The roar of the engines, the tension in the cockpit, the shadow of the kamikaze looming—this is how one story began, decades ago, over the skies of Okinawa.
A son recently shared this story with us, a story of heroism, luck, and enduring legacy.
His father, an F6F-5N pilot aboard the Sangamon, was waiting on the catapult for launch when disaster struck. His wingman, Ensign Biggart, faced a life-or-death moment: his parachute caught in the harness, costing precious seconds—but those seconds saved his life. The area he would have jumped into was fatal; those who remained were killed.
The father died when the son was only thirteen, leaving behind medals, wings, logbooks, and a leather jacket that the son has worn every winter since high school. Yet the story of that day, the stories of night flights and battles, lived on—retold by Ensign Biggart himself, decades later, after a determined search through reunion groups and squadrons.
Finally, after years of searching, the son found a model of the Sangamon. “If I can do this ship justice,” he wrote, “it will be proudly displayed with all of those memories. At my age, it will probably be the last model that I ever build… a fitting ending.”
It’s more than a model; it’s a bridge across time. It’s a vessel for memory, courage, and love—a way to hold a father close, even after all these years.
Helping people find something that connects them to their past, to heroes they admire, and to loved ones—they aren’t just purchases. They are the vessels of stories, frozen in time, ready to be honored. And in that moment, we are proud to help preserve not just history, but heart.
Ready to explore more? Browse our Resin Navy Model Ship Kits here: https://adamamodelships.com/collections/iron-shipwrights to find the perfect kit to honor your personal hero.