War Can Be Fun If You Don't Get Killed
or
Nil Carborundum Illegitimi
After the war Carnes obtained a commission in the army and was killed in Korea. Lineback died in California in 1991.
I acquired holes in my aircraft a good number of times but they were all from small arms. In one side and out the other.
There is little that is as exhilarating as being shot at and missed.
We spent a lot of time bombing, strafing, rocketing and napalming (you could almost hear the Nips going snap, crackle and pop) along a defense line that the Japs had established across the southern end of Okinawa. It ran from Naha on the west through Shuri in the center to Yonabaru on the east a total of 5 miles. Naha had been the major town. Shuri had had a castle, and Yonabari had a small grass airstrip. Naha and Shuri were hardly apparent then we left.
We dropped the best part of three ship loads of bombs and such along this line as did a goodly number of other squadrons and yet our infantry had a very tough time moving the Japs out.
I carried either 10-100 lb. bombs, 4-500 lb. bombs or 1-1000 lb. bomb plus eight 5" rockets and full loads for the 3-50 caliber and 1-30 caliber guns. Most runs were with 100 lb. bombs. 1000 lb. was rare. The eight rockets were equal to somewhat more than a broadside delivered by a destroyer. On anti-sub runs I carried depth charges.
It was dusk and I had just landed. I think this was April 3, 1945. Some Japs were being annoying. All 6 CVE’s in the group plus the destroyer escorts were making everything they had go bang. Tracers were streaking in the sky like the 4th of July. shrapnel from the 5 inch and 40 mm.’s was falling in the sea like hail. I stood on the port catwalk just outside of the entrance to the Ready Room and watched. It only lasted a few minutes.
Jap buildings had tile roofs. There were lots of them. I found that if you hit them with a burst of 50’s at the eaves, that the entire roof would explode. I got rather good at it. Leave the enemy no shelter.
Okinawa South End
When Shuri was captured the first flag up was a Confederate flag. The U.S. General in charge was Buckner whose father had surrendered Ft. Donelson to Grant. Buckner was killed by a sniper. The Bay by Yonabaru was called Buckner Bay. I don’t suppose it is now. I saw a midget Jap submarine there once, but before I could swing around it was gone.
I saw a black rather large automobile of 1930 vintage and rather ornate, with a man not in uniform by it perhaps a mile south of Shuri, and in front of what may have been a cave. By the time I had swung around to have a second look, the car and cave had vanished. So much for camouflage!
The Petrof returned to Guam on May 30, 1945. For this period my log shows 140 hours and 38 carrier landings. This could easily have been 160 hours and 43 carrier landings with 43 combat runs which could have been another air medal.
For the next 10 days the squadron was at a rest camp in Guam. Then on June 10, 1945 we departed on USS Steamer Bay (CVE-87) which was essentially the same as the Petrof Bay, relieving squadron VC-90. From June 15 to June 22 we struck the airfields on Miyko and Ishigaki with anti-submarine patrols on the way to and from station southeast of Miyako. Flight time during this period was 43 hours with 13 carrier landings and 13 combat flights.
During a raid on Mayaki on June 15, 1945, one of the FM’s was hit by anti-aircraft fire and the pilots made a decent forced landing in the ocean. I watched the plane float for perhaps a minute. The canopy never opened and the pilot never came out. The plane sunk slowly into the Pacific. Ens. George Vigeant was laid to rest with a circling air craft salute and at the controls of a very unusual burial device.
Rest Camp, Guam
Dunzweiler, Jeffreys, Oliver, Pochardo, Wells, Allsworth, Sherlock
and a "native" in front of Wells
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