Above the Thunder (50 page)

pilots,
224
,
234
.
See also
air observation
;
flight training
; administrative flights of,
213–14
; autonomy of,
259–60
; close calls of,
118–19
,
149–50
,
257–58
,
262–63
,
269–70
; competition among,
127–28
,
248
; experimenting,
112–13
,
257–58
; Kerns losing touch with,
278
; medals for,
224–26
,
271
; preflight checks by,
118–19
; rescue of downed,
149
,
219
; status of,
184
,
255–56

pilots, Japanese,
198

Piper L-4.
See
L-4s, Piper

POWs, Japanese,
57
,
139
,
188–90
,
215
,
254
; Americans not taking,
251–52
; intelligence officers trying to capture,
165–66
; Kerns picking up,
260–62

Pugo (Luzon),
203–6
,
212–15
,
217–18

PX, Kerns supervising inventorying of,
118

Rabbit Island, fire training on,
64–65

Rabon (Luzon), airstrip in,
199
,
210
,
210–11

radio operators,
70
; Kerns as,
36
,
53
,
64
;
training of,
66–67

radio section, for Hq Btry,
60
,
66

radios,
49
,
260
; on airplanes,
93
,
106
,
200
; inadequacy of SCR-194s,
53
,
59
; obsolete,
60
; SCR-178s,
59
; SCR-193s,
67
; SCR-300s,
200
; SCR-610s,
106
,
200

Ramos, Lieutenant,
261

Reconnaissance, Selection, and Occupation of Position (RSOP)
12
,
79–80

refugees, in Luzon,
209
,
222

Regan, First Sergeant,
40–42
,
70

Richardson, Robert C.,
112

Richardson, Sidney,
223

Robinson, John E.,
43

Rohr, Ray,
101–5

Roper, Walter,
146

Rosario (Luzon),
199–200
,
204
,
212

Rowland, Captain,
238
,
243

Rowls, Garth,
174

Royal Australian Engineer camp (in New Guinea),
129
,
138

Rupert, Private First Class,
67–68

Rush, Raymond,
235

Ryan, Phil,
102
,
104–5
,
122
,
156
,
183
,
278

Ryder, Leroy,
66–67
,
257
,
278

Sakamaki, Kazuo,
57

Sakamoto, Akira,
39–40

San Fabian (Luzon),
196–98

Sansapor (New Guinea),
156–58

Santo Tomas, Mount (Luzon),
243

Sarmi (New Guinea),
160
,
188
; Kerns destroying fuel supply by,
152–53
; Navy shelling,
178–79

Sawar Airdrome (New Guinea),
144–45
; Japanese at,
164
,
180
; recon of,
167–71

Scarr, Lieutenant,
160

Schofield Barracks (Hawaii),
38–52
,
41

Schumaker, Robert D.,
46–47

Schuster, Edward,
195
,
200–201
,
205

Serff, Paul,
170–71
,
199
; infantry attacks on Hill 3000,
227–29
; recon mission and,
204–5
; Sorry Listening Posts of,
173–75

Setterington, Keith,
169–71

Shanks,
120

Shellback ceremonies, on
Matsonia,
121–22

Shepard, Claude,
68
,
84

Sherman, William Tecumseh,
254

Silvestre, Lorenzo,
47

snakes,
128–29
,
134–35

Snow, Captain,
66
,
69

solo flights, Kerns's first,
36–38
,
40
,
85–86
,
92–93

Sorry Listening Posts,
173–75

Southern Pacific Railroad, pilots flying with trains on,
98–99

Soviet Union,
256–57
,
276

Spendlove, Charles “Speedy,”
98
,
108
,
248
,
262

The Spirit of St. Louis,
35–36

Stanley, Lorne “Burrhead,”
130–31
,
228
,
248–51

Stone, John W.,
66

Strok, Mike,
94–95

suicide attacks, American fears of,
215
,
219–21

Swaney, Van,
43

Swift, Bill,
270–71

Taft, William Howard,
203

Tagudin (Luzon),
264–65
,
267–69
,
271

Taiwan,
198

tamales,
72–73

Taylor, Kenneth,
47–48
,
50–51

Taylor, Voris “Okie,”
131

35th Infantry, of 25th Division “Cactus,”
55

31st Infantry Division,
141–42
,
196

37th Infantry Division “Buckeyes,”
198–99
,
243
,
246

33d Infantry Division,
123
,
146
,
198
,
217
,
229
,
270
; Baguio as main objective of,
203
,
243
,
255
; beer shipment for,
142–43
; burials in Philippines Cemetery #1,
281
;
in Hawaii,
105–6
; in Luzon,
194
,
196
,
268–70
; in New Guinea,
123
,
141
,
164
; operations in Luzon,
230–31
;
transportation of,
194–95

33d Infantry Division Artillery,
97–98
,
104
,
108
,
111
; airstrips for,
199
,
212–13
; command-net station,
66–67
; at Fortification Point,
128–29
,
130
; Hq,
103
,
213–14
; intelligence officer for,
131–35
; moving away Finschhafen,
123–24
; training routine,
101–3

Tor River (New Guinea),
141
,
143–45

Tornado Task Force (in New Guinea),
164
,
188–91
,
193–94

Trayer, Robert,
47

Truman, Harry S.,
256–57

Truxtun, Thomas,
131–36

Tuba (Luzon),
243

Tubao (Luzon),
204
,
207

25th Division “Tropic Lightning,”
55
,
60–62
,
198–99

25th Liaison Pilot Training Detachment (LPTD),
83–84

24th Division,
127

27th Infantry, of 25th Division “Wolfhounds,”
55

Utke, Raymond R.,
165–66
,
168
,
219

Van Assen, Jack,
238–39
,
272

Vanderpool, Jay D.,
54
,
277

VE-Day,
256
,
270

Vietnam War,
277
,
279

Vigan (Luzon),
266–67

Vineyard, Dolman Winston “Don,”
98
,
143
,
167
,
184
,
197
,
271
; airplane of,
127
,
191
; in airstrip construction,
109–10
,
124–26
,
143–44
; airstrip suitability and,
149–50
,
153
,
218
; autonomous actions by,
113
,
211–12
,
259
,
265–67
; Burnses and,
113–14
; close calls of,
156
,
164
; competitiveness of,
108
,
111
,
248
; effectiveness of,
100
,
236
,
242
; getting cluster bombs from AAF,
150–51
; HE fragments and,
175–76
,
223
; jungle warfare training of,
130–31
; Kerns and,
111
,
128–29
,
150
,
180–83
; in Korean War,
276
; medals for,
224–26
; personality of,
109
,
115–16
; putting gun on airplane,
151–53
; in recon of Sawar Airdrome,
167–71
; on Sorry Listening Posts,
173
,
175
; spotting Japanese around Maffin,
145
,
147
,
211–12
; tasks of,
160
,
176
,
179–80
,
203
,
216
,
229
,
235–36
,
262–63
,
265

Volckmann, Russell,
263–68

Vroegindewey, Arend “Der Vroeg,”
89

Waialeale, Mount (New Guinea),
120

Waimanalo Bay (Hawaii),
56–57

Wakde Air Base (New Guinea),
141
,
153–56
,
158–60

Waldsmith, Willie,
49

“water buffalo” (amphibious truck),
183

weapons: on airplanes,
129
,
135–36
,
150–53
,
164–65
; to defend Hawaii,
45
,
49
,
55
,
64–65
; grenades dropped from airplanes,
147–48
,
161–63
,
258–59
; HE shells,
172–73
,
175–77
,
231–32
; M-7 self-propelled 105s,
241
; obsolete,
60–62
; sidearms,
105
,
131
,
224

weapons, Japanese,
252

Welch, George,
47–48
,
50–51

Wheeler Field (Hawaii),
40
,
47
,
51–52

Wilkerson, Staff Sergeant.,
94

Williams, George,
49
,
66

Williamson, Bill,
48

Williamson, Burnis,
40
,
46
,
61
,
257
,
278
; at Div Arty command-net station,
66–67
; at Kalihi,
59–64

Wolff, Sanford,
224
,
234–35

Women's Army Corps (WAC),
272

World War II: end of,
256
,
275
; expectations of victory in,
69–70
; Kerns's military career after,
276–77
; veterans of,
276–77

Woske River (New Guinea),
141
,
144–46
,
165–71

Yamashita, General,
203
,
222
,
245
,
255
,
259

Yokohama, Japan,
277

Young, Carl,
183

Young, Wendell,
110
,
119
,
127
,
210
,
222
; at Maffin Bay,
126
,
128–29
,
143
,
179–83
; on ship home,
273–74