This is some of what our airmen were up against in the Pacific.
One of the better fighter designs operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War Two but not built in enough numbers, was the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (“Thunderbolt” – Allied Code Name: Jack) land based interceptor used to attack Allied bombers such as the USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress. It was designed to be fast with a top speed 596km/h (370 mph – examples captured and tested by the United States using 92 octane fuel plus methanol, flew at speeds between 655km/h and 671km/h!), with an excellent rate of climb, to quickly reach the enemy bombers at altitude and later variants packed a punch with 4 x 20mm Type 99 wing mounted cannons to bring them down. It was armoured but maneuverability was sacrificed for speed and this pilot protection. Unfortunately performance at high altitude was hampered by the lack of an engine turbocharger on the main production Raiden aircraft.
Mitsubishi…
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The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery . The ceremony commences precisely at 11:00 a.m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns and continues inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans’ organizations and remarks from dignitaries. The ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.
For 98 years, Americans have remembered those who served our country in uniform on 11 November – first as Armistice Day, and then, since 1954 as Veterans Day. In this 99th year of commemoration, the Department of Veterans Affairs is broadening that tradition of observance and appreciation to include both Veterans and Military Families for the entire month of November.
For more information on Veterans Month acitivtes in your area – check out the calendar below or visit your local VA facility.
Remembrance Day (sometimes known informally as Poppy Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919,[1] the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November in most countries to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month”, in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. (“At the 11th hour” refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.)
Information here today is from the US Veteran’s Administration and Wikipedia.
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Albert Cheese – Hampstead, NC; USMC, 1st Sgt. (Ret. 20 y.)
Stephen Cribben – Rawlins, WY; US Army, Afghanistan, Sgt., 10th Special Forces Group, KIA
Norman Dyke – Warwickshire, ENG; RAF, WWII
Adrien Einertson – Camas, WA; US Navy, WWII
Jack Gustafson – Athabasca, CAN; RC Army, WWII, ETO
Edward Keane – Warwick, RI; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Louis Manci – Scranton, PA; US Army, Korea, 187th ‘Rakkasans’
Charles O’Neill Jr. – Cleveland, OH; USMC, WWII, PTO
John Trudden – Broad Channel, NY; US Air Force, Korea
Tony Victor – Huntsville, AL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, B-17 gunner/radioman
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The 54th Troop Carrier Wing was established on 26 February 1943 [one day after the 11th A/B Div. at Camp MacKall] and commenced air transport and medical air evacuation operations in support of Fifth Air Force on 26 May 1943. advancing as battle lines permitted.
The unit took part in the airborne invasion of Nadzab, New Guinea in September 1943 by dropping the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, as well as Australian engineers and heavy equipment.
The wing employed C-47’s almost exclusively, but during late 1943 and much of 1944 also used 13 converted B-17E’s for armed transport missions in enemy-held territory. The 54th supported every major advance made by the allies in the Southwest Pacific Theater operating from primitive airstrips carved from jungles and air-dropping cargo where airstrips unavailable.
In July 1944, the wing dropped 1,418 paratroopers on Noemfoor Island to aid the allied invasion forces. Then assumed the task of handling all freight and personnel moving in troop carrier aircraft in the Southwest Pacific, in addition to scheduled and unscheduled air movement of cargo and troops, and air evacuation of wounded personnel.
In preparation for airborne operations in the Philippines, the 54th TCW conducted joint training with the 11th Airborne Division. August and September 1944 were held in Nadzab. Due to the demands of transport resources in building up Allied strength in Netherlands, New Guinea, the wing rotated the squadrons in Doboduru where they received refresher training in paradrops and aerial supply. The training proved to be of great value at Tagatay Ridge, Corregidor and in the Cagayan Valley, Luzon, when the 11th A/B need a lift for their paratroopers and gliders.
Early December 1944, the 5th Air Force HQ was attacked as well as the 44th Station Hospital. The 187th HQ Company [Smitty was there], set up a perimeter. They stood there through the night, rifles ready. By morning there were 19 dead enemy soldiers. Col. Pearson sent out patrols that located another 17 Japanese hiding out in the rice paddies..
Okinawa
By late 1944 and during the early months of 1945, most wing missions were flown to the Philippines. In February 1945, the wing flew three more airborne operations, all in the Philippines, to help encircle Japanese concentrations. For the 11th A/B Division’s jump on Aparri in north Luzon, the first plane off the ground was piloted by Col. John Lackey. Wing C-47s dropped napalm on Caraboa Island in Manila Bay in March 1945.
11th Airborne Division paradrop, June 1945
When hostilities ended on Luzon, the wing moved the entire 11th Airborne Division (11,300 personnel) from the Philippines to Okinawa on short notice. It would take the 54th Troop Carrier Wing two days to transport the 11th Airborne using 351 C-46s, 151 C-47s and 99 B-24s; with their bombs removed and crammed with troopers. The planes had carted the men; 1,161,000 pounds of equipment and 120 special-purpose jeeps for communication and supply.
Glider training
The 54th then began transporting occupation forces into Japan, beginning with General Swing, the 187th Regiment (and Smitty). On the first day, 123 aircraft brought 4,200 troopers to Atsugi Airfield. During September 1945, the wing also evacuated over 17,000 former prisoners of war from Japan to the Philippines.
The wing served as part of the occupation forces in Japan from 25 September 1945 to about 26 January 1946, while continuing routine air transport operations and a scheduled courier service. Beginning in December 1945 and continuing into mid-1946, most of the wing’s components were reassigned to other units or inactivated, and on 15 January 1946 the wing became a component of the Far East (soon, Pacific) Air Service Command.
Towing a glider.
Moving to the Philippines, the wing gained new components and flew scheduled routes between Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and the Hawaiian Islands. Replaced by the 403rd Troop Carrier Group on 31 May 1946 and was inactivated.
Further, more detailed information can be found in the publications by the IHRA.
This article incorporates material from the US Air Force Historical Research Agency, “The Angels: The History of the 11th Airborne Division” & “Rakassans”, both by Gen. E.M. Flanagan; Wikipedia and US Airborne Commando Operations.
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John Bettridge – Denver, CO; US Army, WWII & Korea
Gerard Caporaso – Chatham, NJ; US Army Air Corps, WWII, (author: “From the Top Turret: A Memoir of WW2 and the American Dream”)
Daniel Cooney – Plandome, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO
Prosper “Trapper” Couronne – Whitewood, CAN; RC Army, Korea, Warrant Officer (Ret. 24 yrs.), 1st PPCLI
Bruce Goff – Elmwood, NZ; RNZ Air Force # 4214914, WWII
Fred Hartman Sr. – Horsehead, NY; US Army, WWII & Korea
Myron Hollman – Wausau, WI; US Navy, WWII/ US Army, Korea/ US Air Force, Vietnam
Theodore Matula – Lantana, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, P-47 pilot
Lloyd Urbine – Ft. Wayne, IN; US Army Air Corps, WWII
Robert Winton – Bowie, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII
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Jul 29
This gallery contains 12 photos.
Originally posted on henryhogh:
Mange danskere fejrer den amerikanske nationaldag 4. juli ved at deltage i Rebildfesten, der er den største fejring af USAs nationaldag udenfor USA. I USA fejres nationaldagen 4. juli traditionelt med masser af fyrværkeri, som vist her i en tegning fra 1902. Da vi har mange venner i USA ville vi…
James Maitland Stewart
Jimmy Stewart suffered such extreme PTSD after being a bomber pilot in World War II that he acted out his mental distress during ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. Stewart played George Bailey in the classic movie and channeled his anger and guilt into the scenes where he rages at his family.
Stewart was haunted by ‘a thousand black memories’ from his time as an Air Force commanding officer that he took with him back to Hollywood after the war. Pilots who flew with him said that became ‘Flak Happy’ during World War II, a term to describe what is now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
Stewart wrestled with the guilt of killing civilians in bomb raids over France and Germany including one instance where they destroyed the wrong city by mistake.
Stewart felt responsible for the death of his men and especially one bloodbath where he lost 13 planes containing 130 men who he knew well. Stewart’s anguish is laid bare for the first time in author Robert Matzen’s Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the fight for Europe, published by Paladin Communications.
Stewart’s chance came with the creation of a B-24 bomber group, the 445th, and he was appointed commander of the 703rd squadron. After their air medal mission to Pas de Calais, the crew of the B-24H known as Lady Shamrock pose with air commander Stewart
Stewart never spoke about it, even to other veterans, and bottled up his emotions that came out in the acting parts he chose when he returned to Hollywood. He acted it out during It’s a Wonderful Life, where character George Bailey unravels in front of his family – the emotional core of the film after a lifetime of setbacks, including being unable to go to war while his brother becomes a decorated hero.
Films like Shenandoah and Winchester 73 allowed Stewart to explore his dark side which was never there before he went to war.
James Stewart and Clark Gable who was also sent into combat.
Matzen writes that Stewart’s decision to join the military was less surprising than his decision to become an actor; his grandfather fought in the Civil War and more distant relatives fought in the Revolutionary War. His initial attempts failed because he was too skinny, despite trying to fatten himself up on ice cream and chocolate bars. Stewart was finally called up shortly before the assault on Pearl Harbor in 1941 which forced America into the World War II.
Stewart in “It’s A Wonderful Life” channeled his PTSD from losing 130 of his men for the role.
Asked by a studio boss why he wanted to give up his life in Hollywood, Stewart said: ‘This country’s conscience is bigger than all the studios in Hollywood put together, and the time will come when we’ll have to fight’. Stewart was initially put in the Air Force Motion Picture Division because commanders wanted to use him to make films to convince more airmen to sign up.
Major Stewart, 453rd Bomb Group Operations Officer, Old Buckenham, 1944
He was also used for PR stunts until he demanded that he see combat like other airmen. Stewart’s chance came with the creation of a B-24 bomber group, the 445th, and he was appointed commander of the 703rd squadron. After 20 missions, the stress began to take its toll him and the only food that would stay in his stomach was peanut butter and ice cream.
BGeneral Jimmy Stewart w/ his B-52 crew, 20 Feb. 1966, Vietnam.
Stewart did not leave the military and continued to serve until May 1968 when he retired after 27 years of service during which time he was a bomber pilot during the Vietnam War.
James Maitland Stewart
20 February 1966: Brigadier General James M. Stewart, United States Air Force Reserve, flew the last combat mission of his military career, a 12 hour, 50 minute “Arc Light” bombing mission over Vietnam, aboard Boeing B-52 Stratofortress of the 736th Bombardment Squadron, 454th Bombardment Wing.
Information collected from War History online; This Day in Aviation and Mission For Today.
Click on images to enlarge,
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Edward Albert – Milwaukee, WI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Co. F/152nd Artillery/11th Airborne Division
Edmond Baclawski – Hinsdale, IL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Sgt., radar
George Debenian – New Britain, CT; US Army, WWII
Stephen Everette – Albuquerque, NM; US Navy, WWII
Sam Friedman – Toronto, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII # R270226
Thomas Hardy – Lake Worth, FL; US Air Force, Korea & Vietnam, flight engineer (Ret. 20 yrs.)
Gerald Kerner – Brooklyn, NY; US Army, Korea, Sgt. Signal Corps
Joan Miller – London, ENG; Civilian, WWII, British Ministry of Supply
Frank Oddo – Summerfield, FL; US Army, WWII, medic, 32nd “Red Arrow” Division
Don Williams – New Orleans, LA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, pilot / Treasury Agent
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Hiroyoshi Nishizawa
“In the ocean of the military, reflective of all distinguished pilots, an honored Buddhist person.” So translates the name awarded to Japanese pilot Hiroyoshi Nishizawa following his death in 1944. In life, however, he earned himself a very different title.
The Devil of Rabaul, they called him, and not without good reason.
Rabaul 1943
Skilled pilots on both sides fought terrifying aerial battles, carried out daring raids against the enemy and engaged with combatants in the air, on the land and on the sea. Yet even amongst the many outstanding Japanese aces, there was no one quite like Nishizawa.
The outrageous aerobatics, performed in the early summer of 1942, could easily have cost him his life. Instead, the soldiers on the ground held their fire, and by the time Nishizawa returned to his own base, a letter had already arrived congratulating him on his maneuvers – and inviting him back for the “all-out welcome” he deserved. The Devil of Rabaul chose to decline that particular invitation, of course.
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa
In fact, even amongst his own comrades he seemed like a figure out of legend. Nishizawa was known as a strange and solitary character, for he seemed ever more content with the status of an outsider as his celebrated status increased. Tall, thin and strikingly pale, Nishizawa was far from forthcoming, and even once his name became synonymous with acts of courage and valor, he kept to himself.
Even in death, elements of mystery still cling to the man who seemed to stray so close to myth. Nishizawa had already been present at some of the key battles fought in that geographical theatre of the war, and October 1944 found him escorting the first of Japan’s major kamikaze attacks against the Allies. He himself was only present to back up the five bombers, but as the attack unfolded, something extraordinary occurred.
The young pilot watched his comrades hurtling to certain death, their planes ripping into the US warships below. Led by Lieutenant Yukio Seki, the explosions caused by four of the five planes triggered chain reactions throughout the vessels. In the sky overhead, Nishizawa was also engaged in combat, successfully bringing down two F6F Hellcats and raising the total number of his confirmed kills to 88. It was a clear victory for the Japanese fighters, but even as he fought, Nishizawa had a striking vision.
Nishizawa in his Mitsubishi Zero A6M3, 1943
While the carnage unfolded before his eyes, he saw another event take place –his own death. Though accounts vary as to the exact nature of the fate he envisioned for himself, he returned from the mission without a shadow of a doubt in his mind. To the Devil of Rabaul, it seemed his end was close at hand.
Once again, he held true to his courageous nature. While another man might have tried to run from his fate, the Devil of Rabaul wasted no time in facing his destiny head on. The very next day, with his premonition still at the forefront of his mind, he himself requested a position on the next suicide squad kamikaze mission. If he had to die, Hiroyoshi Nishizawa was going to do it in style.
Of course, his request was refused. By denying his wish, Nishizawa’s superiors sealed the fate of their finest pilot.
He was assigned to a different mission in the end, and the following morning set out as a passenger on a transport aircraft, setting off from Mabalacat. The weather was fine, with clear skies and low winds – the region had always been known for its gentler climate.
High in the clear October skies over Mindoro Island, two planes appeared in the distance. They were far behind, but rapidly closing the distance. The US fighters, a pair of F6F Hellcats, were now in hot pursuit, though even they had no idea just who they were bearing down upon.
As the three planes flew above the town of Calapan, American pilot Lt. Harold P. Newell sent the lumbering transport plane before him down in flames.
At the age of 24, just days after he predicted his own end, the Devil of Rabaul was dead.
In his short career, the Japanese Ace of Aces had earned the respect of his enemies and his comrades alike. He had become a nationally recognised symbol of bravery, patriotism and fearlessness in the face of death. Hiroyoshi Nishizawa walks to this day a unique line between a man and a myth, with a story rivalled by few others in its mysterious and evocative nature.
Like all the great figures of legend, the legacy of the man now known as Bukai-in Kohan Giko Kyoshi lives on, even after death. In the ocean of the military, Nishizawa is remembered as an honored Buddhist person, the Devil of Rabaul and the Ace of Aces.
By Malcolm Higgins (@Mhiggins95)
Click on images to enlarge.
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Helen Dellinger – Lincoln County, NC; Civil Air Patrol, WWII
William Emnott – Oshkosh, WI; US Navy, WWII, PTO
Edward Fanning – Englewood, FL; Merchant Marines, WWII
Jack Heyn – W.Des Moines, IA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 3rd Bombardment Group/5th Air Force, photographer
Francis Higgiins – Salem MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Jack Kronenberger – Broad Channel, NY; US Navy, WWII
Ora “O.P.” Miller – Anderson, IN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, Air Transport Unit, pilot
Irena Nowakowska – Warsaw, POL; Polish Underground Army (Armia Krajowa), WWII
Richard Powell – OH; US Navy, WWII, ETO
Leslie Scace – London, ENG; Royal Navy, WWII
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20 May 2017
The longest parade in the U.S. for Armed Forces Day is Chattanooga, Tennessee. Here’s what’s planned for this year’s extravaganza…….
Hamilton County and the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council will sponsor the 68th annual Armed Forces Day parade and luncheon on Friday, May 5, at 10:30 a.m. in downtown Chattanooga.
The parade highlights a different branch of service every year, with the Air Force featured on Friday. The parade will begin with a flyover of two F-16s piloted by Lt. Col. Dave Snodgrass and Maj. Gen. Richard Scobee.
A small peek at 2016
Scobee, son of Chattanooga resident June Scobee Rodgers, is a command pilot with more than 3,800 flight hours, including 248 combat hours. He is the 10th Air Force commander, Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.
His command includes all fighter, bomber, special operations, rescue, airborne warning and control, fighter and bomber flying-training missions, combat air operations battle staff, remotely piloted aircraft, space and cyber units in the Air Force Reserve CommaTwo Air Force veterans will serve as parade marshals: Jack Rolfson, a WWII B-17 pilot, and Eugene Parrott, a fighter pilot in the Korean War.
Another special guest will be Lt. General Arnold W. Bunch Jr., military deputy for the Office of the Assistant Air Force Secretary for Acquisition at the Defense Department.
Gen. Richard Scobee June 10, 2014.
Lt. General Bunch
For more information, visit the parade’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/chattafparade/ or the Chattanooga Area Veterans Council at http://chattareaveterans.com.
Do you or your area have plans for the day?
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Branden Charters needs help with having flowers put on every veteran’s gravesite for Memorial Day. Find ways to help HERE.
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Our fellow blogger, Jacqui Murray, writer, teacher and mother of two currently active serving children in the military has now published her second novel, Twenty Four Days. Check it out HERE with a sample chapter!
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Paul Adams – Lincoln, NE; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 332nd Fighter Group, pilot (Ret.)
Robert Atwater – Elmira, NY; US Navy, WWII, SeaBees
Marino DiChiara – brn: ITL; US Army, WWII
Barbara Grooters – Grand Rapids, MI; US Navy WAVES, WWII
David Herrington – Baxley, GA; US Army, WWII
Kermit Miller – Lehighton, PA; US Navy, WWII, Radarman 3rd Class
Bob Price Sr. – St Louis, MO; US Navy, WWII & Korea
Dewey Stephenson – Waterboro, ME; US Navy, WWII / US Army, Korea, 187th RCT
Daniel Stewart – Fort Wayne, IN; US Army, WWII
John Zilar – Denver, CO; US Air Force, machinist
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Here is a close-up personal look at what occurred during one of the countless missions I mention.
Two 63rd Squadron B-24 Snoopers took off from Owi Island on the night of September 4, 1944 to bomb Matina Airdome at Davao, Mindinao. One of the B-24s soon turned back due to radar failure. Captain Roland T. Fisher, pilot of the other B-24, “MISS LIBERTY,” continued on alone. Fisher had flown night missions with the Royal Air Force in 1941 and would soon be needing every ounce of skill he had acquired over the last few years.
Twenty-one years after this mission, Fisher recounted his experience: “I could see again the bright moon in the clear night sky and the green shadow of Cape San Agustin below. I had entered Davao Gulf by crossing from the Pacific over the peninsula into the head of the gulf and made nearly a straight-on approach over Samal Isle to Matina air strip. I remember thinking perhaps this would allow me to enter…
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George Kenney
George Kenney was born in 1889 to American parents, but he was brought into the world in Nova Scotia, Canada after his family decided to take a summer trip up north to avoid the heat of Boston. Growing up in Massachusetts as the oldest of three younger siblings, Kenney succeeded through school flawlessly.
Eventually, he found himself attending college at the Massachusetts’ Institute of Technology (MIT), a very highly-regarded Ivy League school for some of the country’s brightest students. Aiming to pursue a career in civil engineering, he was well on his way to something great, even from a young age.
However, the beginning of World War I would throw his life into a tailspin again, setting him on an entirely different course – this one taking place high up in the sky.
Once the US entered WWI in April 1917, Kenney found himself ready to become a part of history. After enlisting as a flying cadet for the US Signal Corps Aviation Section in June, he attended ground school at MIT to hone his craft and learn his way around a plane.
While he was first commissioned as a first lieutenant in November, departing for France quickly thereafter, his further training overseas led to him becoming a member of the 91st Aero Squadron in 1918.
MacArthur (L) w/ Kenney
It was here that he would earn his first Silver Star for his aerial victory, taking down a German scout through his observer after his squadron was ambushed while out on a mission. Beyond that, Kenney even earned himself the Distinguished Service Cross for his ‘extraordinary heroism in action’ in a second attack by German fighters, helping protect his formation from enemy combatants.
His achievements led to him being promoted to Captain soon thereafter, and he took his new position in his stride, making great headway on reconnaissance missions during the Mexican Revolution.
During the time between the World Wars, Kenney took on various roles in the Air Force. He started as an air detachment commander in Kentucky and then moved on to becoming an air service inspector who inspected airplane machinery while test-flying them in Garden City, New York.
It was in July 1942 that Kenney was promoted to his most important position yet: taking control of the Allied Air Forces and Fifth Air Force in General Douglas MacArthur’s Southwest Pacific Unit. The two developed a great working relationship, with MacArthur giving Kenney more freedom to make important decisions regarding his team than he’d ever been given in the past.
Promoted to Lieutenant General during his time in the South Pacific, Kenney was a part of new techniques and concepts while in league with the Allied Air Forces. They were trying new ordinances, new bombing strategies, and modifications to their aircraft. So, when you see me writing about the 5th Air Force – Kenney is involved!
Gen. Kenney (L) wearing sunglasses.
And in June 1944, Kenney was then appointed to commander of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF). He tried to create 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Air Task Forces to be in control of specific areas and missions themselves, but Washington officials weren’t happily complying with his plans. In fact, over his years in service, many of Kenney’s ideas would either go unheard or would ultimately be shot down completely.
Decades later, looking back, military officials have conceded that some of his innovations could have greatly changed the outcomes of some of the military’s failures during WWII. While hindsight is always 20/20, it seems inconceivable that Kenney’s expertise in the air force (and his high-ranking status) would not have given him more leeway in the decisions process.
R.I.P.
After quite an accomplished career, George Kenney eventually retired from the Air Force in September 1951, living out his final years in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida. He passed away on August 9th, 1977, at age 88.
Condensed from War History online.
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There’s always competition, isn’t there?
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James Abercrombie – Lumpkin City, GA; USMC, WWII
James Cifreo – Baton Rouge, LA; US Army, WWII, ATO (Alaska)
Edward Dennery – Gloucester City, NJ; US Navy, WWII
Allen Hersey – Jupiter, FL; US Navy, WWII, USS Butner and Arkansas
Carl Laber – Randolph, MO; US Navy, WWII
Sylvia Applebaum Levy – Philadelphia, PA; USMC (Women’s Corps), WWII, Sgt.
Arlington Maxwell – Albany, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 187th/11th Airborne Division
Francis Phillips – Windsor, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII
Gordon Robertson – Auskland, NZ; RAF, WWII
Anton Utz – McCook, NE; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Signal Corps
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The IHRA presents the conclusion to the intense story of The Reckless Mountain Boys… Please follow the story through…
When we last left off, Capt. Byron L. Heichel and his seven surviving crewmembers had reached the shore near their B-17’s crash site. They noticed a crowd of natives had come to see what all the commotion was about, and the crew attempted to communicate with them in Pidgin English to get help moving three of the crewmen who had been severely injured: James E. Etheridge, Kenneth P. Vetter, and 2/Lt. Marcus L. Mangett, Jr. Heichel and his co-pilot, 1/Lt. Berry T. Rucks, Jr. were also injured in the landing (both had been thrown face-first into the instrument panel), although they were able to move on their own two feet.
They had landed near a plantation called Komalu, which was owned by a German named Rudolf Diercke. That day, he and the Japanese overseer, Tadashi Imamura, were inspecting some construction on the plantation when Diercke was told that an American…
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Smitty - artwork by Priorhouse.wordpress.com/
Our Silent Observer
Jeep crossing
