Re: Pearl Harbor Day

Rich Murray Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Greg Scholl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Pearl Harbor started it and Midway turned the
> tide
> > after the Doolittle Raid gave them a taste of
> > their own medicine. I recently saw the new
> movie
> > "Midway" which covers all three of these events.
>
> > All I have read seems to point out it is much
> more
> > "Correct History" than the one with Charleton
> > Heston. I recommend it. Lots of SBD Dauntless
> > and CGI effects, but well done for the most
> part.
> > About 5 years ago one of the Atlanta Wing of
> the
> > Commemorative Air Force brought a Dauntless to
> > Cincinnati and I did a video on it. At the
> time
> > only 2 were operational!
> >
> > Locally, there was a radio interview with a PH
> > survivor, and he was 98!
> >
> > Greg
>
> Greg, There was another incident during that time
> which seldom gets covered anymore. I guess because
> we didn't finish on top. On Dec 8th Japan attacked
> the USAAC's Clark Field base in the Philippines.
> That was the start of the defense of the
> Philippines which ended with the surrender of
> Corregidor. An uncle was with the Air Corp at
> Clark Field. The troops there fought their way
> down to Bataan where they eventually surrendered
> and had to endure the infamous "death march". My
> uncle was "lucky". He was wounded in Bataan and
> transported to the Army Hospital on Corregidor,
> missing the march. After the surrender of Bataan,
> the Japanese started the siege, and a 24 hr a day
> bombardment, of Corregidor. The American (and
> Filipino) troops held out for about three months
> during which my "lucky" uncle was again wounded.
> When the island surrendered he was put on an
> unmarked* hospital ship flying Japan's colors and
> transported to the island of Japan and when he
> recovered enough (by the guards' standards) put to
> work in the mines. They were liberated 3 1/2
> years later.
>
> *I understand that some of those unmarked hospital
> ships were sunk by Allied submarines.

One of my favorite aircraft is the B-25 Mitchell. Am currently reading a book called "The Air Apaches". It chronicles the 345th Bomb group from is training in the US to its missions in the Pacific, from 1943 to the end of the war. Real interesting read. If you ever see a restored B-25 with the Indian Headress on the tail (Verticle twin stabilizers) of a B-25, those were the "Air Apaches" of the 345th.
They were also known for the different nose art, including a Falcon, Bat, and 2 others I forgot at the moment. But they looked menacing to the opposition at any rate. The B-25's were first made famous by the Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942, but they were important in both theaters of operation but moreso in the Pacific. You mentioned Clark Field, and the 345th was involved with getting it back and later had a base there before the end of the war. Some of the stuff in this book is incredible including some of the bad things that happened to U.S. prisoners!! We should be very grateful for the Victory in WW2.
Greg