We came zooming over the anti-aircraft guns
from the opposite side and released our bombs
right on target. We hightailed it out of there and
rejoined our squadron as we went on our merry
way. We glanced back and at first, all I saw was
some smoke rising from our bomb hits. The
smoke turned to flame and suddenly, the column
of black smoke rose to 5,000 feet, then 10,000
and it was reported by later flights that it topped
out at over 25,000 feet! Back at our airfield the
intelligence people were all abuzz about whose
bombs they were and wondered what was the
target. Being “good Marine Corsair fighter pilots,”
we all feigned ignorance and claimed to have no
idea what the intelligence officer was talking
about. Some of us offered up the fact “that maybe
it was an ammo dump accidently lit off by careless
smoking?” Mysteriously, a few weeks later, my
wingman and I each received a Distinguished
Flying Cross for our “aborted” mission!
Above: Corsair 075 slides in
nice and tight to Fen Lind’s
wing. (Photo courtesy of
author) Below: Marine F4U-1A
Corsairs being serviced at an
outdoor maintenance area
on Bougainville on 15MAR44.
(Photo by USMC via Jim Sullivan)
