On Nov 12, 2017, Bob (not my real pseudonym) wrote
(in article<eccg0dtkkaeaub08reu1at011hmbe4iq7q@4ax.com>):
> On Sat, 11 Nov 2017 05:53:19 -0800, Savageduck
> <savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me.com> wrote:
>
> > On Nov 11, 2017, Bob (not my real pseudonym) wrote
> > (in article<84td0dprrr63bk8gbu37q9srbqj9sbi9q2@4ax.com>):
> >
> > > On Sat, 11 Nov 2017 01:08:06 -0800, Savageduck
> > > <savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > A Veteran's Day Salute to all those who have served, and to those
> > > > currently serving.
> > > >
> > > > That includes my Dad, USAAF 1943-1947, 5th AF, 49th Fighter Group, 9th
> > > > Fighter Sqn. Silver Star, DFC + OLC, Air Medal + 5 OLC. 4 kills, and
> > > > some unconfirmed.
> > > >
> > > > He is 94 years old, and hanging in there.
> > >
> > > My respect and my thanks to him!
> >
> > Thanks for that. I will pass the message on when I speak to him later this
> > morning.
> >
> > I should have added a few more snippets of info; he graduated from class 43G
> > at Craig Field. He originally shipped out To New Guinea in 1943 as a P-47
> > relief pilot. However, the 9th FS were soon re-equiped with new P-38J’s.
> >
> > In two tours he accumulated 500+ combat hours in 160 combat missions. He
> > also
> > has the Asiatic-Pacific Theater medal with battle stars for The Bismark
> > Archipeligo, New Guinea, Borneo, Leyte, Lingayen Gulf, & Okinawa campaigns.
>
> My dad, long gone, flew C-47s in Europe in the latter days of WWII. He
> never really talked about it much, and I don't have much information
> on his units.
I am fortunate in that my father has given me all of his military records
including orders, basic, and advanced flight school records and logs at Craig
Field, and Page Field.
These include action reports. Some of those are interesting, he has one
mission to Balikpapen, Borneo which started from Biak Island, and was at the
time the longest escort mission of the war, and they had to fight over the
target with belly tanks in place. That was when Dick Bong, and Tommy McGuire
were chasing for kill score. Both of them added two kills on that mission,
and my father got his first kills, a ‘Zeke’ and an ‘Oscar’. It was a
target rich environment.
He also has another mission where Charles Lindbergh, on his Pacific tour,
flew as his wing man. At the end of that mission Lindbergh signed Dad’s
‘Short Snorter’ which I have.
<https://www.dropbox.com/s/fgpzb4ufcyk2y7u/SS59.jpeg>
On 19 & 21 August 1945, with four other P-38s from the 9th FS, he flew
escort for the ‘Surrender Betties’ between Ie Shima and Japan. For those
flights they also carried 2 x 300 gal. belly tanks.
>
> Do have this one Kodachrome slide he took of a B-17 they met one
> day...
--
Regards,
Savageduck
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