Render Crayton

Render Crayton was commissioned an Ensign through the Navy ROTC program at Georgia Tech on June 14, 1954, and was designated a Naval Aviator on August 18, 1955. His first assignment was as an AD-5 Skyraider pilot with VA-175 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, from September 1955 to December 1957, followed by service as an AD-5 pilot with the Naval Air Reserve Training Unit at Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia, from December 1957 to November 1959. Lieutenant Crayton next served as an instructor pilot on the AD-5 and the F9F-8 Cougar at NAS Corpus Christi and NAS Kingsville, Texas, from November 1959 to December 1961. He served as an aviation fuels officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CVA-62) from December 1961 to November 1963, and then went through A-4 Skyhawk Replacement Air Group training with VA-125 at NAS Lemoore, California, from November 1963 to June 1964. Commander Crayton then joined VA-56 at NAS Lemoore, where he served as an A-4 pilot from June 1964 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on February 7, 1966. During this time he made two deployments to Southeast Asia, and flew combat missions from the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) from July to November 1964 and from November 1964 until his shoot down in February 1966.