Chapter 6

“I spent seven days at the Allied hospital and seven more, authorized to wounded personnel for my leg wound and moderate burns, like a very bad sunburn, to my hands and face. I sent my parents a telegram to say that I was okay, had suffered a small leg wound and some light burns, and would fully recover. I also wrote them a good, long letter. An Army sergeant went around to all the wounded to confirm their serial number, name, rank, trade classification, serving unit, or ship. My question was where I would be assigned next. Like most everyone else, I had to be issued another set of clothes and belongings.”

“While I recovered, I read every newspaper I could find and listened to any news about the war. Guys from all branches of the service would go from bed to bed asking if anyone knew this one or that one. I recognized several guys from the Lexington and Yorktown. We’d discuss who we knew and wonder if they’d made it or not. It seemed I was the only pilot amongst this group who was injured but had survived, and I wondered where the others might have gone.”

“I was told the carrier, USS Wasp, would be my next shiip. She was currently on her way to the Pacific from the Atlantic theatre. With the loss of the Lexington and Yorktown, the Navy was down to three carriers.”

“I received my orders, and on July 1st, I took a transport ship to the Tonga Islands, and boarded the Wasp. I would be commanded by Lieutenant Commander Shands as a member of VF 71.”

“I shared a stateroom with two other pilots who’d been on the Wasp since it was first employed to support the British in Europe. They gave me a stunned look when I said I survived the sinking of the Lexington and Yorktown. I didn’t know if they felt sorry for me or that I might be a bad omen for the Wasp.”

“There were three things I discovered that were unique about the Wasp. She had an additional exterior elevator that could move planes between the main deck and hangar deck. She was equipped with four hydraulic catapults, two on the main deck and two on the hangar deck, to launch planes. Third, she was the first carrier I flew from that was able to conduct night flying.”

“The Wasp crew spent the better part of a month practising day and night operations, along with the carriers Saratoga and Enterprise. We figured out all this training was going to lead to something big, and it did. Our task was to support the Marines taking on the Japanese on Guadalcanal.”

“I received night training while in flight school, but nothing close to what I had to do on the Wasp. I had to relearn navigating at night in flight and squadron formation, plus several times on my own. The times when I was flying to or from a mission, especially at night, were when I was the most peaceful. I loved the full moon’s reflection on the water during a clear night.”

“I had mentioned a few things that scared me during the war, and another was when I had to land my plane on the Wasp at night. The deck was lit so as not to give away our position, and it was nerve-wracking to see this huge, black thing suddenly appear. The Landing Officer would use coloured flashlight cones to help guide us in.”

“Another aspect of the Wasp I had to learn was that my plane was being launched by a catapult, whether it was on the main deck or from the hangar deck. I’d have my Wildcat on full throttle, and the mechanism holding my plane in place would release, and I’d shoot about 100 feet along the deck and take off. I made sure my head was against the back headrest, or it would suddenly be pressed backwards too fast. It sure made my heart rush at the sudden force of taking off, then the plane dipping several feet as it fought to gain altitude.”

“The deck crew was very proficient and could launch planes using the deck catapult about every forty-five seconds.”

“The morning of August 7th, the Wasp, Saratoga, and Enterprise, along with heavy cruisers and destroyers, had taken up position to the east of Guadalcanal. I was part of a group of sixteen Wildcats that took off from the Wasp to attack land-based targets.”

“It was vital that we take the partially completed airstrip from the Japanese without destroying it in the process. We attacked our targets with short bursts of fifty cal hitting anything on the ground. I was sent by Lieutenant Commander Shands to join another incoming group to do CAP duties, so the fighters could continue their strafing runs. From high above, I could see the Dauntless and Avenger bombers dropping their loads, bursting clouds of orange, yellow, and dust, marking their impact.”

“Soon, several Zeros were spotted, so we performed the Thach Weave. Ensign Mark Pearson and I worked together, criss crossing each other. The Zero trained in on him as I came around on his port side. I let go a short burst, and the port-side guns ran out of ammo after about ten shots. I let go another burst, and the starboard guns jammed. I only had a split second to act and distract the Japanese pilot; otherwise, Mark would have been shot down for sure. I banked hard right and flew between the Zero and Pearson practically scaring the crap out of me.”

“It felt like we were only inches apart when I passed by the Zero’s prop. I could feel and hear several bullets hit the fuselage behind my cockpit from his guns. I certainly caught his attention, and he turned to chase me. I radioed to Pearson in a panic that my ammo was out and my guns had jammed. I was now the hunted as I pressed full throttle to gain altitude. I pointed steeply toward the sun, hoping to lose him in the brightness. I banked hard right and left, going in and out of the sun’s bright glare.”