Customer Reviews

Fire on the Hangar Deck: Ordeal of the Oriskany

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The hangar deck fire that cost the lives of 44 men on the USS ORISKANY is little known to most. It was the first of three fires aboard carriers operating in the Tonkin Gulf during the VietNam war and in comparison to the other two, the loss of life was small. The other two fires, on board the FORRESTAL and the ENTERPRISE, began on the flight decks and so were captured on film by the PLAT cameras. The ORISKANY's trial by fire began in a stowage space, below decks, just after dawn. The casualties were 36 officers, almost all aviators, and 8 enlisted men. The aviators died in their rooms, asphyxiated by smoke and then, in some instances, burned.

CAPT Foster served aboard the ORISKANY with VA-163, an attack squadron, and had left the ship shortly before the fire after being wounded, so he writes feelingly of men and a ship he knew.
This is far from just a documentation of a tragic event, made doubly so by the fact that it stemmed from an accident. Losses are expected in combat, but not from misadventure and the shock was intense for the air wing and ship's company. Like all naval vessels, there were countless drills for fire at sea, but when the real thing happened, it was first broadcast over the 1MC as a "drill." Five sailors may have died because they made no attempt to leave a threatened space, thinking it was just a practice; they were found asphyxiated.

The culprit in this incident was a Mark 24 Mod 3 aerial flare that was mishandled by two young, and as it turned out, poorly trained sailors. It was accidentally ignited and in a panic move, thrown into a locker containing even more flares. As the flares burn at 4,500 degrees, there was no easy way to extinguish them and the fire raged.

The book contains details of the ship and portraits of the men, both victims and survivors. One particularly poignant story is that of an aviator who lost contact with his roommate in the smoke filled passageways, blamed himself for his buddy's death, and then was himself killed in action a year later. The story of Dick Bellinger, skipper of VF-162, and his escape through a 14" porthole is legendary and is retold here.

The investigation that followed the fire is also recounted and there is much about the Navy's bedrock value of command responsibility. There have been other books with accounts of this fire included but this is the first full treatment of it and is long overdue. CAPT Foster has done an excellent job of reminding everyone that not all the dangers in carrier aviation are in the sky. Bravo Zulu, Captain Hook!

Fire on the hanger deck describes in detail the events that lead to the fire onboard the Oriskany that October day. Fire is the worst thing that can happen at sea. It sites several of the heroics that were the norm for what happened. Captain Hook as he is now called; A4 Skyhawk was hit over Vietnam and he lost his right arm from the incident. He flew back to the Tonkin Gulf and ejected to be picked up by one of the carrier escorts. At the time we wondered if he would return to the carrier or be mustered out. A fine officer and commander of Attack Squadron VA-163 Saints.

I also served on the Oriskany during the fire. Mr. Foster, the author, contacted me in the 80's asking me (and apparently many others) to write down my personal recollection of the events so that he could document the tragedy in a book. That was the last I heard from him. About 6-7 years ago I met another Oriskany sailor who told me that the book was in print.

Overall Foster did a great job, and I am sure his research work was arduous, however, as a contributor I would have appreciated a "heads up" that it was being published, as well as a chance to defend my version of some of the events which were apparently ignored. Overall, it is very good history, and I am grateful to have been able to contribute as well as read the whole story.

My husband was on the Oriskany during the fire and took many photo's. One of his photo's were in the book. He was in the photo lab and they had to be evacuated. He said he could not see in front of his face for the smoke. They went out of the photo lab as a group with their hand on the shoulder of the man in front of them. This book told the story. I bought the book for his birthday and it was on his list of birthday gifts. Thanks.

Fire on the Hanger Deck is a well written account of a trajic event during the Vietnam War. While the author wasn't an eyewitness, he was wounded just before the fire while serving in Attack Squadron 163, nicknamed "the Saints," one of the squadrons affected by this devastating fire. It is not focused on gore, but gives a vivid impression through accounts of various sailors and officers who fought this fire for several hours. The fire happened between the capture of two other Saints, Admiral James Stockdale who ran for Vice President with Ross Perot in 1992 and Admiral John McCain who ran for the Republican nomination in 2000. Having served in VA-163 after the fire, this book is true to the accounts I heard from those who preceded me. I find it good literature as well as an exciting as well as heart rending account.

I found this writting to be passable. "There are too many $10.00 words" which a 'common person' would have to spend too much time referencing to follow the story. It was HIGHLY evident that this book was written by an Officer as the story was dominated by the achievments of fellow Officers and little of the Enlisted person!
Being stationed on a aircraft carrier myself at that exact time and place I personally know that in a 'combat' area there are over 4000 enlisted to 150 officers assigned to the ship....so what were all those enlisted persons doing during the fire?? Surely they were saving lives as much as or more that those few officers?? Why weren't those achievments documented with equal vigor?
Lastly, most of the facts within this story are very true, however, it seemed as if some the facts and background of the individuals mentioned (especially the enlisted) kind of ran together or showed traces of multiple facts of diffent stories mixed together to depict an individual meerly for the sake adding him into the plot instead of being exactly trueful as to their actions as it actually happened.

S.M. COFFELT (survivor)