Off Duty - Book Review

Now This Ain’t No Sh*t – by Steve Letchworth

Reviewed by CDR Jen Evanko, USN (Ret.)

Any Navy helicopter pilot flying at North Island before 2012 remembers Steve “Letch” Letchworth as a HITS (Helicopter Instrument Training School) Instructor or as a Simulator Instructor for the H-46 and H-60S. As a student of his in the H-46 sims and eventually as his peer in the H-60S sims, I remember him with respect and fondness. We remember his sea stories, which he used extensively as instructional tools.

Many of his sea stories are now compiled in his memoir, which was published posthumously by his son, Dan. The title alludes to the comparison between a fairy tale and a sea story. Fairy tales always start with, “Once upon a time," while sea stories often begin with, “Now this ain’t no shit…” This is an appropriate title for a book of sea stories, a couple of which Letch admits are a bit embellished. This often happens with the passage of time.

Most interesting to me is the speed at which pilots went through flight school in the 1970s. Letch, for example, was winged less than one year after his first flight in the T-34B. Within a mere 12 months, he learned to fly the T-34B, T-28, TH-57, and the TH-1L. That’s a lot of EPs to learn in a short time! After earning his wings, he bypassed the RAG (Replacement Air Group), going VFR direct from Pensacola to his first duty station in Sigonella, Sicily, and learned the intricacies of the UH-2C and the HH-46A through on-the-job training (OJT). Things were different then, for sure. Letch tells of how things used to be in the days (and nights) not only before GPS, but also before Doppler Radar.

In addition to telling tales of close calls in the aircraft, Letch writes of the camaraderie that is such a big part of Naval Aviation. A chapter titled “The Great Cosmic Cat Caper” centers around his squadron’s drinking flag from HC-16 in Pensacola. Some VT-10 “lowlifes” stole it and demanded (through an official-looking Navy message) food and beer in ransom for the flag. Letch’s squadron mates weren’t about to give in, and they very creatively broke into the VT-10 spaces and stole the VT-10 mascot – a larger than life statue of their mascot, “Cosmic Cat.” Needless to say, the helo bubbas of HC-16 were successful in retrieving their drinking flag!

Letch’s book recounts the first 8 years of his 21-year flying career. My greatest criticism of this book is that it ends abruptly with a short chapter titled, “I Get to Become a VERTREP Pilot.” Clearly, he meant to write much more before his passing in 2019. I can only imagine the stories he could have written about his VERTREP days and beyond. Check it out! It’s always fun reading stories written by an old friend. You can borrow a copy from the NHA Library or purchase it through Amazon.

LCDR Steve Letchworth, USN (Ret.) graduated from Southern Methodist University. He was winged in 1974 following AOCS commissioning and VTs and HTs. His career spanned 20 years with fleet tours in the UH-2C, HH-46A, CH-46D and C-12 at NAF Sigonella, USS Cleveland, HC-16, HC-3, NAS Alameda, and NAS North Island. After his Navy retirement, he worked as a Ground School and Simulator Instructor in the CH-46D, MH-60S, and Helicopter Instrument Training School while an active member and lay minister in his church. CDR Letchworth passed away from cancer in 2014. His book was compiled and published from his notes by his son, Dan.