[SparrowHawk62]

I've received a few questions from other shipmates, even a book dealer about just how I was bestowed with the unofficial title of the Indy's Cruise Book Historian. There's not too much to the story really, it all started out with what I thought was simple enough and then turned into an obsession.
I wanted to add to my small collection of cruise books I already had from my time frame on the Indy(80-81,82,83-84). I wanted the book(s) with the guys I first worked under(79), and after getting that book, I wanted the books from the time frame from shortly after I left the boat. (84-85). The guys who worked for me, took my place and so on. I had already ordered and received (through a shipmate on board at the time, David Jackson) the Silver Anniversary Cruise Book, but still wanted one more as the guys I served with would be in that book, so I managed to get my hands on the Indy's 84-85 Cruise Book.
Having five of the Indy's Cruise Books on hand by this point. I figured I'd look into collecting them all. I did hours of research into the subject of cruise books via the Internet. I contacted the six publishers (two books were printed with out any publishers information)who printed the Indy's cruise books. I was informed by each of them that only a limited number of books (ranges from 2000 to 4500 unofficially) were published and all of them in each case were sent to the ship and in our case one copy was sent to the Naval Archives. In one case a gentleman from Walsworth Publishing, Barry Brown said he had a personal copy of the Indy's 91-92 Cruise Book that he had worked on. He sent it to me and I have it in my collection. (It's embossed on the cover with his name and Walsworth Publishers.)
I contacted the Navy, through the Navy archives and various historical branch's that they have. There wasn't much if any help available to an individual, seems some ship's associations have better luck. The Navy Department Library's Collection has all of the Indy's cruise books and did offer a service in which they copy cruise books, but they are soft bound and expensive to have done that way. They do have a list of book dealers who deal with Naval Books on their site.
The few Library's that have copies of these books do not lend them out nor do they let you copy the whole book. (New York Public Library and the War College Library in Newport RI.) Not to mention that they don't have all the copies of Indy's cruise books!
I started by contacting the various book dealers (B+L Military Collectable's was very helpful and I purchased a few books from them.) that the Navy referred me to. Some were very helpful and had an Indy book, others were of no use at all. I contacted a number of Navy web sites asking for help in my search for the Indy's books with very little luck.
I stumbled across eBay and with time (a little over two years) I was able to purchase a number of the Indy's books at reasonable prices. Since that time the price of cruise books have gone way up.
There are a number of so called book dealers that have bought the INDY's books and now resell them at absorbent prices!
Through a number of postings on Naval and Indy web sites, I've even had a few books donated to me. (75-75, 77 and a tough one to find, the 95, again thanks to the shipmates who helped me out!)
So what started out as a small project turned into a complete collection of the INDY's Cruise Books in a little under three years time. With all this valuable knowledge at the ready, I started letting shipmates know I was available to help with questions, copy photos, research, find cruise books or do what I could. In an effort to help where I could, I provided George Fetherman with a listing of all the Air Department's shipmate names from the cruise books during my time period on the INDY for his web site. I continue to help George as I provide what information I can from the cruise books for his site. I recently sent George a copy of the INDY's Plank Owners Cruise Book, my small way to thank him for all of his hard work and dedication to the finest Indy web site there is.
Some recent things I've tried to get accomplished: 1)Some space on the USS Saratoga CV(A)-60 when (if) she becomes a museum in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, dedicated to the INDY. Sounds like this will happen through the Indy Reunion Association if it does happen. But I'd like to make some kind of a donation, maybe cruise books.
2) I'm continuing to work on getting the Indy cruise books put on either CD's or DVD's. This is by no means inexpensive, but I am willing to have my collection of books used to have this done and pay a reasonable amount to have it done. I'd then make the CDs/DVD's available for purchase. If anyone knows of a service to have this completed, please let me know.
3) Getting my collection of books reappraised. Last time I had it done all 26 books together as a set, were valued at $3000 for insurance purposes.

So there it is, I gave the title of "USS INDEPENDENCE CV(A)-62 Cruise Book Historian" to myself, but so far it hasn't been disputed.
I get great joy out of finding Cruise Books for our shipmates, and returning a little bit of the past to them.

I'm offering my help once again to any and all shipmates, families of our shipmates, web sites, historians, well by now you get the picture. (By no way is this help limited to just the INDY's books, I'll look for other ships books as well!)
I do have a very limited number of Cruise Books on hand for sale and I'm working on finding and obtaining more of them.

Thanks to all who have helped me out, A big you're welcome and thanks to all of those who I've put cruise books back into your hands!

Your unoffical "USS Independence CV(A)-62 Cruise Book Historian"
Dave Foley aka Sparrow Hawk
Indy's ship's company Mar 80- Oct 83, Air Dept. VO Div. ABH-2