Patriots Point to Dedicate Renovated Sikorsky SH-3G Sea King Helicopter

Submitted by Patriots Point

Eileen Owen grew up hearing stories about her father, AX 1^st Class James I. Pratt, a sonar operator and member of the USS Yorktown’s Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 4.

“[My family] said he was a very loving and attentive father,” she said. “While some men wanted to go out and do ‘guy things,’ he really enjoyed being home with his family and being a father.”

A letter home on February 5, 1965, reflected this love and shared news that he would be returning home for a visit the following month.

“I guess I’ll be home about the middle of March,” he wrote. “I pulled a fast one this time, I’m quite proud of it. I told the Captain that I would ship over in HS-4 if I got 30 days leave in the states and he set out a legal way to do it. He finally came up with a three week school with 30 day[s] [of] leave attached, how about that! I really get a rise out of the guys when I mention it, they’re rather bitter and I take a lot of (good natured?) ribbing, actually they hate me. And I glory in it. I’m raffling off my rack and locker.”

Also in the letter, he wrote of the deployment’s fast pace and the long hours worked.

“It’s beginning to get pretty boring, we’ve been flying around the clock for eleven days now and the people and machines are getting pretty tired.  We’re working pretty hard to keep the birds up plus a minimum of about five hours a day flying, added to a twelve hour working day, you begin to drag.”

Eileen was just seven months old when her family received the news.

On February 25, 1965, her father perished along with two other crewmembers, Lt. Thomas D. Vincent and Lt. Charles K. Moran, in a crash at sea. The aircraft, an H-3 helicopter, was on a night, low-level mission in a combat zone and went down at sea after a night launch from the USS Yorktown.  Although there were no survivors of the crash, it is believed that the aircraft lost total electrical power, which resulted in total loss of control.

It was the only loss of crew by the Yorktown’s HS-4 squadron during the Vietnam War.

“It was devastating – as it always is when you lose one of your shipmates,” said Robert M. Dorsey, President of the USS Yorktown (CV-10) Association and a pilot who served with the squadron.

“[Pratt] was highly respected by pilots and other aircrew and was close to being promoted as a Chief Petty Officer,” Dorsey stated.  “He flew with me a number of times and always enjoyed having him on my flight.”

When news of the crash reached the Yorktown, Dorsey recalled, “Aircrew were saying, ‘Gosh, I hope that wasn’t Pratt.’”

A Lasting Legacy

Today, Eileen Owen honors her father’s legacy by staying connected to the USS Yorktown and the men with whom he served.

She recalled a trip to visit the “Fighting Lady” two years ago with her brother and former crewmembers.

“As we walked down the hallways, I couldn’t help but think, my Dad might have walked here, slept there. I enjoyed hearing the stories that only they knew after working with him.”

On Friday, October 12, Eileen Owen and her mother will join families of the fallen crewmembers, Lt. Moran and Lt. Vincent, for a ceremony aboard the USS Yorktown to honor the service and sacrifice of this heroic crew.

“These men served our country with distinction and made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” said Patriots Point Executive Director Mac Burdette. “The placement of their names on the side of our H-3 is the highest honor we can bestow upon our veterans and is part of our ongoing efforts to bring the Yorktown to life and to enhance the museum’s educational program. We are honored to be joined by members of their family for this ceremony and proud to tell their story of sacrifice at Patriots Point.”

“It’s such an honor,” Eileen said. “I’m also thrilled for families of the other crewmembers who will be recognized.”

Also during the ceremony, Patriots Point will recognize Dr. Art Schmitt and James B. Dorsey by placing their names on the opposite side of the fuselage.

Dr. Schmitt and Dorsey distinguished themselves while operating H-3s and other helicopter types both during combat operations and while involved with the Apollo space program including the recovery of Apollo 8.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on the USS Yorktown Flight Deck.  In addition to the families of the fallen crewmembers, the ceremony will be attended by members of the HS-4 squadron and members of the USS Yorktown (CV-10) Association – all former crewmembers.

The ceremony is open to the public and regular admission rates apply.

About the Aircraft Naming Committee

In April, Patriots Point announced the organization of an “Aircraft Naming Committee,” tasked to research and explore the history of various aircraft as it relates to the Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers and maintenance personnel who served as crew.

The selection process was established to be both fair and objective and the committee will use it with future naming opportunities.

As part of their research, the committee reached out to aircraft associations and veterans who served with the nominees and established the following key requirements:

1. Only the names of Naval Aviators / Naval Flight Officers and maintenance personnel from the Navy and Marine Corps will be placed on naval aircraft.  If the aircraft is from another branch of military service and painted in that service’s markings, only flight/maintenance personnel from that service should be considered.
2. Individual(s) must have been honorably discharged from the service or have been in honorable status if they were killed on active duty.  Additionally, the individual(s) should not have negative police records or background issues that could reflect poorly on Patriots Point.
3. Individual(s) must have flown (in) the type of aircraft that is on display.
4. Preference is given those who flew the aircraft in combat and their combat performance.  Major consideration also is given if the individual was killed in action.Preference is given to those who flew off a carrier, especially those who have connections to the USS Yorktown (CV-10).

About the Sikorsky SH-3G Sea King Helicopter

The Sikorsky SH-3G Sea King Helicopter served as a Navy workhorse for more than 40 years and flew from the flight deck of the USS Yorktown during Vietnam.  Because of an amphibious hull, Sea King models had the ability to land on water and remain watertight for a short period of time.  Spanning NASA’s Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs, Sea King was a fixture at mission’s end, recovering astronauts and their capsules from the ocean.