David Ingalls, '20
Marc Wortman’s “Flight to Glory” article in the September/October 2003 YAM makes reference to David “Crock” Ingalls ‘20, the U.S. Navy’s first and only air Ace in World War I. My cherished friend and classmate, David S. Ingalls, Jr. ‘56, like his father a Yale hockey captain, was also a distinguished naval aviator of his own generation. Having finished top in his class in flight training, he was assigned to an F8U Crusader Fighter Squadron home based at Moffet Field near San Francisco. Fortunate to have passed his active service during peacetime between Korea and Vietnam, young David was, nevertheless, a top gun in simulated air combat and every other aspect of flight operations.
During a six months deployment to Westpac aboard the USS Midway he returned from a routine training mission at sea only to discover that the hydraulic hold down mechanism in his tail hook assembly had failed. After several unsuccessful attempts to catch a wire with a bouncing hook and approaching a low fuel state, he was given the option of a controlled ejection alongside the ship or a landing barrier engagement. The barrier is a reinforced nylon (or another strong, somewhat flexible material) web device strung across the angled deck like a volleyball net. Although controlled ejection would have been the betting man’s safer alternative, with characteristic skill and courage Top Gun Ingalls elected to take the barrier. While the outcome was not pretty, and might easily have proven fatal, Dave preserved a state of the art tactical aircraft and walked away from the harrowing experience with relief and quiet satisfaction.
It is interesting to note that the Executive Officer of Dave’s squadron was Lt. Cdr. Jim Stockdale, better known later as Admiral James Bond Stockdale, senior naval officer held in captivity by the Viet Cong, with whom Dave retained a lifelong, close friendship. Jim and his wife Sybil, whose hometown, incidentally, is Branford, Ct., jointly wrote In Love and War, a compelling account of The Vietnam War experience.
Until his untimely takedown by pancreatic cancer in 1993 Dave remained a passionate aviator, flying his own airplane to the end. He founded American Aviation, Inc., introducing state of the art technology to general aviation aircraft production. Dave hired his Cleveland corporate lawyer and friend, Russ Meyer ‘58+/-, a former Air Force fighter jock, to run the company. In due course he sold the enterprise to Grumman and Russ become CEO of Cessna, keeping Dave stocked with the latest model Citation, the only executive jet certified for single pilot operation.
Young David, my squadron mate Milt Gaines ’56 and I shared a bachelor pad, affectionately known as Snake Ranch Zulu, in the middle of apricot orchards in Mountain View, CA. Milt, the US Naval Air Yale Unit 1956, the rest of our class and I identify with the sentiments expressed by inconsolable Kenneth MacLeish (brother of Poet Laureate, Archibald) in his letter home following the apparent loss in combat of his friend and classmate Di Gates ’18, which are quoted in Marc Wortman’s article. “I’ve lost lots of friends, but Di was different-I’ve been brought up with him, and he’s one of two men that I actually love-Arch is the other”.
As a tribute to the spirit of Distinguished Naval Ace David “Crock” Ingalls ’20, I wish to state for the record that my Yale generation can lay claim to no finer aviator or friend than his only son, and sixth born, David S. Ingalls, Jr. ’56.
