Description
Eugene P. Rankin was born in 1916. He graduated from the Naval Academy at Pensacola, Florida, in 1941. In 1943, he served
in World War 2 in the Pacific Theater. There he was the commanding officer in a “Black Cat Squadron”, conducting nighttime
attack missions consolidated PBY Catalina patrol bombers. Afterwards, Rankin became a Captain of the USS Kearsarge (CV-33).
The Kearsarge was tasked with assisting Project Mercury, in that it would have to recover astronauts who splashed down in
the ocean after orbiting the Earth.
Background
Eugene P. Rankin was born in 1916. He graduated from the Naval Academy at Pensacola, Florida, in 1941. In 1943, he served
in World War 2 in the Pacific Theater. There he was the commanding officer in a “Black Cat Squadron”, conducting nighttime
attack missions consolidated PBY Catalina patrol bombers. After the war he was one of the crew members of the “Truculent Turtle”,
a Lockheed P2V-1 Neptune. This was the first plane to fly across the Pacific Ocean without refueling. It was the longest un-refueled
flight made to that point – 4000 miles (6,400 km) and the “Turtle” held this world record for 16 years.
Extent
0.36 Cubic Feet
Three (3) boxes, 12”x5”x10.5”
Restrictions
Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.
Availability
The collection is open to researchers by appointment.