The history of Puckered Pete, the Official Mascot of AIRDEVRON SIX (VX-6) !

From:      BUZSAM@aol.com
Date:       Fri, 8 Oct 1999 16:30:55 EDT
Subject:  The Birth of Puckered Pete
To:         jmoto69@yahoo.com


Hi, Joe,

Just talked with Ray Hall, Puckered Pete's daddy, and this is the straight poop:

September, 1956- on deploying, passing through Barbers Point, Ray started toying with the idea and came up with the existing Puckered Pete. The name was added enroute to the Ice that year and with the advent of Ray's daily cartoons (which he posted on the bulletin board at midnight every evening
while at McMurdo and later, at Little A -5, Puckered Pete became legendary.
These cartoons are on file in the archives in the library at the Naval Aviation Museum in PNS. Ask for Ken Snyder.

The first patches, of which I have two or three, were large, embroidered on white felt that were obtained through some company in Australia. John Henning and I initiated this project. We took one of Ray's renditions of Pete and, with the inscription Air Devron Six above Pete and Puckered
Penguin below Pete, the patch was established.

The appearance of Pete has changed little in the ensuing 42 years. He's still the same loveable character he has always been. Whether he stands for more now than he did then, it's not for me to say, since I left the squadron in '62. By then, almost every squadron member was displaying Pete proudly......including every XO and CO I served under between 57 and 62
(politically correct hadn't been invented in those days).

Ray Hall was an R4-D-5 pilot and flew Takahe. He now lives in Freedom, Indiana.

'Hope this helps.

Buz Dryfoose