Into the Soup by Thomas Smith

A Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler of the VMAQ-2 "Playboys" provides radar jamming suppression for two fully-loaded A-6 Intruders of the VMA(AW)-224 "Bengals" as they break formation to descend "into the soup" and deliver their payload of 500lb bombs on target.

Signature:

Capt. Ross M. "Soup" LEVIN, USMC - VMAQ-2 ECMO and owner of the Aviation Art Hangar

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Origins of My Call Sign - "Soup"

Over multiple decades, I've offered thousands of different prints through the Aviation Art Hangar. Into the Soup is undoubtedly the most personal one to me given that I have several flight hours in the Prowler, and particularly in the airframe featured in this image, BuNo 159911. I also served as the technical advisor to the artist, Thomas Smith, as he developed this painting. Its release provided me with the perfect opportunity to finally explain to those who have been asking me about how I got my call sign!

Aviators over the years have had some pretty cool call signs…. “Killer,” "Smoke," "Weeds," "Cheeto," “Spike,” “Maverick,” “Iceman,” “Viper,” “Blaster” and the like. So, how in the world did I end up with “Soup”?



Shortly after reporting to VMAQ-2 at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, NC in 1983 as a new Electronic Countermeasures Officer (ECMO), we were off to train alongside the US and Norwegian Air Forces in the chilly little town of Bodø, Norway, just north of the Arctic Circle. Upon arrival, while the US Air Force participants were billeted in the luxurious SAS hotel in downtown Bodø, we Marines were assigned to large general purpose tents sitting in the middle of snowy fields, sleeping on cots, with horrible smelling kerosene heaters provided to take the edge off of the cold.



Having a bit of foresight and prior to leaving the states, I stuffed my helmet bag with envelopes of Lipton Cup-a-Soup and shared them with my fellow officers in the tent. The soup was a hit with my squadron mates, and a welcome relief from the bitter cold. It was then that as I recall, Captain Dave "Smoke" Tomaino dubbed me “Soup”…. and it stuck. So much for a cool and sexy call sign!



God bless, and Semper fi,

"Soup"
Owner, Aviation Art Hangar