Evening star., 1942-10-30
Mitchell
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Flying Fortress which figured in the
battle of Midway softened up the
path for the Marines at GuadaI-
canal and is now working over Bou-
gainville. The other faces belonged
to 1t. Mitchelps plane mates.
Il am somewhat ashamed of nv
story" Ensign Mitchell said. "As far
as am concerned, it consisted of a
loud, unruly noise-something like a
railroad train going up a flight of
stairs-and the next thing I knew it
was 10 days later and I wanted a
cigarette. My friends here have told
me what I did and saw during those
10 days. In fact, this ward has been
something like fraternity house on
the morning after the night before,
each man telling the other what he
did while under the influence Of
say, high explosives.
General quarters had been on
all day and I had just been re-
neved when a seaman in the crew
OF my gun station said in a some
what unseamanlike way, Mr.. Nit
chell, what's at funny looking thing
out there?'
Alarm in Tenor Voice.
TT was torpedo wake. I sound
ed an alarm in a voice that may
be described as similar to q thrilled
tenior, because the torpedo was COM
ing right under my feet. 1 remem-
ber that the Wasp started to turn.
but being a careful sort of man,
the next thing that happened I was
going hastily toward the bridge. The
torpedo influenced my decision. It
came in under my feet apparently,
although my vision may have been
prejudiced, close enough to peel the
soles off my Shoes It missed my
shoes, but hit the bomb was stand
ing over.
They tell me I landed right at
the feet Of my superior officers on
the bridge in a posture unbecom-
ing even an ensign, being fiat on
my back" .-.
The bridge was from Is to IS feet
above and exactly 6 feet away from
where Ensign Mitchell had been
standing when he was blown up. In
discussing this fact, Ensign Mitchell
laughed uproariously again and
said. I'm fact, I am thinking of
putting in my chit to qualify for
landings on the flight deck"
Then becoming serious, he added
IN low tone: Il guess God had
his hand on my shoulder that time.
l started for the pearly gates, but
He stopped me in midair." AS far
as can be learned here, Ensign
Mitchell is the sole survivor of his
gun crew.
Strapped to Raft.
After that, another remarkable
thing happened to keep him. alive.
In the condition in which he landed
there was considerable evidence to
indicate that he was dead. But
even in the awful circumstances
then shaping up over the whole
ship, the Navy refused to let one of
their own be marked off for the
Japs until the experts called the
score.
The experts were far from the
bridge at the time, so 1t. Courtney
Shands and Comdr. Beakley
strapped the ensign to a stretcher
Then 1t. Stands dropped down to
the explosive murk below where air.
planes and their ammunition we're
popping like balloons on New Year
eve and dug raft from an airplane
for the unconscious officer.
The ensign was lowered carefully
to the calm sea. But the raft was
topheavy and it turned over, leav-
ing its occupant tightly secured un-
der half-dozen feet of water. The
sea was full of sharps and every one
in it was under great temptation to
get away as fast as possible. But
1t. Robert Slye struggled with the
raft until he righted it, pausing
every now and then to thrash at
the sharks with his feet.
Ensign Mitchell said he would feel
grateful for the rest of his life both
to the men and the spirit of the
Navy which stimulated men to act
this way.
The Mitchell boys are sons of Mr..
and Mrs. Robert A. Mitchell, who
live at the Ontario road address. 1T
was the first time the brothers had
met in two years-although both
had participated in action In the
same areas of the Pacific.
Mr.. and Mrs. Mitchell were out OF
town today and could not be reached.