I have a problem! I am writing a book about CASU 11 from its origin 22 Jan 1943 to its end, sometime the last half of 1946. And the problem I am having is in assembling a sequential list of all the Commanding Officers who served with CASU 11. Here’s what I know:
30 Dec 1942 LCDR Schlossbach checked in with CASU 5 at Naval Air Station (NAS), San Diego CA .
22 Jan 1943 CASU 11 was commissioned into existence at NAS San Diego. The Commanding Officer (CO) LCDR Isaac Schlossbach took CASU 11 to Guadalcanal onboard SS President Polk. Once they arrived LCDR Schlossbach acted as both the CO of CASU 11 and Henderson Field.
17 Apr 1944 LCDR Carleton Pike relieved LCDR Schlossbach as CO of CASU 11 and Henderson Field.
25 Jun 1944 Orders directing LCDR John Donovan to be CO of CASU 11 cancelled due to Gastro intestinal hemorrhage.
5 Jul 1944 CDR Rheinhart Vogt relieved LCDR Pike as CO CASU 11 and CO Henderson Field.
22 Jul 1944 CDR Vogt ordered to CASU 41 as relief for LCDR Phillip Allen. LCDR Allen ordered to relieved CDR Vogt as CO CASU 11 and CO Henderson Field. They were supposed to swap positions. Assumption of command letter showing LCDR Allen replacing LCDR Vogt at CASU 11 was in LCDR Vogt’s Service Record, however, LCDR Allen never did take charge of CASU 11. LCDR Allen’s Service Record has no evidence of him ever serving as CO of CASU 11.
5 Aug 1944 CDR Vogt CO CASU 41 and CO Henderson Field relieved by LCDR Lees of CASU 41 and CO Henderson Field. At this point CASU 41 has taken over all of CASU 11’s responsibilities.
Questions: Who took charge as Commanding Officer of CASU 11 as of 22 July 1944 on Guadalcanal? Need Service Number, or date of birth, or date of death, date he entered Navy? Did this CO take CASU 11 to Naval Air Facility (NAF), Thermal, CA.? CASU 11 arrived 7 Dec 1944 at NAF Thermal, CA.
23 Dec 1944 LCDR E.F. Zimmerman assumed command of CASU 11 at NAF Thermal, CA.
Question: Who did LCDR Zimmerman relieve as CO CASU 11?
6 Apr to 23 Jun 1945 CASU 11 took part in assault of Okinawa. CASU 11 was stationed at Naval Air Bases Yonabaru and Yontan, Okinawa.
3 Nov 1945 LCDR Zimmerman released from active duty.
Nov 1945 CDR Charles Hayes was the next CO of CASU 11 NAS Yonabaru, Okinawa. This comes from the following web site which simply contains a picture of Charles in uniform. See http://www.rememberingokinawa.com/page/1945_yonabaru_nas
Row four, picture on right, of four officers standing in front of low building.
Questions: What was CDR Hayes’ Service Number, or date of birth, or date of death, date he entered Navy? Data required to find his Service Record.
When did CASU 11 depart Okinawa? Arrive USA? Officially disband?
Please contact me at william.h.little@gmail.com if you know the answers to my questions. Your assistance will be much appreciated as I continue writing my book about CASU 11.
CASU 11 
Hi, Bill-
I was very happy to hear your news! Writing a book about CASU 11 is quite an undertaking. You may remember that I ordered a complete set of my grandfather’s service record some time ago. Do you think it would in any way help you get the missing information if I go back and try to find the time frame you are referring to and see if my grandfather’s record lists anything related to Commanding Officers? If it might help, I am happy to take a look and see what, if anything, I might be able to find that would be of help in your research.
My mother is still waiting for the replacement copies of her dad’s medals that she requested some time ago. I hope that she gets them soon- she sure would like to have them and as her health is not as good as it was a year or two ago, I really want her to have them as well.
I hope you and your family have a chance to enjoy this holiday season.
Wishing you all the best,
Kelley
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Bill-
First, my apologies for taking so long to let you know that the 3 medals you sent arrived at my house! It was actually pretty emotional for me to see them and hold them. Even though they were not my Grandpa’s original medals, something about holding them and knowing that I had this new understanding of his WWII experiences, well, it meant an awful lot. I am looking into having some kind of shadow box made to hold his medals along with an engraving with his name and dates of service- something that I can give my mother.
The last CASU 11 blog post mentioned needing the Commanding Officer information for Aug 5, 1944- name, dates etc. I pulled out all the service records pages I have for the summer of 1944 through the end of my grandfather’s service record in late 1945. I had hoped maybe there was something in there about Commander Zimmerman and/or Commander Hayes. Unfortunately, all I came across was a document signed by E.F. Zimmerman on 2 October 1945. I believe it is a change of service document. Interestingly, there are definite gaps in the service record. I don’t really know why that might be, with the exception of a leave when my Grandfather had a hernia repair.
I cannot thank you enough for the research and work you are putting into your CASU 11 project. To be able to learn, and share that knowledge with my children, has meant a lot to me. Knowing that my mother now has a deeper connection to her dad, through his service record and through your work on CASU 11 means so much, and for that I really cannot thank you enough.
I will look forward to your next blog post. Until then, I wish you all the best in 2018.
Kelley
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