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NOTAM 7-2013 (Lamoreaux)
CAPT L. Scott Lamoreaux, USN (Ret) Dear Golden Eagles, It is my sad duty to report that CAPT L. Scott Lamoreaux, USN (Ret) made his Last Take-Off on 13 August 2013 in Sequim, Washington. He is survived by his wife, Marge, daughters Tina Lamoreaux and Lydia Miles, and daughter-in-law Jayne Lamoreaux. He was predeceased by his son, CDR Scott Lamoreaux who lost his life in an F14 Tomcat mishap in 1996. At this writing the family had not confirmed plans for a memorial service and funeral. Details will follow via separate email. CAPT Lamoreaux was born in 1926 in Pittsburgh, PA, and at age seventeen entered the US Navy via the Aviation Cadet Program in 1943. WWII ended before he could participate in that conflict, and he was released from the Navy in 1945. After the war, he continued the educational process begun while he was on active duty and graduated from Harvard University in 1947. He subsequently worked in the advertising field until he was recalled to active duty in 1951 and completed flight training in 1953. Various shore and sea based assignments followed including head of Navy Flight Test at McDonnell Aircraft in St Louis and O-in-C of VF-101 Det Alpha where he oversaw the introduction of the F4H Phantom II into the Atlantic Fleet. His experience in the Phantom led to his designation as a competitor in the 1961 Bendix Trophy race (Los Angeles to New York) during which he placed second with an average speed of 822 MPH. Additional fleet squadron assignments followed and in 1965 he assumed command of VF-84 which he successfully led during combat operations over Vietnam while personally flying 200 missions. Additional sea duty and shore assignments followed including command of the west coast F-4 RAG, VF-121, and then in 1967 he became the VFX Program Coordinator on the OPNAV Staff, a billet he filled for four years as he oversaw the successful introduction of the F-14 to the Fleet. CAPT Lamoreaux’s final assignment on active duty was as Commander, Fighter Airborne Early Warning Wings Pacific at NAS Miramar, CA. Following retirement in 1974, CAPT Lamoreaux joined the Hughes Aircraft Company where he continued to assure that the F-14 would be adequately supported in the Fleet. His duties with Hughes included support of the F-14’s procured by the Shah of Iran, and then later as a member of the Advanced Programs group he focused on the design of future tactical aircraft. He retired from Hughes Aircraft in 1988. When asked to comment on Scott Lamoreaux, the man, former Golden Eagle Pilot, CAPT Bill Knutson, had the following to say about his close friend: “Scott was in the forefront of the procurement and tactical use of fighters in Naval Aviation. He cut his teeth as the BuAer rep to McDonnell in St Louis during the development and procurement of the F-4H-1 and was central to the F-4 fleet introduction. His combat experience in the F-4 cemented his knowledge and feeling about the role of fighters in the Navy and made him the perfect man to guide the Navy in the procurement of the F-14 in OPNAV…….it was the forward thinking and steady hand of Scott Lamoreaux behind the scenes that brought the Tomcat to the fleet in record time. Besides being one of the best aviators I have ever flown with, Scott was a spirited leader, sound tactical thinker, and a tenacious fighter….” He will be missed. Fred Lewis-Pilot |
