Soldier of Fortune Magazine The Journal of Professional Adventurers
by Friedrich Seiltgen
The young aviator never returned from Okinawa, but his bones found a home among the Navy’s Jolly Rogers.
Ensign Jack Ernie was a pilot assigned to the original VF-17, the Jolly Rogers. The unit was legendary and ruled the skies above the Solomon Islands, with a Pacific theater reputation that struck fear into the enemy when they saw the skull & crossbones. VF-17 was the most lethal squadron in the US Navy and, by the end of World War II, had amassed a total of 154 kills in just 76 days, producing 13 aces!
On April 1st, 1945, during the invasion of Okinawa, Ensign Ernie, along with the rest of VF-17, was stationed 100 miles off the coast of Okinawa aboard the USS Bunker Hill. The squadron’s mission was to provide air support for the amphibious assault and bombardment. The pilots completed their briefings and ran to the flight deck ready for a fight.
Jolly Rogers in flight over Bougainville, March 1944. Lieutenant Junior Grade Ira Kepford flies plane no. 29, then the Navy’s leading “Ace,” with 16 “kills.” (Image: National Archives)
The skies above Okinawa grew dark, filled with the gullwing Corsairs and Mitsubishi Zeros. During the air battle, Ensign Ernie’s Corsair was damaged and began to lose engine oil. As he broke off from the battle, two Zeros began to attack the crippled Corsair. Despite lacking full power, he managed to splash one of his attackers, but the enemy wingman scored a hit that sent the Corsair into an unrecoverable dive.
As he headed down, he made two transmissions: “Skipper, I can’t get out,” and “Remember me with the Jolly Rogers.”
Ernie was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.
In 1959, VF-84 reactivated the Jolly Rogers insignia. While researching the unit’s history, the Jack Ernie story was revealed by the Ernie family, who suggested that Jack’s remains be “Remembered with the Jolly Rogers.” Ensign Ernie’s remains were donated by his family in 1960, and his skull and femurs were encased in a glass box and presented to the squadron.
The Skull and Bones of Ensign Jack Ernie. (U.S. Navy photo)
In 1976, VF-84 transitioned to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, and Naval aviation was never the same. The Tomcat dressed up with the Skull & Bones is a beautiful sight.
The Jolly Rogers were also featured in the 1980 movie The Final Countdown, where a modern carrier, the USS Nimitz, is transported back in time to December 6, 1941, a day before the attack on Pearl Harbor. When radar contact is made, two ready-alert VF-84 Jolly Rogers F-14 Tomcats are shown shooting down two Imperial Japanese Navy A6M Zero fighters.
In 1995, VF-84 was disestablished, and now Ernie’s remains are assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-103 at Naval Air Station Oceana. When a new Squadron commander arrives, Ernie’s bones are presented to him in a ceremony entitled “Passing the Bones”.
While assigned to VFA-103, the junior aviator to the squadron, also known as the BCO or “Bones Control Officer,” is responsible for Ensign Ernie’s remains, and his glass-encased skull and bones are taken home with the BCO.
Preparing to launch. (U.S. Navy photo)
When not underway, Jack Ernie’s remains sit in the squadron briefing room, securely chained up to prevent shenanigans from other squadrons. The Skull & Bones are present at all squadron and command functions; the unit’s motto is “Fear the Bones”
Next to the briefing room sits the Jack Ernie bar, or JEB. Inside the bar, Jolly Rogers memorabilia covers the walls, and a black scrapbook filled with Jolly Rogers history dating back to 1943 is available for viewing.
VFA-103 also presents the Jack Ernie Award for sailors who provide meritorious service in the squadron. In the 2025 Army-Navy game, the Midshipmen paid tribute to Ensign Ernie and the Jolly Rogers by wearing the unit patch on their helmets.
Ensign Ernie is remembered for his service with the Jolly Rogers, who flew Corsairs during World War II, Tomcats during the Cold War, and Hornets today.
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in lone wolf terrorism counterstrategies, firearms, and active shooter response. Contact him at [email protected]. He writes frequently for Soldier of Fortune.
