Gen. Kenney and Charles Lindbergh

P-38 Lightning, New Guinea 1944, Col. Perry Dahl, pilot

On 4 July 1944, a correspondent notified Gen. Kenney that Colonel Charles Lindbergh was in New Guinea.  Kenney did not know about it and neither did General HQ!  So the Colonel was flown to Brisbane to explain his presence.  He wanted to know more about fighter design, especially how well the 2-engine P-38 could hold up against the enemy one-engine models.

Kenney suggested they go to see MacArthur for Lindbergh’s official status paperwork.  When Mac asked the colonel what he could do for him, Kenney interrupted, he wrote in his reports:

“I said I wanted to look after him… If anyone could fly a little monoplane all the way from New York to Paris and have gas left over, he ought to be able to teach my P-38 pilots how to get more range out of their airplanes.  If he could do that, it would mean that we could make longer jumps and get to the Philippines that much quicker…”

Gen. George C. Kenney

Mac said: “All right Colonel.  I’ll just turn you over to General Kenney, but I warn you.  He’s a slave-driver.”

Kenney instructed Lindbergh that during these teachings, he was not to get himself into combat, he was a high-profile personality and a civilian!  For 6 weeks everything went well.  Lindbergh taught the pilots how to stretch their distance from 400 to 600 miles, spending most of his time with Col. Charles MacDonald’s 475th Fighter Group, Fifth Air Force.  The men became so enthusiastic, they began to talk about stretching their distance to 800 miles!

During a raid on the Japanese oil depot at Boela, on Ceram Island, a lone enemy aircraft suddenly aimed for Lindbergh, who fired a burst and the Japanese airplane went down.  Kenney was told about the incident, but being as no one claimed credit for the action, the General could pretend he never knew.

Lindbergh (l.) with the 5th Air Force, Thomas McGuire (r.)

Photo is by Teddy W. Hanks who was a member of the 433rd Squadron, 475th Fighter Group at that time.  The photos were taken on Biak Island in July 1944.  They had just returned from a combat mission to an unrecorded enemy area.  The P-38 obviously was assigned to the 431st Fighter Squadron because the propeller spinner is a solid color — apparently red. The spinners in Teddy’s squadron,  were blue and only the back half were painted.  Could very well have been McGuire’s plane, # 131, since he was assigned to the 431st at that time.

To prove the long-range capabilities, Lindbergh, Col. MacDonald, LtCol. Meryl Smith and Captain Danforth Miller headed for Palau, 600 miles north, in their P-38’s.  While strafing an enemy patrol boat, Japanese pilots went air-borne and Lindbergh discovered that once an enemy airplane was on his tail – he could not shake it.  Luckily, he was traveling with 3 experts who downed the Japanese before they got him.

But, there was never to be a ‘next time.’  Kenney felt the celebrity was pushing his luck and Lindbergh agreed; he also had taught the pilots all he could.  As long as the war on, he would not mention his combat experiences.  Colonel Charles Lindbergh headed back for home.

Information taken from “General Kenney Reports: A Personal History of the Pacific War” by George C. Kenney

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Aviation Humor – 

What a hairy situation !!

On A WINDY Day !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Ted Acker – Wooster, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division

Joan Carby – Bolton, ENG; British Army, WWII, ETO, radio operator 

Milton DeVries – Grandville, MI; US Army, WWII

Charles Eby Jr. – Kensington, MD; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, B-17 pilot / Korea

Guy Hunter Jr. – Atlanta, GA; US Army, WWII

Max Lyons – Tasmania, AUS; RA Navy # H2578

Donald Minnich – Virginia Bch., VA; US Navy (Ret. 26 yrs.), WWII, Korea & Vietnam, USS Pine Island

Phyllis Paul – New Westminister, BC, CAN; RC Medical Corps, WWII, ETO

Harold Rothbard – Brooklyn, NY; US Army Air Corps, B-17 tail gunner

Herbert Sweney – Auckland, NZ; RNZ Navy # 7650, WWII

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What’s in a Name?

From the researchers who not only know and understand the fighting in the southwest Pacific area, but the men involved!

Please read in honor of Sr. Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton – Woodbridge, VA; US Navy, Iraq & Syria, Bronze Star, KIA on Thanksgiving

IHRA

From Ken’s Men to the Air Apaches, units of Fifth Air Force had thought of a wide variety of nicknames for themselves. This week, we thought we’d cover the origins of the sobriquets for the 312th, 22nd, 43rd, 38th and 345th Bomb Groups.

The Roarin’ 20’s: The 312th Bomb Group gave themselves this nickname in late March or early April 1944. For the most part, their insignia of a lion jumping through the zero in 20’s wasn’t added as nose art. The men usually used their group logo for signage and patches.

Ken’s Men: Over their years of service during WWII, the 43rd Bomb Group looked up to three men in particular: Gen. George C. Kenney, Brig. Gen. Kenneth Walker and Maj. Kenneth McCullar. Walker and McCullar were killed in action, but the stories of their leadership stuck with the Group for the rest of their war. To honor…

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Thanksgiving

I wish to express my thanks to each and every one of you !!

For those of you living where there is no official Thanksgiving Day – look around – family, friends, Freedom and life itself – all enough to give thanks for each day !

Thanksgiving during WWII…

They’re celebrating Thanksgiving on this very day,

My thoughts are at home, though I’m far away;

I can see everyone, eating dinner deluxe,

Whether it be chicken, turkey or even duck;

The fellows over here won’t whimper or moan,

They’ll look to the next one and hope to be home.

 

Truly and honestly, from way down deep,

They want you to be happy and enjoy your feast.

These holidays are remembered by one and all,

Those happy days we can always recall.

The ones in the future, will be happier, I know

When we all come back from defeating the foe.

_______Poem by an Anonymous WWII Veteran

Please remember the troops that gave you freedom and those that protect it each day !!

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Thanksgiving Humor – 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Elmer Bales – Alliance, OH; USMC, Cpl.

Ray Clontz Jr. – Corvallis, OR; US Army, 11th & 82nd Airborne

Edgar Johnson Jr. – Grand Bayou, LA; US Navy, WWII, CBI

Harold Irwin – Argos, IN; US Army Air Corps, WWII

William Legault – Coventry, RI; US Navy, WWII, USS Arkansas

Isaiah McGrue – Boligee, AL; US Army, WWII, Korea & Vietnam, 1st Sgt. (Ret.)

John Osika – Port Vue, PA; US Army, WWII

Willie Rogers (101) – St. Petersburg, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 100the Air Engineer Sq., Tuskegee airman

Frank Royal (101) – Colorado Springs, CO; US Army Air Corps; WWII, PTO, P-38 pilot, Colonel

Melvin Smith – Walwick, NJ; US Navy, WWII, sub SSR272 Red Fin

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Censorship ~ Did you ever wonder who blacked out those letters?

There was some censoring in the Civil War because letters sometimes had to cross enemy lines. Most of the censoring came from the prisoner-of-war camps. For example, if someone was writing a letter from Andersonville [a Confederate prison camp where many Union soldiers starved] those at the camp didn’t want people to know what was happening, so the prisoners wouldn’t be allowed to say anything bad about a camp. The first heavy censorship of U.S. soldiers took place during World War I
The censors were looking out for two things in World War I and World War II. They didn’t want the soldier to say anything that would be of value to the enemy, such as where they were. They always wanted to camouflage how strong the troops were. “Loose lips sink ships” was the phrase that was very prevalent in WW II and that was the theory in WW I as well.

Officers also were looking to see any weakening of desire among the troops. It’s very important in wartime for officers to know about morale issues.
One of our researchers recently found over 500 confiscated and condemned letters at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. They included letters that used graphic language dealing with sex. Our member also found that in some cases the same writer would keep having his letters confiscated and apparently didn’t get the message. These letters were never delivered and apparently the sender was never sent a notice of the offense.

Letters that were sent in foreign languages were also intercepted. Many members of the armed forces were immigrants or the children of immigrants and they were more comfortable communicating home in their native language. A letter written in Polish or Italian usually wasn’t delivered because the typical censor didn’t know what it said.
In general, in the Revolutionary War and Civil War the letters have much more information. The writers would say, ‘We’re outside of Fredericksburg’ or ‘I’m in the 12th division,’ and that’s important information that was often cut out in World War I and World War II.

In WW II, it’s common for a soldier to write, ‘I can’t say much or the censors will cut it out.’ Early in World War II, the soldiers couldn’t say where they were. People back home didn’t know if they were in the Pacific or the Atlantic. You’ll see letters where the soldier will say where he is — it’s cut out — and how many people are in the building — and that’s cut out too. People would do very simple things to get around the censor like write on the inside of the flap but they were usually unsuccessful. So the World War letters often just include just Mom and Pop stuff.

WWII poster

Who did the censoring?
The enlisted soldier was censored by an officer in his unit. It was considered an unimportant job and often someone like the chaplain or the dentist would get saddled with the job. If the enlisted man did not want his officer to read his mail — if he had been giving him a hard time, let’s say — the soldier could use what was called a ‘blue envelope.’ The writer would certify that there is nothing in here that shouldn’t be and the letter would go up to the next level where it might be looked at a little more kindly.

The officers were self-censored. They didn’t have anyone looking at their mail regularly, although the higher level staff or base censors would randomly check officers’ letters to keep an eye on them. Officers seemed to say more in their letters. Whether it was because they knew better what was allowed or whether they were more brazen or whether their mail often was not censored is debatable.

If the section they wanted out was very big, they would confiscate the letter. If it was small, they cut out the words or obliterate it with ink. If they had to use special chemicals to check for invisible writing — something they did when they suspected a spy — they would confiscate the letter because they didn’t want people to know they were doing it.

The censors returned very few soldiers’ letters. They confiscated them; they didn’t send them back. They didn’t necessarily give the word back to the soldier that his or her letter was withheld. It depended where it was stopped and how fast the troops were moving.

From the soldier’s perspective, you often didn’t know if it was going to get through. The soldiers were all given guidance on what they could say, so you would think they would know how to avoid getting their mail intercepted, but not all did.

Information is from ‘The American Experience.’

 

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Military Humor – Private Sanfu

“Well, the way I figure it __ _ __, and __ _!”

 

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Farewell Salutes –

Louis Adriano – Albertson, NY; US Navy, WWII

Jacques Cayer – Cap-de-la-Madeleine, CAN; RC Air Force, Captain (Ret. 30 years)

Margaret Dover _ New Plymouth, NZ; WRNS # 55532, WWII

H.L. Hungate Jr.  – Roanoke, VA; US Navy, WWII, USS Iowa

Ward ‘Bud’ Johnson – Idaville, IN; US Army, WWII, ETO, 773rd Tank Destroyer

Ellen Keener – Evans, GA; US Army WAAC, ETO

Jack Levin – Philadelphia, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, B-17 pilot

Mark Parsons – Spokane, WA; US Coast Guard, WWII, PTO

William Reinhard – Chicago, IL; US Navy, WWII, Korea & Vietnam, pilot

David Woolley – Boston, MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division

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Smitty ~ Letter X

11th Airborne preparing to jump. (soldier turned around appears to be Smitty)

In Dobodura, New Guinea, the 457th began to notice severe shortages in their sugar supply.  As it turned out, there was a major boot-legging operation in progress.  With the absence of alcohol, the men felt ‘necessity would be the mother of invention’, but they were caught with their stills in production.  The makeshift liquor companies were immediately put out of business.

My father had other ideas.  Smitty’s ingenuity was unfailing.  He used to tell me, “If you think hard enough, there’s a solution to every problem.”  After years of having tended bar, this was going to  be right up Smitty’s alley.

Letter # 10 has been previously published by “Whistling Shade” magazine in 2007.  I submitted it during their war story inquiry.

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Letter X                                          “Jungle Juice”                                  Monday 7/17/44

Dear Mom,  The title of this letter, at first glance, will no doubt puzzle you, but I suspect at the end you will know more than you do now.  Before going any farther with this, allow me to explain the whys and wherefores of its origin and purpose.

The Army has been telling us, for some time now, that any day (they mean year), they are going to issue us hot, dry soldiers some beer.  They haven’t told us the percentages yet, but never fear, it will be 3.2.  In the meantime, we’re here in New Guinea patiently awaiting the day.  We know, because our eyes and nostrils do not lie, that there is good whiskey slyly floating about.  Try as we may to lay hold of some, as yet, none have succeeded. 

There is an old saying, told to me by a much older and wiser veteran of this man’s army that goes: “Take something away from a soldier and he will, in time, make or find a better substitute.”  Hence and forever after – Jungle Juice.

To begin the making of this liquor substitute, one must first overcome a few minor details in order to secure the necessary equipment and ingredients.  First:  You may try to cultivate the friendship of the mess sergeant.  This is easily accomplished if one is well endowed with currency.  Second:  You may try getting on guard duty and taking a chance of getting the job of protecting the mess hall. (The odds against this working out is ten to one against you.)  This is the hard way of acquiring the friendship of the mess sergeant and we will continue.  With your new buddy’s help, you now have in your proud and cherished possession a quantity of raisins, dried prunes or apricots and some sugar.  (Very rarely will one come up with any yeast, so we will forget it.)

Now, we need something to put all this stuff into.  To make matters worse, it cannot be metal and it must be waterproof.  A nail barrel will do the trick, if we soak it in water, thereby allowing the wood to swell.  You could go to the supply sergeant and get a saw, hammer, nails and boards, but in taking this route, you risk your supplier discovering your idea and you will have to pay him off with the promise that, when finished, he will receive a share.  Not only is this undesirable, but now you will have to sit out in the hot sun and build a cask.  My first suggestion of a nail barrel will not only save you labor, but also add an extra drink of this wonderful alcoholic beverage.

Now, we are ready to begin.  Into the empty cask, put your fruit and sugar, making certain to add water.  With your hands, (clean ones are advisable) stir everything around while crushing some of the fruit with your fists.  This is what’s called the “rapid juice extraction process.”  When finished, cover the cask with a clean piece of linen long enough to drape over the side.  Here, you can also use a G.I. handkerchief or undershirt.  (This is just a sanitary precaution and it in no way affects the product.)

Now, dig yourself a hole (under your bunk preferably) large enough to receive the cask and conceal it.  This is a necessary precaution as the manufacture of Jungle Juice is frowned upon by the Army and especially you C.O. or Inspection Officer.  The finding of such might cause embarrassment.  This way it will only be found if someone should trip you C.O. and he inadvertently falls face down on the spot.

All you have to do at this point is use some self-control and patiently wait out the next two or three weeks as the fruit, sugar and water do their stuff.  We all know from experience that you will only sit out two weeks, so let’s get on with the last step.  Surely you have kept busy locating empty bottles and cleaning them, so dig up the cask.

To accomplish the final phase, it is wise to get your mattress cover and put it over a clean, steel helmet.  You will find that the Army had supplied you with a damn good filter.  The whole parts stay on top and the liquid freely pours through, without blemish to the helmet.  Pour the juice into the bottles and seal with candle wax, making them air tight.  Here is the most difficult step because by this time, not only your curiosity, but your craving for a taste is so high — you’re almost completely out of control.  But, you must put your contraband away for one more week.

As the expected day approaches, I want to warn you to be on the lookout for newly acquired friends who start calling on you, regardless of the fact that they never came near you before.  Yes, you are suddenly becoming the most popular guy in camp.  When the hour approaches, marked as the time of reckoning, I would advise you to make up your mind that you are not going to finish it all in one sitting.  Actually, this precaution is really unnecessary, as the Jungle Juice will decide that for you.

I won’t describe the taste.  For some it is bitter and others say sweet.  No two batches are alike and in fact the Juice has no opposition.  Even its most adamant foes agree that for variety, the Juice has no equal.

This recipe is given free of charge.

I hope to hear your hiccupping in your next letter soon.  Your brewmeister son & never to be dry again,     Everett

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General Swing decided, after the stills were destroyed, to bring in ice cream machines and set up sports competitions.  Teams were made up for volleyball, softball and tackle football.  This proved not only to lift their spirits, but the activities kept them in top physical shape.

It always amazed me that such a letter as “Jungle Juice” made it through the censors without Smitty ever getting into trouble.  His little operation was never discovered.

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Military Humor –

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Gilbert Berry – Northwood, OH; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT

Gerald Boutilier – St. Margaret’s Bay, CAN; RC Army, WWII, ETO, POW

Standing Guard

Joseph Cox – Charlotte, NC; US Army, WWII, Korea & Vietnam, Sgt. (Ret.28 years), Silver Star, Bronze Star

Alfred Doktor – Riverton, KS; US Army, Korea, E/187th RCT

Maurice Eatwell (102) – Greymouth, NZ; RNZ Army # 80776, WWII, 35th & 37th Field Batt.

Guy Luck – Cajun, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 457th Artillery/11th A/B Div.

Warren Mitchell – London, ENG; RAF, (beloved actor)

Thomas O’Grady – Newport News, VA; US Army, 503rd/11th Airborne Division

Melvin Smith – Waldwick, NJ; US Navy, WWII, submarine SSR 272 Red Fin

Leonard Sousa – Manchester, NH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Div.

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July 1944 (1)

503rd Regiment at Noemfoer, 2 July 1944

1 July – on Saipan, the US 27th Infantry Division and the 2nd and 4th Marine divisions were within 5.5 miles (9km) of the northern tip of the island.  On the left flank of the advance they had taken the heights overlooking Tanapag Harbor.

2 July – for Operation Cyclone, paratroopers of the 503rd Regiment [not yet a part of the 11th Airborne Division] dropped on Noemfoor Island, off New Guinea.  Sgt. Ray Eubanks received the Medal of Honor for his actions here posthumously.  A landing was also made in the vicinity of Kaimiri Airdrome on the northwest coast of Noemfoor.

Sgt. Ray E. Eubanks

The amphibious attack force, under the command of Rear Admiral Fechteler, consisted of an attack group, a covering group of cruisers and destroyers, a landing craft unit, and a landing force built around the 148th U. S. Infantry Regimental Combat Team reinforced. Prior to the landing nearby Japanese airfields were effectively neutralized by the 5th Air Force.  Enemy opposition was feeble, resistance not reaching the fanatical heights experienced on other islands.

On Iwo Jima, US carrier aircraft shot down 16 Japanese planes and destroyed 29 more on the ground.

4 July – in a combined US strike in the Bonin Islands and Iwo Jima, aircraft, destroyers and carriers worked together and sank 4 enemy destroyers and several transport vessels.

6 July – in China, the 14th Air Force was in continuous bombing missions to hit river shipping, bridges, troops concentrations, road traffic and any other general target of opportunity around Tungting Lake and the Yangtze River.  B-25’s closer to the Burma border caused damage at Tengehung and dropped supplies to Chinese ground troops.

7-9 July – the final banzai* charge on Saipan appeared to some like a stampede.  As the enemy confronted US machine-gun fire, some brandished swords, others with knives, sticks and stones.  Even the wounded hobbled forward on crutches.  Their leaders: Gen. Yoshitsugo Saito, Adm. Chichi Nagumo and Gen. Igeta, performed the ritual seppuku**.  Being as the Americans would probably arrive before they bled to death, 3 men [2 were chosen, one volunteered] shot them in the head once the ritual was completed.

Saipan suicides

Bulldozers had to be brought in the next morning to bury the 4,000 Japanese troops.  On the 9th, it was announced that Saipan was in American hands.  Civilians began mass suicides in front of the appalled US soldiers.  The island, only 10 miles long cost the US approximately 3,126 KIA and about 13,000 WIA.  The enemy suffered over 27,000 KIA (8,000 suicides), with the civilian deaths, this made it the most costly operation of the Pacific estimated between 40-50,000.

9 July – The 10th Air Force in Burma supported the ground forces at Myitkyina.  Elsewhere enemy buildings, railroad boxcars, trucks, factories and supply areas were being bombed by the aircraft.  A detachment of the 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron/8th Photographic Recon Group started operating at Myitkyina.

* the word banzai was never actually used by the Japanese.  The official battle cry was Wah! Wah!

** Senjinkun (Battle Ethics): “I will never suffer the disgrace of being taken alive.  I will offer up the courage of my soul and calmly rejoice by the eternal principal.”

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Military Humor – 

 

Helmsman with an attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Albino Boroevich – Burnaby, BC, CAN; RC Army, WWII

Guido Cavallo – Washington, DC; US Army Air Corps, WWII

Randolph Christensen – New Rochelle, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO, 86th Black Hawk Div.

Ellis Hoskins –  Shawanee, TN; US Army, 11th Airborne Division, MSgt.

Robert Leckrone – Joliet, IL; US Navy, WWII, ATO (Alaska)

Eric Morgan – Waikanae, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 76210, WWII, Squadron Leader

Wilbur Nelson – Perth Amboy, NJ; US Navy, WWII, ETO, Corpsman

Boyd Parish – Elba, ID; US Army, WWII

Stratis Paul – brn: Andros, GRE/Bronx, NY; US Army, WWII, Bronze Star

James Smith – St. Cloud, MN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, CBI

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Veteran’s Day ~ Remembrance

“FOR TOO LONG, TOO MANY OF US HAVE PAID SCANT ATTENTION TO THE SACRIFICE OF A BRAVE FEW IN OUR MIDST.  IT IS UNHEALTHY FOR A NATION TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THOSE WHO SECURE IT.”_______Howard Schultz, author of For Love of Country

I first want to give my personal THANK YOU to each and every veteran that fights for peace and freedom!!!  I tear up and become speechless at the mere sight of any one of you!!

 Here in the United States of America we do our best to convey our gratitude to these men and women for giving so much of themselves for our safety on this day.  In such nations as: Canada, New Zealand, Australia, England, India, Mauritius, South Africa and many in Europe, a day set aside is called Remembrance Day and was recently observed.

Our fellow blogger @ Parent Rap led me to this –  100 Ways to Honor a Veteran – if you care to view it – CLICK HERE.

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

by: Cadet Major Kelly Strong, Air Force Junior ROTC, Homestead Senior High, Homestead, FL 1988

I watched the flag pass by one day,

It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it, and then

He stood at ease.

 

I looked at him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud,

With hair cut square and eyes alert,

He’d stand out in any crowd.

 

I thought how many men like him

Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mother’s tears?

 

How many pilot’s planes shot down?

How many died at sea?

How many foxholes were soldier’s graves?

No, freedom is not free.

 

I heard the sound of Taps one night,

When everything was still.

I listened to the bugler play

And felt a certain chill.

 

I wondered how many times

that Taps meant “Amen,”

When a flag draped a coffin

Of a brother or a friend.

 

I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands

With interrupted lives.

 

I thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea

O unmarked graves in Arlington

No, freedom is not free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes –

Andrew Byers – Rolesville, NC; US Army, Afghanistan, 10th Special Forces Group, Capt., Bronze Star, Purple Heart, KIA

Jason Finan – Anaheim, CA; US Navy, Iraq, Chief Petty Officer, KIA

Ryan Gloyer – Denton, PA; US Army, Afghanistan, 10th Special Forces Group, Sgt., Bronze Star, Purple Heart, KIA

William Hobbs – Marietta, GA; US Army, WWII, PTO, 187th Reg/11th Airborne & later 82nd Airborne (Ret.)

Matthew Lewellen – Kirksville, MI; US Army, Jordan, Special Forces, SSgt., KIA

Kevin McEnroe – Tucson, AZ; US Army, Afghanistan, Jordan, KIA

James Moriarty – Kerrville TX, US Army, Jordan, KIA

Dakota Stump – Avon, IN; US Army, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood

Adam Thomas – Lyon County, MN; US Army, Afghanistan, !0th Special Forces A/B, SSgt., Bronze Star, Purple Heart, KIA

David Whitcher – Bradford, NH; US Army, SSgt., 1st Special Warfare Training Group

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US Marine Corps Birthday ~ 10 November 1775

What does the celebration mean to Marines across the globe?  To General John Lejeune it meant a great deal.  On 1 November 1921, he issued Marine Corps Order No. 47, Series 1921, which provided a summary of the history, mission and traditions of the Corps and directed that the order be read to every command each subsequent year on 10 November.

To see 29 facts you may not know about Marines – check out the USO blog HERE!!!

At the Marine Corps Ball, one key piece of the ceremony is to present the first piece of cake to the oldest Marine in the room, who in turn gives the next to the junior Marine.  This symbolic gesture is the passing of experience and knowledge from the veteran to the recruit.  We should all emulate their example and take part in history.

To all those who are able – Enjoy the fruits of your labor and revel in the spectacle and unabashed camaraderie that is the U.S. Marine Corps!!

*

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Leatherneck Humor – 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes –

Marvin Jackson – Speedway, IN; USMC, WWII, PTO, Cpl.

Robert Juergens – Cleveland, OH; USMC, Korea

Harry Lord – Jacksonville, NC; USMC, GySgt. (Ret.)

Austin Maloney – Jersey City, NJ; USMC, Korea

Eugene May – Scranton, PA; USMC, WWII, PTO

John O’Leary – Flushing, NY; USMC, Korea, Purple Heart

Leon “Red” Rickman – Wichita, KS; USMC, WWII, PTO

James Sheehan – Framingham, MA; USMC, Lt.Col. (Ret.)

Sandra Shepard – Cincinnati, OH; USMC, Vietnam

Donald Shockey – Savannah, GA; USMC, Lt.Col. (Ret.)

Jerry Vovcsko – Springfield Center, NY; USMC

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Smitty ~ Letter IX

New Guinea, WWII

Letter IX                                            “A Day’s Venture”                           Monday 6/26/44

Dear Mom,

Yesterday, being Sunday, a day of rest, I decided to ride around this place and see something.  I made up my mine though that this sightseeing tour of mine, this time, would be done as a civilian completely forgetting I’m in the army.  You have to do this in order to see the place in its true light, otherwise if you don’t all you can see is hardship and work.  With my mind cleared of Khaki, I set forth in a jeep with a buddy of mine; who I dare say couldn’t see the sense of our venture.

As we drove along in the still quiet, the thought kept coming to me of the enormous job the boys before us had to confront and overcome.  Here and there along the way you could see some old emplacement or deserted village.  These villages were really something to see with their straw-thatched roofs and open sided houses.  We wouldn’t call them shed, but that is just what they looked like.

Smitty in New Guinea

One can readily understand why the authors of those travelogues really go all out when describing these islands.  You forget the heat as cooling breezes blow over you from the coast and the shade of the giant coconut trees gradually engulf you.

We passed one spot close to the coast that suddenly shook us with the horrible realization of our place and mission.  It wasn’t large or spread out, but all was peaceful and quiet though men were gaily chatting and swimming nearby.  We entered by an archway on which was inscribed, “Japanese Cemetery.”  We passed now upon some of the little white markers all neatly lined up and lettered.  Although they were once an active enemy, one could not help but see the shame and waste of war.

The water off Lae, New Guinea

We looked around the beach for a while, then decided to go in for a swim.  The water here is amazingly warm and clear.  You could never believe it unless you could see it as I have.  How crystal clear and immune of blemish this water here is.  Why, to peer down 25 feet and see bottom is really an easy thing to do.  The bottom is sand, sand at its finest and whitest literally covered with shells of every shape and color with here and there a grotesque piece of coral.  You can really pick out the coral as it shows up a faint green while the shells throw all colors of the rainbow up at you until your eyes are completely dazzled by the many-colored lights.

By this time, the sun was well on its way toward the horizon and dusk rapidly approaching.  Here and there a faint star twinkled until suddenly the sky was almost completely covered with thousands.  The moon finally appeared in all its bright glory and reflected itself a hundred times over on the waves before us.  The end of the day had come and with it also my venture into a world never to be forgotten.  This day will long be remembered and stored with the rest of my most treasured memories.

Good night!  And may God bless you,  Everett

PS.  I shall write to Joe Dumb as soon as I send this letter on its way.  Be good and take care of yourself.

 

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor –

“And, that’s an order!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes –

Alvin Ake – Perkins, OK; US Army, WWII, 324th Infantry Regiment

Raphael Clothier – Canberra, AUS; RA Air Force # 20871, Cpl.

Robert Hoover – Nashville, TN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 52nd Fighter Group, pilot, POW (escaped)

Richard Jacobs – Waikato, NZ; NZ Expeditionary Force # 622312, RNZ Army, WWII

Thomas Kearns – Woburn, MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, T5 antiaircraft gunner

George Martini – Chicago, IL; US Navy, WWII, USS Essex

John Osika – Port Vue, PA; US Army, WWII

Joyce “Lucky” Parker – Bartow, FL; US Army, WWII

James Smith – Liberty, MS; USMC, WWII, PTO, Pfc, KIA (Tarawa)

Charles Wilkinson – Ormond-By-The-Sea, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 127th Engineers/11th Airborne Div.

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June 1944 (5)

Clearing a road-block on the Imphal-Kohima Road

Around the wide Pacific…….

14 June – Iwo Jima, in the Volcano Island group, and Chichi Jima & Haha Jima, in the Bonins, were attacked by US carrier aircraft.  Installations were bombed and strafed.  The Japanese lost: 39 planes shot down, 25 aircraft destroyed on the ground, 2 freighters sunk and several heavily damaged.  The US lost: 8 aircraft, with 3 more downed the following day.

15 June – on Biak Island, New Guinea, US ground forces were not making progress due to cliff-side ambushes.  MacArthur sent in Gen. Eichelberger to take over the command.

In Japan, 47 China-based B-29’s bombed Yawata, the nation’s steel center.  Not much damage was incurred on the plant although the civilian casualty rate was high.  This was the first attack by land-based aircraft on Japan’s mainland.

Ichi-Go Plan

18 June – the Japanese Ichi-Go offensive captured Changsha, Burma.  They continued to advance, which put Gen. Chennault’s B-29 bases in jeopardy.

19-20 June – enemy installations on Pagan were bombed and strafed by US aircraft.  From here, until 7 July, Guam and Rota were attacked each day at least once by carrier forces.

Japanese tanks and troops in CBI

22-26 June – in the CBI, the enemy siege and fighting at Imphal, India lasted 88 days.  The Japanese U-Go offensive unraveled as the British 2nd Division and 5th Indian Division finally met up at the Imphal-Kohima Road, Milestone 107.  In Burma, the town of Mogaung fell to the 77th LRP Brigade and the Chinese 38th Div.  They then turned east to Myitkyina, where the US and Chinese forces were already laying siege.

Kuril Islands

In the Kuril Islands, Kurabu Zaki, on Paramushir, and important enemy base, was bombarded by ground units.  This action would be repeated on 30 June.

28 June – US troops on Saipan reached Nafutan Point on the southeast tip of the island.  It had taken nearly 2 weeks to cover 4 miles (6 km).

*****          *****

Melvyn Douglas

Article from the ‘CBI Roundup’ newspaper

MELVYN DOUGLAS CRASH LANDS

INDIA – Capt. Melvyn Douglas, motion picture star now serving in CBI as a Special Service Officer, and 17 other passengers on an airplane owe their lives to the cool piloting of 1st Lt. Harold L. Griffith, of Los Angeles, Calif., it was revealed this week.

After riding out a severe storm and bucking terrific headwinds, Griffith was forced to make a difficult “belly landing.” The dangerous crash landing was made on a dry lake, flanked on three sides by hills, and was accomplished without a moon for illumination.

Capt. Douglas and the other passengers, including Capt. Roger F. Howe, Seattle, Wash., and Glenn Abbey, of Dodgeville, Wis., member of the American Mission at New Delhi, had high praise for Lt. Griffith and his co-pilot, Lt. James M. George, of Seminole, Tex., and Sgt. E. B. Halzlip, Eatonton, Ga., radio operator.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Military Humor – 

CBI humor

CBI humor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Gloria (Gove) Allen – Delray Beach, FL; USO, WWII

Luxembourg American Cemetery

Paul Chess (Fiszel Czyz) – brn: POL/Chicago, IL; US Army, WWII

Cyrus Duval – Twinsburg, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division

John Farrel Sr. – Bronx, NY; US Coast Guard, WWII

Paul Healy Newport, RI; US Army, Vietnam

Edward Isbell – OK; US Navy, WWII, PTO

Charles Kessler – Denver, CO; US Army Air Corps, WWII

John McCreight – Toronto, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII, navigator

Charles Prophit – Tquesta, FL; US Navy, Vietnam

Geneva (Shepard) Richard – Womelsdorf, PA; US Army WAC, WWII, driver

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