ANA MISSION

ANA is the professional, non-profit, educational and fraternal society of Naval Aviation, whose main purpose is to educate the public and our national leaders on the vital roles of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Aviation as key elements of USA national defense posture.
NAF continuously seeks to elucidate the key current issues impacting Naval Aviation through published writing, symposia, speeches and discussions with various interest groups. NAF also seeks to foster the strong pride, espirit and fraternal bonds which exist among those associated with Naval Aviation.

anacrus.gif (18885 octets) ANA's 53rd Squadron, the "French Crusaders"

Since 1994 the "French Crusaders" ( a non-profit organization) regroups French and Belgian members of the Association of Naval Aviation (ANA), an association created 20 years ago in the United States. The French Chapter was thus officially created in 1994 under the sponsorship of the aircraft carrier USS Georges Washington at the initiative of Jean-Michel "Doc" Maurel, the current president of the "squadron." The main idea was to reuinite fans of US naval aviation in order to allow enriching interaction, especially on carrier visits during their port calls in the Med. Our activities also include all that concerns aviation in general, permitting members to regroup on different military and civilian bases during air shows or other manifestations.

But the mission of ANA's 53rd Squadron is not only one way… it is also an honor for us to be the extension of our mother organisation ANA in Europe. We therefore do everything possible to make our American guests feel at home here, notably during their port calls. The association thus organizes welcome dinners, cook-outs, cultural exchanges, etc.

IN MEMORIAM

The 07/30/98 occured an incident between two F-14's from VF-103, the pilot LCDR Ronald Lee Wise Jr., 36, was killed in this mishap.
He was our guide when we toured aboard USS Eisenhower July 15 and we appreciated his kindness and professionalism.
We offer our sincere sympathy to his wife and children.

Who joined and Why

  • We are practically all photographers, of course, but collectionners as well (ballcaps, tee-shirts, etc.), model makers, civilian and military pilots, journalists – in short, all true fans of Naval Aviation. Visits to ready rooms are a must !

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    The activities

  • To return to the "French Crusaders," you will find on this web site a description of the various activities of our members : quick downloading jpeg photos, SIG model makers, artwork, etc.

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    F.ANA Info

  • Our location on the French Riviera is ideal, not only because of the beauty and the temperate climate of the region, but also for the choice of the US Navy to schedule port calls here between Marseille at Menton. We have included several links with tourist information.

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  • To join us, contact the staff

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