Carrier Air Group Commanders: The Men and Their Machines

Naval Aviation News, March, 2001 by Peter B. Mersky

Lawson, Robert L. Carrier Air Group Commanders: The Men and Their Machines. Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310-9717. 2000. 216 pp. Ill. $45.

An unusual piece of historical research and compilation, complemented with a great collection of photos, this book fills a void. There have been many books and articles on squadrons and overall organization in Naval Aviation, but little has appeared on one of the most important mid-level managerial positions--the leader of the carrier air wing. A retired senior chief photographer and founder of The Hook magazine, Lawson dug into archives to piece together the story.

The first designated senior aviator aboard carriers was the "senior air rep," who became the air group commander in 1938. Each carrier's squadrons were organized into a group. After WW II, the groups became wings, changing the group commander to the air wing commander, but the abbreviation "CAG" has remained part of the lexicon of carrier aviation.

This book is divided into sections on organization, biography and aircraft. There is also a fairly good folio of profiles of pre-Vietnam aircraft in CAG markings, and several color photos of Vietnam-period aircraft without profiles. The bio section has some surprising individual details. For example, a paragraph on LCdr. Dixwell Ketcham, CO of VF-6B in Saratoga's (CV 3) air group, discloses that he attained two-star rank, and lived to 103! A fine collection of trivia and historical data, the narrative carries through to the Super CAG program of the early 1980s, and "The Men" section contains reminiscences by selected CAGs, from WW II through Desert Storm.

Bob Lawson has given us a ready reference source and an enjoyable browse in a seldom-covered area of a favorite topic.