The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-05-31

parts from Air Corps number 4l-l456
that were helping to keep eighteen
ships of our Group in the air to fight
the Japs.
For the men Of the Group, the
cannibalized ship had been a help,
but to me it had been a tradition
to keep. IN my mind, no matter how
long I myself might be fighting in
China, "Old Exterminator' would
be on all those fiights-some of it
would be on every mission that we
few. And thus 1t would fly forever.
On September Is, Maj. Ed Rector
led the assault of a fight down to
raid Hanoi in Indo-China. I led the
support, and we kept a thousand
feet above the first echelon. Our
mission was to escort ten bombers
for the bombardment of Gia Lam
airdrome. We went South and
'topped-off" our gas load at a secret
base, then routed our flight to the
West of Laokay to keep from alert
ing the Jap warning net. Until we
were close to Hanoi, we kept well
West of the railroad that led to our
objective.
Even with these precautions to
keep from alerting the enemy, we
found the japanese LASS in the air
and over the field as we came in
from the West. The twin-engine
fighters absolutely ignored our fight
ers and made runs on the bombers,
but they didn't get very far with
their orders. Rector took the first
four P-40's in on the leading Japs
and hit them five hundred yards
behind our bombers, who were al
ready dropping their eggs. / saw
two of Eds flight gang-up on the
first steeply climbing las, but be-
fore they could shoot it down Dam
iels went in fast to within a few
yards of the Jap and shot him down
in flames. AS the ship exploded
thought Pat Daniels plane was on
fire too, they were so close. We
all confirmed the first ship for the
eager Daniels, who was from Van
Nuys, California
There were thirteen LASS in the
air over Gia Lam that afternoon,
and for the next few seconds, as
they tried desperately to get to the
bombers, our hands were full. We
had ten fighters, and we felt that
we outnumbered them many times
considering the way we usually
had to fight.
The bombers were on the way
home now, and we sighed with re-
lief and tried to catch the laps. Ed
Rector took the next ship he got his
sights on and blew it apart. Then
he fought all the way to the ground
with two others. Marks shot down
one, and the others were about
equally divided.
caught flight of three Lass go
ing hell-bent for the bombers from
below and to the rear, and shot the
last one in the formation down with
a short burst. It was point-blank
range and occurred very fast. first
saw thin trail of gray smoke that
looked like the usual condensation
cloud that forms behind the wings of
fighter ships doing maneuvers at
high altitude, when the atmospheric
conditions are just right. And then
fame poured from the right engine.
II spread up over the cockpit and
stretched thirty feet back in the slip
stream. I moved up towards the
second enemy fighter and didn't see
the fiamer go down.
NOTICE FOR APPLICATION FOR DEPOSI-
TORY, under the uniform Depository act. Sec.
33I G. c. 2296-7.
Applications will be received by the under
signed at the office of the Board OF Trustees
Of Richiand Township, Allen County, Ohio.
until p. M, June End, 1916, legally eligi-
BILE which may desire TO submit written ap-
plication to be designated a public Depos-
tory of the active deposits of the public mon
eys of said Township as provided by said
uniform Depository act G. c. 2296-7.
Said application shall be made in conform
Ity with the following Resolution:
Whereas the contract with the Trustees
Of Richland Township expires on the 9Th day
70 July 1945 therefore be ii resolved
Resloved chat the estimated aggregate max
imum amount of public funds subject to the
control of said Trustees to be awarded and be
on deposit as active deposits, 100000. Nine
Dollars, that applications will be
ceived and opened at p. M. June end, 1916.
At which time designation of Depository shall