Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-24


equatorial Pdcifc.)
BY 1T. JAMES G. WHITAKER,
q. s. Army Air Force Transport Command
As Told to CHARLES LEAVELLE
Tt was about this time that they
started calling me The Iron Man OF
the Army" l had not gone to bed or
the island until they made me go
and now, aboard a Navy vessel er
route to the Marine establishment
on Island X-2, l still wanted to be
up.
The same thing occurred several
times during the next few days
until the doctors agreed finally that
unlike the other six survivors !
wasn't in absolute need of hospitali-
cation. 1t looks like the name Iron
Man" is with me to stay.
But the reader will know there
were many occasions during those
Il days adrift in the blazing Pacific
that I was anything but an Iron
Man" 1t was just that I happened
to be in better physical condition
than the others and so recuperated
faster.
Walks to Hospital.
AS the naval vessel headed out to
sea I stood and watched the native
village disappear in the distance. Ill
never forget the care those gracious
folk lsvished upon me and my two
companions, 1t. John j. De Angels
and Staff Sergt. James w. Reynolds,
navigator and radio operator of our
Inflated Flying Fortress.
Both now were in the sick bay
under care of the medical officer, 1t.
Richard w. Clarity. Sergt Reynolds,
whose condition still was grave, was
receiving regular injections of glu-
cose and other restoratives. At
length Lit, Clarity caught up with
me and packed me off to bed.
We stood off X-2 all night and
landed in the morning. 1t. De An
gels was carried ashore, but I in
sisted on walking the two blocks to
the emergency hospital. l probably
wanted to show off my beard. 1t.
Clarity kept Sergt. Reynolds In the
sick bay.
Just word or two now about that
emergency hospital.
1t didn't exist until word was re-
ceived that the raft of Capt. Will
liam T. Cherry, IT,, had been sighted.
Then Col. Lloyd Leech, the veteran
marine commandant of X-2, put his
Sea Bees-naval construction bat
tallon-to work. In "a hours they
erected fine little field hospital
with concrete decks. screens all
around, and corrugated iron roof.
Yanks Do Things Quickly.
Those things usually are built after
air fields and gun positions are in,
but when they are needed, bang!
They're there. That's the way our
people do things in the Pacific.
In an outer room of the hospital ]
found Pvt. Johnny Bartek, who had
been our engineer, In the next room
lay Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, whose
mdominatible spirit brought more
than one of our company through
alive. / walked in and looked down
at him.
What's the matter, Rick?" I
asked. Been sick?" He grinned
and held out his arms. I marveled
again at this man.
The world knows him as Americas
greatest air ace of the World War
and as top fight business man
who had made success of great
airline. He is known also as one
of the greatest living authorities on
aviation.
The Rickenbacker Few Know.
Out on the trackless Pacific our
little band met the Rickenbacker few
people know, the human man, the
undoubting leader who doesn't know
how to give up When one and an
other of the fellows did give up out
there Rick handed him such cuss-
ing that he'd usually vow to live If
only to spite Rick. And Rick loved
1t. But when it was over all agreed
that If ever they had to go through
hell again they wanted to go with
Eddie Rickenbacker.
During that afternoon I lounged
around and the others rested in bed.
We heard that Sergt. Reynolds was
holding his own A couple of hours
later Col Hans Aoamson. Kicks mil
itary aide, and Capt. Bill Cherry
were brought in. The colonel still
was suffering from salt water ulcers.
Pvt. Bartek insisted be felt chip
per and wanted to be photographed
with Rick. But the doctors said he
was not nearly as we'll as he imag-
ined. When he insisted on the pho
tograph Rick whom Bartex couldn't
see) winked at us, then let go one
of those bellows we knew so well:
You stay right where you are.
Do you want to get me on another of
my mads?" Deep silence from the
other room. On the night of rescue,
when Capt. Rickenbacker and Pvt.
Bartek were being carried ashore,
Rick had said to the youngster:
Better thank God for your Testa-
ment. son. You see now what faith
can do for you"
Ordeal Blessing.
It was Pvt. Bartek's khaki New
Testament, zippered and waterproof,
that was one of our greatest sources
of solace during the ordeal. 1t led
us to prayer and prayer led us to
safety. The tangible proof that
PRAYER is answered, coupled with the
two divine miracles I witnessed dur
ing our 81 days adrift, redeemed me
from agnosticism. They changed
the entire course of my life.
In that way our ordeal was a
hIessing-to me at least. For IL
wears I had lived selfish life, be-
iieving in jim Whitaker and prac-
tically no one else. 1t took some
thing cataclysmic to change me.
The next morning, which was the
oeth dav since we were set adrift
and the fifth since 1t. De Angels,
Serpt Reynolds and ] landed on
the natives island, we were told
that our carriages were waiting The
caTr;apes were three Navy ply fly
inc boats. and I went aboard, along
with cant. Rickenbacker, Col Adam
SON Can't. Cherry and 1t. De Angels.
pvt Bartek was pronounced too
usak In be moved. He followed us
y week later. Sergt. Reynolds was