Our Memorial Plaques
Veteran's Day 2007
Memorial Plaque Dedication.
10 November 2007 at 1300 hrs.
Master of Ceremonies
Post the Colors
National Anthem
Invocation
Introduction of Guests
Guest Speaker
President of the Naval Enlisted Bombardier Navigator Association
Sanford Airport Memorial Committee
Construction of the Memorial
"On this Day in memory of our Enlisted bombardier/Navigator shipmates, past and present, we dedicate this plaque."
Bendiction
Retire the Colors
CDR Don Tise (USN Retired) Guest Speaker.
"We are here today to honor and recognize a very unique group of men who served their country with distinction – The Naval Enlisted Bombardier Navigator.
Until the early 1950’s, there were basically only two types of Officers in Naval Aviation Carrier Squadrons – Naval Aviators and Aircraft Maintenance Officers. There were also a few Naval Aviation Observers (NAO), however, this position was used primarily for Aerographers.
With the development of Carrier-Based Aircraft (i.e. AJ Savage, followed by the A3 Skywarrior and the A5 Vigilante) that had the capability to deliver a nuclear weapon, this suddenly created the need to develop and train crews for this task.
Of all the initial options studied and tested, which included various Officer Programs, the use of well-motivated and skilled Enlisted Men to team with the Pilot and fill the billet of Bombardier Navigator was by far the most successful from its earliest days.
Memorial Plaques
We have two Memorial Plaques dedicated to "The U.S. Navy Enlisted Bombardier Navigator".
Our first plaque is mounted on a pedestal in the Veteran's Memorial Park on the Lake Monroe water front in Sanford Florida. It was mounted just in time for Veteran's Day 2005
Our second plaque is mounted on a pedestal in front of the RA5C Vigilante at the entrance to the Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) in Sanford Florida. This plaque was dedicated 10 November 2007 in observence of Veteran's Day.
Why Plaques in Sanford FL and not in the
US Naval Museum in Pensacola FL?
It was the consensus of the members of the Naval Enlisted Bombardier Navigator Association (NEBNA) that we might not get recognition in the National Museum of Naval Aviation, located in Pensacola FL, during our life time.
We have not been successful in generating enough funding to "BUY our way into the Naval Museum". With the funding that we have generated, we felt it necessary to provide some recognition to the Enlisted Bombardier Navigator somewhere else.
NAS Sanford Florida was the "birthplace" for "Heavy Attack" and the location where most crewmen received their training. It would be fitting to place some sort of Memorial for the Enlisted Bombardier Navigator in the Sanford Florida area.
CDR Ralph Feeback, USN retired. (a former Enlisted Bombardier Navigator) initiated the idea of producing a large plaque to be mounted on a concrete pedestal and located in a prominent area where many people visit.