http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hahn_(naval_officer)
Here is a link that talks about James S. Hahn. Wow his own wikipedia page! Interesting note- he has an island in Antarctica named after him. Here is the information from that page...
James Sidney Hahn was a career Naval Aviator. He was born in New Jersey in 1922, but spent most of his formative years in the San Francisco Bay Area—primarily in the city of Berkeley. He was sworn into the Navy as a Naval Aviation Cadet in November, 1942 in San Francisco(1). The Department of the Navy appointed him a Naval Aviator in September, 1944 with the rank of Ensign(2).
During World War II he trained on and flew Piper J-3 Cubs, N3N Biplanes, and seaplanes known as PBY Catalinas, and PBM Mariners. He served in the Pacific Theater. In December, 1945 he was released from the Navy, but maintained inactive status in the Naval Air Reserve as a “Week-end Warrior.” There he flew the updated PBY5A, Beechcraft and a very large cargo transport seaplane known as the Mars(3).
In May, 1951 during the Korean Conflict, he was called back to active duty with the Navy. He was sent to Florida to helicopter schools and earned the rank of LTJG.
In April, 1952 he was transferred to Helicopter Unit 1 (HU-1) in San Diego and qualified as a Navy Helicopter pilot on July 14, 1952(4). During this time he made the rank of LT(5). He served in the Korean waters aboard numerous types of ships (those able to accommodate helicopters) in the Pacific Fleet. While aboard the USS Valley Forge he is credited with rescuing a downed Navy Pilot in a mere two minutes from the moment of crash, as well as, other displays of expert airmanship in difficult situations(6). He also did the “Round the World” cruise on the U.S.S. Saipan CVL-48 which ended July 1954(7) before returning to HU-1 in San Diego, CA.
In August, 1955 he was transferred to helicopter Search and Rescue in Kingsville, Texas. From July, 1957 - May, 1959 he continued as an Aviator and also was Personnel Officer at Buckley Field, Denver, Colorado. He made LT CDR upon arrival in Denver. He was one of the last to leave Buckley Field upon its closure(8).
In May, 1959 he joined Squadron VX-6 of Operation Deep Freeze to Antarctica and was stationed at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The Navy’s role in Antarctica was to continue logistic support for the U.S. Antarctic Research Program. In September, 1959 he left with his squadron to Christchurch, New Zealand and then on to McMurdo Station, Antarctica. He flew Sikorsky HUS helicopters and then the newer HSS helicopters in the difficult conditions of Antarctica. The mission of VX-6 was the transport of personnel and critical material, search and rescue, photographic coverage of the continent, and aerial reconnaissance in support of various ground parties—spotting danger areas such as crevasses and marking the safest route. In his first season he assisted in the rescue of two New Zealand members who had been injured in a crevasse. He returned to Rhode Island in March 1960(9).
In September 1960 he was attached to the Admiral’s Staff as Public Information Officer(PIO). The mission of the Public Information Office was to supply material about Operation Deep Freeze to the various news media in the U.S. and abroad, as well as, other dignitaries (scientists, government representatives, photographers, writers, and explorers). Both in Antarctica and Christchurch, New Zealand the flow of correspondents and dignitaries were met by PIO staff where they were briefed about conditions in Antarctica and issued cold weather clothing. At McMurdo Station a program of interviews, briefings, and flights to points of interest were available. He did his second Antarctic season and returned to Rhode Island in March 1961(10). He was then permanently stationed on the Admiral’s Staff in Washington D.C. He could have moved his family from Rhode Island to the Washington D.C. area (which was done temporarily), but instead made private arrangements for his wife and three daughters to relocate to Christchurch, New Zealand. He wanted his family to experience the cultural richness of this overseas destination. The move was made in September, 1961. He did two more tours of Antarctica---one more with Rear Admiral Tyree and the other with Rear Admiral Reedy. He made full CDR while living in Christchurch, New Zealand. The family departed New Zealand at the end of the Antarctic season in March, 1963(11). In all, he had spent 5 years involved with Operation Deep Freeze. During that time he made life long friends in New Zealand and his oldest daughter would later marry a New Zealander.
In mid 1963 his next duty station was N.A.S. New York at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, New York. Here he was an award-winning Recruiting Officer. He also became a member of the Explorers Club. In October, 1965 Rear Admiral Reedy requested that he join his staff in Vietnam for a year. He served aboard various aircraft carriers including the Constellation and the Kitty Hawk in the South China Sea(12).
In October, 1966 he came home from Vietnam and became again an award-winning Recruiting Officer at Alameda Naval Air Station, California. He personally recruited on the plaza of UC. Berkeley during antiwar protests(13). He would later become Commanding Officer for the Recruiting Station at the Federal Office Building in San Francisco, CA. He retired from the Navy at the Naval Station Treasure Island, CA in June, 1969(14). He had a full circle career—ending in the city from which he began.
He died January 22, 1996 in Scottsdale, Arizona and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Hahn Island in Antarctica is named for him.
Documentation
(1) Original letter from the Naval Aviation Cadet Selection Board, Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA. (2) Original certificate from Naval Air Training Center, USNAS Corpus Christi, TX (3) Copy of the Presidential Certificate of Satisfactory Service during World War II (4) Original identification card as a helicopter pilot in Helicopter Training Unit 1 (5) Original document appointing rank (6) Record of 1953 cruise of the Valley Forge, section on HU-1; Airpac article Feb. 1953 by Olen Clements titled, “Versatile Whirlybirds”, Berkeley Gazette article, and original photos of rescue (7) Original identification of participation on the cruise and in the book of the cruise, photo under Unit 13, HU-1 (8) Family journals, Navy photos (9) Operation Deep Freeze 60, Task Force 43 book in section HUS helos (10) Operation Deep Freeze 61, Task Force 43 book, page 1 and page 38 (11) Family journals, Navy photos, personal photos, newspaper articles in New Zealand (12) USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63 1965-1966 book, Admiral Reedy staff (next to last page), USS Constellation CVA-64 1966 China Sea Saga, page 272 TF77 (13) Newspaper article (14) Retirement document, invitation, business card, Navy photo
