IVAN VAN METER ..continued..

Jack LaPeer

To: sarj57

Sarj,

Sun, Apr 21, 2013 at 8:08 PM

Sarj Bloom

I got your email today and I glad you enjoyed the aerial photos. I'm guessing that the photos were taken while Ivan was still in the USA, but I can't make out where the locations were. This group I've attached to this email are similar and may be duplicates in couple of instances. There is a photo of a Sam Vosevitch, Lt. JG that fits into this group somehow. I think I see him as the pilot in one the aerial photos I sent you earlier. These pretty much finish this group of mainly unidentified aerial shots that Ivan took while I'm guessing he was still in the USA. The next group will be from his ship, the USS Bogue. The Bogue was one of the smaller aircraft carriers, that first saw duty in the Atlantic, then at the end of WWII in the Pacific. In the Atlantic, the Bogue did escort duty and was part of submarine hunter­ killer group. If you want, Sarj, there's a fair amount of online info on the USS Bogue and it's service duringWWII. Several submarine kills were credited to it's aircraft.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these additional photos.

Jack LaPeer Orleans, MI

SAM VOSEVITCH   LT JG 

 This is how I imagined my time in the Navy to be like, instead I spent most of my time in the labs. But I did have my moments.

 This plane above was the type that us sailors actually got to start the engine on in Norman OK at Airman Prep School. It was indeed exciting to sit there in the cockpit and imagine you are going to fly off to war.  There must have been at least 20 some of these planes along the airstrip for us to get familiar with. I think it was an A-?  help me out with this. OK?

AND MORE TO COME SO ENJOY!

more.....IVAN VAN METER COLLECTION

from his daughter through Jack LaPeer.

The above  image looks to be a card poking fun at the officers etc. of the training School. 

This photo seems to be of Ivan's Bootcamp Company. Maybe his daughter or someone can point him out and confirm this.

and then there are more postcards...I believe from the bootcamp that Ivan went to in New York?

Come back for more photos.  I just received another group  of war planes from Jack LaPeer.  I'll post them soon.  By the way Jack believes as I do and I think Ivan's daughter would like to donate all of these photos and negatives to a Navy Archive Organization so if anyone knows who or where we can write to please contact me. 

 sarj@sarjbloom.com

Mr. Ivan G. Van Meter

Naval Photo School Pensacola, FL       Graduate of 1944

 photos of Mr. Ivan Van Meter

This is the fun part of doing this blog; getting an email from someone who knows a person or persons that attended the Photo School and served in the Navy as a Photomate. I received this email from Mr. Jack LaPeer. Read below.

Naval Photography School at Pensacola

Jack LaPeer

 To: sarj@sarjbloom.com

Sarj,

Sat, Apr 13, 2013 at 9:12 PM

My name is Jack LaPeer and I came across a link to your blog on the Naval Photography School at Pensacola, FL. I think we may share a mutual interest regarding this school, you being a graduate in 1959 (hope this correct) and I having some scanned photos taken by Mr. Ivan G. Van Meter who graduated September 30, 1944. I've attached a copy of his graduation certificates for your information. Mr. Van Meter was assigned to a photo recon unit until the end of WWII, then returned to his home near the Grand Rapids, MI area. As I understand it from his daughter, who was my source of the photos, etc that I scanned, Ivan ran a successful potrait studio until his death several years ago.

I've scanned most of the remaining photos taken during his Navy service that his daughter obtained

 Naval Photography School at Pensacola

after his death with the understanding that I will share them with websites, etc, that share a common interest with Ivan's naval service. For instance, his aerial photo unit was on the USS Bogue and I have shared some USS Bogue related photos with the relevant websites. There are a few, however, that he took, I think around Pensacola or perhaps the other school at Anacostia, DC he graduated from. I am wondering whether or not, Sarj, you could look at some of these and perhaps identify their location. I'm pretty sure they would have been taken after his graduation from Pensacola and probably Anacostia, too. Thank you very much and I'm looking forward to hearing back from you.

Jack LaPeer Orleans, MI

Along with this first letter the above certificates were attached as well as the photo below taken in 1944.

I think that this pier was near the main Admin building. Anyone have another idea?
After looking more carefully at this photo , I realized they are not fishing but crabbing. Having lived in MD for a long time I recognized the strings, which you tire chicken necks on to and also the wire net to grab the crabs with. 

More of Ivan's photos 

Looks like the old C-20 or was it K-20 ?  

I used one of these once out the door of a Beachcraft to photograph Andrews AF Base. I was warned to buckle the camera to the plane not myself. They could lose me but not the camera. 

More of Pensacola

Vintage Post Cards of Pensacola

Thanks again Jack for sharing these historic photos. This is why I started this blog.
Sarj