Page 94 - Family History
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Family Stories





               carrying on a softening up operation in preparation for the future amphibious

               attack. On that day, we had the air/sea rescue duty for our task group and


               were standing by ready to be catapulted on ten minute’s notice.



               About ten o’clock word was received that one of our fighters had been shot down

               about two miles east of the capital city of Naha. So Backie and I were launched.

               Backie had Matlock, one of our radiomen as his passenger and they were to

               protect me, guide me and stand by to navigate and communicate.



               At 1130 we rounded the southern tip of Okinawa with four F4U’s as escort


               fighters. The sky was full of our planes but the only Jap planes we saw were

               on the airfield less than ¼ of a mile away, at the Naha airdrome.



               Backie and I with the help of our fighters started to search the area. After

               about 40 minutes we located the dye marker (green dye a man in the water

               releases to mark his position) but it had almost completely dissipated and no


               survivor was seen anywhere in the area. In searching, Backie, with great

               courage, searched along the shoreline, easily within range of the great number of

               A/A [anti-aircraft] guns. In fact, he flew over an enemy destroyer that later

               shot down one of our attacking fighters. We never flew over 500 feet or faster


               than 90 knots. But we flew erratically which prevents enemy gunners from

               tracking a plane long enough to fire at it effectively. Backie did some great

               flying – I was proud of him.



               One of our dangers was our own fighters. Our escort broke up several runs on

               us by friendly fighters who evidently didn’t believe that slow, vulnerable float





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