Read The Twilight Warriors Online

Authors: Robert Gandt

The Twilight Warriors (56 page)

For their generous support for this book, I thank my friend and co-author
of
Intrepid
, Bill White, president of the
Intrepid
Sea, Air & Space Museum, and executive vice president Dave Winters.

My gratitude again goes to my agent Alice Martell, of the Martell Agency, for her cheerleading and wise counsel, and to her efficient assistant, Stephanie Finman. As always, my ultimate thanks and a full measure of love to Anne Busse-Gandt, my wife and staunchest supporter.

THE HONORED DEAD OF
CARRIER AIR GROUP 10

Ens. Bailey Badgley

Ens. Ernest M. Bailey Jr.

Lt. Alvin DeMaine Blackman

Ens. William Pearson Brede Jr.

Ens. Donald H. Croy

ARM3c Thomas S. Dally

ARM3c Charles E. Ford

Ens. Arthur Fulton

Ens. Robinson W. Harris

Ens. Elmer H. Hasse

Ens. Horace W. Heath

ARM3c Cecil B. Hollinhead

Lt. Oliver W. Hubbard

ARM1c Lee B. Hurst

Ens. Loren F. Isley

Ens. Charles W. Jensen

AOM2c Bernard A. Konitzer

AOM3c Charles M. Lowell Jr.

Lt. (jg) Richard W. Mason

Lt. (jg) Lawrence B. Mead

2nd Lt. Carl R. Miller, USMC

Lt. (jg) Willard J. Miller

Lt. (jg) Spence P. Mitchell

Ens. Willard E. Norgren

Lt. Mark L. Orr

Lt. (jg) Stanley Powell

Ens. Arthur H. Rogers

ARM1c Theodore Schevon

ARM3c Harry D. Weiner

Ens. William L. York

NOTES
Prologue

1
The predeployment party at Alameda is drawn from Roy D. Erickson’s memoir
Tail End Charlies!
69–71, and from interviews of VBF-10 and VF-10 pilots.

2
Descriptions of Rawie and Hyland are based on official biographies in the CAG-10 1945 cruise book,
The History of Bomber Fighting Squadron Ten
, and from multiple VBF-10/VF-10 interviews October 31, 2008.

1
The Next Island

1
Spruance, Nimitz, King aboard
Indianapolis:
Thomas B. Buell,
The Quiet Warrior: A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance
, 321.

2
“You did a damn good job”: Buell,
Master of Sea Power: A Biography of Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King
, 466.

3
The Japanese would fight back with every weapon: ibid., 441.

4
Vice Adm. Ohnishi and the
tokko
warriors at Mabalacat drawn from Rikihei Inoguchi and Tadashi Nakajima,
The Divine Wind: Japan’s Kamikaze Force in World War II
, 3–11.

2
Tail End Charlies

1
Erickson profile and the descriptions of flight training at Pasco, Washington, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, are from Erickson’s
Tail End Charlies!
19–40 and 49–63.

2
Details of carrier qualification aboard USS
Core
are from interviews with James South, Charles Schlag, and Wesley Hays, and Erickson recollections in
Tail End Charlies!
54–61.

3
Partying was as much a part of squadron life as flying: interviews with VBF-10/VF-10 pilots, and Erickson’s
Tail End Charlies!
51.

3
You Are Already Gods

1
“You are already gods without earthly desires”: Inoguchi and Nakajima,
The Divine Wind
, 19.

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