I'm a VQ-2 Plankowner (P4M-1Q driver, if any of you remember the bird) and
have been involved, as many of you know, in rounding up the living VQ Port
Lyautey and Sangley Point Plankowners so that we could present each unit
with a certificate of
appreciation in our names on the date of the anniversaries. The VQ-1
certificate was presented on 1June and the VQ-2 one is in the works. In
discussing the move from Rota with the first VQ-2 skipper, CDR (now CAPT,
Ret) Morrie Kalin, here's his take in an e-mail to me this week:

"Whidbey is a great place. The carrier detachments will be happy, the
shore detachment will be happy and the dependents will be happy. Two or
three tours in the same squadron will be common. The aircrews and the
pilots will be real specialists. Promotions and advancements in rank will
all be in-house....even the detail people - less work for them. It will be
like a separate Navy of highly qualified experts that almost everybody will
want to be assigned to. Who could have anticipated this future for VQ-2? I
hope they will all rush out and buy your book!"

Morrie's in his nineties, not in good health, but I thought you'd be
interested. It's an interesting viewpoint - I'm not sure I agree with
everything he says, but there it is.