P4M-1Q Martin Mercator Allumni

In connection with the fiftieth anniversary of the commissioning of VQ-1 and VQ-2 next year, some of us Plankowners are interested in locating and contacting the rest of the living P4M-1Q drivers, back-enders and fixers to join in some small way in recognizing the half-century of contributions by the two squadrons. There is no reunion or expense or inconvenience of any kind envisioned, just a roster of names and addresses of any who would enjoy exchanging memories now and again. We will be making a presentation document to each outfit in the names of the living Plankowners – a number that keeps getting smaller at a saddening pace – and the wonderful and exquisite P4M-1Q will be appropriately memorialized at that time. As a continuing thing, though, it seems a shame to let the memories of the Martin Mercator die out. Need to hear from anyone in that small community of stalwarts who flew the precious few P4Ms from Sangley and Port Lyautey before the commissionings and for the few years in the late fifties before they became training aids for crash crews at Iwakuni and Rota and Norfolk and North Island.



John McIntyre (VW-2A/VQ-2 ’55 through 58)

Subject: P4M-1Q Martin Mercator Allumni
From: "JJ McIntyre"
Date: 10/13/2004 9:08 Eastern Standard Time

In connection with the fiftieth anniversary of the commissioning of VQ-1 =
and VQ-2 next year, some of us Plankowners are interested in locating =
and contacting the rest of the living P4M-1Q drivers, back-enders and =
fixers to join in some small way in recognizing the half-century of =
contributions by the two squadrons.

JJ
Could I suggest you check out the Silent Warriors site for some links to
Mercator recon ops. At www.silent-warriors.com/ check out the links and
in the left column you'll see ATTACK ON P4M-1Q MERCATOR with an
excellent article by noted author Bob Dorr. Yeah, I know it's primarily a
Zoomie site but we recon types were involved in something which goes
beyond which Branch we served in.

BTW, the affiliated "Prop Wash Gang" is run by a great guy named Larry
Tart, responsible for getting the RC-130 put on display at the National
Vigilance Park at NSA HQ Ft. Meade. I'm sure he'd could offer some tips
regarding remembering the Mercator. )

Best
Paul Powondra
(Former RC-135 back-ender)

SNIP:
I'm sure he'd could offer some tips
regarding remembering the Mercator. )

Best
Paul Powondra
(Former RC-135 back-ender)

There's a bunch of us F86D pilots from the 51st at Naha that remember
you P4M guys. You would come back from patrol along the PRC coast late
at night, miss your ACIZ time and be tagged as bogeys. We'd have
scramble and go ID you and many times you had never turned your nav
lights back on. Tricky making a joinup at low level over the China Sea
when we were both blacked out. Those small BuNos under the horizontal
stab didn't help much either - reading those babies with a 3-cell
flashlight while formating with the left hand doing the flying was
character-building.
Cheers- Walt BJ