Squadron: 65th
Position: I flew a piper cub in College Training Detachment A Stearman
in Primary A Vulte Vibrator on Basic A AT 10 in Advanced A B24 after cadets
until wars end A C47 and C46 after the war ended until I went home from Korea
In the National Guard I flew AT6, Navion, Beaver, and several others the
names of which do not come to me now
Served: 1943-1945 in the Air Corps 1945-1962 in the Army Nat.Guard
Originally from: Indiana
Training: Biloxi, Miss., Maxwell Field for Preflight Avon Park for Primary,
Cochran Fld,Macon Ga. for Basic, Moody Fld, Valdosta,Ga. for Advanced. Maxwell
Fld for B-24 transition. Walla Walla Wash., Pueblo, Col.,Casper, Wy. for
Phase Training with my crew which I picked up in Lincoln, Neb. ,
Citations/Medals: No medals
Planes: I have no idea
Number of Missions: One
Description of Missions:
We flew up to Japan with instructions not to drop our bombs unless fired
upon. they had an experienced pilot with us and as we flew over Kure Naval
Base we could wee the AA guns tracking us. He was quite nervous about that
because he had been shot down--it didn't bother me or the crew because no
one had ever shot at us. We flew over Hiroshima and Iwas shocked at the damage
that one bomb had done. Noone fired at us and we dropped our bombs in the
ocean on the way back. I told my children that I needed to fly only one mission
and the Japs heard I was there and they quit.
Most poignant, sad or touching memory of the war:
I was just a kid--barely 21. I just don't have any.
Funniest or most fun memory of the war:
I guess the fun was leave and meeting pretty girls. Now as I look back
I am sorry that when I was in Japan and Korea I did not take advantage of
the situation. We did very little sightseeing and made few attempts to learn
about the people or the country.
Any odd or strange memories from the war:
Nothing comes to mind
Most heroic thing I saw or did:
Once in Korea in the middle of the night one of the pilots went nuts and
got his 45 loaded it and pulled the barrel back putting a round in the chamber.
Its a sound you recognise. He was threating to shot up the barracks. One
of the other pilots talked him out of it while all the rest of us cowered
in our beds.
Where I was and how I celebrated when I learned the war was
over:
WE were on IeShima and I suppose we had a drink or two.
How having gone to war has affected me, what comes to mind when I think
of the war:
I think the war matured all of us. I went to Law school on the GI Bill
and worked much harder than I had in college before the war. We were treated
quite well, there wqere so many of us that none of us felt special or that
we were owed anything. The first thing My buddy, Frank Mathias, and I did
in Seatle, was go out on the town. As I recall I met a very lovely airline
stewardess and we had a very nice evening. When I got back to the hotel room
Frank was fast asleep on the floor by the door.
To future generations:
This sounds a little presumptuous for me.