Evening star., 1944-01-06

in previous aerial combat.
His solo assault against the jap
anese field took place on August 26,
when he was separated from his
wingmen and came out of a vicious
tropical storm upside down over
Kahili Field on Bougainville Island
Only Jensen Got Through.
1t. Jensen was part Of flight of
Marine fighter pilots ordered to
strafe Kahili Field. The planes took
off in a driving rain while Jap
bombs were dropping on their
home airfield. Because of the storm
they encountered on the way to
their objective, all but the Wash
ington marine were thrown off their
course or forced to turn back. He
was the only airman who arrived
over the Jap field in a position to
complete his mission.
1t. Jensen admits that he hardly
knew what was happening until it
was too late to do anything but
attempt solo strafing run.
AS he came out of the storm front
upside down he tipped his plane
over and circled widely toward the
north end of the Jap field.
Il looked around for the rest of
my flight, but couldn't see them, y
he said. $50 I decided the only
thing to do was to take a swing at
the job myself"
Swept Entire Field.
Starting in over the north end of
Kahih Field, 1t. Jensen swept down
the entire length of the mle-long
strip, weaving his plane back and
forth while his guns sprayed Jap
ground crews and destroyed IL
Mitsubishi .bombers, 8 Zeros and 4
dive bombers. At one point during
his strafing sweep his plane was only
3 feet of the ground.
"It TOOK about 10 seconds" he
said, "and the Japs never knew what
hit them until I was halfway down
the field. BY the time I reached
the end Of their field, the party got
rough and I hi-tailed it for home.
low and fast"
Photographs later showed that ex-
plosions from the burning planes
had strewn debris from one end of
the field to the other.
Citation Quoted.
1t. Jensen's citation, which was
received with the Navy Cross, read:
For extraordinary heroism and
distinguished service - he con-
tinued on alone to attack the air.
field. He dived through enemy
antiaircraft fire, strafing and ex-
ploding a group Of IL enemy bomb
ers, four dive bombers and eight
zeros, leaving them burning on the
field. His courageous conduct in
pressing home this devastating at
tack against great odds was in keep
ing with the highest tradition of the
United States naval service"
1t. Jensen received the second
award, the Air Medal, for "meritori-
GUS achievements" as a marine en-
listed pilot prior to his commission
ing May 81, 1943. It covered his
activities for his second tour of COM
bat duty.
Downed Two Planes.
This citation read, in part:
Tech. Sergt. Jensen was flying
with a formation of four fighters
which contacted a large group of
enemy Zeros. In spite of the nu-
merical superiority of the enemy, his
flight unhesitatingly attacked with
such skill and precision that five
enemy planes were sent crashing
into the sea. two of which he per-
sonally accounted for ="
Nearing the end of his third COM
bat tour, 1t. Jensen is now credited
with six enemy planes downed in
combat.
1t. Jensen telephoned his mother
New Year Day that he had arrived
on the Coast and would be home
soon. Mrs. Jensen, resident man
ager of the Plymouth Apartments at
the Eleventh street address, Is ex-
pectlng him at any moment.
1t. Jensen expects to be married
while on furlough, his first on the
mainland in more than 16 months,
TO Miss Elaine Inscho of Miami, Fla.
He attended Washington and Lee
High School, Arlington, Va, and was
graduated from Woodrow Wilson
High School. He then was employed
In the Government Printing Ofice.
After enlisting in the Marine Corps
Reserve In 1910, he was called to
active duty when the war broke out,
He received his wings at Miami on
com Qletipu hiS mir 4xa - !.