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In Harms
Way
Individual
stories of the war years from the people who lived them. These stories
are sometimes heroic, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, or sometimes
simply remembering things that should never be forgotten.
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This
Me109 ("Gustav") is at the USAF Museum. Our
thanks to them for the picture.
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or
the Perils of being Kilroy
Yorlik's
Messerschmitt
Jerry
Kilroy (known as Yorlik) brings a laugh to the story of
being Kilroy with a tale of a downed Me109. Jerry is Mike
Kilroy's father. See Mike's web site at www.kilroywashere.com.
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 Click
here for
Yorlik's story
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Seaman Orus Kinney
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Nazi
Smart Bombs
"Smart
Bombs" were new in Desert Storm, right? Wrong! They
were new in 1943. In a 12/27/00 NBC newscast, they referred
to the loss of the H.M.T. Rona, a British transport carrying
2000 U.S. Army troops. 1015 men were lost. 606 were saved.
According to NBC, it was the greatest loss of US Army personnel
at sea of the war. The Rona was lost to Nazi guided bombs
(technically: "Radio Controlled Glide Bombs.")
Read Orus Kinney's account of his and others efforts to
thwart them while serving with Admiral Moon at Utah Beach.
During preparations
before the June 1944 Normandy landings, the U.S. lost
700 servicemen in a landing rehearsal off the coast
of England.
The
History Channel on Sunday , May 13 10:00 PM Eastern.
Military Blunders, Operation Tiger: Disaster before
D-Day.
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Bombardier J Elliott
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A
Bird's Eye View
Here's a hair raising story from WWII
that doesn't directly involve combat although combat was
close at hand and came before and after. Don't miss this
one from a "defensively equipped
merchant" ship of the Royal
Maritime Regiment RA.
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Sgt.
Joe Tillery
Erding, Germany, 1945
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Sgt
Joe Tillery
At last, here's one of the funny stories
my brother told me about his adventures and misadventures
in WWII. His stories are probably what started my interest
in WWII on a personal level. Joe is a Story Teller in the
grand old Texas tradition. He was the stereotypical older
brother when we were youngsters, always pulling tricks on
me. He became my hero and lifelong role model when, as a
12-year-old, I watched him proudly go off to war. Joe never
saw a situation he couldn't find humor in. To hear him
tell it, nothing happened to him in occupied Germany that
wasn't funny. He got back from the war and like other veterans
set about catching up.
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His love of animals led him to become
a veterinarian and build a beautiful animal hospital in
Jackson, MS. He is now a very active retiree. He hasn't
lost a bit of his sense of humor!
Lets
face it! What's a site about WWII and Korea without mention
of VD movies and short-arm inspections. Sgt. Joe Tillery
reminds us with his
usual humor.
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Black
Thursday, The Schweinfurt Mission
by Wally Hoffman
Schweinfurt, the mission against the main ball bearing plant
which supplied most of the German war effort, was the "Gettysburg"
of the 8th Air Force as it was the bloodiest and worst loss
of the Air War over Europe. We lost 65 planes (60 over Germany)
that day which meant 650 men were Missing in Action. The
Germans threw everything at us but we still bombed the target.
At the time it was only another rough mission. Now 56 years
later, I find it is considered one of the pivotal events
of World War II.
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This B-17g
is at the USAF museum in Dayton, Ohio. This picture
and text is a re-print from their booklet published
by The Air Force Museum Foundation. "The Flying
Fortress is one of the most famous airplanes ever
built. The B-17 prototype first flew on July 28,
1935. Few B-17s were in service on December 7, 1941,
but production quickly accelerated. The aircraft
served in every WWII combat zone but is best known
for daylight strategic bombing of German industrial
targets."
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Read
Wally Hoffman's thrilling story of the real war 5 miles up
over Germany. What does a 20mm shell sound like hitting the
skin of a B-17? How does a gunner cope with the real terror
watching ME-109s attacking? Read on . . .
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Click here for
Wally Hoffman's "Black Thursday"
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Click here for
Gene Carson's Addition
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Click
here for
Wally Hoffman's "The Frustrated Christmas"
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Click picture for larger
view
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The Battle of the Driniumor River
& 124th
Infantry
M/Sgt Paul Tillery
Whether deep in the jungles (picture
on left) or at sea on a listing old Troop ship, M/Sgt Tillery
doesn't miss a thing. His detailed knowledge of the strategy
and tactics doesn't interfere with this gripping personal
story that takes him from Camp Blanding to Mindinao to the
Golden Gate.
"Dense jungle was found here on
Morotai but not as much of it as there was in New Guinea
— not as marshy either. From this pic you can see that
by getting down or a step or two backward an enemy could
pass within a few feet and neither would be aware of the
other."
Click Here for epilogue,
2013 
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On
the beach at Saipan.
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Cpl.
Bill Hoover, USMC
If
you ever wondered what it was like to be a Marine in the
battle on Saipan, this will make it clear. In one chilling
paragraph, Bill Hoover puts you there and starts a series
of unforgettable stories. Click
on small pictures to get larger view.
The
Editor
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D Day plus 5 on Saipan, I was watching for Japanese
soldiers along the beach that were sneaking in to give
directions for artillery fire. I was sitting in the
turret of a armored Amphib. About 2300 I saw the faint
outline |
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what appeared to be a Marine walking along the beach.
There was no moon, and the only light was from a fire
burning about a hundred yards away. Japanese soldiers
had a habit of wearing U.S. Marine helmets and carrying
a M1 when they could find them. In the dark they were
hard to identify by a silhouette.
When the guy got to about 50 feet of me, I asked the
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1945,
Camp Del Mar. The day they dropped the atomic bomb.
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" Who goes
there". The answer came back in perfect English. "ITS
ME, GI JOE. A MARINE LIKE YOU". So I aimed about 8 inches
below the outline of his helmet and shot him. The
next morning there was one dead
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Japanese officer in the
sand. I never heard of a Marine calling hiself G I
Joe. I don't think I ever will.
Semper Fi
.............Bill
H.
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With
Sgt. Jiggs, 1939. 16 year old.
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JIM FAIRCLOTH
Chief Warrant Officer, W-4, USAF (Ret)
1964
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Tales
from the old Eglin Army Air Base
All by
JIM FAIRCLOTH
Chief Warrant Officer, W-4, USAF (Ret)
"THE
MARSHALL
AND 15 MINUTE"
"EGLIN
FIELD DOG"
This a moving and poignant tale of
a mongrel dog and some tough Army troops at a tiny Eglin
Army Air Field in 1940. It's hard to imagine the current
huge, sprawling Eglin AFB as a small firing range manned
by only 35 soldiers but it was. This is a story of GIs who
never lost their humanity and of one Warrant Officer who
remembers.
Jump
to the Story
"A
MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN LEGION"
Jump
to the Story
"DAWN
TO DUSK MAUGHN"
Jump
to the Story
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TSgt. M. J. Allan. 1943
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Letters
Home
TSgt. Mel L Allan.
A remarkable series of memoirs compiled
by TSgt Allan from his letters home. These stories cover
his experiences as a very green young man departing from
San Francisco to a seasoned Crew Chief with his own P-38
to keep flying. Read about 1942 Australia as seen through
the eyes of an American youngster. You can watch and feel
him maturing before your eyes as you read these gripping
stories.
Letters
Home
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The
Sad story of Admiral Wilcox.
Thanks
to Capt. William Addison, USN, Ret.
On 27 March 1942, at 0310 in the morning,
"Man Overboard" alarm sounded on the USS WASHINGTON.
Immediate muster of all ship and flag personnel revealed
the only absentee was Rear Admiral John W. Wilcox, Jr.,
USN, the new Task Force Commander.
The
Story
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Capt. John Tilley,
431st Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group, January,
1945
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P-38 Ace
Capt. John Tilley
While reading Captain Tilley's
story, I was reminded of a part of Tom Brokaw's book "The
Greatest Generation." In it, he tells of an old man,
Gordon Larsen. He . . . "complained about the rowdiness
of the highschool teenagers the night before. My mother,
trying to play to his good humor, said, ‘Oh, Gordon,
what were you doing when you were seventeen?' He looked
at her for a moment and said, ‘I was landing at Guadalcanal.'
Then he turned and left the Post Office."
Captain Tilley casually remarks that
he was one of three officers in his squadron qualified to
lead his squadron into combat. This at age 21! The matter-of-fact
telling of his story is electrifying! This at that age most
of us were still going to spring break, graduation parties,
and trying to figure out how we would graduate and still
maintain our party responsibilities! By age 21, Captain
Tilley was an Ace combat pilot! By age 21 Captain Tilley
had received a DFC, seven Air Medals, and a Campaign ribbon
with seven battle stars. Read his thrilling narrative.
His
story.
His
comments on the "Ace" Classification and decorations
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Broken
Arrow!
1st Lt. Howard Richardson, Great
Ashfield, England, 1944 (Later promoted to full Colonel)
The FULL Story HERE!
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More
on the story updated in 2005
In June 2004, media sources
screamed breathlessly about radiation 10 times above normal
in Wassaw Sound near Savannah, Georgia. They had just discovered
that there was a nuke lost there in 1958 (see Colonel Richardson's
story above.)
The resulting studies determined that there was no increased
level of radiation, they still don't know where the remains
are and even if found it is in the best interest of the
public to leave it alone! To read the complete report and
cover letter in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format, click the star.
You must have Adobe Acrobat reader to read this. To get
it free click the logo.
It will open in a new windows so you won't lose your place.
There
is one glaring error in the report. Colonel Richardson explains
here....
I would like to contact anyone
stationed at the following bases on or before Feb. 5 1958:
444th FIS ADC Charleston, SC AFB and the 792nd Aircraft Control
and Warning Squadron, North Charleston, SC.
I have just started assembling information about a mid air
collision that happened about 70 west of Charleston, SC on
Feb 5, 1958 that will ultimately become a novel.
Charles D. Richardson
If you have any information
that would help, contact the editor HERE
To read Charles Richardson
entire Search request, Click HERE
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Pensacola, FL
Lt.
Col. Bob David
Rattleston, England
1943. 3rd Air Division commanded by General Curtis LeMay.
Lt.Col. David was a Squadron Commander and "Combat
leader." He flew 42 combat missions. Later promoted
to full Colonel
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