Memories of the 
SSgt.Curtis Schmidt
Cschm82033@aol.com
I was the flight engineer on #258. We were in route to Tripoli to support gunnery practice for fighters out of Bittsberg Germany, when we had to stop in Marseille, France for fuel. The pilot was Commander Marvin Sellers and Lt. Hunt was the co-pilot.
After we had refueled and taken off we seen an aircraft carrier in route to marseille. We talked it over and came to the conclusion that it was the newly commissioned USS Roosevelt. I don't know who's idea it was but we came up with this plan. We would make a long slow lazy circle and come up behind the ship and try to identify it's name. As we came around to the
stern we started our descent, lowering the landing gear and the flaps making it look as if we were going to try to make a landing on the carrier.
Passing down through 1000 feet, the carrier suddenly came alive; firing red and white rockets and flares trying to warn us off.We got down to 500 feet (if my memory is correct) and then initiated a go around, and applied climb power, raised the landing gear and flaps.
I remember distinctly that Commander Sellers cautioned Lt. Hunt not to make any turns that would expose the sides of the plane to the carrier, in hope that we had gotten away from the carrier without them identifing us.
We then set our course for Tripoli. I guess no one identified us because, to my knowledge we never heard anything about it.
After my discharge I went to work for Eastern Airlines. I hung it up after 36 years.
Note: It's a good thing they didn't identify you!
