The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the January 2023 story of the month has been selected to recognize United States Navy Veteran, Chief Aviation Metalsmith Frank Ferney. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Chief Aviation Metalsmith Frank Ferney at the VP-68 Alumni Association Reunion in the Fall of 2021. 

Ferney graduated from high school in 1967. The following year he received his draft notice as the war in Vietnam expanded to new heights. He recalled, "While I was waiting to go into the service...I happened to go by a recruiter station...I walked in the building and the first desk I came to was the Navy. The recruiter said, you got drafted, didn't you?... it didn’t take long, he talked me into dumping the Army and join the Navy. At that point I was signed up that minute and he offered me a delayed entry for four months and a school to attend after boot camp for aviation." His uncle, who was a Navy Veteran gave him lasting advise which was to always volunteer. This advise would come to good use when Ferney officially checked in to the reporting station at Pittsburgh. In a room full of recruits preparing to go to boot camp, a commander addressed the group. He loudly announced that he needed five recruits to volunteer, and Ferney was one of the first to put his hand in the air. After being selected, Ferney and the other volunteers were told to stand on the stage and were informed they would be going to sunny San Diego for boot camp and the rest would be going to Great Lakes in the middle of the winter. His Uncle’s advise paid off and would continue to open new doors throughout his naval career.  

Ferney recalled the challenges of Recruit Training Center San Diego. His description of the process of turning new recruits was detailed and to the point. He shared, “they thought everyone was going aboard a ship...each week was something new.” Weekly lessons included, working in the galley, knot tying, properly wearing gas masks, water survival, shooting and more. Upon successfully completing boot camp, the promise made by his recruiter was honored and Ferney reported to Millington Tennessee where his future in Naval Aviation would begin. After completing all requirements and best practices to quickly repair damaged aircraft, he was ordered to a variety training schools at Naval Air Station Lemoore and assigned to work on the A4 Skyhawk. Assignments included aircraft maintenance as well as repairing bullet holes and damage sustained from combat missions over Vietnam. He quickly progressed through the different training schools and was assigned to Anti-Submarine Fighter Squadron One (VSF 1), which was stationed at Naval Air Station Alameda California. 

This is where the training came into play as VSF 1 operated A4 Skyhawk  aircraft which carried nuclear tipped torpedoes designed to hunt and destroy enemy submarines. The squadron was ordered to leave from Alameda and report to Norfolk to then be deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard the USS Independence CV 62. He reflected upon the enormous size of the USS Independence, living conditions, and the efforts of the squadron to track Soviet submarines. His time with VSF 1 was short-lived after the squadron and its sister squadron was deactivated due to the changing needs of the Navy. Ferney’s next assignment was with Strike Fighter Squadron 115 operating the Grumman A-6 Intruder. The squadron was ordered to report to the USS Midway CV 41 and prepare for operations off the coast of Vietnam at the height of the conflict. Unbeknownst to Ferney, he had spent too much time at sea and before the USS Midway set sail for hostile waters, he was ordered to shore duty and crossed the country again and reported to Naval Air Station Patuxent River. 

Ferney’s new assignment at Naval Air Station Patuxent River would expose him to new aircraft and expertise in working on and repairing a variety of aircraft. At this time, Ferney was nearing the end of his four-year enlistment and decided to reenlist and work to pursue a new career as a flight engineer. His first Patrol Squadron was with VP 10. He recalled, “I got my deployment schedule and off I went to Rota Spain. We flew all of the anti-submarine missions, chasing submarines with P3 Orion’s. Once we found a Russian submarine, we would track and follow it to either Cuba or the Mediterranean.” In addition to tracking Soviet submarines, Ferney volunteered to participate in a top-secret mission which was declassified after the Fall of the Soviet Union. From Naval Air Station Rota Spain, Ferney and a P3 crew were flown to a military base in Crete. All members of the crew were given the option to walk away before an unmarked P3 took off and headed towards Africa. While enroute, the crew learned their destination was to photograph a new Soviet submarine being protected within the Line of Death which was named by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 1973. Any aircraft crossing the line would be targeted and shot down by order of Gaddafi. Ferney recalled, "Anyone who would cross that Line of Death would be shot down and we were going across that line of death." He shared vivid detail about the mission and recalled, "Our goal was to take pictures of a Russian submarine that was in the bay because it had a special new radar system...as we flew in and were getting closer, we dropped down to 100 feet off the water and they didn’t know we were coming. I looked down and saw about 30 Russians in blue jumpsuits doing jumping jacks... as we went by, I saw a rocket launcher with a cover over it. As we came back for another pass, all the guys in blue were gone and now the rocket launcher was following us. We got all the pictures and pushed the power all the way forward... we went screaming out of there."  

From his experience of crossing the Line of Death, Ferney continued flying in P3 Orion’s with Patrol Squadrons 62 and 68. Following his twenty years of service in the Navy, Ferney worked for the Federal Service. His Federal Service focused on Naval Aviation which included the T 45 trainer. He went to sea again, as a civilian on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN 69 and worked closely with his uniformed counterparts. In 2004 he was assigned to a new project focused on the Pioneer Unmanned Air Vehicle. His work on the Pioneer would take him to Bosnia in 2006 and later to Iraq as a civilian working alongside the United States Marines stationed there. Frank Ferney’s story showcases the extraordinary opportunities and pathways a Navy career can provide. Through great sacrifice and ever present danger, Ferney’s positive outlook on life and unwavering support from his wife and family, are showcased through his more than 20 years of impactful Naval service.  

As the Navy Memorial Story of the Month publication nears its tenth anniversary, the interview of Frank Ferney is a shining example of stories that need to be told to further enrich future generations who are fortunate to learn from his words. We invite you to hear this story come to life and view his interview below. 

The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Chief Aviation Metalsmith Frank Ferney, featured within this series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service

To view this interview please visit the VP-68 Alumni Association Collection on the Navy Memorial Stories of Service page.