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Welcome
to the
VF-88 Hangar Bay |
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The CO of Air Group 88 was CMDR Seth "Pete" Searcy. The Leader of VF-88 was LT COMDR Dick Commelin (KIA on 7/13/45) and then LCDR Malcom "Cris" Cagle. They had 37 Corsair and the remaining planes from Air Group 9, which included Hellcats, Helldivers, and Avengers. VF-88 fought the
last dogfight of WW2. Four pilots were lost in that fight. |
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| USS
YORKTOWN (CV-10) 14 July 1945
Tragedy struck 'The Fighting Lady' today. Captain Walter F. Boone's carrier was launching aircraft of Commander Seth S. Searcy, Junior's Carrier AirGroup 88 for a strike against the Japanese home islands. During
the launch, a midair collision killed the skipper
of VF-88, LCDR Richard Crommelin. One of five
Navy brothers, four of whom were aviators, Dick
Crommelin was the second to die in a midair
collision. His older brother Charlie had been
lost in similar circumstances just three months
previously. |
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