Robert L. Rasmussen
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Robert L. "Bob" Rasmussen (born May 26, 1930 in
Rio Vista, California Rio Vista ( Spanish: ''Río Vista'', meaning "River View") is a city located in the eastern end of Solano County, California, in the Sacramento River Delta region of Northern California. The population was 7,360 at the 2010 census. Geograp ...
), is a noted military artist; a retired
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
; a former career
naval aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...
, primarily in the
F-8 Crusader The Vought F-8 Crusader (originally F8U) is a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Vought. It was the last American fighter that had guns as the primar ...
; a former member of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the
Blue Angels The Blue Angels, formally named the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, are a Aerobatics, flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy.. Blue Angels official site. Formed in 1946, the unit is the second oldest formal aerobatics ...
, and former Director of the
National Naval Aviation Museum The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its cur ...
at
NAS Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United Sta ...
, Florida.


Naval career

Captain Rasmussen served on active duty from 20 October 1951 to 30 July 1983 and accumulated 5,000 total flight hours with 600 carrier/ship landings or “traps.” Designated a Naval Aviator on 10 March 1953, his first fleet tour was with
VF-51 VF-51, Fighter Squadron 51 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy known as the "Screaming Eagles". It was originally established as VF-1 on 1 February 1943, redesignated as VF-5 on 15 July 1943, redesignated as VF-5A on 15 November 1946, ...
Screaming Eagles at
NAS Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. It is located in Miramar, a commu ...
flying Grumman F9F-2B Panther and North American FJ3 Fury aircraft from 1953-56. After this tour he was selected as a Blue Angel. Initially flying the F9F-2B Panther, he participated in the introduction of the Grumman F11F Tiger in the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team in April 1957. While flying the Tiger with the Blues, he made the first successful “engine out” landing in an F-11. He remained with the Blues until 1960. He returned to the fleet in 1960 at NAS Oceana with
VF-33 Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established on 11 October 1948 it was disestablished on 1 October 1993. It was the second U.S. Navy squadron to be designated VF-33. VF-33 History Korean War ...
then known as the Astronauts. In early 1961, he participated in another airframe transition (the squadron’s fourth jet fighter in seven years), the F8U-1E Crusader as the squadron changed its name back to Tarsiers. He deployed with VF-33 aboard to the Mediterranean in 1961-62. After staff assignments and US Naval Post Graduate School from 1962-1966, he returned to the F-8 community and Miramar at VF-124 Gunfighters, the F-8
fleet replacement squadron A Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), is a unit of the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps that trains United States Naval Aviator, Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) and enlisted Naval aircrewman, Naval Aircre ...
(FRS) as prospective Executive Officer (XO) for VF-111 Sundowners. He deployed in the June 1966 onboard the in Carrier Air Group Sixteen (CVG-16) as the XO. During the cruise, he flew in combat in
Operation Rolling Thunder Operation Rolling Thunder was a gradual and sustained aerial bombardment campaign conducted by the United States (U.S.) 2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), U.S. Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) against North Vietnam from 2 ...
flying on two to three times daily Alpha Strikes into the heart of North Vietnam His
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
war experiences, including surviving the fire aboard ''Oriskany'', have been documented in several books. While accumulating over 200 combat missions on this deployment, he took command of VF-111 and brought it back to Miramar after the deployment. Post command, he served as the aviation junior officer detailer at BUPERS from 1968-1970. In 1970, he reported to
NAS Lemoore Naval Air Station Lemoore or NAS Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County, California, Kings County and Fresno County, California, Fresno County, California, United States. Lemoore Station, California, Lemoore Station, a cen ...
to qualify in the
A-7 Corsair The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...
as the prospective commander of CVG-16. In 1971 he transferred to Carrier Division SEVEN at sea off Vietnam to serve as the chief of staff. In 1972, he reported to Concord, California, and took command of , a
Kilauea-class ammunition ship The ''Kilauea'' class ammunition ship was a class of eight United States Navy cargo vessels designed for underway replenishment of naval warships. The ships were constructed 1968–1972 and were initially commissioned naval ships, carrying a c ...
which deployed again to the sea off Vietnam. In 1974 he became the commanding officer of NS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. He remained there until 1976, when he became director of aviation officer distribution at BUPERS. In 1980, he returned to the starting place of his Naval Aviation career when he became the commanding officer of Naval Aviation Schools Command, Pensacola, Florida, a position he held until his retirement from active duty in 1983.


Post Navy career

Due to his prowess as an artist, his knowledge of US Naval Aviation history, and his lengthy aviation career, he was asked to join the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation as vice president upon his retirement. In 1987, he fleeted up to director and oversaw the museum’s expansion in which its size and operation was increased 300% and collection was increased over 400%. He was inducted into the
Naval Aviation Hall of Honor The United States Naval Aviation Hall of Honor, located at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, recognizes individuals "who by their actions or achievements made outstanding contributions to Naval Aviation." Since its incepti ...
in 2008, and was awarded the
Navy Superior Civilian Service Award The Navy Superior Civilian Service Award is the highest honorary award the Chief of Naval Operations or the Commandant of the Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps may refer to: * Commandant of the Marine Corps (Indonesia) * Commandant of ...
on 24 September 2009. Captain Rasmussen retired as the Director of the museum on September 30, 2014.


Art career

A prolific artist, Rasmussen has created hundreds of Naval Aviation paintings in watercolor, oil and acrylic. His bronze sculptures include the design of the Spirit of Naval Aviation, displayed at the front entrance of the National Museum of Naval Aviation,
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
, the
Alan Shepard Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was an American astronaut. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel into space and, in 1971, he became the List of Apollo astronauts#Apollo astr ...
memorial heroic figure at the
Astronaut Hall of Fame The United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, located inside the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Heroes & Legends building on Merritt Island, Florida, honors American astronauts and features the world's largest collection of their personal memor ...
, and the World War II and Korean War memorials in Pensacola, Florida. His works have been displayed around the country, including the
National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...
in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, and the
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Museum at
Cape Canaveral, Florida Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne– Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,912 at the 2020 US census. History After the establishment of a lighthouse in 184 ...
. Rasmussen is the recipient of the
R.G. Smith Award The R.G. Smith Award for “excellence in naval aviation art” is awarded annually to a single artist at the National Naval Aviation Museum during its annual May symposium in Pensacola, Florida. The Museum’s Foundation selects the recipient. ...
for Excellence in Naval Aviation Art,"Naval Aviation News, July–August 1998, pg 43.


Personal life

Captain Rasmussen is married to the former Phyllis Colter of Pensacola. They have two children, daughter Kathryn and son Eric; Eric is also a retired Navy Captain, Naval Aviator and career
F/A-18 Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather supersonic, twinjet, twin-engine, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, fighter and attack airc ...
pilot.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rasmussen, Robert 1930 births Living people United States Navy officers United States Naval Aviators Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) 20th-century American painters 20th-century American male artists American male painters 21st-century American painters 21st-century American male artists Military art American modern sculptors Artists from Sacramento, California Recipients of the Legion of Merit 20th-century American sculptors American male sculptors Sculptors from California Aviation artists