CDR. Jerry K Loeb
Briefing: Down! Captured in Algeria!
November, 2014 Luncheon Speaker
Originally from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, former Naval Aviator, and author of the South American illegal drug trade novel Anthem”, CDR Gerald “Jerry” Loeb, USN Ret.), started his Naval career as an enlisted sailor. As a classically trained violinist, Jerry was selected to join the United States Navy Orchestra, a large symphony in Washington, D.C. He joined the NAVCAD Flight Training Program instead at age 18. At the age of 19 and a half, Jerry earned his Wings of Gold and was commissioned as an Ensign. Call sign “Sandman”, Jerry was one of the youngest Naval Aviators during the Cold War Era. During his flyingcareer, Jerry logged over 24,000 combined civilian and military flight hours, including carrier based fighters and bombers and then later, large civil turbojet aircraft. Over half of his 400 plus traps (landings) aboard the Naval Force carriers were done at night. He was also French and Russian languages’ qualified. Jerry has a long list of interesting experiences that include: Command JAG trial officer; Line Test Pilot, flight qualified in 24 types of aircraft (combined military and civil, including prop, jet and rotary wing); air-to-air gunnery record as a Naval Flight Instructor; trained with U.S. Army Rangers; Carrier Air Group Senior Safety Officer; specialist in USN Westpac and Sixth Fleet IRS operations (Intelligence, Recon, Surveillance during classified missions); “Special Weapons” delivery pilot; designed and tested night flare bombing attack tactics and low level surface-to-air missile attack and destroy tactics; and designated Flight Leader for the first low level strike into Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis; he also operated with surveillance teams as to drug trafficking and interdiction from Central and South American; private pilot for Leon E. Panetta (before his appointment as CIA director and Secretary of Defense); Airline Captain; Chairman of Eastern Airlines’ Pilot Association/Legislative Affairs; violin instructor for students with special needs (Spectrum Autism, attention disorders, gifted students); developed a music based violin and guitar program for patients recovering from brain injury, including stroke, cancer, Parkinson, Alzheimer’s, and trauma (available on compact disc, this program was used by U.S. Representative Gabby Gifford’s speech therapy team). It is evident that Jerry has enjoyed a long a and colorful
career. He is also a long time member of a variety of Naval Aviation Societies, including Tailhook and the Association of Naval Aviation. Married for over 57 years, Jerry and Sue Ann Loeb, a Navy Brat, have four adult children, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. So far.
