Airborne Early Warning Squadron One, operating from NAS AGANA Guam, has been commended by Adm. George W. Anderson, Jr., CNO, for outstanding performance of duty during the 1961 typhoon season.
VW-1, commanded by Cdr. Howard B. Kenton, operates virtually in the birthplace of the majority of Pacific typhoons and tropical storms. In the 1961 season, VW-1 pilots and men flew their aircraft on 116 weather reconnaissance missions. In their Warning Star or WV-2, they flew into the "eye" of storms repeatedly, making 82 highly critical radar and penetration fixes. VW-1 worked in conjunction with Fleet Weather Central, Guam.
Adm. John H. Sides, Commander-in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, also commended VW-1 officers and men, particularly for their tracking of Typhoon Nancy which lashed Guam, Okinawa and the Japanese mainland in September 1961.
