“Admiral Lawrence,” he went on, “never retired, he never turned away from teaching through his words, and more importantly, he lived the most vital principle of leadership: Be first a person of honor.”
The Honorable John S. McCain remembered with faltering voice Bill’s leadership as a fellow POW. “We witnessed a thousand acts of courage, compassion, and love, and the best of us was Billy Lawrence. He seemed to know that some of us weren’t as strong as he was, particularly when times were tough. He inspired us to do things we weren’t capable of doing, to go one more round with our captors, and he always led us with love.”
On a bitter winter day we buried Bill on a gentle slope overlooking his beloved school. His journalist-friend, Frank Aukofer, wrote of the event: “On the hillside the throng prayed with the academy chaplain, listened to the mournful playing of Taps, heard the crack of honor guard rifles, and trembled to the crashes of a 15-gun cannon salute. Four Navy warplanes roared overhead in missing-man formation as tribute to a fallen warrior.”
Dr. Seuss wrote, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Now that I’ve lost Bill Lawrence after thirty-one years of marriage, those words are difficult for me to accept, but I know there’s value in the message. It will never be over between my husband and me. Our fair share of the golden years may have ended earlier than for many, but at least we had them. I am privileged to have shared the life of this treasured American patriot and undeniably wonderful man.
May 2006
INDEX
A-3 Skywarrior, 85, 106
A-4 Skyhawk, 100, 103, 167
A-6 Intruder, 100, 103, 105
A-7s, 167
AAA. See antiaircraft artillery
accident investigations, 48, 84, 102, 105
active-duty obligation, extension of, 189–91
Adams, Paul DeWitt, 90–97, 115
admiral, promotion to, 165–66
AD Skyraiders, 42
aerial gunnery practice, 36–37
Africa, travels in, as aide to Gen. Adams, 94
African Americans: attitudes of, pre-World War II, 3; equal opportunity in Navy for, 168; at Naval Academy, 193. See also racial attitudes
air cavalry, first Army division of, 93
aircraft carriers. See carrier
Air Force: Strike Command and, 92; training policy, 132
air show, for JFK, 77–79
Alameda Naval Air Station, 167
Alpha Strikes, 106–7
Alumni Association, USNA, 214
Alvarez, Edward, 127
ANA. See Association of Naval Aviation ancestors, 1–2
Anderson, George W., 61–63, 68, 90–91, 93
Andrews Air Force Base, 60
angled deck, carrier landing and, 43, 75, 85
Annapolis, Maryland, 9
Annapolis Capital, 176
antiaircraft artillery (AAA), in Vietnam War, 100, 103–5, 107–10
Antietam, 81
Antonelli (Marine Major), 14
AOC. See Aviation Officer Candidate program
APR-25 Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) system, 100–101, 105
Armstrong, Neil, 124
Army-Navy Game of 1948, 11
Army Reserve Officers Training Corps. See ROTC
ashtrays on E-2C Hawkeyes, 208
Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, 170
Association of Naval Aviation (ANA), 214
astronaut duty, failure to qualify for, 59–60
athletes at Naval academy, special treatment of, 11–12
Atsugi Naval Air Station, 39
Attabury, Ed, 128
Attack Squadron 196 (VAH-196), 105
Aukofer, Frank, 214, 217
Austin, Frank, 98–99
auto gyro, 58
aviation. See naval aviation
Aviation Officer Candidate (AOC) program, 85
Aviation Programs Division, 169–70
Bailey, James, 103, 112
Baker, Alan, 216
Balboa Naval Hospital, 98
Bangor, Washington, Trident basing at, 200–201
Baysinger, Reaves, 12
Beach, Ned, 64
Bear bombers (Soviet Union), 76, 85
Bell, Jim, 164
Belzer, Elizabeth, 187–88
Bethesda Naval Medical Center, 209, 211
“Big Ugh,” 127
Bishop, Max, 14
Black Cats, 43
“black shoe” duty, 74. See also surface navy
Blue Angels, 13, 32, 39
boatswain’s mates, 79–80
Boorda, Mike, 206, 209–10
Bowler, Robert, 186
Bradford, Vic, 13
Brady, Al, 119
Bray, Linda, 188
Brewer, Sterling (grandfather), 1
Brewer, Sterling, Jr. (great-grandfather), 1
Bright, Ray, 20
Brown, Ensign, 102, 105
Brown, Jesse, 30
Brown, Tom, 198
“brown shoe” duty, 74
Buchanan, Franklin, 178
Buck, Cal, 82–83
BUPERS. See Bureau of Naval Personnel
Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS)
command, 205–10
Burkhart, Larry, 210
burnout, 211
Butterfeld, John, 191–92
C-118, 93
Cabot, 28
Calcutta, 123, 156
“Capitol Hill” column, 214
Carlson, Dudley, 210
Carlyle Group, 214
Carnavale, Ben, 14
Carr, Deke, 32, 37
carrier(s), debate on, 170–71
carrier command, hopes for, 164, 166
Carrier Division Six, 60, 91
carrier group command, hopes for, 172
carrier landings, 42–43; angled deck and, 43, 75, 85; Fresnel landing system and, 43, 75; at night, 43–46, 85
carrier launches: catapult misfires, 33–34, 84–85; of F-4 Phantom, 109; night, 109
Carter administration, 170
catapult misfires, 33–34, 84–85
Cecil Field Naval Air Station, 81, 88–89
Chance Vought Company, 58
Chew, John L. “Jack,” 14–15, 17–19
childhood and youth, 1–8
Civil War: impact on South, 2; Lawrence as student of, 5
Clark Air Force Base, 134, 136
Claytor, Graham, 173, 175
CNO (Chief of Naval Operations), potential for promotion to, 209
Code of Conduct, 111–13, 128
Coker, George, 129
Cold War: beginning of, 47–48; naval aviation and, 65; Newport News and, 76; planning and training in, 168; and Soviet overflights, 76, 85; and Third Fleet operations, 198
College Hall of Fame, Inc., 214
commissioning sources, diversity of, and Navy leadership, 85
competitive mind set, piloting skills and, 36–37
compressor stalls, 57–58
Connie. See Constellation
Conrad, Pete, 54–56, 60
Constellation, 104–6, 168
Cook, James, 202
Coral Sea, 13
Corpus Christi, Texas, 26, 28
Corsair II, 167
crashes and mishaps: aboard Oriskany, 33–34; catapult misfires, 33–34, 84–85; Ensign Brown, 102, 105; F-14 development and, 170; in flight training, 24–25; frequency of, 31, 70, 75; investigation of, 48, 84, 102, 105; John Mitchell, 45–46; shot down in Vietnam, 109–10, 116; Tim Kean, 54; while test pilot, 50, 55
Crowe, William J., Jr., 216
Cuba, intercept mission near, 87
Cuban Missile Crisis, 63, 81, 87, 93
Currey, Matt, 159–61
Curtis Wright Company, 51
DACOWITS. See Defense Advisory
Committee on Women in the Service
Daniels, Verlyne “Red,” 119–20
Darby, Jack, 175–76
dating: courtship of Anne (1st wife), 15, 22, 26
–27; courtship of Diane (2nd wife), 165, 213–14; in high school, 6; at Naval Academy, 11–13, 15
Davis, Mrs. Lipscomb, 216
Davis, Sam, 2
death, 216
decision making, Moorer on, 63
“The Deep Sea Bed, the Current Status and Future Prospects” (Lawrence), 164
Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service (DACOWITS), 187
demonstration, for JFK, 77–79
Denton, Jerry, 129, 131, 166
depression, 209–11
D’ercole, Tina, 182
Des Moines, 62
discipline, laxity of, post-Vietnam, 168
Dixie Station, 99
Dobony, Chuck, 17
Dominican Republic, rebellion in (1965), 94–95
Donahue, Ray, 209–10
Donovan, Frank, 176
“dope system” at Naval Academy, 16–18
Dornin, Dusty, 13–14
Douglas Aircraft Company, 47
Dramesi, John, 128
drinking, at Naval Academy, 194
drug investigation, at Naval Academy, 175
E-2C Hawkeyes, ashtrays on, 208
ECM, in Vietnam War, 100–101
Edwards Air Force Base, 53, 56–57
ejection seats, testing of, 54
Elder, Bob, 57
electronic countermeasures (ECM): improvement of, 168; in Vietnam War, 100–101, 105
Electronic Countermeasures Squadron One (VQ-1), 106
Ely, Eugene, 69
embedding of reporters, 214
endocarditis, 211
Engen, Don, 57
engineering, Lawrence’s interest in, 5
Enlisted Combat Aircrewmen Roll of Honor, 42
Enterprise, 77–78, 105
Errington, Harry, 86
Essex, 62–64
Europe, travels in, as aide to Gen. Adams, 93–94
executive assistant to General Adams, 90–97
exposure suits, 38
F2H Banshee, 31, 33, 35, 45
F2HP photoreconnaissance unit, 39–41
F3D Skynight, 71–72
F3H Demon, 70, 72, 81–84, 86
F4F Wildcat, 28–29
F-4 Phantom: carrier launches of, 109; characteristics of, 71–72, 89, 108–9; crashes, 102; introduction to fleet, 69–72, 81, 86, 88; maintenance of, 86, 88–89, 108; testing of, 56–58; in Vietnam, 100–101, 108–10
F5D Skylancer, 53
F6F Hellcat, 28
F-8 Crusader, 77–78
F8F Bearcat, 28
F8U Crusader, 56, 85
F8U-1 Crusader, 54, 62
F8U-3 Crusader, x–xi, 52–53, 56–58, 71–72
F9F Cougar, 46, 49, 70
F-14, development of, 170
F-101 Voodoo, 72
“fade 90,” 30
Fallon Naval Air Station, 167
Falvey, Jim, 108
family, viii–ix; ancestors, 1–2; and military life, 89, 92, 99; and prisoner of war ordeal, 116, 125–27, 135–38, 157–63. See also entries under Lawrence
family service center, at Naval Academy, 179–80
Fast Net race, 180
fear, as test pilot, 52
Fellowes, Jack, 115, 131, 137
Felt, Don, 91, 94
Ferber, Edna, 26
Fetrow, Fred, 184
Fields of Fire (Webb), 184
Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11), 85
Fighter Squadron 14 (VF-14), duty in, 81–90
Fighter Squadron 74 (VF-74), 81
Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101): duty in, 69–72, 81, 86; mission of, 69
Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102), 81
Fighter Squadron 121 (VF-102), 70
Fighter Squadron 191 (VF-191), 46
Fighter Squadron 193 (VF-193): duty in, 31–46; mission of, 31, 43, 46
first tour of duty, 31–34
FJ Fury, 50–52
flag lieutenant duty, 60–70
flak. See antiaircraft artillery
flak suppressors, 103
fleet ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), 200
Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), 99
Fleming, Al, 66
flight deck officer, 84
flight instructor duty, 47–48
flight training, 24–31; acceptance into, 22; excitement about, 23; instructors, 28–31; jet training, 29–31
Flint, Larry, 57
Flynn, John, 166
Fonda, Jane, 121
football: father’s career in, 2; participation in as youth, 3–4. See also Navy football
Forbes, Beetle, 82
Forrestal, 77, 89
Forrestal Laboratories, Princeton University, 54–55
Fraasa, Don, 17
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 82, 85, 89
Fresnel landing system, 43, 75
FRS. See Fleet Replacement Squadron
fueling at sea, 75–76
full-dress uniform, reinstatement of, 23
Fuller, Byron, 119
funeral and burial, 216–17
Gayler, Noel, 134
Geneva Convention, 113
Ghostriders, 31, 43, 46
Giant (Ferber), 26
Gibbs, Moe, 202
Gilbert, Wilmer, 45
Gillespie, Chuck, 119–20
Glenn, Annie, 48–49
Glenn, John, 48–49, 59–60
global positioning system (GPS), 30
Godley, George McMurtrie “Mac,” 94
Golden Fleece Awards, 169
Goldsborough, 204
Gordon, Dick, 57
Gordon, Ted, 70
GPS (global positioning system), 30
Grant, Ulysses S., 5
Green, Wallace, 186
Greenpeace, 200–201
Greenwich Bay, 15
Griffin, Charles D., 34, 42–43
gunnery exercise, aboard Newport News, 76
Haines, Ralph, 135, 157–62
Haiphong Harbor, mining of, 108, 130
Haley, Alex, 9
Halsey, William F. “Bull,” 5, 202
Hanley, Mike, 89
Hanoi: bombing of, 103–5; “peace” delegations to, 121
Hanoi Hannah, 124–25
Hanoi Hilton. See prisoner of war ordeal
happiness, components of, 211–12
Harlow, David, 210
Harris, Richard, 92
Hayward, Tom, 172–73, 196, 207
health: after prisoner of war ordeal, 136, 155; and astronaut duty, failure to qualify for, 59–60; as cause of retirement, 209–10; depression, 209–11; and happiness, 212; heart murmur, 59–60, 98–99; in retirement, viii, 210–11, 215
Heavy Attack Squadron 11 (VAH-11), 85
Hegdahl, Doug, 127
Heinemann, Ed, 47
Helms, Richard, 85
heroes and influences: early, 2, 5–7; as flag lieutenant, 63; in later career, 170; at Naval Academy, 13–15; during prisoner of war ordeal, 131–32
Hickam Air Force Base, 137
Hickman, Herman, 8
high-g flight, 40–41
High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), 106
Hill, Harry, 16, 18–20, 22–23
Hill, Pete, 216
history: importance of knowing, 5, 204; Lawrence as student of, 5
Hoa Lo prison, incarceration in. See prisoner of war ordeal
Ho Chi Minh, 127
Ho Chi Minh Trail, 106
Holloway, James, Jr., 12, 18–19
Holloway, James II, 105
Holloway, James III (“Triple Sticks”), 105, 169
Holloway Program, 12
Honolulu Star Bulletin, 201–2
Honor Concept, at Naval Academy, viii, 17–22
“hot pad” duty, 87
hot refueling, 88–89
Hudner, Tom, 30–31
Hull, 203
Hunter, Charlie, 180
Hyland, John, 63–65
hypoxia, 42
“in hack,” 39
Inspector General
Hotline, 168
Intrepid, 50
Irwin, Sandy, 182
J57 engine, 57
J65 engine, 51
J71 engine, 82
J75 engine, 57
J79 engine, 57, 89
Jackson, Gordon, 193
Jacksonville, Florida, 69–70, 89
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, 199
Jenkins, Harry, 131
jet planes: carrier landings, 42–43, 75, 85; compressor stalls, 57–58; desire to be involved with, 47; first jet night battle, 71; flying of, 29; introduction of, 23, 29; landing wheels and brakes on, 51–52; night landings, 43–46, 85; ram effect, 57; spool-up time, 43; training on, 29–31
jinking, 107
Johnson, Johnny, 76
Johnson, Lyndon B., 58, 100, 107
Joint Test and Evaluation Task Force, 93
Jones, Betty, 12–13
Jones, Carrie, 182
Jones, John Paul, 17
Kahoolawe range, 201
Kean, Tim, 54
Kennedy, John F., 63, 77–79, 89–90
Kennedy, Ted, 125, 158
Key, Francis Scott, 9
Key West Naval Air Station, 70, 81, 86–87
Kimmel, Husband, 76
Kimmel, Thomas, 76–79
King, Jerry, 67
King Ranch, 26
Kingsville, Texas, 26, 28–29
Kirk, Tom, 119–20, 122–23, 135–36
Kitty Hawk, 105, 168
Korea, missions in/over, 38, 42
Korean Airlines 747, Soviet shootdown of (1983), 198
Korean War: aircraft in, 71; deployment to, 32–34; desire to fight in, 27, 29; end of, 38
Kunta Kinte, 9
landing signal officer (LSO): Fresnel
landing system and, 75; history of, 26–27; night landings and, 43–44 landing wheels and brakes, on jets, 51–52
Langley, 26
Langley Air Force Base, 89
Lawrence, Anne Williams (1st wife): anxiety of pilot’s wife, 26, 34, 50, 70, 72–73, 75; courtship and marriage, 15, 22, 26–27; divorce from, 135–36, 160–61, 212; married life, 48–49, 54, 60–61, 68–70, 72–73, 75, 77; post-POW contact with, 157, 159–60, 162; and POW ordeal, 112, 125–26, 133, 135, 157–59; wing-pinning ceremony and, 29
Lawrence, Bill Jr. (son), viii, 126–27, 136–38, 156–57, 159, 162–63
Lawrence, Bobby (brother), 1, 4, 126, 137
Lawrence, Diane Wilcox (2nd wife): courtship and marriage, 165, 213–14; on Lawrence, 213–17; Lawrence’s health and, viii, 211; married life, 168, 170, 173–74, 196–97; at Naval Academy, 178, 181, 192; retirement and, 210–11; on women in military, 173
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