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McDonnell Douglas OA-4M Skyhawk "MAG-32" - Hasegawa/Trumpeter

Starfighter

By Starfighter
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Starfighter

Starfighter

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15 hours ago, Timmy! said:

I have a small stash of OA-4M photos many from H&MS-32, but not this jet.  I will say the call sign is more likely his personal one.  Every other jet with names on it was Rank, Initials, Last name and Call sign below the name, sometimes with work title below the call sign.  If you’re going to print up decals, why not us your own name and make up a callsign.  Like maybe Waffle because waffles are Belgian too. 

 

Could be "Fries" (no idea why you guys keep on calling them "French" fries, those guys have no idea how to make proper fries), "Best Beer" and "Mussels" as well then... :D 

 

No, that's not going to happen. My aim is to stay as close to reality as possible; I think I'll go with the evidence I have and "BANDIT" seems to be a realistic possibility for the Callsign. 

 

screenshot2022-01-130tjkek.jpg

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Timmy!

Timmy!

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Posted (edited)

I’ll give you the beer for sure.  My mug is filled with Belgian or Trappist nectar on most occasions.

 

I had fun poking around trying to track down other possibilities for Maj. Sometingman’s actual name and callsign; looking at veteran websites I belong to and finding no matches.  Though MAG-32 is painted on the side of the jet Maj. Somethingman would not have been the MAG-32 Commanding Officer, that billet would be a bird Colonel.  Maj. Somethingman would be the Commanding Officer of H&MS-32 (the ampersand should be included in google searches) which could be a Major billet.  H&MS units were broken up into Maintenance Aviation Logistics Squadrons (MALS) and Headquarters and Headquarters Squadrons (H&HS).  As purely support units they often would have Commanders that did not go through a command selection board, thus Majors were occasionally Commanding Officers; at least they were in my day in the early 2000s.

Edited by Timmy!
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red Dog

red Dog

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Ben,

 

When I did Bandit 04 and published it on my blog, a gentleman who served with HMS-32 contacted me - he cleared the same kind of questions for the names on the skyhawk I couldn't read. His name was actually on the nose gear as he was the crew chief for that particular aircraft. 

 

I took the liberty to recontact him to ask about Bandit 01. His response his in the comment on my blog: 

 

Not sure it's going to help because it's quite different from your current data but here it is anyway:

Quote

Olivier,
The “Plane Captain” who’s name would have been on the nose gear door would have been CPL Pedigo. The only pilot name I remember from the squadron was CWO3 “Hook” Bowden. I don’t recall if his name was on 01.

 

Obviously that does not seem to match the bits you have on that picture ...

 

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Starfighter

Starfighter

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Thanks a lot Erin and Olivier for your effort helping me to find out the missing details; I will try to do some further research by looking for H&MS-32 instead of MAG-32. I really appreciate your help, that's one of the many reasons I love LSP! 

 

 

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easixpedro

easixpedro

Posted
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11 hours ago, Timmy! said:

I had fun poking around trying to track down other possibilities for Maj. Sometingman’s actual name and callsign; looking at veteran websites I belong to and finding no matches.  Though MAG-32 is painted on the side of the jet Maj. Somethingman would not have been the MAG-32 Commanding Officer, that billet would be a bird Colonel.  Maj. Somethingman would be the Commanding Officer of H&MS-32 (the ampersand should be included in google searches) which could be a Major billet.  H&MS units were broken up into Maintenance Aviation Logistics Squadrons (MALS) and Headquarters and Headquarters Squadrons (H&HS).  As purely support units they often would have Commanders that did not go through a command selection board, thus Majors were occasionally Commanding Officers; at least they were in my day in the early 2000s.

That's exactly what I did.  No joy either... 

 

I think the root of the problem is that the squadron was decommissioned in late July 1990. Days later, Iraq invaded Kuwait and most histories start there. Even tried asking an old  coworker who was at MAG-32 at the time--no recollection of the name, again because his memories are of trying to get everyone ready to head to the desert.

 

Ben, don't think you'll ever be able to answer it and go with what you want.  

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LesterPK

LesterPK

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Posted (edited)

OK, I think I have it (after a couple of hours searching).  

I believe the name is MAJ JJ KREJMAS JR, I also thought it was MAJ JJ something JR, I found a find a friend style site for MAG32 and M&HS-32 but no luck with any JJ or Jnr there, so then I googled "skyhawk pilot Maj JJ Jr", first hit is about an accident at VMA-214 in an A-4F flown by a Capt Joseph Krejmas.

 

Quote

June 9, 1981: Capt. Joseph J. Krejmas, 27, of Greenfield, Mass., ejected safely from his MCAS El Toro A-4 Skyhawk (BuNo 159481)before it crashed next to the Southern Pacific railroad's main line slightly damaging one rail of the track, forcing traffic to be halted for slightly over an hour. 

 

So then a search for Capt Joseph J Krejmas turned up a USMC university PDF about 7 hits down, this appears to list all units and their senior officers in 1990, and what do you know, one Maj JJ Krejmas Jnr is listed under HQ MAG-32.  Link to photo below, don't think I have enough posts to be able to share it directly from Flickr.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/167022908@N03/51820205788/in/dateposted-public/

 

Now going back to the best photo you had, it definitely looks like a J in the middle of the surname, MAS looks like MAN as you thought it was BELLMAN but not quite right.

 

What do you reckon?

 

PS-he retired a LtCol.

Quote

Krejmas, Joseph John, Jr., “Famous”, LT COL, USMC 23 years of service. 3878 flight hours with 10 carrier landings. Predominant aircraft flown, A4.

 

Edited by LesterPK
Added retirement info.
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Kagemusha

Kagemusha

Posted
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11 minutes ago, LesterPK said:

OK, I think I have it (after a couple of hours searching).  

I believe the name is MAJ JJ KREJMAS JR, I also thought it was MAJ JJ something JR, I found a find a friend style site for MAG32 and M&HS-32 but no luck with any JJ or Jnr there, so then I googled "skyhawk pilot Maj JJ Jr", first hit is about an accident at VMA-214 in an A-4F flown by a Capt Joseph Krejmas.

 

 

So then a search for Capt Joseph J Krejmas turned up a USMC university PDF about 7 hits down, this appears to list all units and their senior officers in 1990, and what do you know, one Maj JJ Krejmas Jnr is listed under HQ MAG-32.  Link to photo below, don't think I have enough posts to be able to share it directly from Flickr.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/167022908@N03/51820205788/in/dateposted-public/

 

Now going back to the best photo you had, it definitely looks like a J in the middle of the surname, MAS looks like MAN as you thought it was BELLMAN but not quite right.

 

What do you reckon?

 

PS-he retired a LtCol.

 

 

Outstanding research, think someone owes you a Belgian bier! 

 

...and :post1:

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easixpedro

easixpedro

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, LesterPK said:

OK, I think I have it (after a couple of hours searching).  

I believe the name is MAJ JJ KREJMAS JR, I also thought it was MAJ JJ something JR, I found a find a friend style site for MAG32 and M&HS-32 but no luck with any JJ or Jnr there, so then I googled "skyhawk pilot Maj JJ Jr", first hit is about an accident at VMA-214 in an A-4F flown by a Capt Joseph Krejmas.

 

 

So then a search for Capt Joseph J Krejmas turned up a USMC university PDF about 7 hits down, this appears to list all units and their senior officers in 1990, and what do you know, one Maj JJ Krejmas Jnr is listed under HQ MAG-32.  Link to photo below, don't think I have enough posts to be able to share it directly from Flickr.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/167022908@N03/51820205788/in/dateposted-public/

 

Now going back to the best photo you had, it definitely looks like a J in the middle of the surname, MAS looks like MAN as you thought it was BELLMAN but not quite right.

 

What do you reckon?

 

PS-he retired a LtCol.

 

Holy cow, good find!  Did a little digging with that info.  His call sign was "Famous"  Think that is what is under the name.  

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thierry laurent

thierry laurent

Posted
Posted

Nice project! By the way Ben, you have to know the OA-4M pit instruments were noticeably different in comparison with the TA-4J (and there were also two different configs corresponding to production batches). Fortunately, I guess most people will not see the differences as this is probably the Skyhawk for which the available documentation is the worst. What is nonetheless more visible is the various small boxes added on the front IP coamings and windscreen. Many years ago I found two or three (bad) pictures. I think that was in Japanese books. However the best reference is the NATOPS. This shows such additional boxes. I have it somewhere but need to dig seriously to find it. Cheers. Thierry

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