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We've begun learning about Lyle Moseng's Vietnam service in the Navy to help us better understand the Vietnam War's impact on our region.
Lyle graduated with the Marshall High School Class of 1962 and immediately enlisted in the Navy. After Boot Camp the Navy assigned Lyle to Naval Air Station, Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean where he maintained emergency equipment for the aircraft of an airborne early warning squadron.
After a year at Midway, the Navy reassigned Lyle to the aircraft carrier, USS Constellation. He reported aboard in October 1963; settled into his new berthing area; and began learning his new role as a member of one of the carrier's catapult teams.
The Constellation was in port at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego for most of the next seven months. Lyle recalled that she would put to sea regularly for short periods.
"We'd go out for a week or so at a time. A lot of what we were doing was letting the pilots practice landings and take-offs. I really enjoyed that. There was always action - always something going on. We launched planes every day. Even if we were off the coast of San Diego, the planes would come out and if we didn't have someplace to bomb, [like] an island, we'd pull a skiff and the planes would come in and shoot that."
Aircraft carriers use steam-driven catapults to launch aircraft off the carrier's deck. Lyle explained that his work on "Cat 3" was critical to flight operations and he had to learn it quickly.
"Prior to operations we put T-bars in the back of the planes. One would hook into the plane and the other would hook in our hold-back unit. That [T-bar] was designed to break at a certain PSI. When a plane came up, you hooked your hold-back on it. We'd stay under [the aircraft] and watch that unit with our flashlights to make sure they didn't prematurely crack. The plane [engine] would be wide open, going as fast as he could so he could take off. Behind us part of the [deck] would lift up, deflecting the jet blast. If everything was okay, we'd run out and they'd launch him. [The jet blast deflector dropped] and we could see the next plane coming up. They'd bring him up and then we'd do it all over again."
Aircraft sequences were important to the catapult team. Each type of aircraft represented different launch weights and required different steam pressure settings on the catapult. Lyle explained how the catapult team adjusted for different type aircraft.
"We had what we called a weight boy. He would run around with a chalk board with the weight of the pilot with his fuel and everything -- like 63,000 pounds. He'd hold it up and the pilot would [signal] up or down. He'd [adjust] it and the pilot would signal okay. They would show that to the guys along the edge on the catwalk. They would radio it below and we'd know the weight and how much pressure to put on. Then they'd launch it."
Lyle reflected on the nature of the noisy, dangerous work of the catapult crew.
"It was loud! (Lyle chuckled) We always had our Mickey Mouse ears on (hearing protection) and skin caps. People would get hurt doing it. I never got hurt, but I had friends that broke legs and arms. This guy got blown over by a jet blast. They turned a jet on him and blew him off the ship. One guy got his jaw caught in the flaps of the wing. They had to fly him off to the Philippines for reconstruction. Most of the time I never gave it a thought. I was a teenager, so I never thought about the consequences."
Whenever a pilot reported a landing equipment malfunction, the flight operations crew rigged the flight deck for a crash landing. Lyle described this different type of carrier operation that focused on saving the pilot.
"If a plane had to crash, we rigged a barricade. We took a line across [the flight deck]. It was probably twenty-thirty feet up and it had nylon straps - probably twenty-five straps - every three feet. Then they'd bring the plane in to crash. Our job was to sit in the catwalk - crouched down along the edge with our fire hose and we'd wait for this plane to crash. The plane would not be more than 100 feet away when he'd come in. We had to save the pilot. We had that happen at least two, maybe three times. All the pilots came out okay."
When flight operations ended or there was a break, Lyle's team found a peaceful place just off the normally loud and hectic scene of the flight deck.
"One of the more peaceful places is along the edge of the ship. Some places have nets that stick out about four feet. You could lay in those nets and take a nap if you were out at sea. It was so peaceful to listen to the water hit the edge of the ship and splash."
The Constellation ended her home port stay in May 1964 and steamed west for Hawaii with her air wing and escorting destroyers. They did not know they were sailing into a key role in the history of the Vietnam War.
The Lyon County Museum is organizing an exhibit about the impact of the Vietnam War on Lyon County. If you would like to share Vietnam experiences or help with the exhibit, please contact me at prairieviewpressllc@gmail.com or call the museum at 537-6580.