From Guam and Beyond: Stories of the Men of VW-1

The stories in this book were supplied by squadron mates who served with the U.S. Navy's Airborne Early Warning Squadron One or VW-1, a squadron that supported the Seventh Fleet and also engaged in typhoon tracking. The squadron's existence spanned a nearly 20 year period that began with the Korean War and ended with the Vietnam War. This collection is titled "From Guam and Beyond" because the squadron was stationed on Guam but it also includes the authors' experiences as they were stationed at or came in contact with populations at other sites in the Western Pacific, ranging from Yap in the Caroline Islands to Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines and Vietnam.

About the Author :
All of the authors were members of Airborne Early Warning Squadron One or VW-1. Richard (Dick) Leighton was the flight surgeon with VW-1 when the squadron moved from Hawaii to Guam. Subsequently he became Chief of Cardiology and later Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo. Currently he is a Professor of Internal Medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine and he chairs the Institutional Review Board at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah GA. He is the author of more than 90 publications in the field of cardiovascular medicine. All of the authors were members of Airborne Early Warning Squadron One or VW-1. Dan Ragan was a radioman with VW-1 when the squadron was based in Hawaii. He was awarded the China Service Medal and Combat Aircrew Wings for his service. After he left the Navy he graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering. He worked as a design engineer and as a Military Communications Products Manager for Collins Radio Company. He then obtained an MBA degree from Southern Methodist University and spent most of his professional career in Foreign Military Sales. All of the authors were members of Airborne Early Warning Squadron One or VW-1. Floyd (Bud) Horn, Jr. was a weatherman and a Limited Duty Officer with VW-1. The remainder of his Naval career included assignments on the East Coast and at the Naval Air Systems Command in Washington D.C. On his retirement after 24 years service he received certificates of appreciation and a letter of commendation for the Director of Naval Weapons Engineering Support Activity. In civilian life he created a custom framing business in Orange Park FL from which he ran for 14 years.