Scholarship Fund Update

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By CAPT Arne Nelson, USN (Ret.) / President NHA LTM #4 RW#13762

From the annals of the NAS Norfolk LP Hangars, come the Legends of Wings of Green and Gold. This quarter, “How I lost my first flight jacket.”

As the NHA Scholarship guy, I meet a lot of aviators and aircrew and am surprised in the variety of flight clothing now available, worn on base, and off. Intrigued by these various offerings, I looked back in comparison on the various flight gear rules in place at NAS Norfolk (back in the day) - my experience beginning with the demise of Brown Shoes in the Bi-Centennial Year to their welcomed reappearance in 1988.

1976-77 Facts, leading to the loss of my first flight jacket…April 1976, I arrived at my Fleet squadron fresh out of TRACOM only to retire my brown shoes in June. We weren’t flying much anyway (CNO’s MC rate for RH-53Ds was 30%) and things in Norfolk, like the uniform of the day, took on a strange amount of significance, and seemed sort of formal, because…

• We shared the base (environs) with 2 four stars (the Unified CinC and the Fleet CinC) and a bevy of 3 stars (e.g., AirLant, SubLant, SurfLant), and probably a dozen 2 stars

• Khakis were summer only – mid-May to October – and Brown Shoes were banned (‘76 to ‘88) during these sad years… and in return we had “salt and peppers…” (Hoorah?)

• Flight suits could be worn in the hangar/on the flight line only…. but you had to be on the flight schedule

• Important point - flight jackets were flight clothing – hangar and flight line only, and no flight jackets in or out of the gate

• Winter blue (prescribed) required a tie and ribbons (not so bad, most JOs only had one row anyhow…) and a clean white combination cover or the (“hard hat") made the “two hat” gambit tough to engage

• Leaving the squadron area (to memorize the exchange, get a haircut, or grab a ‘Sub’ at the flight line geedunk) required the uniform of the day, normally as described above

• Note to self…avoid Gilbert Street, NOB’s main thoroughfare, and most of NOB. If unable, do not fail to salute any oncoming black sedan, festooned with stars and miniature flags flying from the forward fenders.

OK, stage set. Late one cold, mid-February morning, one of HM-12’s Ops JOs was tasked with a ‘cross-base’ errand which would require time aboard NOB, coinciding with the lunch hour. I was asked to come along, and knowing that the OAT was about 36oF in light rain and slush, yelled across the Line Shack, “OK, but first, let me grab my reefer!” This caused the normally loud and busy Line Shack to come to a complete and silent halt, as all hands stopped to see what, exactly, the young JG kept in his locker.

Reefer

I opened my locker, swapped my flight jacket for my Reefer (officer’s pea coat) and locked the door, leaving the Line Division plane captains to wonder about the LTJG’s Reefer – was it still in the locker or did he take it with him?

Hours later, returning to the hangar, I found my locker open … and empty. I have always wondered if the thief just wanted the flight jacket, or…that he thought the locker contained a different kind of reefer… and not finding what he was looking for and not to be completely disappointed, took my flight jacket as a consolation.

Moral: When in doubt, salute…or something

And now for something completely different.

This year, 2022, we had 50 highly qualified candidates apply for sixteen $3,500 scholarships. We announced our selectees at the Annual Symposium in May and published the results in the Rotor Review. It was a good year and followed our Strategic Plan to increase scholarship amounts by $500 each year. This year, we will raise the scholarship value to $4000.

This summer, our goal is to raise an additional $12,000 (or three $4,000 scholarships) by 31 August to make up for recent unrealized investment losses and replace some corporate sponsorships that dropped off unexpectedly. Your donation can support our next scholarship winners while we rebuild our investment portfolio to ensure growth and long-term sustainment.

Please consider giving to or establishing a memorial or legacy fund (ex., NHASF General Memorial Fund, the HS-5 Night Dipper Legacy/Bill Roop Memorial, or the H-53/Big Iron Legacy) to preserve the legacy of our communities and heroes with either an annual “pass-through” or a scholarship in perpetuity.

Also, consider re-joining or extending your current membership in the NHA as a new Lifetime Member. Some will say, “Wait, I paid my dollar and got my card in the 80’s…” like I did. But those were different times. Today, it’s about sustained growth of the association.

I look forward to your support in the 2022-23 scholarship rounds and seeing you at the NHA National Symposium in May 2023 at Harrah’s SoCal Resort!

Dial BR-549