Story of the Month June 2015
“I have never seen anything so big before in my life...There’s nothing like it; carrier life is just incredible.”
Air Controlman Third Class Richard Fleischer, USNR
In June of 2008, the United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program had the honor of attending the USS America Association Reunion in Jacksonville, Florida. Over the course of the reunion, a number of members of the Association volunteered to be interviewed and have their stories archived and preserved by the Navy Memorial. These interviews included that of Air Controlman Third Class Richard Fleischer, U
nited States Navy Reserves. He enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve in 1965 and after boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes he w
as sent to the USS Blackwood DE 219 out of Philadelphia. After a tour on the Blackwood, he was assigned to Attack Squadron 85 which would serve aboard the USS America. Recalling his first sight of the America, Fleischer shared, “I have never seen anything so big before in my life...There’s nothing like it; carrier life is just incredible.” Petty Officer Third Class Fleischer would share his experiences on the USS America with detail.
Fleischer was assigned to the carrier air traffic control center. He shared, "I worked radar 
positions, where we vectored or moved airplanes around while they were airborne. We had ship to shore radio operations that we took care of, we had a plot situation where we projected the exact position when air ops began...we were in contact with all of the squadrons that were located on the ship.” He played a 
significant role on the carrier and was part of the team that was responsible for flight operations on the USS America. His fondest memory was the last day on the line, “We had been gone for six months and it was the last day before we were going home. We started flying at midnight and the last recovery was at 12 noon. It was like an air show…we were up in the island and watching them come back...we knew we were heading home.”
To hear the inspiring story of Vietnam War Veteran Air Controlman Third Class Richard Fleischer, United States Navy Reserves Retired, come alive; view his detailed experience that has been digitally archived by the Navy Memorial.
The United States Navy Memorial honors Air Controlman Third Class Richard Fleischer featured within the 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 Tales from the Navy Log Archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site.