BW: I’ve seen pictures of jets being catapulted off the decks of carriers at anchor. Were you ever catapulted off the deck while the ship was not underway?
YP: NO.
BW: How many carrier traps did you log in the service?
YP: 450
BW: Did you ever have to take the barricade?
YP: Thankfully, no.
BW: What was your favorite aspect of shipboard life when deployed on a carrier?
YP: Ready Room camaraderie with my fellow aviators. Sharing “adult beverages” in our staterooms. Remember- this was the Olden Days. I really miss both the flying and the people.
BW: What was your least favorite aspect of shipboard life?
YP: Separation from my wife and son.
BW: Where was your favorite CONUS (Continental United States) cross-country stop?
YP: Both Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque and Buckley AFB in Denver had great line service. If I was going to remain overnight, I tried to do so at Cannon AFB at Clovis, New Mexico, because my folks would come get me.
BW: Where did you have your favorite cross-country lunch or dinner?
YP: Bully’s outside of NAS Miramar.
BW: Of all of the Officer’s Clubs you have visited, which was your favorite?
YP: Without any peers: The WOXOFF ROOM at NAS Miramar in the Miramar Officers Club. Now entirely unrecognizable!
BW: Who was the greatest leader with whom you flew and/or served?
YP: Commander (later Captain) Bill Bowers, call sign “Buffalo Bill.” He was my first Executive Officer and second Commanding Officer. Viet Nam was his third war. Bill flew Helldivers in the Pacific, for which he got a gong for bombing a Jap ship. Then he bombed more things from F9F Panthers in Korea. He was bombing things again in Viet Nam from A-4s. I think his calm leadership and common sense had our skipper listen to and follow his advice, which saved many of us from getting stupidly bagged. He is a wonderful man too.
BW: If you could own any one of the various aircraft you flew during your naval service, which one would it be and why?
YP: That would be the A-4 for reasons of simplicity of maintenance.
BW: If you could be a naval aviator during a different time, what time might that be and what would you choose to fly?
YP: I’d probably be a F6F Hellcat driver during the Marianas Turkey Shoot. It was a target-rich environment.
BW: If you were able to pass along a single lesson learned to every current or future naval aviator, what would it be?
YP: You have to want it badly. The system is designed to weed out those who don’t. Never quit or give up.
BW: What is your favorite aviation-related movie?
YP: I like Twelve O’Clock High quite a bit. The older I got, the more I appreciated it.
BW: What is your favorite aviation-related book?
VP: “Winged Victory” by V.M. Yeats. It’s a book about WWI Sopwith Camel drivers. The real thing.
BW: Who is your favorite aviation author?
YP: Barrett Tillman
BW: What reading material is on your nightstand right now?
YP: Killing the Bismarck by Ian Ballentyne. Waterloo- The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles by Bernard Cornwell. I re-read a number of books about the Israel Air Force prior to a revisit this past summer as part of the Skyhawk Association.
BW: Tell us about the eBook The Breaks of Naval Air.
YP: If it wasn’t for Steve Millikin, editor of The Hook Magazine and subsequent good friend, initially publishing the stories, and his able assistant, Jan Jacobs, eventually using his computer and organizational skills to assemble the story copies, the eBook would not have come to pass. Between the eBook, the YP website, and A4Ever, every Youthly Puresome story is available to YP fans. I told many of these stories over many years to fellow aviators and anyone else who would listen before I started trying to write them down. I listened to stories as well, and I give thanks and acknowledgement to all those aviators who passed them on. Many stories are common to Naval Aviation, and I just tried to write them down before they disappeared, as I feared they might. I have always encouraged folks to write their stories, but most don’t. I hope those that originally passed them on in cockpits or over cold beers accept my gratitude and thanks.
BW: Do you ever have a tough time getting past all the inaccuracies and errors in historical TV shows, movies, and books?
YP: Absolutely. I normally watch movies with the sound off, unless I know the movie or the source.
BW: In what part of the country or the world do you most enjoy flying today?
YP: Locally in New Mexico in my low-and-slow open-cockpit Air Cam. The southwest part of the country, generally.
BW: Would you encourage your children or grandchildren to volunteer for military service?
YP: Absolutely. It’s what men do.
BW: And now…the obvious question: Will you continue to entertain us with stories of your aerial (and earthly) exploits as Youthly Puresome?
YP: There will be more YP stories from time to time. A new one will show up in the next issue of A4Ever, the excellent journal of the Skyhawk Association. There are several stories on the Youthly Puresome website that were too long and not PC enough for The Hook Magazine. I add short pieces to the website from time to time, mostly about life at the Rancho.
BW: Any parting wisdom or message for the readers?
YP: Keep the faith of what you think is right.
