Irving Glick was the creation of my favorite Commanding Officer, Commander John Orrill. CDR Orrill used this fictional character to illustrate his squadron briefings. “Lt Irving might screw up and do this …” or, “I hope you don’t make a mistake like Lt. Glick.” Soon others in the squadron adopted Irving as their own. His name started showing up on attendance sheets at safety meetings. He even appeared on flight schedules flying imaginary aircraft. Eventually, a biography was developed, written in official sounding detail. The legend lived on starting with Lt Glick’s check in with Patrol Squadron Twenty-One, the Blackjack squadron, in 1960. Stories continued into 2005, making Lt. Glick’s 45-year career as a naval officer, the oldest lieutenant in the Navy.
The legend of Irving Glick went beyond his life in VP-21. Glick’s flight records were somewhat deficient. His log book reported seventeen total flight hours as pilot in command and not one single landing. Nevertheless, Lt. Glick was recommended for certification as a Patrol Plane Commander (PPC). CDR Orrill, as commanding officer, graded him below average on all items on the PPC check list except an above average mark for starting the jet engines (pushing the igniter buttons). The recommendation was submitted to the squadron’s next higher level of command, Fleet Air Wing Three, and it was returned “Approved” by the Commodore with the unusual comment “Warmest personal regards.” The Commodore obviously had a sense of humor.
Glick’s biography includes a letter sent to the New York Sun: (Apologies to Francis P Church and the New York Sun)

Dear Editor,
I am a young naval aviator. Some of my little friends say there is no Lieutenant Irving H. Glick, USNR. I’ve heard that if you see it in the Sun, It’s so. Please tell me the truth. Is there a Lieutenant Irving H. Glick?
Signed, Blackjack

Dear Blackjack,
Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. Yes, Blackjack, there is an Irving Glick. He exists a certainly as honor and tradition and custom and love of country exist. Alas, how dreary would be the world if there were no Irving H. Glicks? It would be as dreary as if there were no Blackjacks.
No Irving H. Glick! Wrong. He’s alive and well in the hearts and minds of all men and women who have served in the Navy’s Maritime Patrol squadrons, especially in Patrol Squadron Twenty-One. And as long as young Americans continue to protect our country flying in the successors of the P2V Neptune, Irving Glick will continue to live.
Editor

Commander Orrill was once asked what the “H” stood for in Irving’s name. “Why Hallmark of course, when you care enough to send the very best.”
So, if he exists, what does he look like? David Wilding, a photographer’s mate in the squadron, produced a photo. Irving’s strangely asymmetric features look hauntingly similar to other officers in the squadron.
Irving Glick was a much-needed break from around-the-clock flying and demands of the Cold War. Family separations, challenging situations, and chain-of-command discipline make for a no-nonsense, regimented life. Irving Glick was a much-appreciated distraction.