Henry Bartholomay Explained

Flight leader Lieutenant Henry Adams "Black Bart" Bartholomay (March 20, 1945 – October 5, 2015) was a United States Naval Aviator. He was a recipient of the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Biography

He was born in Chicago, Illinois.^{[1] [2]} He graduated from Rockford College in 1967. ^[3]

He entered the Naval Reserve in 1967 and began active duty in the Naval Aviation Officer's program at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. After receiving his Wings of Gold in 1969 at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, Lieutenant Bartholomay was assigned to the replacement F-4 Phantom Air Wing at Naval Base Coronado, California and then to Fighter Squadron 161, aboard USS Midway.^[4] After one tour of duty in Vietnam, Lt. Bartholomay was assigned as Weapons Training Officer and completed advanced fighter weapons and air combat maneuvering training at the Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (TOPGUN) in February, 1972.^[5]

During his second tour of duty on board USS Midway in Vietnam, Lt. Bartholomay, and his radar intercept officer (RIO) Oran Brown flying their F-4B Phantom II,^[6] along with wingman Lt. Patrick E. Arwood,^[7] and Arwood's RIO Lt. James M. Bell, confronted and shot down two North Vietnamese MiG-19 enemy aircraft on May 18, 1972 during Operation Linebacker^{[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]} for which they were awarded the Silver Star.

Completing his Naval Reserve duty in December 1972, Lt. Bartholomay had accumulated 267 carrier landings, 1200 flight hours, and was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, 10 Strike Flight Air Medals. After leaving the navy, he went on to work as a weapons system engineer at Point Mugu, California, consulting on the Sidewinder Missile. At the end of that consulting contract, he returned to the Chicago area and worked in the insurance, investment, and technology industries.^{[14] [15]}

He died in Vero Beach, Florida.^{[16] [17]}

Notes and References

1. News: Henry Adams Bartholomay, 70, Vero Beach . 6 March 2024 . VeroNews . 32963 Media LLC . October 18, 2015.
2. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/henry-bartholomay-obituary?pid=176123438 Henry Adams Bartholomay-obituary
3. In Memoriam . Catalyst, Rockford University . Fall 2015 . 18 .
4. Book: Bowman . Martin W. . The Men Who Few the F-4 Phantom . 2017 . Pen & Sword Books Limited . England . 1526705842.
5. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/henry-bartholomay-obituary?pid=176123438 Henry Adams Bartholomay-obituary
6. Web site: Cox . Samuel J. . H-070-1: The Vietnam War Easter Offensive, Part 1 . Naval History and Heritage Command . United States Navy . 6 March 2024.
7. Bremner . Donald . Lt. Bags MIG19 On 1st Mission, Cures Nervousness . Stars and Stripes . May 27, 1972.
8. Book: Francillion . Rene J. . Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club: U.S. Carrier Operations off Vietnam . 1988 . Naval Institute Press . Annapolis, Maryland . 978-0870216961.
9. Book: Head . William P. . War from Above the Clouds: B-52 Operations During the Second Indochina War and the Effects of the Air War on Theory and Doctrine . 2002 . Air University Press . Maxwell AFB, Alabama . 2024-03-09 . 2016-11-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161110122420/http://aupress.maxwell.af.mil/digital/pdf/paper/fp_0007_head_war_from_above_clouds.pdf . dead .
10. Book: Bowman . Martin W. . The Men Who Few the F-4 Phantom . 2017 . Pen & Sword Books Limited . England . 1526705842.
11. Web site: Appendix E. Enemy Aircraft Shot Down by Naval Aviators in Southeast Asia, 1965 - 1973 . Department of the Navy :Naval Historical Center . 30 May 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100615142559/http://www.history.navy.mil/seairland/appene.htm . 15 June 2010 .
12. Book: Grossnick . Roy A. . Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Vol 1 . 1995 . Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy . Washington DC . 0-945274-29-7 . 412 .
13. Watts . Gary M. . My First "Real" Combat Mission . Smokejumper Magazine . January 2014 . 83 . 7 .
14. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/henry-bartholomay-obituary?pid=176123438 Henry Adams Bartholomay-obituary
15. News: Henry Adams Bartholomay, 70, Vero Beach . 6 March 2024 . VeroNews . 32963 Media LLC . October 18, 2015.
16. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/henry-bartholomay-obituary?pid=176123438 Henry Adams Bartholomay-obituary
17. News: Henry Adams Bartholomay, 70, Vero Beach . 6 March 2024 . VeroNews . 32963 Media LLC . October 18, 2015.