Evening star., 1943-06-27
CHAPTER XVIII.


We learned soon after our arrival
in Brisbane that the United States
was fighting the Pacific war with
only One hand and that the day OF
the final destruction of Japan's
power was still far of.
I spent month in Australia, In
specting our defenses and waiting
for the Japs' next move. American
troops and planes were being piled
up in the country. but the number
was small-perhaps too small for
Macarthur to be able to defend
Australia. let alone start an Of
fensive against the Japs. p.
Finally, toward the end OF the
month, the Japs made their move
They started down into the Coral
Sea with huge armada. 1t looked
like they were headed for New Gale
donia, so I few over to New Zealand
then up to Fiji and to New Gale
donia. From stories of American
Navy flyers / met in the planes en-
route got the details of the Coral
Sea battle-the first in history be-
tween aircraft carriers and Japan's
first decisive defeat.
AS result of the battle the
pressure was Of New Caledonia. II
looked as If the initiative was pass
ing to the United States. But there
were no more land fronts in the
Pacific and If any fighting was to
be done it was up to our Navy to
do it.
I few on up to Pearl Harbor to
get accredited to the fleet. 1t seemed
as If the plane would never reach
Honolulu. For four hours I set in
the bombardier's place in the nose
OF the PB2Y2, watching for the
Hawaiian Islands until my eyes
ached. When we finally sighted
Oahu didn't recognize it until we
swung over Maili beach, bounced
over the marine airfield at Eva
and settled down on the waters OF
Pearl Harbor. 1t had taken me
seven months to make the trip from
Shanghai to Honolulu.
I telephoned my wife and apollo
gized for being a little late getting
back and would she excuse it please?
She would.
I found that she was working at
an airfield, and that was only one
OF the many changes brought to the
islands by the japanese attack six
months before. All the civilians not
in Army or Navy uniform were at
work, building airfields, repairing
ships, constructing docks, or serving
in hospitals, acting as air raid war
dens or helping the Red Cross. Ev-
erybody carried a gas mask. The
blackout was strictly and seriously
enforced and you had to have a pass
to go outdoors after curfew hour.
Civilians were allowed only 10 GAL
Ions OF gasoline q month and one
quart OF liquor a week. Bars and
restaurants closed several hours be-
fore sundown. There were shortages
OF milk, eggs, meat and vegetables
as all the island products went to
the armed forces.
Pearl Harbor still showed signs of
the bombing. The ancient target
ship Utah was lying on the bottom
OF the western shore of Ford Island
The Oklahoma, on its side with part
OF its hull looming out of the water.
lay ahead of the Arizona, which had
gone straight down after a bomb
exploded IT'S magazine. The West
Virginia was being gradually raised
Another battleship was in drydock
after being salvaged and still others
had already been patched up and
taken to the Pacific Coast for re-
pairs.
Most Of the scars Of battle had
been removed from the Kaneohe
Naval Air Station, across the
island from Pearl Harbor. At
Kaneohe Japanese bombers delib-
erately ignored two empty hangers
and laid their bombers squarely on
a third, destroying at one blow
most of our Navy patrol planes and
killing many men. That showed
that the Japanese had excellent
espionage.
But as great as the debacle at
Pearl Harbor had been, as stagger-
ing the loss of life, soon became
convinced that the Japanese had
lost their great chance to win the
war In those three flaming, terrible
hours on December Z. The mistake
that they had made was almost
inconceiyable.
Far more than our own admirals