War Stories II: Heroism in the Pacific

by Oliver North

  LST: Landing Ship Tank

  At 316 feet long, capable of carrying tanks, troops, and supplies onto a beach in an amphibious assault

  MIA: Missing in Action

  MOTHER SHIPS: Ordinary ships, usually submarines, that carried so-called “midget” submarines (see SPS) to sites close to their attack objective

  OSS: Office of Strategic Services

  World War II intelligence agency, forerunner of CIA

  PBY: Patrol Bomber aircraft

  The “Y” in the designation signifies the manufacturer, Consolidated Aircraft Corp

  POW: Prisoner of War

  RAF: Royal Air Force (Great Britain)

  RENTAI : Japanese word for “regiment”

  RISKOSENTAI : Japanese word for Imperial Navy marines

  SAR: Search and Rescue

  SEABEES: Nickname for CBs (Construction Battalion personnel)

  SENTAI: Japanese word for “wing,” as in Sentai Hiko

  SORTIE: A single mission flown by a single military aircraft

  SPS: Special Purpose Submarine(s)

  The “midget” submarines—seventy-eight feet long and six feet high—that were developed by the Japanese for special missions in World War II

  SS: Submarine

  TBS: Talk Between Ships

  Radio used on amphibious assaults

  VMF: Designation for USMC Fighter Squadron

  USAAC: United States Army Air Corps

  World War II predecessor to U.S. Air Force

  USS: United States Ship

  Abbreviated designation used with ship’s name to identify country of origin

  ZERO (AKA ZEKE) : Nickname given by American pilots for the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Reisan (pronounced ray-san) that ruled the skies over the Pacific. A later model of the Zero was nicknamed Zeke.

  ZERO WARD: Where wounded, sick, and dying patients were sent when nothing could be done to save them

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in one of his fireside chats to the American people in February 1942, said, “Never before have we had so little time to do so much.”

  That’s the way I’ve felt during this past year and a half after agreeing to do a series of books based on my FOX News Channel, War Stories television documentaries. The initial book was based on eyewitness accounts and reports filed while I was embedded with U.S. military units for FOX News from the middle of February through April 2003. Thanks to my producers in New York, my Iraq combat cameraman Griff Jenkins, and my friend Joe Musser, that initial work, War Stories: Operation Iraqi Freedom, stands as a first draft of history for a war that is still being fought.

  For this second book in our series, my publisher asked me to focus on the Pacific theater during World War II. Since none of us involved wanted this to be just another historical review of major battles or key events, we agreed that it must offer the kind of in-depth, first-person observations by participants for which War Stories has been acclaimed.

  That proved to be no mean task. It required reviewing hundreds of interviews, thousands of pages of transcripts, and miles of videotape in order to accurately capture the heroic experiences and subsequent reflections of those who fought these terrible battles. It was likewise important that the final product provide a context for their compelling eyewitness observations.

  Accomplishing all that in the time available was a goal that could only be achieved with the assistance of those whose help I acknowledge here. It is their commitment and hard work that makes these war stories so compelling—and inspiring.

  Foremost among those who made this book possible are the remarkable veterans who agreed to recount their experiences in the Pacific theater. All of us involved in this project have been enriched by their intensely personal recollections. We have all been moved by the way so many of them endured terrible privation, loneliness, fear, and savagery—and yet describe it all simply as “a job that had to be done.”

  The participants explain their victories, so critical to the outcome of the war, in a selfless, matter-of-fact way, with modesty and grace. Many told me things that they had never shared before—not even with their wives or children. I am grateful to them for that and grateful for their valor, dedication, and service to our country. These brave Americans are featured in every chapter, and recognized in the epilogue. You will find their names listed there.

  My admiration and gratitude also go to my wife and best friend, Betsy, and to our children and their spouses: daughters Sarah and her husband Martin; Tait and her husband Tom; and Dornin; and our son, Stuart and his wife, Ellen. There were all too many times when husband/dad was absent because of an always-impossible schedule, but they continue to show consummate understanding, devotion, and forgiveness.

  This book would not have happened but for the team at FOX News led by Roger Ailes. He had the vision to make War Stories a reality and a great success. Kevin Magee, Bill Shine, and John Moody have made it possible for me to hang around with heroes—past and present—so that I can document what they do and have done. Jack Abernethy pays the bills and in between hurricanes, Dianne Brandi tries to keep me out of trouble.

  Our War Stories Unit, headed by senior producer Pamela Browne, ensures that every televised documentary is flawless. Pamela personally made certain that the DVDs included in this book illuminate the eyewitness accounts of our participants. Producers Martin Hinton, Greg Johnson, Steve Tierney, Cyd Upson, and Ayse Weiting have all spent countless hours with each of the individuals we interviewed for this work, and in many cases built deeply personal relationships with these heroes and their families. My assistant producers were likewise essential to the success of this work. Kelly Guernica, Jason Kopp, and Bevin Mahoney devoted themselves to finding unique material for each of these heroic stories that otherwise might never have been recorded for posterity, while Michael Weiss mined hundreds of public and private sources for the historical photographs that appear in this book. My appreciation also goes to Peter Bregman for his help on the photo archives at Fox Movietone News, and to Don Brown for his contributions to the timeline.

  Joe Musser, my friend, collaborator, and research partner of many years, pored over hours and reams of War Stories tapes, transcripts, maps, and interviews and did months of research in order to pare down mountains of excellent possibilities to a workable outline. Joe also found in David Deis a cartographer of great talent, who rendered the superb maps for each chapter to help readers comprehend the events more easily.

  I’m more than grateful for the extraordinary assistance and forbearance of Marji Ross and her team at Regnery Publishing. Editor Miriam Moore and art director Amanda Larsen encouraged me with their patience and faith that this book really could get finished. Their associate, Paula Decker, ably assisted in that effort.

  This book, a collaboration between FOX News Channel and Regnery Publishing, could never have come about but for the work of Williams & Connelly, where Bob Barnett and Kathleen Ryan dotted all the “i”s and crossed every “t” in all the requisite documents.

  All who have worked on this project are indebted to the authors, historians, museum directors, and curators who have participated in our Pacific campaign War Stories documentaries. Helen McDonald, at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, deserves more than thanks for all she has done to support this work. We have also been aided in this effort by the wisdom and experience of:

  • Colonel Joe Alexander, author of Utmost Savagery: The Three Days at Tarawa

  • James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers

  • Burl Burlingame, author of Advance Force Pearl Harbor

  • Robert Cressman and Mark Horan, authors of A Glorious Page in Our History

  • Benis Frank, Marine historian and author of several books on Okinawa

  • Richard Frank, historian and author of Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of a Landmark Battle

  • Carroll Glines, author of Attack on Yamamoto and Jimmy Doolittle: Daredevil Aviat
or and Scientist

  • Donald Goldstein, author of At Dawn We Slept

  • Jack Green, curator and historian for the Naval Historical Center

  • Eric Hammel, author of Bloody Tarawa

  • Bradley Hartsell, military researcher

  • E. B. Potter, editor of Sea Power

  • Colonel John Ripley, director, U.S. Marine Corps History and Museums Division

  • Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers

  • R. D. Van Wagner, author of Any Time, Any Place, Anywhere

  • John Wiltshire, director, Hawaii Undersea Research Lab

  In order to even attempt such a project as this book without the help of all these people would have been foolhardy on my part, and I bow to these dedicated experts and friends who have made such worthy contributions to this work.

  Semper Fidelis,

  Oliver L. North

  INDEX

  A

  Aaron Ward, USS

  Abe, Hiroaki

  A-Go

  Akagi (Japanese carrier)

  Akatsuki (Japanese destroyer)

  Akui, Corporal

  Alaska

  Albacore, USS

  Albert, Eddie

  Albury. D.

  Aleutian Islands, Alaska

  Alexander, Harold

  Alison, John

  America, USS

  American Volunteer Group (AVG). See also Flying Tigers

  Anderson, First Sergeant

  Antares, USS

  Appalachian, USS

  Arizona, USS

  Arnold, Henry “Hap,” China-Burma-India theater and; Doolittle Raids and

  Asagumo (Japanese destroyer)

  Ashworth, Fred

  Astoria, USS

  Atago (Japanese cruiser)

  Atlanta, USS

  Atlantic Charter

  atomic bomb

  Austin, Paul

  Australia

  Australia, HMAS

  B

  Bagley, USS

  Ball, Bill

  Ball, Herb

  Baltimore, USS

  Bangkok, Thailand

  Banker, Bobby

  Barton, Dan

  Barton, USS

  Bataan Death March

  Bataan Peninsula, Philippines; Philippines, fall of, and; Vella Lavella Island and

  Bennion, USS

  Beser, Jacob

  Biddle, Francis

  Birmingham, USS

  Bismarck Sea, Battle of

  Bismarck Sea, USS

  Black Sheep Squadron; Bougainville; Munda Point, New Georgia, and; Vella Lavella Island and

  Blanchard, Lee

  Blandy, William

  Block, Harlon

  Bloody Nose Ridge

  Bloody Ridge, Guadalcanal

  Bluthardt, Raymond

  Bock, Frederick

  Bock’s Car

  Bogan, Gerald

  Boise, USS

  Bolshevism

  Bolt, John “Jack,”

  Bonnyman, Alex

  Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Black Sheep Squadron and

  Bourgeois, Henry “Boo,”

  Boyington, Gregory “Pappy,” Black Sheep Squadron and

  Bradley, James

  Bradley, John “Doc,”

  Braemer, Fred

  Breakneck Ridge, Leyte

  Britain

  Brown, Wilson

  Buchanan, USS

  Buckmaster, Elliott

  Buckner, Simon Bolivar, Jr.

  Buffington, Herman “Buff,”

  Bunker Hill, USS

  Burke, Arleigh

  Burma. See also China-Burma-India theater

  Bush, George H. W.

  C

  California, USS

  Callaghan, Dan

  CAMCO. See Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company

  Campbell, Alexander

  Camp Cabanatuan, Philippines

  Camp O’Donnell POW Camp, Philippines

  Camp Palawan

  Canberra, HMAS

  Caniff, Milton

  Cape Engaño, Battle of

  Cape Esperance, Battle of

  Capra, Frank

  Caron, George

  Cassin, USS

  Cavalla, USS

  CBI. See China-Burma-India theater

  Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO)

  Ceylon. See Sri Lanka

  Chamberlain, Bill

  Chennault, Claire; Flying Tigers and

  Chiang, Madame. See Soong Mei-ling

  Chiang Kai-shek

  Chicago, USS

  Chicago Tribune

  Chikuma (Japanese cruiser)

  China; Doolittle Raids and; Flying Tigers and; Japanese control of. See also China-Burma-India theater

  China-Burma-India (CBI) theater

  China National Aviation Corporation

  Chitose

  Chiyoda (Japanese submarine)

  Cho, General

  Chokai (Japanese flagship)

  Churchill, Winston; Atlantic Charter and; atomic bomb and; Japanese surrender and

  Club Tsubaki

  Cochran, Phil

  code-breaking. See intelligence, U.S.

  Cole, John

  Cole, Richard “Dick,”

  Colly, Tom

  Condor, USS

  Connelley, Major

  Cook, John

  Coral Sea, Battle of

  09; map of; U.S. intelligence and

  Cornwall (British cruiser)

  Corregidor, Philippines

  Crace, J. C.

  Crane, Captain

  Crowe, Jim

  Curtiss, USS

  Cushing, USS

  D

  Dace, USS

  Dale, USS

  Darter, USS

  Darwin, Australia

  Davis, Ray

  Davison, Ralph

  Day of Infamy. See Pearl Harbor

  Decatur, USS

  Delewski, Larry

  DeShazer, Jacob “Jake,”

  Detroit, USS

  Dewa, Kichiji

  Dixon, Robert E.

  Doolittle, James H. “Jimmy,”. See also Doolittle Raids

  Doolittle Raids; B-25 bombers and; casualties of; China and; Hornet, USS and; importance of

  Dorsetshire (British cruiser)

  Downes, USS

  Duckworth, Colonel

  “Dugout Doug.” See MacArthur, Douglas

  Duncan, USS

  Dunham, Eddie

  Durasole, Tex

  Duzenbury, Wyatt

  Dyer, T. H.

  E

  Eastern Solomons, Battle for

  Edson, Merritt “Red Mike,”

  Elliot, USS

  Emrich, W. Thomas

  Enola Gay

  Enterprise, USS; Coral Sea, Battle of, and; Doolittle Raids and; Guadalcanal and; Midway, Battle of, and

  Erskine, General

  Essex, USS

  Ethiopia

  F

  Farenholt, USS

  Fascism

  Ferebee, Thomas

  First Carrier Strike Force (Japanese)

  Fisher, Jim

  Fitch, Aubrey

  Fletcher, Jack; Coral Sea, Battle of, and; Guadalcanal and; Midway, Battle of, and; Pearl Harbor response and

  Fletcher, USS

  Flying Tigers

  Fort McKinley, Philippines

  Foss, Joe

  Fox, Fred

  Fox Movietone News

  France

  Franklin, USS

  Fredericksburg, Tex.

  Fuchida, Mitsuo: Midway, Battle of, and; Pearl Harbor and

  Fuentes, Dorothy. See Phillips, Claire

  Furuno, Shigemi

  Fushimi, Hiroyasu

  Fuso (Japanese battleship)

  G

  Gagnon, Rene

  Gallagher, Ray

  Gambier Bay, USS

  Gary, Donald

  Gayle, Gordon

  Geiger, Roy

  Genda, Minoru


  General Anderson, USS

  General Motors

  Geneva Convention

  Germany: end of World War II and; entry into World War II of; Fascism in; Wehrmacht of

  Ghormley, Robert

  Ghosts of Bataan, rescue of

  Gilbert Islands, Battle for

  Gittelson, Roland

  Glassford, W. A.

  Gordon, Richard (Dick)

  Goto, Aritomo

  Grant, USS

  Grayling, USS

  Great Depression

  Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

  Great Marianas Turkey Shoot

  Griffin, Thomas

  Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; Bloody Ridge, First Battle of; Bloody Ridge, Second Battle of; Cape Esperance, Battle of; Eastern Solomons, Battle for; Japanese failure at; map of; Naval Battle of; Santa Cruz Islands, Battle of; Savo Island, Battle of; Tassafaronga, Battle of; U.S. intelligence and

  Guam; beginning of World War II and; Japanese seizure of; Marianas, assault on, and; Pearl Harbor and

  H

  Hackleback, USS

  Halloway, Jim

  Halsey, William “Bull:” Black Sheep Squadron and; Bougainville and; Doolittle Raids and; Guadalcanal and; Japanese surrender and; Leyte, Battle of, and; Midway, Battle of, and; Pearl Harbor response and; Rabaul and; Tarawa and

  Hamakaze (Japanese destroyer)

  Hammann, USS

  Hara, Tadaichi

  Harper, Ed

  Haruna (Japanese battleship)

  Hatch, Norman

  Hawaii. See Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

  Hawaii National Guard

  Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory

  Hayes, Charlie

  Hayes, Ira

  Hayes, John

  Haynes, Fred

  Heckt, Mel

  Heermann, USS

  Helena, USS

  Henderson, Lofton

  Henley, USS

  Hermes, HMS

  Hiei (Japanese battleship)

  Hill, Harry

  Hillis, Tommy

  Hirohito, Emperor

  Hiroshima, Japan, bombing of

  Hirota, Koki

  Hiru (Japanese cruiser)

  Hiryu (Japanese carrier)

  Hite, Robert “Bobby,”

  Hitler, Adolf