The Last Crusader

Ed. Note: RADM Bruce R. Boland served in VF-62, VF-174, VF-13 and VF-124, and commanded VF-24. He subsequently commanded Durham (LKA-114), Okinawa (LPH-3), Amphibious Group Three and NavBase San Diego. He retired from the Navy in 1987 and currently spends a great deal of time flying his restored 1964 Beechcraft Bonanza.

Where were you on the Third of December 1999? One hundred and two F-8 pilots and 80 wives and friends were at Base Aeronautique Navale (BAN) Landivisiau, France, to say good-bye to Flotilla 12, the last operational Crusader squadron.

As former Navy, Marine and Air Force exchange pilots, we made this trek in a cold and rainy winter to Brittany from as far away as Singapore and Anchorage and cities and towns all over the U.S. to pay homage to the aircraft called the “Last of the Gunfighters.”

The story of this unique international gathering has its origins in the 1950s during the introduction of a number of new Navy carrier aircraft, and among them was the Chance Vought F8U Crusader. Young Tailhookers might not understand the affection for this magnificent machine whose landing checklist was “hook down, gear down, wing up.” Those of us who flew it, though, will never forget its power, beauty and wonderful flying characteristics — except while coming aboard the carrier. Never was there a Navy fighter that took a better cat shot, nor one more challenging across the ramp.

The French Connection

Our involvement with the French dates to the early 1960s as French Naval Aviation was coming out of the era of Supermarine Seafires, SB2C Helldivers, F6F Hellcats and F4U Corsairs. The competition for a state-of-the-art fighter for French Naval Aviation eventually narrowed to the F-4 and the F-8. After a pair of VF-32 F-8s conducted flight operations on 16 March 1962 on the French carrier Clemenceau (R 98), the French realized that the F-8 “fit” their carriers (Clemenceau and Foch (R 99)) better than the Phantom. The F-8 was chosen as the next-generation French Navy fighter.

Aircraft modifications were needed to reduce the approach speeds to accommodate the smaller French carriers. Ling Temco Vought modified the F-8E for slower approach speeds and improved handling in the landing configuration by changing the angle of incidence of the wing, modifying the leading edge “droop” and adding boundary layer control. The result was the F-8E(FN) — “FN” standing for French Navy.

With the development of the French Crusader was the need to train the nucleus of French pilots for their first squadrons. In April 1963 four French pilots reported to the VF-174 Hell Razors for F-8 RAG training. Lieutenant de Vaisseau (LT) Yves Goupil (now VADM Ret.), Lt. de V. Jean-Loup De La Fournière, Ensign de Vaisseau (LTJG) Jean-Pierre Robillard (now RADM Ret.), and Officer des Equipages Robert Philippe arrived at Cecil Field to be introduced to the best pilots and aircraft in our Navy.

Principally under the tutelage of LTs T.R. Schwartz, Diego “Duke” Hernandez, Roger Brown and Joe Ruchala, the French officers were transformed into Crusader pilots. I reported to VF-174 along with Dick Schaffert and Lou Alexander in April 1964 bound for VF-13, and trained with the second (and also the last) group of three French pilots: Lt. de V. Dominique Lefebrve (now VADM), Lt. de V. Georges Imbert and Lt. de V. Herve Le Pichon.

By September 1964 our group of French and USN Crusader pilots completed carquals and were off to their respective squadrons. LTs Joe Ruchala and Roger Brown accompanied the French pilots and their new F-8E(FN)s to BAN Lann-Bihoue. Flottille 12 was recommissioned on 15 October 1964 under the command of Lt. de V. Lefebre as the first French Crusader squadron. Under the command of Lt de V. Goupil, Flottille 14 became the second in March 1965.

The Connection Continues

Our Crusader affiliation with the French has continued since 1963. During our 16th annual “Last Crusader Reunion” in May 1999 at Pensacola, the French pilots informed us that their last Crusader squadron was to be decommissioned by the end of the year. We were determined to join with our French comrades to honor the Last Crusader, and began planning with the commanding officer of Flottille 12, Capitane de Fregate (CDR) Antoine Guillot. The word quickly spread by e-mail, snail mail and telephone that the Crusader was to take its last operational flight in December.

The response was overwhelming. Inquiries came from all over the world requesting details. I’m sure CDR Guillot expected no more than five or six Americans to come to Landivisiau, and he must have been flabbergasted when told to expect about 200 Americans to honor his squadron and “our” airplane.

By November we had the dates for the various events and other details in hand. About 50 of us realized that we would arrive in Paris about the same time before the 1–3 December events in Brittany — what a great opportunity for a Crusader Association mini-reunion! With the assistance of our Naval attaché in Paris, CAPT Don Fennessey and the embassy staff, we planned a U.S. mini-reunion dinner for 30 November to be held in the embassy representational rooms in the Tallyrand Building.

Our group invited and hosted Mme. Yolaine Guillot, wife of the CO of Flottille 12, two of the four remaining active Crusader pilots in the French Navy, Lt. de V. Eric Berthou and Ltjg. Stephane Aubry, and CAPT Fennessey and his wife Sue.

As you can imagine there was a lot of Crusader “flying” going on over cocktails before dinner. Hands flew, and stories were told by some men who had not been around the Crusader for 40 years. Thanks to the Embassy chef we were treated to a sumptuous dinner, after which we adjourned to a “Fighter Sweep” of the Buddha Bar behind the embassy. Our intelligence told us that this was the location where the Paris high-fashion models congregated, and they weren’t wrong! We “struck” the Buddha where the stories continued, drinks flowed and our somewhat tired fighter pilot eyes sparkled once again. About 0200 we realized that tomorrow was to greet us with a 300-mi. trip to Brittany.

To Landivislau

BAN Landivislau is on the extreme western end of France in the area of Brittany known as Finistere. Though its relation to the Atlantic is similar to that of MCAS Miramar and the Pacific, its winter weather bears no comparison to that of San Diego. That did not deter us!

On 1 December we traveled to the Elorn Valley, and by mid-afternoon hotels near Landivisiau overflowed with American and French Crusader pilots. At 1700 we packed the Greenbriar Pub with French and Americans alike; 300 pilots seeking out old friends and making new ones. CDR Antoine Guillot and his squadron did a great job of keeping the Nouveau Beaujolais and suds flowing. To cap the evening, Guillot presented each pilot a Crusader catapult holdback fitting, a two-lb. dumbbell-shaped piece of metal designed to hold the Crusader against the tension of the catapult and “break” as the cat fired.

On the morning of 2 December we arrived at BAN Landivisiau for what were to be two of the most memorable days of our lives. We first proceeded to the squadron area for static displays and air shows. Precisely at 1000, four Crusaders from Flottille 12 taxied out in section to give us the thrill of again seeing and hearing Crusaders in flight. As each pilot taxied forward, he saluted the crowd that lined the taxiway. With a “wink” of their J57 afterburner eyelids as they taxied, the F-8s seemed to be saying, “Watch me do my stuff — one more time!”

The Last Air Shows

By section the four went to burner and launched amid the prettiest sound ever heard by a fighter pilot. The weather, foul and cold with ceilings about 600 feet in light rain and reduced visibility, didn’t deter the four pilots of Flottille 12 nor the hundreds of us that watched. High speed passes, section- and diamond-formations and diamond burner passes at 200 feet left us gasping. A beautiful echelon break for landing ended the morning.

Early afternoon was occupied by a group of us visiting their new nuclear powered CVN Charles de Gaulle (R 91), in dry dock in Brest for pre-commissioning maintenance.

By late afternoon we were back at BAN Landivislau for more flying. The weather, still foul, did not deter the 12F pilots. About 45 minutes before dusk, two Crusaders departed to rendezvous with a new French Rafale, scheduled to be the next Flottille 12 aircraft for deployment in de Gaulle. The two Crusaders appeared out of the clouds on either wing of the Rafale with a photo Super Etendard in company.

We were all back to the 12F Hangar by 0930 on 3 December for our last day with the Crusader. Static displays, memorabilia and hangar talk occupied the first part of the morning along with another great Crusader air show. Finally the Crusader landed for the last time. Appropriately, junior pilot Ltjg. Stephane Aubry was at the controls. At noon a memorial Mass was held in the base gym in honor of the French and American Crusader pilots who gave their lives in defense of their countries.

Following Mass, the squadron hosted all of us to lunch at the club. A group of 21 old “Anciens” gathered together privately for lunch, and we were delighted to have RADM Jay “Rabbit” Campbell, one of the few USN Crusader pilots left on active duty, and his wife Faith join us. The 21 French and American Anciens represented more than 28,000 Crusader hours and more than 85,000 fighter hours.

Presentations and More Memories

The evening brought us to the principal event of our trip to France, the banquet in honor of the last Crusader squadron. About 500 of us assembled at the Chateau Bezel near the Village of Landerneau as skipper Guillot welcomed us all in French and English, and began and ended his remarks with the recorded full-throated roar of a Crusader in afterburner. All 500 cheered! CDR J.R. “Hot Dog” Brown then presented the active pilots their “1,000-mile-per-hour” pin. Hot Dog pinned the commanding officer and I was privileged to pin the XO, Lt. de V. Paul Sido.

Then John “Crash” Miotell, the first fleet pilot to carqual in the Crusader, presented a set of blazer buttons to each of the active French pilots and to many of the French Anciens. Our F-8 Association had these buttons made with the gold 1,000-mile-per-hour pin mounted on a black background. It was appropriate that Crash made this presentation to the last Crusader pilots, as he was in VF-154 for the first Crusader squadron deployment in February 1958 in Hancock. The last U.S. Navy F-8 deployment ending in October 1975 was in Hancock as well.

Bill Northup’s “The Last Crusader” painting was presented by the F-8 Association to CDR Guillot for the squadron. The painting depicts an F-8E(FN) climbing steeply into a cloudy sky, behind which is a helmeted Crusader warrior with a gray beard and a scarred and wrinkled face holding his battle-nicked sword in salute. Crouzeman #1 (Crusader pilot), Yves Goupil, could not contain himself as he climbed on a chair and led us all in our familiar chant “When you’re out of F-8s you are out of fighters.” The cheer that followed was deafening!

Dinner followed with the best of Brittany fare, beaujolais and Crusader memories. At midnight we assembled on the lawn of the chateau to toast the Crusader one last time. As the fireworks display peaked, the sky began a soft rain as if the departed comrades we honored at our noon mass were tearing along with those they left behind.

Then it was over; the final good-bye to the Last Crusader. “Adieu Crouze.”