U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron VP741

** Notice of Final Arrangements for James Vernon Rutledge, Cmdr. USN Retired to Family and Friends **

The service for James Vernon Rutledge will be Wednesday, January 25. 2017 at the Memory Chapel at Evergreen Funeral Home and Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida located at 4535 Main Street. (904) 353-3649.

Family viewing is from 12:00-12:30. Public viewing is from 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm.

Immediately following the viewing at 2:00 pm, there will be a service with full military honors in the Memory Chapel and continuing at the graveside with Rev. Tim McDaniel officiating.

Flowers or contributions in the name of James to the Wounded Warrior Project (support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Donate) or the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (http://www.nmcrs.org/).

An obituary will appear in the Florida Times-Union newspaper and website ( jacksonville.com) with additional details on Sunday, January 22, 2017.

Please sign the online guest book and registry at www.evergreenfuneralandcrematory.com.

James Vernon Rutledge. Flight Training School. Pensacola, FL March, 1945. SNV Trainer. Photo taken by Jim "Ski" Topolski, another student pilot. You can click on the photo to enlarge it and if you download it, the file is HUGE but 2400 dpi and can be easily made into a printed 8 x 10 with very little grain. Dad said this was a great plane except when you were landing. It was hard to control because the tricycle landing gears were so close together.

Caption taken from photograph:(written by Cmdr, James V. Rutledge, U.S.N., Retired.)

1962 - Homing torpedo used against submarines. On reverse is written:
Cdr. Oreair, Lcdr. Rutledge and crew in P2V5F. Anti-submarine homing torpedo. Torpedo made successful hit on target. Picture taken in and above the waters of the Atlantic Ocean during the Berlin and Cuban Missile Crises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9agg56NNXE4&feature=youtu.be

"Malta Revisited" 1955 (U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron VP-741). Now VP-16 OFFICIAL (Declassified) film of VP-741 (now VP-16) on their Malta Cruise in 1955. For more information about this squadron, follow this link: www.facebook.co...

https://www.facebook.com/usrutledge/posts/10151812480436638

Just uploaded a video of VP-741 titled, "Malta Revisited" from 1955. Check it out :

http://youtu.be/9agg56NNXE4

VP-741 as the first Reserve Squadron called on Active Duty by President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The airplanes that we were flying at the time were P2V-2's

Piper Cub, the FIRST airplane that James V. Rutledge flew. He received his pilot's license when he soloed in this airplane.

These are general photos of the squadron, not specific deployments. You will find those listed separately.

Link to Jax Air News from 1943 - current :

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/fdnl1/results/?t=Jax+air%20news,,,&f=ZZ,+TI,+AU,+TO

UFDC Search Results - Florida Digital Newspaper Library

A link to a very detailed site for MANY VP squadrons, including VP-741:

http://www.vpnavy.org/vp741.html

VPNAVY - VP-741 Main Summary Page - VP Patrol Squadron VPNAVY is dedicated to the men and women of the United States Navy flying ASW VP/VPB Patrol Aircraft past and present. VPNAVY has attempted to collect every available piece of information via the InterNet. Everything and anything relating to U. S. Navy ASW Patrol Squadrons is posted with permission ...