wtdoor67
06-21-2010, 11:27 PM
My neighbor Johnny. He was born in 1926 and when the war came in 41, he was anxious to join up. His father was not keen on the idea as he did not want his son to be killed. Eventually he said. I think you could join the Coast Guard as that's pretty safe. He was allowed to lie about his age and joined in probably late 42 or sometime in 43.
His first assignment was on a DE (Destroyer Escort). They accompanied convoys to Europe. Real safe. Yeah. Eventually he was assigned to an LST and was in on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Said he saw a Kamakazi hit a tender. Said the guy came over low and they thought he was a US Navy plane until he tipped over, they saw the meat balls on the wing, and he flew into the tender. Said it killed 3 men on the tender.
After the war Johnny went to college a little and got into the Airforce as a pilot cadet. Graduated from flight school as a 2nd Louie on July 2, 1949. He had his heart set on wearing "the pinks" for graduation but thinks they were the first class to wear blues. Said he thought it was an ugly uniform at first.
He of course flew the AT 6 and was later checked out in the P 51. During Korea he was used as a ferry pilot and flew them from out of mothballs to Calif. where they were shipped to Korea. Said he only logged about 100 hrs in the P 51.
In Korea he flew the C 47. After Korea he was riffed. He went into the reserves and flew the C 119 (flying boxcar). He was called back to active during the Cuban missile crisis. He eventually retired from the reserve as a Major.
Johnny is a native of Louisiana and a neat if somewhat cranky fellow. Hopefully the newspaper will do a little story on him sometime.
His first assignment was on a DE (Destroyer Escort). They accompanied convoys to Europe. Real safe. Yeah. Eventually he was assigned to an LST and was in on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Said he saw a Kamakazi hit a tender. Said the guy came over low and they thought he was a US Navy plane until he tipped over, they saw the meat balls on the wing, and he flew into the tender. Said it killed 3 men on the tender.
After the war Johnny went to college a little and got into the Airforce as a pilot cadet. Graduated from flight school as a 2nd Louie on July 2, 1949. He had his heart set on wearing "the pinks" for graduation but thinks they were the first class to wear blues. Said he thought it was an ugly uniform at first.
He of course flew the AT 6 and was later checked out in the P 51. During Korea he was used as a ferry pilot and flew them from out of mothballs to Calif. where they were shipped to Korea. Said he only logged about 100 hrs in the P 51.
In Korea he flew the C 47. After Korea he was riffed. He went into the reserves and flew the C 119 (flying boxcar). He was called back to active during the Cuban missile crisis. He eventually retired from the reserve as a Major.
Johnny is a native of Louisiana and a neat if somewhat cranky fellow. Hopefully the newspaper will do a little story on him sometime.