The Wilmington morning star., 1944-01-28
With
The :AEF
BY KENNETH L. Dyyo,.

>A'elayed)-I9.
You can't land a p4o warbs a.,
on the little air strips desiansa S "
the artillery's tiny Cub ,no..! 10y
planes.
But Ii. James T. johnson :,
because his motor cut out wy
You certainly can't take . w
hawk off from such a field "''
But johnson did, because H.,
tillery was pounding all a sre az
him. "'Ouhd
Which was how the 2s.ye,,,,,
Wilmington, N. c., boy becsn na,' '
first fighter pilot to land nn IN ne
new Anzio beachhead so,,t III ne
Rome.
His flight had just bombed N.
troops and come over to WA. Nsa
the beachhead when his enoin psIa
gan to splutter. He spotted W. w.
tiny temporary strip with t s,e
Cubs scattered around. lev
He knew it should be imr,..,
BILE to land, but there was nn psss'
else to do. So he did it, with nl
inches to spare, while a harss,
Of Cub mechanics stared in lnss
lief. Ni''s'
II had just stepped OUT ~ l.
plane" johnson said later, "wb s.
guns started opening up ali sr omea
me. I'd landed right in the miSd1 .
of our forward artillery position
1t seemed like a good plsc, :, w;
out of, so borrowed a sc ~ sr'
driver and a pair of pliers AND
fixed up that coolant leak (wb db
caused the motor trouble) in WorIa
record time" 8
BY all the flying rules. thar.
was no hope of his getting os
that short strip. But Johnson
backed into the brush, showed tSs
throttle all the way in and LET 5a s
roll. BY practically lifting her oa
the end with his hands, he got na
plane into the air and back /,
base.
I'm Wilmington, Johnsons
relatives were delighted IA
learn the news that tho 80,
year old Wilmington, N. c.
boy was the first to land
plane on the new Allied beach
head south Of Rome. 1t. John.
son enlisted in the Army Air
Forces in November 19A at
Fl. Bragg, and after Receiving
training at several bases
throughout the South, he wu
commissioned and received BIZ
wings July 5, 1922 at Speap
Field, Moultrie, Ga.
Before enlisting, johnson
was a popular youth In local
social circles. and was mem.
Der of the Alpha Omega fra.
ternity. He is a graduate Of
New Hanover High School.
when in Wilmington, Ii.
johnson made his home with
his father, J. ]. johnson at
1905 Market Street. A brother
Of his is In the service and
when johnson was shipped
overseas, he visited with him
In Trinidad, where he was sta.
toned.
johnson is the holder Of the
Purple Heart, with Oak leaf
cluster.)
| Next time 1t. William S. Sel
of GRANVILLE, ILL.,, has to bail oa
over the front line he aims to haV
his pockets full Of American SOD
venirs and German Iron Crosses
Forced to jump when his Wal
hawk was hit by flax. he wal
swarmed by Italian civilians viii
tried to tear his buttons off.
Then five British officers VIII
rescued him from the crowd pi
their pistols away in mournful re
greet when they found he WASH
a German pilot from whom they
could get a few Nazi badges aM
other war mementoeS.
i 1t. Harold Hartman OF WlllaD
port, Pa, and Roger Hamlltm'
Washington, D. c.. are Poi lg
tang pilots. During the Anza AA.
ing their job was supposed 10"
photo reconnaissance.
But after they took thelr p.
lures they just sort of dr0pna.
down to treetop height to see SD''
they could scare up. -,
They found couple of aFnlol oi
vehicles crawling along the loe-
1--WE circled them to be su-,
they were ferries. then maas
pass at them" Hartman Iel'N'
later. uo
Despite the fire the German s 5u
ners threw up, the pilots kllo'n NV
out both panzer units in tns' '
quick pass. ,,c,
Then, guilty., they scootea orr
upstairs and resumed thelI &C.,
for big targets for the Navy
Most forlorn faces at the ena l,,,
D day were those of the repuIN IN
who had carefully arranseu
early morning tour OF aoseD p.
air bases to get eyeWltnesss, rs
ports on the beachhead HUN
Most Of the quotations they .;1 81
were optimistic and en1plio Ttsf
the lack of early opposition: ., iTS
said nothing like the 9 u M.
landings" and clocks like d az. .re
euver'' and 1--WE didn't SET .n,.
signs of a battle or any opF
ton =. o4oris
The reporters sent their S s,oli.