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Lucky 666

Page 32

by Bob Drury


  Cromie, Robert. “Beat Up, Shot Up, but ‘Fort’ Downs 5 Zeroes,” Chicago Tribune, June 21, 1943.

  ———. “M’Arthur Blasts Rabaul,” Chicago Tribune, October 14, 1943.

  Crow, Jonathan. “Dr. Seuss Draws Anti-Japanese Cartoons During WWII,” Open Culture, August 20, 2014.

  Darnton, John. “Swamp Ghosts,” Smithsonian Magazine, October 2007.

  Davenport, Walter. “Impregnable Pearl Harbor,” Collier’s, June 14, 1941.

  DeStefano, Dana. “Memorial Honors Medal Winners,” Scranton Times, July 9, 2006.

  Dunn, Richard L. “The Search for General Walker: New Insights,” Air Power History, Fall 2014.

  DuPre, Flint. “USAF and the Medal of Honor,” Air Force Magazine, March 1967.

  Durdin, Tillman. “Skip Bombing Sank Cruiser at Kavieng,” New York Times, April 1, 1943.

  “Dying Flier Downs 2 Japanese Planes,” New York Times, August 10, 1943.

  Flannery, Joseph X. “Irish Heroes Remembered,” Scranton Times, March 16, 1999.

  ———. “Rare Honors for Rare People,” Scranton Times, November 23, 1996.

  Futch, Michael. “Members of 5th Army Air Force 43rd Bomb Group Hold Reunion in Fayetteville,” Fayetteville Observer, September 22, 2013.

  Glodek, Sgt. Dan. “Their Last Measure of Devotion,” Lackawanna Historical Society Journal, Summer 2006.

  ———. “The Other Medal of Honor Story: Remembering Lt. Joseph R. Sarnoski,” Lackawanna Historical Society Journal, Winter 2005.

  Hanley, Charles J. “An Old Pilot Grieves Bombardier’s Death,” Associated Press, September 4, 1995.

  Haskins, Mardell. “Flying B-24s in WWII,” Southwest Aviation Report, August 2013.

  Hastings, H. T. “No Survivors,” Saturday Evening Post, May 1943.

  “Hero Is Now Aviation Engineer,” Newark Evening News, July 22, 1946.

  Humphreys, Ned. “By Resolute Defense—At Price of His Life,” Crosshairs, June 1990.

  Hyde, Ed. “Medal of Honor Mission of Capt. Zeamer’s ‘Screwball’ Aces,” Stag Magazine, February 1965.

  “Jay Zeamer, a Decorated Pilot in World War II, Dies at 88,” Los Angeles Times, March 26, 2007.

  Kashuba, Cheryl A. “Remembering the Valor of Four Area Sons,” Times Tribune (PA), July 12, 2009.

  King, Lydia. “Some First Hand Observations on Combat Stress,” Aging & Mental Health, March 2007.

  Kostka, Del C. “Air Reconnaissance in the Second World War,” Military History Online.

  “LBJ’s Lies About His War Record,” History News Network, July 18, 2001.

  Lindbloom, Roland E. “Jersey Honor Medals Listed,” New York Times, January 5, 1946.

  Lundstrom, John B. “Frank Jack Fletcher Got a Bum Rap,” Naval History Magazine, Summer 1992.

  Manson, Norma. “2 Aircrew Students Already Have Seen a Lot of War; One Got ‘10 or 15’ Japs,” Youngstown Vindicator, December 1944.

  McMillan, Kelsey. “Aerial Gunner Training,” Bomber Legends, thebombercommand.info.

  “Mortally Wounded Airman Sticks to Guns, Downs Two,” Springfield (MA) Republican, August 10, 1943.

  “Nebraskans at War,” Parts I and II, Nebraska History: A Quarterly Magazine, January–March 1944 and April–June 1944, Nebraska State Historical Society.

  “Old Pilot, Young Bombardier Together Again at Gravesite,” Maine Sunday Telegram, September 3, 1995.

  “Orange Airman Awarded Congressional Medal,” Newark Evening News, January 7, 1944.

  “Parents See Air Hero Receive Medal,” Omaha World Herald, January 7, 1944.

  Rayner, P. A. “Airmen Fight for Lives in Shark Infested Waters,” New York Telegraph, February 3, 1943.

  ———. “Big Fires in New Raid Add to Rabaul Desolation,” New York Telegraph, January 3, 1943.

  ———. “Nine Ships in Jap Convoy Hit,” New York World Telegraph, April 3, 1943.

  “Richmond Wife of Slain Aviator Receives Award,” Catholic Virginian, February 1944.

  Scher, Rhoda. “Death Took a Holiday,” The Oranges and Montclair, August 1947.

  “Sr. Commander Vaughan Veteran of 73 Missions,” Youngstown Vindicator, November 1943.

  Tremaine, Frank. “Admiral Halsey on Bougainville,” United Press, November 16, 1943.

  Turner, Cal. “Bartender Stirs Memories of WWII Mission,” Sunday Patriot-News, August 4, 1985.

  “Valor: Battle over Bougainville,” Air Force Magazine, December 1985.

  Veysey, Arthur. “Kenney Jolts the Japs,” Chicago Sunday Tribune, September 24, 1944.

  Wagner, Bill. “Sarnoski WWII Mementos Donated to Merli Center,” Scranton Times, July 29, 2007.

  Wiecks, Michael J. “The 1918 Influenza Epidemic in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,” Cumberland County History, Summer/Winter 2005.

  Wilson, Edward O. “A Manual for Life,” New York Times Book Review, November 9, 2014.

  “Without ‘Melodrama,’ ” Newark Evening News, January 5, 1944.

  “World Battlefronts: For the Honor of God,” Time, January 18, 1943.

  Zeamer, Lt. Col. Jay, Jr. “There’s Always a Way!” American Magazine, January 1945.

  OTHER

  Airforce.togetherweserved.com.

  Air Information Bulletin Number 19, U.S. Air Force archives.

  “B-17 Communication Equipment,” airpages.ru.

  “B-17E ‘Lucy’ Serial Number 41-2666,” pacificwrecks.com.

  “B-17 Flight Controls,” warbirdinformationexchange.org.

  Biographical Sketch of Jeremiah Zeamer (Zeamer Family Papers).

  Bragg, Russell M. “First Bombing Mission,” kensmen.com.

  “Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker,” pacificwrecks.com.

  Britton, J. T., Oral History, American Airpower Heritage Museum, Midland, TX, March 1, 1999.

  “Capt. Lindsey on Skip Bombing,” kensmen.com.

  Cicala, Roger. “The Most Honored Photograph,” petapixel.com.

  Drea, Edward J. “New Guinea,” U.S. Army Center of Military History.

  Fletcher, Arthur A. “Penetrating the Philippine Blockade,” kensmen.com.

  43rd Bomb Group Official History.

  Gammill, Ed. “From Boston to Sydney on the Queen Mary,” kensmen.com.

  “Japanese Submarines Prowl the U.S. Pacific Coastline in 1941,” historynet.com.

  “Jay Zeamer, Jr.,” arlingtoncemetery.net.

  Jay Zeamer Jr. papers (Zeamer Family Papers).

  Jay Zeamer’s Training and Wartime Experiences, as told to his brother, R. Jere Zeamer (Zeamer Family Papers).

  Kostka, Del C. “Air Reconnaissance in the Second World War,” Military History Online.

  “Lt. Col. John T. Britton,” togetherweserved.com.

  “MacArthur Deserts ‘The Battling Bastards of Bataan’ and Escapes to Australia,” pacificwar.org.au.

  “Major Scott on Skip Bombing,” kensmen.com.

  Manuel, Lt. Col. Kent L. “General Kenney As a Strategic War Leader,” research report submitted to the faculty of the Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL, April 1996.

  “The Mapping Mission,” airforce.togetherweserved.com.

  Marjorie Zeamer biography (Zeamer Family Papers).

  “Mission over Buka,” Jay Zeamer Jr. (Zeamer Family Papers).

  “The Most Decorated Single Aircrew of World War II,” theirfinesthour.blogspot.com, June 16, 2013.

  “Old 666: Fantastic Voyage of the Cursed Bomber,” Parts I and II, specialoperations.com.

  “Pennsylvania at War 1941–1945,” Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1946.

  “Pennsylvania’s Second Year at War,” Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1945.

  Rembisz, Jim. “Wings of Valor II: Jay Zeamer and Joseph Sarnoski,” homeofheroes.com.

  Report of the Borough of Carlisle, PA, 1922.

  “Résumé of Skip Bombing,” kensmen.com.

  Schoger, H. G. “They Did Culver Proud,” Culver Academies brochure.

  Sketch of Early Life
of Lt. Col. Jay Zeamer Jr., by Mrs. Jay Zeamer (mother) (Zeamer Family Papers).

  Sketch of Jay Zeamer Sr. (Zeamer Family Papers).

  SS Argentina passenger manifest, January 23, 1942.

  Stahl, George R. “A Monkey Rides My Shoulder.” Unpublished reminiscences.

  “Tugboat Annie,” pacificwrecks.com.

  “22nd Bombardment Group,” historyofwar.org.

  22nd Bomb Group Official History.

  “22nd Bomb Group: The Red Raiders in Australia During WW2,” ozatwar.com.

  WWII Air War. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration. Six-DVD set.

  YouTube interview with Jay Zeamer, 2007.

  Zeamer, Jeremiah. “John Zeamer and His Descendants” from Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, J. H. Beers & Co., 1905.

  INDEX

  A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.

  An n following a page number refers to the note section.

  A6M3 fighter plane, 265

  A-20 Havoc bombers, 138

  Abenaki Indians, 12

  Able, Johnnie, 191–92, 203, 212, 215, 230, 231, 250, 254, 255, 260, 269, 272, 274, 279, 282, 285, 286, 287, 289, 291, 301, 302

  Admiralty Islands, 225, 248, 301

  Advanced Flight School, 111, 243

  African Americans, 128–29

  Air Cadets, 243

  Air Force (film), 193

  Air Force News, 306

  Air Force, U.S., 287, 302, 304

  Air Force Reserves, 302

  Air Power, 163n

  air-sea rescues, 82n

  Air Service, U.S., 36

  Engineering School of, 114

  Akagi, 100

  Albuquerque, N.M., 296

  American Caesar (Manchester), 60, 66n, 145n

  American Expeditionary Force, 27

  American Pacific Fleet, 48, 189

  amphibious landings, 92, 100, 102

  Andrews, Frank, 113

  Anschluss, 20

  Argentina, SS, 61–63, 180

  Arlington National Cemetery, 306

  Army, U.S., 213

  African-American troops in, 128–29

  Center of Military History of, 253

  field manual of, 226

  2nd Raider Regiment of, 292

  Army Air Corps, 23–25, 28, 32, 35–36, 47, 75, 115, 140, 188, 192, 302

  Advanced Flight School of, 24–25

  Aircraft Armorer course of, 32

  Bombsight Maintenance course of, 32

  Chemical Warfare course of, 32

  Flight School of, 23

  Primary Flying School of, 24

  Tactical School of, 114, 139

  see also Army Air Forces, U.S.

  Army Air Forces, U.S. (USAAF), 4, 28–29, 44–45, 69, 84, 119, 128, 136n, 138, 146, 149, 182, 212, 215, 218, 225, 231, 243, 244, 297, 300

  beginning of, 36; see also Army Air Corps

  “Bomber Mafia” of, 146

  Caribbean Defense Command of, 112

  coveralls issued by, 106

  crews lost to accidents in, 65

  Japanese records vs. records from, 282n

  see also specific Bomb Groups

  Army Air Services, U.S., 27, 114, 192, 234

  Army Artillery Corps, U.S., 35

  Army Corps of Engineers, 292

  ROTC program of, 19

  Army Infantry Corps, U.S., 35

  Army of the Potomac, 187

  Army Reserves, 20–21, 303

  Arnold, Henry H. “Hap,” 36, 69, 116, 179, 297–98, 301

  Art of War (Sun Tzu), 186

  Ashburn, Doyle, 11

  assassination, 226

  Associated Press, 203

  Astro Tracker Dome, 256

  atom bombs, 105n

  Auschwitz, gas chambers at, 40

  Austin, Bernard, 292n

  Australia, 42, 53, 56, 60, 63, 64, 67–70, 76–80, 83, 92–93, 98, 99, 102, 103, 106, 109, 115–16, 119, 120, 121, 133, 138, 140, 142, 168, 181, 190, 193, 203, 210, 221, 296

  hospitality in, 76–77

  immigration restrictions in, 128

  Japanese invasion of, 131, 133

  POWs from, 73–74, 129

  Australian Imperial Forces (AIF), 77

  Austria, 20

  Axis powers, 66

  Ayres, Lew, 224

  B-17 Flying Fortresses, 28, 37, 38, 60–61, 67n, 72, 74n, 75, 101, 110, 122, 127, 129, 144, 147, 149, 150, 152, 162, 191, 201–2, 251, 259, 265

  as able to “surf,” 278

  attack on Rabaul by, 75

  ball turret of, 215, 216–17

  Boeing’s construction of, 45–46

  Clark Airfield bombing and, 61

  communication equipment on, 208

  deadly fighting qualities of, 296

  interior of, 193–94

  Japanese respect for, 85

  lack of trained crews for, 221

  machine guns on, 207–8, 214

  maneuverability of, 151

  mortality rate for crews of, 216

  new series of, 296

  Norden bombsights on, 47–48

  nose as most vulnerable point of, 217–18, 246

  piss pipes on, 217

  reconnaissance flights of, 153–54

  Zeamer’s admiration for, 46–48, 111, 151, 180

  see also specific planes

  B-18 Bolos, 38, 39, 48, 49, 57, 58, 61

  anti-submarine patrols of, 243

  B-24 Liberators, 72, 111, 162, 221, 231, 232, 278

  speed of, 233

  B-25 Mitchells, 138, 167, 197

  Gunn’s modification of, 138

  in raids on Tokyo, 87

  B-26 Marauders (“Widow Makers”), 36–37, 39, 46–47, 50, 53, 57, 58, 78, 80, 85, 101, 108, 109, 111, 142, 151, 223, 230, 278

  in Battle of Midway, 99–100

  in flight to Australia, 65

  landings with, 38–39

  in raids on Rabaul, 79, 82, 84, 85–86, 107

  takeoffs with, 37–38, 51, 106, 109

  in tropical storms, 84

  Bagana, Mount, 1–2, 264

  Baja peninsula, 53

  Ballale, 227

  ball turret gunner, 215, 216–17

  Baltimore, Md., 32

  Bangor, Maine, 33, 61, 63

  Bataan, 67, 137

  Bataan Death March, 60

  Bate, Fred, 35

  Bates, William, 21–22

  Bates Method, 21–23

  Battle Damage Assessment (BDA), 140

  battle fatigue, 253

  Battle of Britain, 35

  Bayliss, Frank, 26

  Bellows Field, 57–58

  belly gunner, 215, 216–17

  Benn, Bill, 140–44, 146, 147–48, 150, 161–62, 164, 175, 176–77, 182, 220, 233, 262

  death of, 177, 185

  Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, 193

  Bethlehem Steel Company, 193

  Bismarck Archipelago, 58, 69, 70, 100, 120

  Bismarck Sea, 70, 195, 202, 231, 232, 301

  Bismarck Sea, Battle of, 197–99, 200, 243, 296

  Japanese losses in, 198–99

  Black Jack bomber, 144, 148–49, 150–51, 178, 219

  Blanche Bay, 155

  Bleasdale, Jack, 162

  Blitz Buggy, 230

  “Bloody Track,” 101

  Blues in the Nite, 219–20

  Boeing Airplane Company, 28, 44–45

  B-17s constructed by, 45–46, 191

  bombardiers, 28

  Bomber Command, 106

  Bomb Group Headquarters, 221

  Bombsight Maintenance Course, 243

  Booth, John Wilkes, 226

  Boothbay Harbor, Maine, 12–13, 259, 300, 304, 306
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  Boston, Mass., 48, 49

  Bougainville Island, 1–4, 159, 165, 169, 172, 173, 199, 227, 228, 237, 239, 255, 259, 279, 282n

  Australian coastwatchers in, 240, 251

  Japanese defense of, 238–39, 241, 252

  reconnaissance of, 237, 240–47, 248, 250–53, 257, 262, 264–65, 269–79, 287, 290, 291–92, 301

  reinforcements sent to, 238

  U.S. invasion and capture of, 292n, 293

  U.S. planning for invasion of, 236–37, 238–39, 251, 291–92

  Boy Scouts of America, 14–15, 20, 24, 33, 108, 158, 299

  Brandon, Henry, 222

  Brett, George, 67–68, 69, 111–12, 113, 116, 136

  Brisbane, 64, 65, 68, 76, 78, 92, 93, 115–16, 119, 121, 133, 143, 145, 220, 234, 240

  Britton, John “J. T.,” 242–43, 244, 246, 250, 256, 262, 269, 271, 275, 276, 282, 283, 285–86, 290, 301, 304

  Britton, Josephine, 304

  Brooklyn Dodgers, 157n

  Brougher, William, 60

  Browning, John, 213

  Bryn Mawr University, 290

  Buffalo News, 105

  Buin, 227, 238, 239, 241, 262

  Buka airstrip, 1

  Buka Island, 1, 2, 238–39, 241, 251–52, 255–62, 267, 282n

  enemy fighters on, 260–61

  reconnaissance of, 252–53, 254, 255–62, 257, 263–64, 287, 291–92, 301

  Buka Passage, 251, 254, 259, 260

  Bull Run, First Battle of, 186

  Bulova, Arde, 121

  Buna, 101, 102, 103, 117, 119–20, 122, 139, 152, 156, 159, 160n, 167–68, 172, 195, 244, 245, 301

  Burke, Arleigh, 292n

  Burma, 235, 304

  Bushido, 43, 85

  Cairns, Australia, 132

  California, 50, 52, 191, 303

  California, University of, at Davis, 242

  Cape Endiaidere, 285

  Cape Gloucester, 196

  Cape Torokina, 239

  Carbondale, Pa., 29–30, 31, 193, 299, 303

  Carlisle, Pa., 10–11, 30

  Caroline Islands, 72

  carpet bombing, 147

  Catalina Flying Boats, 39, 68, 74, 80, 82n

  Cat in the Hat, The (Dr. Seuss), 105

  censorship, 57, 59

  Charles, Thomas, 177, 182

  Chennault, Claire, 235

  Chicago, USS, 167

  China, 40, 41, 49, 135, 235, 304

  China-Burma-India Theater, 304

  Choiseul, 236

  Churchill, Winston, 168

  Cicero, 300

  Civil War, U.S., 186–87, 226

  Clark Airfield, 60, 61

  code breakers, 93, 99, 196, 201

  Collier’s, 49

  Confederacy (aerial reconnaissance used on), 187

  Congress, U.S., 66, 242–43

 

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