This is a copy of the email I had received from Stew:
Eddie: The model of the ship looks great � even in its unfinished condition. It will be a great model of our ship when you�re finished building it.
I want to put pictures of the model �as is� in the next edition of the Dockside newsletter. Your next pictures need a good background that does not distract from the model. Please re-position the model on a large piece of dark cloth so that it really stands out. Close ups are great just so long as the pix are in focus and not blurred.
A also need a �story� to go with the pix. Please give me a paragraph � tell me about yourself, they guy who build the hull and don�t forget to include your relationship to CDR Schoonover.
Per your request�. I have a suggestion�. 5� gun mount number 54 on the aft port sponson is missing. Maybe it hasn�t been installed on your model yet. Anyway, I have numerous pix of the guns � there were 4 of them during the 64-65 cruise and the 65-66 cruise. Mounts 54 and 56 were on the aft port side sponson and mounts number 55 and 57 were on the aft starboard sponson. I was the Captain�s phone talker on the bridge for GQ and many time passed his commands to test fire all 4 guns. I was always amazed at how fast these guns could fire and how quickly they could track a target. They were loud, too!
I also build models, I recently bought a completed (mostly wooden) model of the RANGER on the internet and have modified her to her 1993 condition. I�m also in the process of building a HO train layout for my 9-year old grandson.
Regards!
Stew
I went on and sent some of the photos Mardis had taken of this before he had sent it to me. along with this to go with them.
Thanks Stew!
My name is Eddie Schoonover, I'm a 43 year old living in Stockton,Ca. currently unemployed, I build plastic scale models in my free time.
This is a scratchbuilt model, made of card stock by Mardis Hall of San Francisco,Ca. He scratchbuit the hull & Flightdeck for me. I will be scratchbuilding the island & detailing the hangar deck when I have the chance.
This is a 1/350 USS Ranger CVA-61 during the 1965/66 Tour to Vietnam with CVW-14 abd and is being built as a tribute to those whom had served aboard and, a memorial for
My grand uncle LCDR Charles D."Chuck" Schoonover was serving abd Ranger as a Naval Aviator assigned to RVAH-9 "Hoot Owls" and was lost during a night recovery on 16 JAN 1966 in RA-5C BuNo: 149312 AC 901 (the Modex number was determined thru a process of elimination with the aid of Larry "Pete" Petersen, Plane Captain of 149312)
Respectfully,
Eddie Schoonover
For those who are interested, here is the link to the USS Ranger Museum Foundation site with the link to the Docksode Newsletter. Please watch for it.
http://www.ussrangercv61.org/media.php
Thanks for looking
Eddie
If ya lose yer sense of humor...
You've lost everything...
On the Bench:
1/720 Italeri CVN-68 ca 1976/77
1/800 ARii 1/800 CV-59 backdating to 1961 (CVA-59)
1/700Trumpy USS Hornet CV-8 "Doolittle Raiders"
But, thanks to John, I have a better understanding on what I need to do on Ranger 