Category: History

Memorial Day 2025; Honor Those Who Have Served to Protect Our Liberty and Freedoms

On By acarothersvlrmIn History, Intro/Miscellaneous1 Comment

“Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald W. Reagan, 40th President of the United States of America

Joe Rosenthal/Associated Press via Fold3

This Memorial Day we have a chance to pause and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We owe them such a tremendous debt, for the freedoms we enjoy today were paid for with an extremely high price! Their sacrifices ensures that our liberties and freedoms largely continue today – from the ability to gather with loved ones, to worship together, to speak as we see fit (and the companion right not to be forced to speak that which we know to be false), and to assemble and peacefully protest to effectuate change.

Captain John W.L. Benbow, 457th Fighter Squadron, 506th Fighter Group; Lost on the July 16, 1945 Strike Mission to Nagoya

The statue below is outside of the National Archives building in Washington D.C. It is of an ever watchful soldier holding his helmet, sword, and shield. The inscription below the statue reads “ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY”.

Guardianship Statute by James Fraser (Photo by Jeff Reed, National Archives)

Let us not be asleep at the wheel. We have forces from within that are intolerant, and this intolerance is being cultivated in our schools, colleges and universities. Speech which a few years ago was considered normal speech, is now being touted as hate speech. And we are now being told that we need to address certain individuals in ways that has no basis in reality.

Six thousand eight hundred twenty-one United States servicemen lost their lives securing in the battle for Iwo Jima. Many more, like Captain Benbow, lost their lives in bringing World War II to a close. If we do not protect our liberty and freedoms, the sacrifices made by them, and so many more, will have been in vain.

Thank You Veterans!

On By acarothersvlrmIn History, Intro/Miscellaneous1 Comment

Today, November 11th, is the federal holiday in the United States to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

78th Fighter Squadron pilots pose for a picture with one of their Curtiss P-40K Warhawks while stationed on Midway Island in 1943 (Mark Stevens/7th Fighter Command Association)

Veterans Day coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are commemorated in other countries, marking the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of 11th month of 1918, when the armistice with Germany went into effect.

Ground crew and pilots assigned to 640 “The Shawnee Princess/Empire Commuter” pose for a picture in front of their 462nd Fighter Squadron P-51D Mustang. From left of right: Cpl. Sheetz (armorer), Cpl. Riley (radioman), 1st Lt. Seale (pilot), Capt. Zagorsky (pilot), and Sgt. Jackson (crew chief) (506th Fighter Group Association)

Originally known as Armistice Day in the United States, it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 at the urging of the major organizations representing veterans in the United States.

Crew members of “Thumper” pose for a picture in front of their Boeing B-29 Superfortress on Tinian Island in 1945 (870th Bomb Squadron, 497th Bomb Group, 73rd Bombardment Wing)

Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day which is observed in May of each year. Veterans Day commemorates the service of all those who served in the United States Armed Forces, while Memorial Day specifically honors those who died in military service to our country.

457th Fighter Squadron pilots pose for a picture along side 642 “Fighting Lady” (506th Fighter Group Association)

Thank you to all veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Your service and sacrifices to protect and preserve the freedoms we continue to enjoy are greatly appreciated!

Photo(s) of the Week: 6th Marine War Dog Platoon; In Memory of Lt. Robert Worth

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This post and the pictures are somewhat off topic because they have nothing to do with aviation, but the story is so neat I could not ignore sharing it with everyone.

Back on November 8, 2020, the Omaha World-Herald ran a story about a 103 year old Marine veteran who lived in Omaha and commanded the 6th Marine War Dog Platoon. The 6th Marine War Dog Platoon consisted of 32 German Shepards and Doberman Pinschers and their handlers. Lt. Robert Worth commanded the 6th Marine War Dog Platoon and trained many of the dogs in the platoon. Their first deployment was on Iwo Jima. The dogs were trained to sniff out enemy combatants in caves, and to carry messages through battlegrounds.

USAAF/National Archives via Fold3

The official caption for the above photo reads: “Pfc. Ricky, half collie, half shepard, is shown crawling into the mouth of a cave. He is a member of the 6th War Dog Platoon. Ricky is considered the most obedient dogs in the platoon and will carry out orders regardless of interference of other dogs or personnel, IWO JIMA”.

USAAF/National Archives via Fold3

The official caption for the above photo reads: “Looking out from inside of the cave is a Jap[anese] eye view of Pfc. Karl and his handler, Roy L. Jackson, also a Pfc., of Jack Horn, Ky. Roy was a veternarian in civilian life. Of the thirty-two dogs in his platoon, Roy knows the name, rank and serial number of them by heart. He knows which dogs like him best and those that like him the least. IWO JIMA”.

Lt. Worth and a friend enlisted in the United States Marines shortly after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. He was assigned 2nd Marine Regiment and participated in the battle for Guadalcanal in the Soloman Islands. In 1943, then Sergeant Worth was selected to become an officer. Upon completion of his training, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in February 1944. He took command of the 6th Marine War Dog Platoon which trained their dogs at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Lt. Worth personally witnessed the flag raising on Mt. Surbachi captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal.

Robert Worth passed away on August 14, 2024 at the age of 106 years.

References:

  1. Omaha Vet, 103, trained Marine war dogs at Iwo Jima, Steve Liewer; Omaha World-Herald, November 8, 2020.
  2. Marine dog handler dies at 106, Steve Liewer; Omaha World-Herald, August 29, 2024.

Photo(s) of the Week: 7th Air Force Bombing Campaign IV – Air-to-Air Phosphorus Bombs

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The Japanese air forces on Iwo Jima were losing the war of attrition brought on by the relentless 7th Air Force bombing campaign. Unable to consistently replace aircraft damaged from combat and bombing, the Japanese would resort to using air-to-air phosphorus bombs to break up the bomber formations and destroy more bombers.

USAAF/National Archives via Fold3

Japanese aircraft, mostly Mitsubishi A6M5 Zeros, would position themselves above the B-24 formations and release their phosphorus bombs which would explode over the formations sending phosphorus bomblets in a 300 yard wide pattern down onto the path of the bombers. Each 32 kg bomb would hold 75 steel encased phosphorus bomblets.

USAAF/National Archives via Fold3

While very unsettling for bomber crews, the phosphorus air to air bombs were largely ineffective. More 7th Air Force B-24s were lost to ordinary flak than to phosphorus bombs.

Photo(s) of the Week: XXI Bomber Command B-29s Bomb Iwo Jima

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On October 12, 1944, Joltin’ Josie, The Pacific Pioneer, a 873rd Bomb Squadron, 498th Bomb Group B-29, landed on Isely Field, Saipan with Brig. General Haywood S. “Possum” Hansell, Jr. at the controls. Joltin’ Josie was the first B-29 to reach the Mariana Islands. The 498th Bomb Group was assigned to the 73rd Bombardment Wing, which was commanded by Brig. General Emmett “Rosy” O’Donnell. The 497th, 499th and 500th Bomb Groups were also assigned to the 73rd BW.

A total of six “shakedown” missions were flown by the B-29s of the 73rd BW against Truk and Iwo Jima prior to any missions being flown against targets in the Japanese Homeland. Two retaliatory strikes against Motoyama Airfiled #1 and Motoyama Airfield #2 were carried out on November 5th and 11th after Japanese aircraft on Iwo Jima staged a low-level raid on Isely Field on November 2nd damaging several B-29s.

“Thumper”, 870th Bomb Squadron, 497th Bomb Group, 73rd Bombardment Wing, 21st Bomber Command, 20th Army Air Force

Thumper, a 870th BS/497th BG B-29, participated in one of the bombing missions against Iwo Jima. The Iwo Jima bombing mission was the second mission flown by Thumper; Truk being the first. At the time this photo was taken, Thumper had also flown five missions against targets in Tokyo, and one mission against targets in Nagoya.

As can be seen from the photo above, its mission symbols were a smaller version of its cartoon nose art with the name of the target location printed on the bomb. Aerial victories were noted by a Japanese flag carried by cartoon character.

References:

How the Superfortress Paced the Attack Against Japan, Major James M. Boyle, USAF, Air Force Magazine, December, 1964.