World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Milton Alfred Cate
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Big Spring, Texas
Honored By
G. H. King
Relationship
Friend
ENLISTED IN NAVY IN DALLAS IN FALL, 1942. ACCEPTED AT AGE 20 INTO V-5 NAVAL AVIATION CADET PROGRAM. REPORTED FOR DUTY IN APRIL, 1943 AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN FOR DRILL AND BASICS-ABOUT 1 MONTH. REPORTED TO LON MORRIS COLLEGE, JACKSONVILLE, TEXAS FOR BASIC (PRE-FLIGHT TRAINING). HAD SOME FLIGHT TRAINING IN AERONCA 'GRASSHOPPER' AND SOLOED. SELECTED CAPTAIN OF PLATOON. TRANSFERRED BY TRAIN TO DEL MONTE, CALIFORNIA FOR DRILL, MILITARY TRAINING AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONING. TRANSFERRED TO NORMAN, OKLAHOMA FOR 4 MONTHS PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING. FLEW STEARMAN (N2S-1). RUNWAY HAD FLIGHT DECK PAINTED ON IT AND PRACTICED WITH LANDING SIGNAL OFFICER. GRADUATED IN CLASS 12-C. TRANSFERRED TO KINGSVILLE, TEXAS FOR ADVANCED FLIGHT TRAINING IN SNJ 'TEXAN' WHICH HAD 2 WAY RADIOS AND INSTRUMENT TRAINING. LEARNED FORMATION FLYING, LANDING AND TAKE-OFFS, SOME CROSS COUNTRY. ALSO FLEW PATCHED UP DIVE BOMBERS AND TORPEDO BOMBERS AT BEEVILLE, TEXAS. UPON COMPLETION OF 4-5 MONTHS TRAINING, RECEIVED WINGS AND COMMISSIONED ENSIGN AT CORPUS CHRISTI NAVAL AIR STATION. ASSIGNED TO FLIGHT GROUP 226 AT SANFORD, FLORIDA FOR CARRIER LANDING QUALIFICATION IN FM-2 'WILDCAT'. QUALIFIED AFTER 8 LANDINGS. SPENT SOME TIME FLYING OFF THE COAST LOOKING FOR ENEMY SUBMARINES. TRANSFERRED TO SQUADRON VBF-151 AT WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY TO FLY F4U-3 'CORSAIR'. COMMANDING OFFICER REQUIRED ALL PILOTS TO RE-QUALIFY ON CARRIER LANDINGS WITH 5 NIGHT LANDINGS AND 8 DAY LANDINGS MADE ON ESSEX TYPE CARRIER STATIONED OFF THE COAST. AFTER THIS ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION, WAS TRANSFERRED TO CORVALLIS, OR AWAITING ORDERS TO 29 PALMS, CALIFORNIA. WAS AT 29 PALMS FLYING F4U INVOLVED IN 'TINY TIM' AIR TO GROUND HEAVY ROCKET TESTING PROGRAM WHEN WAR ENDED. REPORTED TO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA WHERE RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY AT RANK OF ENSIGN ON NOVEMBER 5, 1945 WITH THE ISSUE OF CERTIFICATE OF SATISFACTORY SERVICE SIGNED BY JAMES FORRESTAL, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.