If you served with (VFA-143) at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virgina, you are in luck! The USS Yorktown, it’s Board of Directors and the FDVG have decided on the paint scheme for the F-14 restoration project to take place in the coming months, Pukin Dogs is the lucky recipient! We are very excited to take part in this project and help the USS Yorktown preserve a bit of history; says Michael Deacon, AOC (AW/SW) ret.
Deacon; the Executive Officer of the Flight Deck Veterans Group has been spear heading this project since the beginning! We’re just excited to finally be at this stage, picking the paint scheme is exciting; says Deacon.
We are inviting ALL qualified FDVG members to participate in this project. For those of you who have not touched an aircraft or stepped on the flight deck for a number of years, here’s your chance to take part in somthing really exciting, with like-minded folks!
For more information on how you can participate in this project or to donate, email Michael Deacon at: mdeacon@fdvg.org
About the Pukin Dogs: Strike Fighter Squadron 143 (VFA-143), also known as the “Pukin Dogs”, are a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The Pukin Dogs are an operational fleet squadron and flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet. They are currently attached to Carrier Air Wing Seven and the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75).[1] They are currently at their homeport of NAS Oceana. Their radio callsign is Taproom.
About the USS Yorktown: The USS YORKTOWN (CV-10) was the tenth aircraft carrier to serve in the United States Navy.Under construction as BON HOMME RICHARD, this new Essex-class carrier was renamed YORKTOWN in honor of YORKTOWN (CV-5), sunk at the epic Battle of Midway (June 1942). Built in an amazing 16-½ months at Newport News, Virginia, YORKTOWN was commissioned on April 15, 1943, and participated significantly in the Pacific Offensive that began in late 1943 and ended with the defeat of Japan in 1945. YORKTOWN received the Presidential Unit Citation, and earned 11 battle stars for service in World War II. Much of the Academy Award-winning (1944) documentary “The Fighting Lady” was filmed on board YORKTOWN. In the 1950’s, Yorktown was modified with the addition of an angled deck to better operate jet aircraft in her role as an attack carrier (CVA). In 1958, YORKTOWN was designated an anti-submarine aircraft carrier (CVS), and would later earn 5 battle stars for service off Vietnam (1965-1968). The ship also recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule (December 1968). YORKTOWN was decommissioned in 1970 and placed in reserve; and in 1975, was towed from Bayonne, NJ to Charleston to become the centerpiece of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.