(B & C) Biographies/ Profiles
Frank Balogh Jr.
Norman, OK - 1957
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Norfolk, VA - 1959
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2002
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Frank Balogh Jr., AT2P2, grew up in Dayton, Ohio, joined the Navy in April of 1957 and went to aviation prep school at NATC Norman, OK., Electronics school at NATC Memphis, and was assigned to VP-21 at homeport NAS Brunswick, Maine. He qualified for Aircrew in 1958 and flew 2000+ hours in P2V-7 Neptunes as Radar, Radio, ECM, Julie, and Jezebel operator, and as second navigator. Frank flew primarily on Crew 7 with C.E. Mackey, PPC, Bill Locke, copilot, Tootie Hicks, PC, Sam Glick, Radio, Neil Kirkwood, Ordinance, Ray Syzmanski, AM1, Paul Zahn, AT3, and Chuck Kirby, AD1. Primary mission from 1958 to 1960 was ASW in the Mediterranean, Aegean, North Atlantic, Arabian, and Norwegian Seas, with duty ports at Malta, Sicily, and Iceland.
After his last MedCruise and leaving flight duty, Frank instructed VP-21 and FASRON personnel at NAS Brunswick in the theory and maintenance of various P2V-7 electronic equipment such as the IFF Transponder APX-7, APS-20 Radar, ARN-14 OMNI, MAD Gear, and ARN-21 TACAN.
Following discharge in 1961 Frank returned home, married Nancy Marie Taglin of West Hempstead NY in October, and worked for Systems Research Laboratories in various engineering positions, including Director of SIGINT Products and Systems Development where he developed several NAVY HULTEC systems.
In 1994 Frank started his first company, Balogh-Schönhofer, Inc., designing, developing, and manufacturing state-of-the-art High Speed, High Resolution Data Acquisition Systems primarily for the U.S. Intelligence community, and especially ONI. In 2004 he started Balogh Associates, an engineering and SIGINT consulting company.
Frank's favorite pastimes are reading, music, really good meals, and travel, . He is a member of the ANA, Navy League, USNI, VPB-111/ VP-21 Veterans Association, IEEE, Association of Old Crows, and associate member of the Navy's Casper Society.
Frank and his wife Nancy have a daughter, Tracy, and two grandchildren, Jennifer and Joey.
Webmaster Note: Frank has been active on the VPB-111/VP-21 Veterans Association Board as our Webmaster since 1999 He setup and ran the website for all of us to enjoy. Frank passed away 23 September 2009. We lost a good friend and good shipmate He will be missed.
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Samuel Bowden, 82
Samuel Bowden, 82, of Etowah, passed away Saturday, Jan. 27, 2007, at Pardee
Hospital from complications associated with Alzheimer's disease.He was born
in Huntington, Long Island, N.Y., a son of the late Samuel W. and Nellie
Hall Bowden and has been a Henderson County resident for 10 years.He was a
Navy veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. Following his
discharge from the service, he was employed in the electrical department of
Grumman Aerospace for more than 39 years prior to retiring in 1989.An
outdoorsman, he was registered and active in the Boy Scouts of America for
more than 65 years, enjoyed gardening and taking care of the birds that
would visit his garden, was a lifelong bowler and was active in Trinity
Episcopal Church in Long Island. Locally he was a member of the Church of
the Holy Family in Mills River. In addition to his parents, he is also
preceded in death by a brother, Norman Bowden.He is survived by his loving
wife of 54 years, Jane Schling Bowden; two sons, Mark Bowden and his wife,
Meg, of Virginia; Richard Bowden of Nevada; a daughter, Marjorie Bowden of
New York; four grandchildren, Mark Bowden Jr., Tyler Bowden, Garret Bowden
and Rindi Fredlund; one great-grandson, Aiden Fredlund, a sister, Ida
Scudder of Long Island, N.Y.; as well as several nieces and nephews.A
memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Church of the Holy
Family in Mills River. The Rev. Jerry Beschta will officiate. In lieu of
flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Boy Scouts of America, PO
Box 152079, Irving, Texas, 75015 or to the Church of the Holy Family,
Building Fund, 419 Turnpike Rd., Horse Shoe, N.C., 28742.Thos. Shepherd &
Son Funeral Directors and Cremation Memorial Center are in charge of the
arrangements.
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Raymond "Bud" Baber, LTJG, VP-21
52-55
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Norm
Roinestad (left) and Bud Baber - 1999
reunion
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Raymond "Bud"
Baber passed away in Lake Orion, MI, on September 4, 2005. Bud was 76 years of
age and had been married to Suzanne for 48 years. Bud served in VP 21 as a pilot
from 1953 to 1955. During his service Bud demonstrated not only his excellent
flying skills but his great organizational skills and his concern for the well
being of both the flight and ground crews of the Squadron. He organized a
squadron baseball team which competed in the Mediterranean area during the
squadron's Malta deployment. He organized many social events for the squadron
including bar-b-ques, picnics and athletic activities both in the States and
during deployments. He organized a picnic for a large group of orphans in Malta
which had the children visit the squadron, tour the planes and have a great time
eating and visiting with the squadron personnel. It is with great sadness and
fond memories that we bid farewell to our comrade and friend.
Submitted by R.
L. Wolen, VP-21, 53-56
Bud is survived
by his wife Suzanne, sister Norrine Valentine of FL, brother James (Yvonne)
Baber of TX, sister Katherine Jennings of Oxford, brother Carl (Aida) Baber SR.
of WA, sisters Jeannie Hilleary of IN and the late Patricia Anderson; also
survived by many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. Mr. Baber was
an Advertising Executive for Campbell-Ewald Advertising Firm. He was a Graduate
of General Motors Institute and was a St. Joseph Mercy volunteer for 11
years.
Jack Bamberger
1922 - 2003
Henry K. "Jack" Bausell, 80, passed away Monday, Feb. 10, 2003, at a local hospital.
Graveside service: 11 a.m. Wednesday in Moore Memorial Gardens, Arlington, TX. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Arlington Funeral Home.
Henry Bausell was born April 5, 1922, in Hansonville, Va. He was a World War II Navy veteran, serving in the Patrol-Bomber Squadron VPB-111. Henry retired from Vought and LTV as an electrician and drafting manager.
Survivors: Wife, Kate L. Bausell of Arlington; son, Gary L. Bausell and wife, Cindy, of San Antonio; daughter, Donna L. Giguere and husband, Real, of Allen; granddaughters, Kimberly A. Bausell of Fort Worth and Kathleen J. Bausell Buchanan of Anna; and grandson, Chad D. Giguere of Marietta, Ga.
Published in the Star-Telegram on 2/11/2003.
Earl Cecil Bishop
Earl Bishop was an AMM2 Combat Air Crewman attached to VB-111 from 21 Mar 44 until 9 Jul 44.
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Earl Cecil Bishop was born in the Village of Pinemount, Suwanee County, Florida on 25 Mar 1924. He enlisted in the US Navy on 14 May 41 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida and attended AMM School there.
In the European Theatre in WWII he served and flew in VP-52, VP-83, Hedron Patrol Wing 5 (FAW-5), Hedron 9-2 FAW-9, VP-92, Hedron FAW-15, VB-111 and Hedron 9-1 FAW-9 from 29 Nov 41 until 11 Oct 44. In the above squadrons he flew out of NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, NS Roosevelt Roads, PR, Brazil, NAS Bermuda, NAF Port Lyautey, Morocco, Gibralter, and England, participating in anti-submarine and anti-shipping, search and rescue, and bombing missions, including the Anzio and Normandy allied invasions.
On 08 Sep 43 he became one of the first enlisted men to be awarded Combat Air Crewman status.
Transferring to the Pacific Theatre on 11 Oct 44 he joined Hedron 14-2 FAW-14 at NAAS Camp Kearny, California and embarked upon a three month combat deployment. He remained with Hedron 14-2, then Torpedo Squadron 11 (re-designated VA-12 Able) until his discharge on 25 Mar 47, as AMM1.
On 13 Oct 48 he re-enlisted as AD2 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida and joined Flight Test, Naval Test Center, NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. On 24 Jan 52 he joined VC-8, later again attaining 1st Class Petty Officer AD1, and again qualifying as Combat Aircrewman, in the AJ Savage, flying as plane captain.
He was killed in the AJ-1 Savage crash at Naples, Italy on 20 July 1955, along with pilot Lt. Donald Bowman and bombadier/navigator Ltjg. Clark McConnell.
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Louis “Louie” Bresciano
Louis “Louie” Bresciano, was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts on June 20, 1912. He grew up in Greenfield and at the age of 12, started working as an apprentice cobbler for his uncle, Vincent Tataro. In 1931, Louie opened his own shoe repair shop in his home town and in 1939, married Irene J. Chmielewska.
In March1944, at the age of 31, with a wife, two children ages 1 year and 2, and the sole proprietor of a shoe repair business, closed up shop and joined the Navy as a way of serving his country in a time of great crisis. Upon completion of recruit training at the U.S. Naval Training Station, Sampson, New York, Seaman Second Class Bresciano was headed to North Africa to become a member of Bombing Squadron ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN (VB-111) at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Port Lyautey, French Morocco.
Shortly after his arrival, the Squadron he received orders to deploy back to the States and prepare for deployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations. This preparation took him to NAS Quonset Point, RI; NAS Camp Kearney, Calif.; NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and in December of 1944, he and the re-designated Patrol Bombing Squadron ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN (VPB-111), transferred to the combat zone at NAS West Field, Tinian. Here the squadron's Navy PB4Y-1 Liberators conducted strategic long-range searches for Japanese shipping and movements.
In January of 1945, VPB-111 was relocated to NAB Morotai, Dutch East Indies to conduct long-range reconnaissance and anti-shipping patrols in the Borneo and Celebes Island areas. On 1 February 1945, Louie relocated with the squadron to Tacloban Air Base, Leyte, Philippines where the squadron conducted the same type of operations as those at Morotai. By the middle of April 1945, with the defeat of the Japanese in the Philippines, VPB-111 moved to the Army Air Field on the island of Palawan just out side the city of Puerto Princessa. Combat operations against the Japanese were conducted from the far northern coast of Indo-China to as far south as Singapore. Long-range, single aircraft patrols were conducted right up until the war's end and for a short period thereafter.
By this time Seaman Bresciano had acquired the rate of Aviation Machinist Mate Third Class and had performed duties within the squadron as a runner, mechanic, and crewmember on the squadron's Liberators. He also became the father of a third boy, James Michael, born in May of 1945. His awards and decorations consist of the World War II Victory Medal, American Theater Ribbon, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with 3 stars, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 star.
AMM3/c Bresciano returned to the States in late October 1945 and was honorably discharged in mid November 1945. Louie returned to the shoe repair business and ran his own store for over 51 years. In 1946, another boy was born into the Bresciano family. Within a few years, these four boys were growing up in the same neighborhood where their father Louie had grown up.
Louie's wife, Irene, passed away in August 1963 at the young age of 51. In 1983, Louie retired from the shoe repair business and not long afterwards, suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed. “Louie” Bresciano was deceased on November 6, 1995 at the age of 83.
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Jack Boniface, VP-21, 61-64
Captain John G. Boniface, USN retired, died October 13, 2005 in McKinney, TX of end stage Waldenstrom's macroglobulenemia.
He was born Oct. 1, 1922 in Cheyenne, WY when his father, the late Col. John J. Boniface U.S. Cavalry, was commanding officer of Fort D.A.Russell.
Jack, as his friends knew him, graduated from Austin High School in El Paso and the Allen Academy in Bryan. He graduated from the U.S.Naval Academy on June 6, 1945, with the class of 1946. He was also a graduate of the school of Naval Warfare at the Naval War College, and earned a M.S. in International Relations from George Washington University.
He served in USS Bunker Hill, USS steamer Bay, and USS Pasadena before reporting to Flight training. After receiving his wings, he served in Patrol Squadron Two, BAR El Segundo, and VR-23 Det. Phil. before duty in the NROTC Unit at the university of Missouri, Columbia.
Subsequently, he served in Patrol Squadron Twenty One from 1961 to 1964, Patrol Squadron Thirty, as navigator in USS Lake Champlain, and on the staff of the Naval War College. Commands include Patrol Squadron Twenty-one from 16 October 1963 to 16 October 1964, USS Chara AE-31, with retirement as Commander Fleet Air Wing 8.
Decorations include: American Defense medal, Asiatic Pacific, China Service Extended, WWII Victory medal, National Defense Service medal with one star, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, Korean Service medal, United Nations Service medal, Vietnam Service medal with four stars, Vietnam Campaign medal with device, and Bronze Star medal.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Elizabeth (Beegee); a daughter, Elizabeth Hurst; two sons, Cdr. John M. Boniface, 1971, and Capt. William S. Boniface, 1972; eight grandchildren, including LTJG Robin M. Boniface, 2002; and one great-granddaughter.
He was a member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, USNA Alumni Association, Dadaelians, VFW, American Legion, and the Fleet Reserve Association. Inurnment of ashes will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to IWMF, 3932 D Swift Road, Sarasota, Fl 34231-6541.
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John T. Batchelder
John T. Batchelder, 72, of Grand Haven, died Friday, April 7, 2006 at the North Ottawa Community Hospital. He was born May 7, 1933 to Windsor and Harriet (Wilcox) Batchelder in Stamford, CT. He married Shirley Dodge on June 21, 1958 in Brunswick, Maine. They moved to Grand Haven in 1969 from Iowa City, Iowa, where John taught four years at the University of Iowa. John graduated from Kimball Union Academy, attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, and received his PhD in Political Science and Government from the University of Michigan. John retired nine years ago after being a professor at Grand Valley State University. He was a veteran of the United States Navy and was a member of the United Methodist Church of Dunes. Surviving are his wife of 47 years, Shirley; children: two daughters, Janet Batchelder of Oak Park, MI, Jean and husband Steve Eggemeyer of Williamston, MI; one son, Stephen and wife Lynn Batchelder; two grandchildren, Mya Batchelder and Katherine Eggemeyer; sister, Nancy Bridge of Salisbury, CT; brother, David Batchelder and lifetime partner Schatzi Ludwig of Salisbury, CT; In-laws, David and Nancy Dodge of Vassalboro, ME; and several nieces and nephews. The Service will be conducted Thursday at 11 a.m. at the United Methodist Church of the Dunes, 717 Sheldon Road, Grand Haven, with Rev. Daniel Duncan officiating. Military Rites by the American Legion Charles A. Conklin Post No. 28. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donation sent to Grand Valley State University.
