Turtle Endowment

    November 14, 1910 is considered by many to be the birth date of Naval Aviation. On that date, Eugene Ely made the first take-off from the USS BIRMINGHAM, landing ashore minutes later near the future site of Naval Air Station Norfolk, VA. Exactly 100 years later, to the day, the Patrol Squadron Two Association informed the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL of its intention to sponsor the most historically significant patrol aircraft ever flown…the museum’s P2V-1... the Truculent Turtle. Sponsorship of the Truculent Turtle entails funding for restoration and future upkeep of this historic aircraft, which was destined from the production line at Lockheed, Burbank for assignment with VP-ML-2, a forerunner designation of Patrol Squadron Two (VP-2). When P2V-1, BuNo 89082, became The Turtle, its intended service with the Navy changed forever.

    The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation was represented at the 2012 Fort Worth reunion on the Patrol Squadron Two Association by its Vice President for Development and Corporate Secretary, Capt Charles E. "Ed" Ellis, Jr., JAGC, USN(Ret). In addition to thanking the members of the Patrol Squadron Two Assn and others who contributed to the Truculent Turtle endowment, he remarked that the funds raised in this effort are dedicated solely to the support of this singularly historic aircraft.

    What makes this a singularly historic aircraft. In short, this aircraft eclipsed the best heavy load distance record for a non-stop non-refueled flight set by the USAF by more than 2000 miles. OK - so what? 1946 was a time when the USAF was about to become a separate service, and they were actively pursuing the control of all land based aviation platforms with plenty of support in Congress. Thus the flight of the Truculent Turtle amply demonstrated for all to see that land-based multi-engine Naval Aviation was just as capable of performing naval oriented missions requiring long ranges and heavy loads.

    The total endowment amount received so far is $52065.00. We’ve asked our members, the entire Navy's Maritime Patrol and Recconnaisance Community, and all other interested persons who care to participate in support of the Truculent Turtle by sending in tax-deductible donations. Your contribution will be acknowledged on the Turtle Sponsors page of the association website.

    Please forward your checks made out to the VP-2 Association to our treasurer, Doug Donohue, at P.O. Box 2894, Gardnerville, NV 89410. For donations by credit card please go to the National Naval Aviation Museum donor page and fill in the information requested. In the drop down "Designation" box click on "Exhibits", and then in the "Comments" box insert "VP-2 Truculent Turtle". After submission the museum will provide a receipt - please forward a copy to Doug Donohue; nvsoar@charter.net to assure donation tracking and appropriate acknowledgment.

Sponsors
(as of 02Nov2012)

John Ahle	vp2Assn	Neil and Linnea Kosbab	vp2Assn
William and Sondra Amos	vp2Assn	William Kraper	vp2Assn
David and Eunice Au	vp2Assn	Richard Kure	vp4Assn
Bill and Sally Bacus	vp2Assn	Sam and Marianne Lancaster	vp4Assn
William and Charlotte Barker	vp2Assn	Richard and Eva Lanning	vp2Assn
Donald and Kay Barthel	vp2Assn	Ira and Ellen Lee	vp2Assn
Robert and Carol Bender	vp2Assn	Robert and Raye Lenson	vp2Assn
George Bernard	unk	James and Beverly Loberger	vp2Assn
Dave and Connie Bowen	vp2Assn	Richard and Lona Manning	vp2Assn
Wayne and Arlene Bowman	vp2Assn	Jerry and Marlene Marr	vp2Assn
Max and Patsy Branscomb	vp2Assn	Dave Martin	vp17; 91
Betty Brown	vp2Assn	Luther and Linda Massey, Jr	vp2Assn
Joe and Esther Brown	vp2Assn	Ed McIntosh	vp2Assn
Terry Browne III	vo67Assn	Vince McManus	vp2Assn
Thomas and Bernadine Bryerton, Sr	vp2Assn	Jerry and Carol McOlgan	vp24
John and Emma Buckley	vp2Assn	Ted McPherson	vp2Assn
John and Doris Burrell	vp2Assn	Charles McVey	vp4Assn
William and Carol Caefer	vp8	Dave and Dottie Michel	vp2Assn
Leigh and Happy Callaway	vp2Assn	Doug and Anne Millar	vp2Assn
Bruce and Trudy Campbell	vp2Assn	Bob Miyagawa	vp2Assn
Charles Carl	unk	Jim and Jeanette Moody	vp2Assn
Robert and Susan Casey	vp2Assn	Charles Moose	vp3Assn
Bob and Myrna Champoux	vp2Assn	JT Morgan	vp2Assn
Dennis and Ann Christ	vp2Assn	Dan and Madeleine O'Donnell	vp2Assn
Bob and Judith Coker	vp2Assn	Mike and Barbara O'Gara	vp2Assn
Ken and Diana Covey	vp2Assn	N_Whidbey Old Fogies	various
Wayne Crawford	vp2Assn	Lloyd and Bonnie Olds	vp2Assn
Jim and Jo Ann Crippen	vp2Assn	Frank and Rose Marie Orr	vp2Assn
Duane and Carol Cronn	vp2Assn	Oak Osborn	vp17,19,40
Dave and Carole Crouse	vp2Assn	Wilfred and Melba Oswald	vp4Assn
Bruce and Donna Darsey	vp2Assn	Ron Painter	vp2Assn
Dan and Juana Davey	vp2Assn	Floyd and Lois Palmer	vp2Assn
Milt and June De Buhr	vp2Assn	Patrol Squadron Two Assn	vp2Assn
Kenneth and Catherine DeBoer	vp2Assn	Lee Porter	unk
Richard and Sue Dombrowski	vp2Assn	Gary and Lynda Porterfield	vp2Assn
Doug Donohue	vp2Assn	Bill and Heidi Pruett	vp2Assn
Lawrence and Lorraine Doyle	vp2Assn	Mary Purdy	vp2Assn
Neil and Pat Ericksen	vp2Assn	Larry and Sally Radics	vp2Assn
Dan and Heather Esposito	vp2Assn	Patron NW	unk
Bob and Susan Fiacco	vp24,62,64	Allen and Shirley Rogstad	vp2Assn
Lowell and Jean Fisher	vp2Assn	James and Anita Rundlett	vp8
William and Lorraine Foster	vp2Assn	Ed and Jane Schneider	vp2Assn
Richard Francis	vp2Assn	John and Suzanne Seebald	vp2Assn
Charles and Pat Gerhan	vp18	David and Arline Sevener	vp2Assn
Jim and Mary Goheen	vp2Assn	Charles Sexton	vp2Assn
Gus and Betty Goldenpenny	vp1	VPunk4Assn; Sidney Spector, Treas	vp4Assn
Lee and Beverly Goplin	vp8	Al and Patricia Smith	vp2Assn
Jim and Carolyn Gordon	vp2Assn	B. M. Smith, Jr	vp3Assn
Dick and Shirley Gregory	vp2Assn	John R Smith, Jr	unk
Ralph Griffiths	vp2Assn	Marv and Carolyn Sommer	vp2Assn
Don and Ellen Grove	vp2Assn	Bob Spielman	36TFS
Vic and Pat Gulliver	vp2Assn	Dave and Anne St John	vp2Assn
Anne Gulliver	vp2Assn	Richard and Candace Stark	vp2Assn
Dick and Barbara Guter	vp2Assn	Bill and Kay Stepp	vp2Assn
Bill and Pam Haeckler	vp2Assn	Jim and Eileen Summitt	vp2Assn
Roger and Margaret Hakari	vp11Assn	Jim and Danne Swartwood	vp2Assn
Al and Mary Lou Hall	vp2Assn	CT_”Bud” and Sheila Sweet	vp2Assn
Arley and Ann Hamilton	vp2Assn	Levi and Tamra Tarr	vp2Assn
Ed and Darlene Hammond	vp69	Tom and Juanita Tate	vp2Assn
Ed Hanson	va(hm)13	Joe and Nellie Turner	vp2Assn
Fay Hanson	vp2Assn	Kenneth and Rebecca Vaughan	vp2Assn
Keith Harmon	vp3Assn	John and Mary Vavrek	vp2Assn
James Hays	vp4Assn	Stephen and Mary Vavrick	vp2Assn
Harry and Merly Herman	vp2Assn	Phil and Ruth Veatch	vp2Assn
Ray Honey	vp2Assn	C. G. Vlahakis	vp2Assn
Bert and Mary Ann Howard	vp2Assn	Bruce and Mary Jo Walker	vp2Assn
Roger Hunt	vp4Assn	J Harold Walker	vp2Assn
Don and Florence Ingle	vp2Assn	Russ and Peggy Walsh	vp2Assn
Bill and Pat Johnson	vp2Assn	Bruce and Larissa Webb	vp2Assn
Gregory and Molly Karl	vp2Assn	Jim and Pat Welch	vp2Assn
Robert and Laura Keith	vp2Assn	Bob and Bev Westlake	vp46
Greg and Susan Kelley	vp2Assn	Otis and Virginia Wheeler	vp2Assn
Max and Joan Kelso (via Ron Wolf)	vp2Assn	George and Shirley Will	vp2Assn
Robert and Jeri Kessler	vp4Assn	Ron and Helen Wolf	vp2Assn
Bill and Julie Klett	vp2Assn	Bob and Pat Wolfe	vp2Assn
Arthur and Carol Kochman	vp65	John R Wright	unk
Robert and Rosemary Kosakoski	vp2Assn	Norman and Adriene Zimmerman	vp2Assn

Image of the Truculent Turtle Painting, donated by Robert Fiacco 2011
(click on the image for a larger version)

The artist in his element
http://www.robertfiacco.com/