Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-12-03

bOlllbfIN IldOt snort NOik bl INC
remainder. Wonderful cred [
should 60 10 the alrplane mechan-
les. They left their foNholeS to re-
pair damaged planes during the
Smelling.
BLOWN OFT OF HOLES
con October Is the laps dropped
a large number of 5OO-pound
bombs on our installations, one
dropping . yards from our OBJ
SerVatlon post Two other OBJ
servers, PVts. Frank Ide of New
ton. Mass. and Wayne b. Brewer
of Boston. and myself were blown
right out of our holes.
I'VE came 10 later. in the field
hospital. We were all badly she'll
shocked. so on the night OF the
twentieth We were put aboard "A
marine transport along with Is
other casualties 10 he flown 10 a
nearby American base.
AT 100 in the morning The Jap
gun We called 'One-Lung Charlie
dropped few shells near our
plane and damaged uuT radio Our
plane took off not knowing OF our
damaged radio.
During the long flight VIC hit a
storm and with our radio damaged
we became lost and ran out Of gas
We were 400 miles at sea. We
found later. We were told TO stand
by for a crash.
no LIVES LOST
There were 25 in the plane. IN
GLIDING the crew. But luck was
with us The pilot. Lieutenant
Petty, spotted a small reef about
mile wide and long our plane
crashed on the reef without severe
injuries 10 any one. We were cut
up 2 little. but no lives were lost.
SO here we were. IS men and
a plane on a reef with nothing but
sky and water around us. The
plane was half full OF water az low
tide and completely covered at
high tide.
1 I'VE had rationS for two days
and it was TO days later that we
were rescued After the second
day we had no food. but thank God
it rained and we managed 10 catch
rain water IN our steel helmets.
We even shot two large fish with
our pistols. which we ate raw.
1T was bitter cold and the heavy
surf kept swinging the plane
around We always feared 1t would
slide off the reef
BEGIN TO LOSE HOPE
after the ninth day there with
no food and exposure 10 cold and
water. we began 10 lose hope. We
had a small radio. hand operated.
that sent out an SOS when you
turned the generator.
You can imagine our 10Y when
We heard the familiar sound OF a
plane motor 1000 feet over our
crashed plane The whole sick
and hungry bunch of US jumped
and yelled
The plane was marine trans
port and before II left il dropped
food and blankets and a bottle Of
brandy. I'm not a drinking man,
hut !, got my share of that bottle
of brandy
Before the plane left it also
Sicnaled that help was on the way.
After our tenth day, Phys.
handled by heroic pilots set their
planes down m the rough sea to
attempt rescue.
CREEP Up TO REEF
"Thc ScaplancS crcpt mp close TO-
the reef Part of the crow came
IN rubber boats. We boarded and
battlcd our WAY through the heavy
surf and aboard bat here luck
failed US. The flying boat
boarded was dashed against the
reef and sprung leak. The other
two Omitted N the rough sea and
could not take of
'Wc STAYED i'm tho plane that
night, thanking God that ours did
not sink We kept halhnE the
water ont. Planes again spotted
our position and the next morn
Ing we were picked mp by a United
States destroyer We were lust
.aboui exhausted from bailinC
water out OF Our plane
we were iu pretty bad shape.
so later Wc We're put aboard a
liner and returned 20 the States.
We arc now slowly recovering in
The lnItcd States Navy Hospital
AZ San Diego