Review, parade and napalm highlighted a Fine day

23rd in a series.

A crowd of more than 35,000 visitors poured into Indiantown Gap Military Reservation to witness the 1953 Governor's Day Review and Parade on Sunday, Aug. 23.

They were not disappointed.

Six-thousand Pennsylvania Army and Air guardsmen marched to the tune of four military bands as they paid tribute to their commander in chief, Gov. John S. Fine, during these colorful ceremonies on Muir Field.

There were eight high-ranking Army and Air Force generals on the reviewing stand with the governor, in addition to numerous civilian dignitaries. Before the review, these 150 dignitaries were guests of Gov. Fine, where they enjoyed a luncheon at the Officers Club.

The 35,000 spectators sat on the edge of their seats as they viewed one of the most spectacular shows ever displayed in the history of the Pennsylvania National Guard. They were treated to a demonstration of military might and precision, including aerial demonstrations, seldom witnessed by the public.

The Guard's Army Aviation section landed its L-19s directly in front of the reviewing stand and showed the amazed crowd how troops and equipment could help them and their families in the event of an emergency or disaster in their own communities. Realistic maneuvers -- including helicopter and ambulance evacuations, dropping of vital medical and food supplies, and laying of wire to cope with problems of disrupted communications -- were a few of the many features demonstrated.

Following the presentation of numerous awards and inspection of the troops by Gov. Fine, the four military bands led the soldiers and airmen in pass in review. The parade was led by a colorful array of mass colors of the 60 United Nations, followed by 6,000 Army and Air guardsmen.

This parade cleared off Muir Field, but the celebration was not over. Large formations of F-51 Mustang fighters and T-6 trainers -- piloted by World War II and Korean War veterans of the 112th Fighter Bomber Group, representing Air Guard units from the Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Reading areas -- made several passes over Muir Field, simulating strafing and bombing runs. The sound was deafening, but this was not the end.

The climax of the 1953 Governor's Day came when two F-51s suddenly approached Muir Field in trail formation at low level out of the gap in Blue Mountain. As they swooped in an easterly direction along the base of Blue Mountain, they each dropped their napalm bombs.

It was not only dangerous but breathtaking. The fiery smoke of exploded napalm bombs rose into the sky like a mushroom cloud, and the heat quickly expanded across the field and enveloped everyone in the audience.

The sound and heat of the exploding napalm caused a very sobering reaction in the awestruck crowd. Suddenly, as the smoke cleared, the spellbound crowd realized that this aerial demonstration concluded the program, and wild cheers acknowledged the stunning performance.

Of course, the public had no idea of the planning and safety precautions that had gone into this special event. They had no idea of the anguish the Air Guard commander and his staff had experienced. Lt. Gen. Frank A. Weber, the adjutant general, wanted a stunning performance, and he directed that the Air Guard have two F-51s demonstrate dropping napalm as part of the program. What Gen. Weber wanted was what he got.

To accomplish this feat and to achieve the safest result, two of the most experienced pilots (who had trained to drop napalm bombs during the Korean War) were selected, and they were dispatched in F-51s to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where the napalm bombs were carefully loaded on the wing rails of the F-51s. Based on the estimated time over target, the take-off time was calculated to put the F-51s in the area north of the Gap with a holding time of not more than 15 minutes.

A carefully selected route back to the Gap was laid out to provide the safest path in the event one of the napalm bombs was accidentally released. The pilots of the two F-51s were instructed to depart Aberdeen and proceed up the Susquehanna River to a point just north of Harrisburg, then proceed east along the crest of Second Mountain until reaching the artillery range at Indiantown Gap and then hold there until called in by the controller at Muir Field.

As I recall, I was the controller handling the ground-to-air radio communications for the Air Guard flyovers and the napalm runs.

Fortunately, the flyovers and napalm runs went off without a hitch to the relief of many. But Gen. Weber was so pleased with the results he declared that the napalm attacks on the Gap would be repeated for the next year's Governor's Day.

So a year later, on Sunday, Aug. 22, 1954, another spectacular Governor's Day was scheduled. The celebration kicked off with the governor's luncheon and cake-cutting ceremonies at the Indiantown Gap Officers Club. Among Gov. Fine's many guests were several notable officials including the Honorable Hugh M. Milton, assistant secretary of the Army; Lt. Gen. Floyd L. Parks, commanding general, 2nd Army; Lt. Gen. Manton S. Eddy, retired; and Maj. Gen. Roger J. Browne, commander, 1st Air Force.

The Governor's Day Review and Parade for 1954 was to prove as spectacular as any in the past with the 50,000 citizens in attendance. At 1:45 p.m. on Muir Field, some 15,000 Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard guardsmen stood proudly, a sea of Army khaki and a formation blue caps of the officers and airmen of the Air Guard's 111th and 112th Fighter Bomber Wings encamped at Spaatz Field, Reading, who journeyed to the Gap to pay honor to their governor.

Rescue by helicopter was vividly demonstrated by members of the 83rd Medical Group and PAARNG's Aviation Section. Medics prepared the "wounded" for speedy evacuation by placing them on litters and carrying them to the helicopter pods, which transported casualties from the battlefield to aid stations to the rear of the combat zone.

After the awards ceremony and remarks by Gov. Fine, a flyover of Army Aviation L-19s preceded the pass in review, commencing with the 28th Infantry Division under the command of Maj. Gen. Henry K. Fluck. As occurred the year before, flights of F-51s and T-6s also performed a flyover.

When the parade ground was cleared of troops, two F-51 Mustang fighters loaded with napalm came roaring through the Gap toward the audience, then swept across the northern boundary of Muir Field and dropped their bombs, creating a huge black cloud and fire. The intense heat was felt by the audience along the southern side of Muir Field. It was an experience that those 50,000 spectators will never forget.

I should add that, some 50 years later, it is still an experience that I shall never forget. I am especially thankful we were able to pull off these "stunts" in a safe manner. Considering the changes in the Army and Air Force military missions that have occurred in the past 50 years, such events are not likely to again be possible.

Moreover, under Air Force safety rules, such events are not authorized (and probably shouldn't have been allowed in 1954, either). As it turned out, since Gen. Weber's retirement, elaborate Governor's Days have not been resumed, although there are still occasional parades and reviews held at Indiantown Gap.