The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-13

AAA NAAAVA AA gAAC ASSAS- mons, were high officers, hardened veterans of the ranks and boys new in action who had upheld the high est traditions of the fighting forces. There were gray haired officers who had led their men into enemy fire, privateS who had charged single handed into machine gun fire, of ficerS and men who had stood grim ly against almost hopeless odds, and aviators who had driven into whole fleets of Japanese planes alone.
 There were men who risked their lives again and again to bring out wounded comrades and men who had deliberately exposed themselves to enemy fire to aid the winning of the skirmish.
 And there was also Platoon Sergt. Michael Longazel, Nanty- Glo, Pa., a "one-man battalion" who won a battle almost by himself.
 As he faced the decorated men in front of Vandegrift's headquar- ters. with the wild jungled hills and blood stained beaches of Guadal- canal island for a frame, Nimitz said they and their comrades had been an inspiration to all American armed forces and expressed faith in their future successes.
 Good work. More power to you," he said to each man as he pinned on the medal.
 Visit Was Secret
 Secrecy concerning Nimitz's visit to the Solomons, 5000 miles from his headquarters here, was main- tained until today. The means of his transport and the duration of his stay were not announced.
 Gen. Vandegrift received the Navy Cross for exceptionally meritorious service in duty of great respon- sibility as commander of all ground troops engaged in the attack on the Solomons Aug. 2.
 Navy crosses were awarded also to:
 Col. Merritt Edson, Chester, Vt.-- His raiders struck the enemy re- peatedly on, Tulagi and Guadal- canal islands. On the bloody nights of Sept. 13 and IA he successfully led the marine defense on the Lunga ridge in 12 hours of fierce fighting during which he was con- tinuously exposed to Japanese fire.
 Lieut.. Col. Evans F. Carlson, Ply mouth, Conn, leader of the marine navy raid on Maxim island Aug. IT., who is now on Guadalcanal. In leading the Maxim attack, he per- sonally directed his troops under heavy fire and later, under adverse sea conditions, led the successful evacuation of all wounded and dis abled men. The remainder of the awards went to aviators who had downed at least 165 enemy planes before Oct. 1, usually at fighting odds of from two to one to four to one against them.
 Mccain Confident
 Washington, Oct. 13.-(UP)-Rear Admiral John s. Mccain, who re- gently returned from the southwest Pacific to head the naval bureau of aeronautics, declared today, i've can hold the Solomons and ex- i pand."
 T think we've shown sufficient superiority in material and men to justify the assertion that we can hold the place." he told reporters at Secretary of Navy Frank Knox's press conference.
 MsCain was in charge of the air scouting and striking forces, other than carrier based, operating in the Solomons area.
 He said he made his base at Es- piritu Santo on New Hebrldes islands, 565 miles from Guadalcanal, but that he twice visited the major American base in the Solomons.
 McCain's assertion was regarded as further evidence that the Navy intends to hold American gains in the Solomons at any cost. The navy already has reinforced its fleet in the South Pacific to replace three heavy cruisers lost in the initial stages of battle for the islands-the Quincy, Astoria and Vincennes.
 The Navy's announcement last night that the three cruisers had been lost proved that this country had paid high price for its foot holds in the Solomons. But the implication was clear that the islands were worth the price paid.
 Mccain was asked whether the Japanese air strength had declined in the Solomons islands as a result of the heavy toll taken by U. s airmen.
 "There are indications that's fact" he replied.
 He told of the Japs sending over obsolete bi-plane seaplanes.
 Some of those bi-plane seaplanes which they are using in that area would never have been used there unless they were entirly rgardless oi human Tiff or they were running short of equipment" he said.
 He told of an examination ol wings shot off Japanese Zero fight CTS and twn-enginey MitSnbishi SI sombers which gave evcry tlloicaticr of being from new planes. He Sa!c the rivets on the wings were With out rust, the rubber on them was moi cracked and looked like it had just come out of old storage" and tht liuuer on them was as fresh as Ii Il had been applied the night before
 He told of the superiority of tht American pilots and planes over tll' Japanese, emphasizing this by re- vealing that between August 21 anc Sept. 1T, 13S Japanese planes wer' shot down over Guadalcanal a compared to loss of 25 for us. Thi' was a ratio of about 5 to l.