F4D Skyray
VMF (aw) 115
April 55 - September 63
Here's an interesting fact about the above insignia from Conrad A. "Al" Jorgenson, Colonel, USMC, Retired:
"Thanks for the coin. I thought you might be interested in the origin of the Silver Eagle design. I was the S-2 of VMF(aw)115 during the first three years of the F4D period (1957-1959). Hap Langstaff was skipper (after Flickinger crashed the first Ford to be delivered and Smoke Spanjer was sent to HQMC. Hap decided we needed a new logo and asked that squadron members submit ideas. My NCOIC , TSGT N. O. Hall submitted the winning design. Only he had the diagonal lines going from top right to bottom left. Someone pointed out that in old heraldry that meant the owner was a bastard. TSGT Hall changed the stripes and came up with essentially what you have now."
More on the Skyray era is provided in these photos courtesy of Sheila McCallum, the daughter of the late Marine pilot Joseph O. Lynch.
Susan's info on this picture: “Lt. Col. John S Flickinger and Maj Joseph O. Lynch talking over check out list before Maj Lynch’s 1st hop in R4D-1 #134756 with FIP program aboard NAS Pax River MD” and the date was 2/27/56. Col Flickinger was killed flying this airplane at MCAS El Toro while on approach 5/8/56, he had a flame out.
Here is the newspaper account of Major Lynch's "dead stick" landing which is mentioned on page 26 of the squadron history book. The date of the incident was July 18, 1956.
