Evening star., 1949-09-16
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
Fighting men as rule are not good talk
ers In the old West they used to say He
talks too much for fighting man." Capt.
John Crommelin is fighting man, known
to the men who served with him as the
very reverse of garrulous individual He
| never would think Of dilating, for instance,
upon the occasion during the big war when
he had the misfortune to get himself roasted
| to the bone from the neck right down to
| the ankles. On November 80, 1943 the
| U. s. S. Lscome Bay (CVE So, proceeding
OH Maxim Island to support the invasion
OF Tarawa. took japanese torpedo in the
| after 5-1nch magazine. Acetylene bottles
| in the forward elevator pit cut loose and
enveloped the entire flag quarters in solid
| sheet OF flames. The whole ship went up
like hay rick shortly afterwards. Capt.
Crommelin, chief of staff, although wrapped
IN flame by the blast, was one of the few
survivors of the flag organization The ad-
miral was killed.
Stick your finger in a match flame some
time. The Captain can tell you how that
feels, spread all over your hide. He jumped
over the side, swan to a raft, and for some
time calmly discussed with others on the
raft the proposition Of whether or not he
was roasted to the point where it wouldn't
be worth while for him to hang on Later,
however, lying in the sickbay of the Leonard
Wood wrapped up like a cocoon he had the
same old grin for anybody who dropped
down to see how he was taking it. "Glad
to see you made it, too," was the word. Odds
were about 10 to among the crew that he'd
never pull out of it. but it seems he did.
This was only part Of what happened
to the Captain during the 80 years it took
to make him what he is: A professional
Navy man, and not damned bit apologetic
for the fact. The fame of the Liscome Bay
never made him squawk, not where anybody
could hear him anyway, but the persistent
sniping at the Naval Service which has
been going on since the guns were trained
In Is apparently more than he can stand If
things go according to pattern, Capt.
Crommelin soon will find himself in blast
Of adjectives which will make the blaze Of
the Liscome Bay appear q cool and refresh
ing breeze by comparison. BY the time the
professional dealers in words get through
with him; by the time a hundred type
writer's have fred salvo after salvo Of mis-
representation and mockery in his direction.
he may rue the day he ever entered that field
Of warfare in which people fight with their
mouths.
Wishes Others Would Forget Themselves.
1t would be good thing for the country,
though, If a few OF the other battle-scarred
Naval officers who now quake under the
CALLING fire Of CAB would forget about them
selves and their chances for promotion for q
bit and stand up for what they honestly
know is right about the service. The enemy
caught us last time with our feet patterned
along the lines Of George Dewey's, and they
came pretty close to winning as q conse-
quence. II the word-mongers have their
way we'll be caught this time with no feet
at all. I'm no strategist, but I do know
this: II Hitler had had a feet he'd have won.
Capt. Crommelin has the tough part
Of his 80 years done, and It was pretty rug
ged duty In spots. He's stationed now where
he could do himself plenty Of good II he
talked right. or even If he Just kept his
mouth shut. But he's q professional Navy
man, which. contrary to the stuff that's
shovelled out to the public by irresponsible
writer's, means simply that the country and
the countrys service mean more to him than
anything he can get for himself.
EDMUND A. GIBSON. n
70 the Editor Of Thistar:
i was most distressed to read about Capt.
Cromrnelin's views concerning the future of
naval aviation. My husband and his associ-
ates taviators) have expressed themselves
similarly for many months and had hoped
it. was just healthy American gripping!
The name Crommelin is well known in the
NaVy-Iedt uSnVeIS-Au GoOQ, clea0-COC
young men. Will the people of the United
States listen to Capt. John, David Lawrence
and other people who can see the country
being destroyed, or will they sit idly BY
waiting for the inevitable? M. T.
70 the Editor Of The Star:
Capt. John Crommelin need not be Of
Tended about being called nuts"
Other true Americans like him have been
called nuts" for their far sighted patriotism
Namely. Billy Mitchell, Langley, the Wright
brothers. Forrestal. My hat is or to all
such Americans. F.H.S.
Would Appreciate Leadership
In New America First Movement
TO the Editor Of The Star:
was very much interested in the front
page picture in The Star Of the two British
officials and one other person enjoying