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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Bradley E. Spiers

Harvey Earl Spiers, Jr.
Aviation Experience and History
Military and Civilian
19 April 1943 -- Inducted into the United States Army Air Force at Richmond, Virginia.
April-June 1943 -- Basic training at Miami Beach, Florida.
July-December 1943 -- Aircraft Mechanic School at Gulfport, Mississippi.
January-February 1944 -- Advanced Aircraft Mechanic School at Buffalo, New York for C-46 aircraft.
March 1944 -- Shipped to Las Vegas, New Mexico shipment point.
March 1944 -- Transferred to Camp Patrick Henry, Newport News, Virginia shipment point. Shipped via Bermuda to Oran, Algiers. Flew in C-46 to Cairo, Egypt.
April-June 1944 -- As a Private First Class, worked on C-46, C-47 and C-54 cargo aircraft. Prepared aircraft for invasion duty.
June 1944 -- Crewed aircraft to fly to bases in England for invasion duty Flew to base outside of Glasgow, Scotland. Crewed the C-47 that was listed to fly on 4th wave of Normandy invasion. Prepared C-47s to tow gliders.
7 June 1944 -- Lat time this particular C-47 was seen.
June 1944-November 1945 -- Shipped back to Cairo. Then flew to Naples, Italy for 6-month tour of duty continuing to crew C-46 and C-47 aircraft. Promoted to Corporal and then to Buck Sergeant.
December 1945 -- Assigned to base near Vienna, Austria crewing aircraft carrying troops back to replacement depots in Paris and various locations in Italy.
April 26, 1946 -- Shipped back to U.S. and remained Staff Sergeant in Inactive Reserve. Then served in Active Reserve for 4 years at Langley AFB, Hampton, Virginia.
1946-1947 -- Studied courses in Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) mechanics at VPI Extension, College of William & Mary, Norfolk, Virginia (Now called Old Dominion University).
July 1, 1947 -- Joined the Overhaul & Repair Department, Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia (O&R NORVA) as a journeyman Aircraft Mechanic and Federal civilian employee.
1947-1948 -- Learned to fly light aircraft, and obtained Private Pilot License in 1948 in an Aeronca Champ aircraft.
1948 -- Obtained A&P mechanics license.
April 1951 -- Called back to active duty in the U.S. Air Force, operating from Southern Japan, then shipped to South Korea. Spent 15 months in Taegu, South Korea as Assistant Flight Chief on F-84D and F-84E Republic Thunderjet fighter aircraft. Promoted to Tech. Sergeant.
July 1952 -- Shipped back to U.S., after serving in South Korea.
August 1952 -- Resumed Federal civilian career as a journeyman Aircraft Mechanic at the Overhaul & Repair Department, Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia (O&R NORVA).
August 1952-December 1979 -- Served in many positions with Naval Air Rework Facility, Norfolk Virginia (formerly O&R NORVA). Aircraft Inspector, Aircraft Examiner in the Examination & Evaluation (E&E) Branch, Aircraft Program Planner & Estimator, Program General Foreman from 1966 to 1976 on the A-6 attack and F-8 fighter program lines. Production Superintendent from 1976 to 1979 in the Fuel Accessories Branch, Engine Assembly & Test Department, supervising 4 General Foremen, 17 Foremen, and 350 journeymen mechanics, apprentices, and helpers located in 17 shops, all repairing and testing jet engines for various Navy aircraft, mostly A-6s and F-14s.
December 22, 1979 -- Retired from Naval Air Rework Facility, Norfolk Virginia after a Federal civilian career of 33 years 5 months serving the Navy in the repair and maintenance of U.S. Navy aircraft.
1981-1991 -- Remained active in the repair of light civilian aircraft at various airports in Southeastern Virginia. Chesapeake-Portsmouth Airport (now Hampton Roads Airport), Suffolk Municipal Airport, Chesapeake Municipal Airport, and Franklin Municipal Airport.
Continued to be an active Private Pilot from the mid-1950's until the early 1990's, and was an active member of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), Portsmouth Virginia Squadron, in the 1950's and early 1960's, flying a Piper Cub L-4 with the CAP.
Owned 3 light aircraft including a 1948 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser (1963-1966) (Reg. No. N4458M), a 1963 Cessna 172-D Skyhawk (1966-1973) (Reg. No. N2129Y), and a 1968 Champion Citabria 7ECA (1973-1989) (Reg. No. N1821G). All aircraft were based at Chesapeake-Portsmouth Airport (now Hampton Roads Airport) during the respective years.