Austro-Hungarian navy, back when the empire had a seacoast. And he was their top scoring U-boat commander.
He’s probably say the reason was that land-based aircraft would require an American presence in some local country with the related political difficulties that would entail while carrier-based aircraft would be flying from international waters. Which isn’t really true because American bombers have such a long-range they can be based back in the United States and still fly missions in Afghanistan.
We must introduce you to the concept of “jokes”.
In any event, Austria lost any connection to the sea after WWI, and by the time of the events (sorta) depicted in The Sound of usic, hadn’t had a seacoast in twenty years.
As a joke, MAD did it when the movie came out nearly 50 years ago. And it being MAD, they were unlikely the first. We must introduce you to the concept of “original.” 
1.) If we only allowed “original” things in the SDMB we’d have mostly blank entries.
2.) I do indeed recall that issue and parosy “The Sound of More Music”. Steal from the best, I say. And if you’re taking me to task for invoking a parody from 1970, I have to ask what you Statute of Limitations on jokes is.
Contact the Bolivian Navy-they are still waiting for a seacoast.
And asks Chile for it nicely once a year, but Peru will be in trouble if they try anything on Lake Titicaca.