Wing and a Prayer

mogami · Post by **mogami** » Thu May 01, 2003 1:43 am

Hi, I'm watching a movie "Wing and a Prayer" at the moment USN torpedo bombers are hitting IJN CV left and right at the battle of Midway. When did the USN admit what happened to the torpedo squadrons at Midway?

Tankerace · Post by **Tankerace** » Thu May 01, 2003 5:59 am

I'm guessing they did it after the war, probably during the early 1950s. Then again, they could have mentioned it earlier, as that is why the TBF[M] was dubbed the "Avenger". I do know that in 1955 the navy made a movie (using scenes John Ford shot for his "Battle of Midway" taken during May, and possibly early June 1942, before the VTs' decimation) of Torpedo 8, and distributed 30 copies, one each to the families of the members of the unit who flew on June 4. Only those 30 were ever made, and to my knowledge were never reproduced. The website for some stills of the movie, and color photos of Torpedo 8 (along with an article by a man who saw the tape) is:

http://www.centurytel.net/midway/Carrie ... color.html

So it was no later than 1955 for sure.

However in 1943, an Airfield in Corpus Christi, Texas, was named Waldron Navy Landing Field, so they could have been acknowledging it as early as then. That's about all the hard evidence I can find.

Oh, BTW, I hope my written English is understood and good enough here (sorry, I'm still a little bitter at another post).

showboat1 · Post by **showboat1** » Thu May 01, 2003 8:15 am

Actually the news of VT-8 came out pretty early as they paraded George Gay (sole surivivor) on some kind of bond tour and built him up to be a great hero (which they all were, he just happened to survive). Don't know for certain when they came out with the news of VT-5 and VT-6. I do know the Air Corps tried to get all the cresit for the victory based on the excellent high level bombing of the Pacific Ocean that they executed.

I believe that I may have seen the Torpedo Eight movie. I don't know for certain if its the same one as what was made by Ford and distributed to families, it. The National Archives have a mater copy and you can get a copy made for a fee (sorry, don't know how much and it depends on the format anyway). Of course, like I said, not sure if its the same or not. I could have just been watching Ford's Midway film, but I know it ended with shots of Torpedo Eight pilots and gunners and their planes.

Note of Formality: George Gay died in 1994 (April I believe) in Atlanta, Georgia. I have his obituary from the Atlanta Journal Constitution in my files. Bet that on 6 June, 1942 he never thought he'd last that long.

Tankerace · Post by **Tankerace** » Thu May 01, 2003 9:24 pm

I am sure on that. Considering his whole squadron died, his gunner died, and he himself was wounded. I was reading an interview with him once, and it said he was hit in the arm by a machinegun bullet. He said he dug it out, and put it in his teeth "as he figured it would make a good momento" or something like that. Freaky how the weirdest things can happen in war.

Snigbert · Post by **Snigbert** » Mon May 05, 2003 9:59 pm

I am sure on that. Considering his whole squadron died, his gunner died, and he himself was wounded. I was reading an interview with him once, and it said he was hit in the arm by a machinegun bullet. He said he dug it out, and put it in his teeth "as he figured it would make a good momento" or something like that. Freaky how the weirdest things can happen in war.

That reminds me of this documentary I saw on the Navy Seals in VietNam. There was that guy Rudy, who later starred on 'Survivor', telling a story about how he had been shot in the hand while he had the hand up against this tree. He looks at the back of his hand and sees the bullet sticking out, and surprisingly the wound doesnt hurt too badly...mostly numbness. So to inspire his men and act all John Wayne he goes and bites the bullet and pulls it out of his hand. At that point he realized it wasnt a bullet but one of the bones in his hand. That made things start hurting!

showboat1 · Post by **showboat1** » Mon May 05, 2003 10:49 pm

OW!!!!!!!!!! Now that's gotta hurt!

On a side note, lots of guys wanted to keep the bullet or piece of shrapnel that hit them.

Snigbert · Post by **Snigbert** » Tue May 06, 2003 6:31 am

Hmmn, my dad still has lots of little pieces of shrapnel and gunpowder in his legs from the booby trapped hand grenade he stepped on. Once in a while little pieces of it will work their way out through the skin. I guess he has permanent momentos there.