to tell you; I’ve lived a very ordi
nary, unglamorous life.
“I was born in Jacksonville, Illi
nois, grew up there and attended
Bradley University in Peoria, join
ed the Navy in 1942, and went
right into flight training. I gradu
ated from flight training in 1943
at Corpus Christi, Texas. My war
duty was with a patrol squadron
in the South Atlantic. Well, my
other duty tours have included
various squadrons and two tours
of staff duty. I graduated from
Armed Forces Staff College in
1957, but you don’t want to list all
•the tours; that kind of thing really
doesn’t interest people. We were
stationed in the Hawaiian Islands
in VP-22, but although I’ve been
to Japan, Europe and Bermuda,
we’ve never been stationed in those
places.
“My wife is an RN and an ex
airlines hostess and we have two
boys, eleven and seven. No, the
boys don’t seem to be very excited
about flying; it probably doesn’t
hold much attraction for them be
cause they see it every day.
“I’m afraid I haven’t done much;
there is not much I do in the way
of hobbies except a little bowling
and fishing, nothing unusual. I
love to fly and I like the Navy life,
the moving around, and friends
you meet at various places.”
CDR McKinney concluded, “Fish
ing, hunting, and King Crab, and
the friendliness of the local people
are a few of the things which help
to make life away from home for
squadron personnel more enjoy
able and pleasant.”
‘Safety Lady’ In New TV Series Oct. 5
Popular Channel 8 TV star, Hy Stanton of Kodiak, will be returning
with her puppets, Wolf and Lulu, for another winter series of safety
shows, Wednesday, October 5. Appearance time will be announced
in the published schedule prior to that time. Known as the Safety
Lady, Mrs. Stanton made regular appearances last winter in a pro
gram designed to offer safety ideas for children. Program ideas have
been worked out, many of them in cooperation with the Naval
Station Safety Supervisor, P. D. Starbird. The program was first
begun in October, 1959. Above, Hy Stanton is pictured with her own
home audience of five children. Pictured are, left to right, Debbie
and Lindy. Seated on the floor are her three boys, Jim, Jack and
Joe (Smoke). U. S. Navy photo
Life *n Villages
Described To BPW
By Eudora Preston
The life in and history of the
villages on Kodiak Island was the
subject of a talk by Mrs. Eudora
Preston, local artist. Mrs. Preston
spoke at the first dinner meeting
of the Kodiak Business and Pro
fessional Women’s Club, Monday
evening at the Island Fountain.
The artist’s informal talk was high
lighted by her original, on the spot
sketches, made while on her re
cent visit around Kodiak and
Afognak Islands.
Thirty-four members and guests
were in attendance at the meet
ing, which was presided over by
the president, Mrs. Melanie Dra
per. Guests present were Margaret
Gibbons, Dorothy Haag, Simone
Talbott, Clara Hochberger, Audrey
Kraft, Marian J. Angell, Norma
Clique, Evelyn Knudson, Ruth
Breckberg, Bernice Gregory, and
Sbarcn Van Boren. Miss Van
Buren was the Kodiak BPW
Scholarship award winner in 1959.
fecial Meeting
Planned By Ladies
A social meeting is planned for
Monday, September 2G, by the
Ladies Auxiliary to the V.F.W.
The meeting is scheduled for 8
p.m. at the Post halt.
A Chinese dinner will be served.
All members are urged to attend.
Capping Services
For Gray Ladies
Monday Afternoon
Graduation services for a new
class of Gray Ladies has been
announced for Monday afternoon,
Sept. 26, at 3 p.m. The services
will be held at the Naval Station
Chapel Annex.
Ten ladies from both the City
of Kodiak and the Naval Station,
will receive their caps, pins and
certificates, during the formal
ceremony. The Kodiak Chapter of
the American Red Cross, sponsors
of the class, will also present ser
vice stripes to ladies who have
already given a year or more of
service.
The public is invited.
Anchorage Couple
Guests Of Smiths
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Abbott
of Anchorage were house guests,
last week of Mr. and Mrs. Wells
Smith. The Abbotts and Smiths
are old friends from Wenatchee,
Wash.
The Abbotts arrived Monday,
Sept. 12 and departed Sept. 19.
While here the men went on a
bear bunt. The Abbotts have lived
in Anchorage for 12 years. Mr.
Abbott is general foreman of
Army supply, and is with the
Army Engineers at Fort Richerd
son.
Anna’s Apparel
BIG REDUCTION IN PRICES!
All Summer
i
Items on Sale
As of Saturday, Sept. 24th
Phone 2452