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Travel to family in CONUS From Hawaii & To Reuions, WW2, Korea & Vietnam
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Vietnam Air Force Pilot Wings
My GySgt Rank came 3 months before I retired when the new E-8 E-9 ranks took full effect. I had a one year letter in to CMC for retirement & could not be promoted. I had been a MSGt E-7 since 1957, served as Personnel Sgt Major, Line Chief, Maintenence Chief, S-4 logistics Chief, S-3 Ops Chief. Had recived USAF/VNAF pilot wings on contract(after retirement USMC) at USAF Advisory Group-Vietnam 1964-1968). Also had Vietnamese award not shown on the available items.Served as Senior CH53 Rep for 14 Years on Okinawa Japan with MAG-36 (1973-1987). During those years was deployed to Korea each year for"Team Spirit Exercise". Also support of units in Cubi Pt PI. Was on the LPH Okinawa for Opertaion "Frequent Winds" Apr 1975 Evacuation of Saigon. Was deployed to Diego Garcia than to Oman in support of prepartion for rescue of prisoners in Iran Late Nov 1979 .Prisoners were released when Regan was elected as President WW II to Viet Nam
Description Ulithi Atoll, also known as the Mackenzie Islands, is a coral atoll in the Yap Islands, the western part of the Carolines. There are some 40 islets with a total land area of 1.75 square miles (4.5 square km). It is located about 190 km east of Yap. The atoll’s inhabitants are probably of mixed Polynesian and Micronesian origins and speak Ulithian, an Austronesian language. It is one of the greatest natural harbors in the world. Ulithi appears to have been first sighted by Portuguese navigators (1526). No other record exists until Spanish Jesuit missionaries led by Juan Antonio Cantova landed (1731). Along with rest of the Carolines, the Germans purchased it from the Spanish and Japan seized it during World War I.
After the War, the League of Nations awarded a mandate to the Japanese. The Japanese made little use of Ulithi, but did site a seaplane base there. They had a radio and weather station on Ulithi and the Imperial Navy had occasionally used the lagoon as an anchorage. The United States used it very differently. The Pacific Fleet at first avoided landinfs in The Carolines. What they wanted was the Marianas to the north wherevair bases could be used to bomb the Japanese Home Islands. Japanese garrisons in the Carlines, luke Truk, were neutralized rather than invaded, avoiding costly landings. As the Americans moved west toward the Philippines, it became obvious that a forward supply base was needed. Naval planners bgan assessing Ulithi. The Japanese who has established garison all over the Central Pacific, somehow failed to perceive the vast strategic importance of Ulithi. The atoll with its magnificent harbor was precisely what the pacific Fleet needed for its operations in the Western Pacific. The decisive Japanese defeat in the Battle of the Philippines Sea meant that the Pacific Fleet faced no naval opposition (June 1944).
The Japanese withdrew to bases west of the Philippines and the Home Islands and began to plan a naval battle to resist the anticipated American invasion of the Philippines. More surprising, the Japanese did not garrison Ulithi Atoll. A regiment of the US Army's 81st Division landed unopposed (September 23, 1944). A regiment of the US Army's 81st Division landed unopposed (September 23, 1944). They simply walked ashore and took possession of the Atoll. It was a gift of unimaginable value, a strategic prize that would play an important role in the final phase of the Pacific War. Tragically, the Americans and Japanese in the same month would fight an extended pitched battle for Pelilu in the Palaus, another chain in the Carolines of virtually no value. A battalion of Seabees followed. While a magificent natural harbor, it was totally undeveloped. The survey ship USS Sumner) assessed the lagoon and concluded it was capable of accomodating an stonishing 700 vessels. This was more than Pearl Harbor and then Majuro after the seizure of the Marshalls could handle.
The Pacific Fleet rapidly turned it into the major supply base for major operations in the last year of the War (the Philippines and Okinawa). This was done with little publicity, but the Japanese eventually found out what they had conceded to the Americans without a fight. Japanese midget submarines attacked in the harbor, but despite their success had no real impact on the supply operations there. After the War, Ulithi was used as a military radio outpost.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
September / 1944
To Month/Year
September / 1944
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember VMTB-232 CO Menard Doswell the third Major USMC
Memories The local natives as in my photos. The sinking of a large fuel tanker by the two man sub. Our sinking of the two man sub with 500 lb depth charges. Our bombing of Yap Island & the bypassed Japanese military. The Huge harbor preparing the fleet for the PI, Iwo Jima & Okinawa operations. Standing on the wing of a TBM that was on fire during refueling. It had 2000 Lbs of depth charges in the bombay 8 rockets on the wings with several hundred gallons of fuel. My brave Line Chief was a 100 ft or more away in a jeep yelling at me to put out the fire. ( Been nice if he would have handed the fire bottle up on the wing!!) I had to jump off the wing get the fire bottle climb back up and than sray the fire wich was burning out of the cockpit. Than dumb ass chewed me out saying probably the fuel hose was not grounded. That was proven wrong when I threw the refuel hose to the deck the ground wire was seated in the wing & broke when i threw it down. Than I found the cause of the fire. A cigarette in the canvas bag of the oxygen mask under the pilots seat. Last pilot evidently dropped it there & didnt realize it. Photos of the Japanese surrender at Yap Island Sept 1945. After we departed for the Okinawa invasion MAG 45 took over the Ulithi assignmemnt. The CO of MAG-45 Col Mangrum was in charge of the surrender than later Sept 1945 in the photo. The Japanese CO Col Eto is in one photo along with 2 U.S. Navy Officers. They found 41 destroyed Japanese A/C on the Airfield that we had destroyed. No word about the Air Crews that had been shot down there during our tour.We lost a total of 5 TBM-3. One blew up in the air on takoff loaded with 4-500Lb depth charges. As noted these Depth Charges were very critical on time in service where they would explode with vibration. We lost 3 in one night while on Sub Patrol aound the area. Out of the 3 A/C with 9 crew only one survived a 1st Lt Fox.I talked to him after he had been rescued the next day by a Navy Cruiser. He told me that after couple hours on the dark night flight he was flying wing on the other two A/C when he suddenly felt a sharp jolt & that was all till he found himself floating with his mae west inflated. Apparently they had night time vertigo & flew into the ocean. 1St Lt Fox was offered the option to go back to CONUS when we left for Okinawa but he opted to stay with us. He was lost in the first weeks operation while on an attack on the front lines. To my knowledge he is still listed as MIA.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>........................ Japanese Two Man Submarines , Attacks by Japanese Two Man Submarines ( Maned Torpedos) During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor one of the new two man subs was sunk by a Navy Ship. Three years later I witnessed the 2nd and last of them attack a tanker in our harbor at Ulithi in the Caroline Islands.. At about 0600 on or about 26 Oct 1944 I was urinating on the palm tree in the revetment next to my TBM-3 . Preparing to run the A/C up for an early morning attack on Yap Island (VMTB-232 on Ulithi Island Carolines).Suddenly there was a blinding flash & huge explosion in the harbor. Out runway went from one end of that small island to the other end above the harbor. We immediately launched all available TBMs & it was disclosed that a tanker loaded with thousands of gallons of fuel had been hit. Later determined that one of the new Japanese maned torpedos (3000 lbs explosive with an maned control compartment )had followed a ship through the sub net into the harbor during the nite. Sunday while viewing the History channel they showed this incident and told of the sub or maned torpedo which was carried to the target area on a full size sub (we later sunk the mother sub). They also stated that one of two Japanese Navy Lts that designed the unit was manning the one that struck our tanker.The smoke from the tanker blocked the sun for hours that day. We spotted the sub still in the harbor where it was sunk Guess the remains are still there ! Never know what that early morning relief will bring Semper Fidelis Gy///Msgt Moore
