The Wilmington morning star., 1945-08-30
Wainwright Flies Today
TO Join Gen. Macarthur
Continued from Page one)

Continued from Page One)
Manchuria. after his release from
long, silent internment, was par.
t,crlarly anxious to face again the
japanese commanders who accept.
ed with pompous arrogance the
capitulation of Wainwright $ he.
roic band on Corregidor.
Particularly he hoped to see al
Japan's capitulation the arrogant
one-tlme commander-in-caief of
Japanese forces in the Philippines.
Gen. Masaharu Homma.
Gen. Wainwright told me he
hoped that Gen. Homma, to whom
he surrendered at Correg dor, is
present when the japanese sign the
surrender" said Col. James H. S.
Rasmussen, Of Phoebus, Va, pilot
OF the plane which brought VAIN
wright from Mukden. -
Much-needed rest was the thing
that Wainwright was finding hard
est to sandwich into a busy round
of activities since his arrival here.
In an impressive ceremony, he
was decorated today with the Dis.
tinguished Service Cross for ex-
traordinary heroism in Northern
Luzon in the Philippines. More than
so American officers watched as
1t. Gen. Albert c. Wedemeyer,
commander of U. S: forces in
China, pinned the decoration on
Wainwr- GIT.
1T gives me a great deal OF
pleasure and I am proud to pre-
sent this medal which unquestiop-
ably has been deserved long
time" Wedemeyer said.
Wainwright, then a Major-Gen-
era], was cited as commander OF
Northern Luzon forces for repeat
eddy visiting points of the most
severe conflict throughout his COM
mand, displaying outstanding cour-
age and. indifference to danger
by his presence and soldierly
bearing during severe enemy
commandment and strafing attacks
by infantry and tanks he STINT
lated and inspired the troops OF
his command" the citation said.
The award covered the period
from Dec. 81, 1941 to Jan. 5, 1912.
The heavy lines on WainwrigAt's
face wrinkled into a half-smile
when Gen. Wedemeyer pinned the
medal next to two rows Of other
decorations on the Generals uni
form. The men shook hands, Vain
wright snapped his thinned should
ers to attention and resumed the
poker-faced expression he main
tanned during most of the cere>
mony. :. -.
Wedemeyer also presented the
Distinguished Service Cross to
Maj. Gen. Albert M. Jones, of
San Francisco and Major General
George F. Moore of Texas, who
were in the group of officers and
enlisted men who were rescued
with Wainwright. T-Sgt. Hubert
Carroll (of Paris, TexasD another
of the group. was awarded the
Silver Star.
Chang Kai-shek entertained
Wainwright in his presidential vii
la on Chungking's outskirts. In a
speech the Chinese leader said
Wainwright name would shine on
the pages of Chinese as well as
American history.
Other guests included American
liberated with Wainwright, high Of
ficers of the Generalissimo's staff
and a contingent from headquar-
tiers of tn: United States Forces
N China, including Wedemeyer and
1t. Gen. George E. Stratemeyer,
U. s. Air Forces commander.
Chang said that Gen. Vain.
wright's defense of Bataan will
be remembered as one of the
bravest military exploits OF all
time" He paid high tribute to the
spirit which Wainwright and his
men showed during those dark
and seemingly hopeless days when
Japanese forces were sweeping Tor
ward everywhere. 49,
An American officer now In
Caungking told how Wainwright,
who assumed command in the
Philippines when Macarthur was
ordered to leave to- become SUI
preme Commander in the South
west Pacific, reacted to the sec
ond japanese order to surrender
The officer who asked that his
name not be used, quoted VAIN
wright as having said. 80
"rve been to general staff school
and the War College. but they
never taught me what to DO II
was called upon to surrender. l
guess we shall have to continue
fighting. '-c 81 '.-
Everywhere t h a Wainwright
went in Chungking there were Of
ficers and men who wanted to
shake his hand and congratulate
him on his brilliant stand at Ba-
taan and Corregidor, which won
sorely.needed American time. He
greeted all who approached him,