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Dave Fish-Family
to remember
Marine Cpl John DeWitt Rood.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Berwick
Last Address Berwick
Casualty Date May 30, 1945
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Philippines
Location of Interment Fort Logan National Cemetery (VA) - Denver, Colorado
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Luzon Campaign (1944-45)
From Month/Year
December / 1944
To Month/Year
April / 1945
Description On December 15, 1944, landings against minimal resistance were made on the southern beaches of the island of Mindoro, a key location in the planned Lingayen Gulf operations, in support of major landings scheduled on Luzon. On January 9, 1945, on the south shore of Lingayen Gulf on the western coast of Luzon, General Krueger's Sixth Army landed his first units. Almost 175,000 men followed across the twenty-mile (32 km) beachhead within a few days. With heavy air support, Army units pushed inland, taking Clark Field, 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Manila, in the last week of January.
Two more major landings followed, one to cut off the Bataan Peninsula, and another, that included a parachute drop, south of Manila. Pincers closed on the city and, on February 3, 1945, elements of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division pushed into the northern outskirts of Manila and the 8th Cavalry Regiment (organized as infantry) passed through the northern suburbs and into the city itself.
As the advance on Manila continued from the north and the south, the Bataan Peninsula was rapidly secured. On February 16, paratroopers and amphibious units simultaneously assaulted the islet of Corregidor. It was necessary to take this stronghold because troops there can block the entrance of Manila Bay. The Americans needed to establish a major harbor base at Manila Bay to support the expected invasion of Japan, planned to begin on November 1, 1945. Resistance on Corregidor ended on February 27, and then all resistance by the Japanese Empire ceased on August 15, 1945, obviating the need for an invasion of the Japanese Home Islands.
Despite initial optimism, fighting in Manila was harsh. It took until March 3 to clear the city of all Japanese troops, and the Japanese Marines, who fought on stubbornly and refused to either surrender or to evacuate as the Japanese Army had done. Fort Drum, a fortified island in Manila Bay near Corregidor, held out until 13 April, when a team of Army troops went ashore and pumped 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the fort, then set off incendiary charges. No Japanese soldiers in Fort Drum survived the blast and fire.
In all, ten U.S. divisions and five independent regiments battled on Luzon, making it the largest American campaign of the Pacific war, involving more troops than the United States had used in North Africa, Italy, or southern France.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1945
To Month/Year
April / 1945
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember PBJ-1D MB 7 "Seahorse White 7": Lt Col George A Sarles, VMB 611 Commanding Officer/pilot; 1st Lt Charles A Jones, passenger; T/Sgt Floyd M Sigler, crew member; Cpl George T Cawley, crew member.
PBJ-1J MB 11 "Seahorse Blue 11": 1st Lt Doit L Fish, pilot; 1st Lt Donald C Sculati, co-pilot; 1st Lt Sigurd J Simonson, passenger; S/Sgt Richard C Vorel, navigator/bombardier; Sgt Robert L Harrison, radio/waist gunner; Cpl Walter G Charboneau, tail gunner/mechanic; Cpl Chester D Luberda, waist gunner/radio; Cpl John D Rood, top turret/ordinance.
Memories On the morning of 30 May 1945, Lt Col Sarles lead a multiple, all-day PBJ-1 sweep of the Kibawe Trail, near Davao, Mindanao. His PBJ was hit by AA and Lt Col Sarles and three of his crew members were KIA.
In the afternoon, after searching for Lt Col Sarles' PBJ, 1st Lt Fish's PBJ became lost, never to be seen again. He and crew were declared MIA.
This fateful one-day mission was the greatest loss for VMB 611 during the war. Twelve Marines gave their lives to protect our freedom.
My Dad's aircraft wreckage and the crew's remains were found November 1956. Group burial was held July 1957 at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver CO.
Words noted by Dad's surviving pilots when they found out that Dad and his crew were finally laid to rest were: "The book on VMB 611 can now be closed...All planes are in."
My Dad and his crew trained together, were deployed overseas together, flew combat missions together, died together, and rest in eternal peace togther. SEMPER FI.
