A native of Bridgeport, PA., Captain Streeper was graduated from the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio, in 1942 and immediately enlisted in the Navy as a Seaman. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Aviation Cadet and following completion of flight training was commissioned Ensign and designated Naval Aviator on 1 January 1943.

During World War II, he participated in combat operations with both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets and during Korean Hostilities, participated in action with Navy and Marine units. In early 1954, as Officer in Charge of Detachment DELTA, COMPOSITE SQUADRON THREE, he participated in the Fleet Test and Evaluation Projects of the original steam catapults installed in USS HANCOCK. In 1955, he commanded night jet all-weather FIGHTER/ATTACK SQUADRON 194 and in 1961-1962, commanded ATTACK CARRIER AIR GROUP FIFTEEN. During these years, he was deployed in USS ESSEX, USS ORISKANY, and USS CORAL SEA.

In 1964 – 1965, Captain Streeper served as Operations Officer, CARRIER DIVISION ONE and TASK FORCE SEVENTY-SEVEN and was deployed again in USS HANCOCK and USS CORAL SEA engaged in air strike operations in Vietnam. For this participation, he was awarded the Legion of Merit.

Prior to coming to HANCOCK, he was Commanding Officer of Amphibious Attack Cargo Ship USS TULARE (AKA-112) involved in amphibious assault operations for seven months in TASK FORCE SEVENTY-SIX in Vietnam. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for these operations.

Shore duty assignments include tours as a flight instructor at Pensacola; participation in the Berlin Air Lift; Assistant Operations Officer on the Staff of Commander Naval Forces, Far East; Naval Attache to the Republic of Korea; two tours of duty on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, and Force Training Officer for Commander Naval Air Force, Pacific. He is a 1952 graduate of the General Line School at Monterey and a 1959 graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Additional awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross; Air Medal with three Gold Stars and Oak Leaf Cluster; Presidential and Navy Unit Commendation; Medal for Humane Action for the Berlin Air Lift; Military Order ULCHI (Korean Legion of Merit) and numerous campaign and foreign medals.

Today the Captain will receive another Legion of Merit for duty in HANCOCK. Also, the South Vietnam Government has awarded him the National Defense Decoration, Fifth Class and the Medal of Heroism with Willow Branch for his three years of participation in the Vietnamese War.

Terry Higdon9/12/1942-2004
Passed way from prostate cancer in 2004.
Terry served on the SS Hancock '61-64 as am
ordnanceman.Terry went into the service shortly after the death of his mom. He said he did it to grow up. Wow,that kind of was the hard way to do it. He loved his time on the ship and enjoyed seeing something beside East St Louis. He really always spoke of the men he served with in an admiring way. Terry went on the work on the railroad, like his grandfather did. He has 3 children 2 boys and one girl.
He would have loved everything about the website USS Hancock. We just didn't know anything about the website.
cva19

Larry Vergin, AO3, USN - GM Division, USS Hancock CVA-19, served aboard from '65 - '68.

Larry was one of my best friends. He came home from working the mid shift at the Norge plant; went to bed and never woke up. Wasn't sick. The Lord just sent him PCS Orders for the most exalted tour of duty. God bless his memory.
Taps: January 2004

Posted for Shipmate Dan "Blev" Blevins (deposyni@gmail.com), by Jake of the Hancock Memorial - 2/14/12

Dedicated to Richard Alonzo Jaccard, Ens, USNR
1 July 1918 - 15 Sept 1942

"Richard A. Jaccard, a Kansas man. tall, lean, humorous. Nickname Dick. He was flying a Dauntless dive bomber, at Midway in Scouting Six squadron, off ENTERPRISE, CV 6 at Midway Battle. He was flying in a 4-plane section led by LT Earl GALLAGHER, CO, of Scouting Six. (Scouts and Bombers flew the same plane and apparently remnants were interchanged after Midway to VB-6). This was the evening strike from ENTERPRISE. GALLAGHER and second plane dived on Hiryu, Japanese carrier, and missed. Hiryu had turned shaprply. Jaccard, third man down, scored near the bow. (I can assume that it was this action in which he received the Navy Cross). He was to damage Hiryu who had a deck ready to launch her few remaining aircraft.

"With ENTERPRISE in for repairs, remnants of VB-6, 12 planes, pilots, were sent to Efate, New Hebrides as VB-6. They were to operate with a Marine fighting squadron there ashore.

A call came from WASP CV-7 for 4 bombing planes, pilots. Jaccard lost the draw and was sent to WASP.

While supporting the Guadalcanal campaign from the carrier, ENS. JACCARD who was asleep in his bunk when Japanese torpedoes from submarine I-19 hit the ship which obliterated the officers' quarters killing him along with 172 others. The explosions and fires disabled WASP so badly that she was later torpedoed by American Destroyer LANSDOWNE and sunk at 2100 15 September 1942." Read about the last day of WASP Here.

Citation:
*JACCARD, RICHARD ALONZO (MIA)

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Richard Alonzo Jaccard (0-099665), Ensign, U.S. Navy (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier- based Navy Scouting Plane of Scouting Squadron SIX (VS-6), embarked from the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during the "Air Battle of Midway," against enemy Japanese forces on 4 - 6 June 1942. Participating in a devastating assault against a Japanese invasion fleet, Ensign Jaccard, with fortitude and resolute devotion to duty, pressed home his attacks in the face of a formidable barrage of anti-aircraft fire and fierce fighter opposition. His gallant perseverance and utter disregard for his own personal safety were important contributing factors to the success achieved by our forces and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 309 (December 1942)
Born: July 1, 1918 at Troy, Missouri
Home Town: Manhattan, Kansas