JOHN J. CHAMBERS, CDR, USN
John Chambers '50
Lucky Bag
From the 1950 Lucky Bag:
JOHN JOSEPH CHAMBERS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
J.J. came to the Naval Academy after a year's preparation at Villanova College where he was an engineering student. His time must have been well spent as our academics didn't seem to slow him down too much. Many a study hour he shot with a bull-session or reading a novel, much to the consternation of his roommates. J.J. liked to sing and, although he was no Crosby, he did fairly well. All his athletic endeavors centered around the Crew Squad, and most afternoons he was at Hubbard Hall working out. He seems to have taken a liking to the air, and the fleet will probably get another good fly-boy when he graduates.
JOHN JOSEPH CHAMBERS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
J.J. came to the Naval Academy after a year's preparation at Villanova College where he was an engineering student. His time must have been well spent as our academics didn't seem to slow him down too much. Many a study hour he shot with a bull-session or reading a novel, much to the consternation of his roommates. J.J. liked to sing and, although he was no Crosby, he did fairly well. All his athletic endeavors centered around the Crew Squad, and most afternoons he was at Hubbard Hall working out. He seems to have taken a liking to the air, and the fleet will probably get another good fly-boy when he graduates.
Loss
From the December 1969 issue of Shipmate:
Cdr. John J. Chambers, USN, died 25 Aug. [1969] as the result of an aircraft crash off the coast of San Diego. A requiem mass was held in the Naval Air Station Chapel, Miramar, Calif.
Cdr. Chambers was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and attended Villanova University before he was graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1950. He served in the USS Mindoro before flight training at Milton, Fla., and at Corpus Christi, Tex. Cdr. Chambers served as executive officer of Fighter Squadron 51 and from 1966 to 1967 he commanded Fighter Squadron 151, based at Miramar. At the time of the accident he was undergoing refresher flight training attached to Commander Readiness Attack Carrier Air Wing 12 at Miramar.
During the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, Cdr. Chambers was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal with two gold stars, the Air Medal with nine gold stars, the Purple Heart Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal with combat "V," and the Navy Unit Commendation.
He is survived by his widow Nancy and four children John Jr., Jane, Anne and Susan of 651 Solana Hills Court, Solana Beach, Ca. 94075; his mother Mrs. Agnes C. Chambers of Mountainside, N. J., and a sister Mrs. Dean Hertzog of Allentown, Pa.
From USNA 1950:
Highly decorated in the Korean and Viet Nam wars, Commander Chambers was to take command of Attack Carrier Air Wing 9 at Lemoore, CA, when killed at sea flying an F-4 phantom jet fighter off San Diego, CA.
He has a memory marker in Arlington National Cemetery.
Photographs
John's portrait as Commanding Officer, Fighter Squadron (VF) 151, USS Constellation cruise book 1966
Distinguished Flying Cross & Bronze Star
Unable to find the citations for his two Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Bronze Stars engraved on his memory marker. He was also awarded the Purple Heart prior to his loss, presumably when he was wounded over Korea in 1953 (details below).
Career
From the Philadelphia Inquirer on June 28, 1953:
A Philadelphia pilot, shot up over the Communist lines in Korea, owes his life to the navy’s “Seeing Eye Seadog,” it was revealed yesterday. He is Lt. (j.g.) John J. Chambers, son of Mrs. Frank A. Chambers, of 4701 Pine st and a former Villanova College student.
He was brought in to a crash landing at an emergency airstrip by Lt. (j.t.) Howard Thayer, who flew alongside and guided him for 40 miles by hand signals, the Navy announced. Chambers is the second pilot Thayer has rescued under similar circumstances.
Thayer first got his reputation when he “talked in” Ensign Kenneth Schechter, his roommate aboard the carrier Valley Forge, after the latter was blinded temporarily and his cockpit cover shot away by shrapnel over Wonsan, North Korea. At that time Thayer took over by radio and guided Schechter 150 miles to a dirt airstrip, then talked him in for a perfect landing. Schechter has recovered sufficiently to enable him to attend Stanford University.
Chambers, the Navy reported, was flying as wingman to Thayer when Red shrapnel knocked out his radio and instruments and wounded him in both arms and both legs. Flying without directions and bleeding badly, Chambers was in perilous shape until Thayer came alongside.
With hand signals he guided Chambers over Korea’s mountainous terrain on a swift, straight course to the nearest airstrip, 40 miles to the south, where Chambers made a successful crash landing.
The Navy did not give the date of the crash, but said Chambers is expected to return to duty shortly aboard the aircraft carrier Boxer. Chambers entered Annapolis in 1946 and got his basic flight training at Pensacola. He is a Panther jet pilot.
John was commanding officer of Fighter Squadron (VF) 151 from April 9, 1966 to March 1967. During this time the squadron was heavily engaged in the Vietnam War, operating from USS Constellation (CVA 64).
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