“Eugene (Gene) N. Wiley——VP-21 (12-11-51 to 3-11-55) Ordnance Division Go to Gene Wiley’s obituary

Born in rural South Georgia on 12-07-32 as fourth of five boys. Grew up on a farm and finished Sycamore High School in 1950. Wanted to go to college, but Korean War and draft were pursuing me. I enlisted in the Navy with a guarantee that I would be allowed to attend aviation prep school and a trade school (3-14-51). After boot camp in San Diego, I
attended aviation prep school and ordnance school at NATTC Jacksonville, Fl. Upon completion of these schools I was fortunate to be able to select VP-21 at Patuxent River as my assignment beginning 12-11-51. Joe Radcliff and Robert Hall were in the same class as I and they too came to VP-21.

Little was going on when I reported to the Squadron since they were overseas. I soon learned to avoid a 1st Class Boatswains Mate who had ideas contrary to mine. I spent a lot of time in the line shack learning to smoke luckies, drink coffee, play various card games such as acey duecy, etc. When the squadron returned, I soon learned the ground crew duties and in June of 52 I was assigned to Crew 4 ( I loved it). Over the period, the pilots I flew with were Mason, Stone, Benton, Pezzi, Patch, Barthes, Hufstedler, Sommers, Falkenstien, Grimm, Gerber, Marsh and Saunders.
Some of the crew members I worked with included Braswell, Johnson,Goodie, Ernie, Sheehan, Sediva, Iacavone, Osborne, Hall, Whitcomb, Dutt, Walsh, Sullivan, Licamelli and others. Served a short month on Crew 2 in Feb. 53 and we did some FERRY work in trading the P4M’s for the P2V-6’s and then back to Crew 4. For some
reason Crew 4 traded for HC-9 and became Crew 9 with Bill Saunders for awhile. (Learned to play Pinochle on flight over to Malta in 53).

Personal conflict with Ordnance Ground crew Chief led to loss of crew status for one month on Malta, but Cmdr Saunders saw that I got 1/2 set of skins and returned to Crew 9 the following month. I served two tours to Malta, (53 and 54). Became 1sr Ord. on Crew 8 in September 53 with Steve Sullivan as 2nd (Great Guy). Moved to Crew 10 when we got back to the States and finished my Crew status there until December 54 and worked on
ground crew until discharge in March 55.

Memorable events included the crash of HC-3 (5-3-54). Pilot-Bill Grimm, Co-pilot-Peterson, Plane Capt-H.E.Johnson, Radioman-J.A Iacavone and myself with two hitchhikers made an emergeny (Crashed) landing on a mountain
side near Fritztown, PA, Skeleton crew was returning from Quonset Pt. from taking a volley ball team up for competition. Joe Lazzaro’s Crew was in the other plane but they returned without a hitch. Someone forgot to transfer fuel and we ran out of gas. The Pilot and Plane Capt. were disciplined, but Bill Grimm gained an acquital and retired as Captain in 1978. Understand this, THEY DID ONE HELLUVA JOB PUTTING THAT PLANE DOWN.

We had a little Revolutionary War on Malta in 53, as a result of some fine U.S. Sailors attempt to blow up the Brits next door with some of those maltese fireworks.

Upon Discharge (3-11-55), I got my Masters Degree from Ga.Sou. U., Married the sweetest girl in the world and taught school (teacher, coach, dept. head, administrator) for 26 years in Brantley County Ga. living in Hoboken, Ga. I then went to work with the State as Education Supervisor at a Large Prison in Waycross, GA. Retired from there in 96 and nowstay home to enjoy my Church, Wife, three children and their families (6 grandchildren). The Lord has blessed my life many ways.

Mr. Eugene (Gene) Nichols Wiley, 75, died Thursday (May 1, 2008) at his home after a long illness. He was a native of Sycamore, Georgia. He resided in Hoboken, Georgia for the past 51 years. He was the husband of Mary Lee (Dowling) Wiley. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dewey Ernest Wiley and Zena Wiley; his brothers, Wallace, Don, and Charles Wiley; and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Elton and Ruby Dowling.
He loved the Lord and was a long time member of Hoboken Baptist Church where he served as a Sunday School teacher and Deacon.

He proudly served in the United States Navy as an Aviation Ordnanceman, Third Class, in Patrol Squadron Twenty One (VP-21) from 1951 to 1955, receiving an honorable discharge in 1955.

He received degrees in education from Georgia Teachers College and Georgia Southern College. He served as a school teacher for 26 years at Hoboken and Brantley County High Schools. He was passionate about teaching young people and influencing their lives in a positive way. During his tenure at Hoboken High School, he enjoyed coaching the boys’ varsity basketball team. After retiring from teaching, he supervised education programs at the Ware State Prison for 11 years.
A loving husband and father, he is survived by Mary Lee Wiley of Hoboken and three children, Nick Wiley of Tallahassee, FL, Kitty Cheatham of Waycross, Zena Tyler of Flowery Branch, GA; their spouses Evelyn Wiley, David Cheatham, Matt Tyler; and seven grandchildren, Nicki, Emma, and Erin Collins (and their father Tony Collins), Grayson and Zane Tyler, and Duncan and Brooks Wiley. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, the Reverend Jim and Sandra Wiley of Rochelle. Other surviving brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law include Joann Price, Marguerite Wiley, Willene Wiley, Ray and Betty Dowling, Russell and Ruby Dowling, Stanley Dowling, Michael and Carole Dowling,
and Phillip and Elizabeth Dowling. His life was enriched by many loving nephews
nieces, cousins, friends, and students.

A funeral will be held 3 p.m. Sunday (May 4, 2008) at Hoboken Baptist Church. Burial will follow at the Greenlawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Music Funeral Home in Waycross from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Also friends are welcome to visit the family at the Wiley home in Hoboken at other times. The Ruth Sunday School Class is requested to meet at the Church Sunday at 2:40 p.m. to serve as honorary pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Hoboken Baptist Church Building Fund would be appreciated. Please mail donations to Hoboken Baptist Church, PO Box 247, Hoboken, GA 31542. Sympathy may be expressed by signing the online registry at www.musicfuneralhome.com.”