Above the Thunder (48 page)

air observation, nonartillery uses of,
177–79
,
203
,
229
; dropping grenades on Japanese,
258–59
; drops to infantry,
204
,
244
,
262–63
; enabling withdrawals,
208–9
,
241
; scouting,
211–12
,
248–49
; spotting hidden machine guns,
215–16
,
232–33
,
238–39
; watching enemy activity,
219
,
238–39

air section, of 122d Field Artillery Battalion,
104
,
254–55
; in New Guinea,
109–10
,
124
,
126
,
143–44
; in Tornado Task Force,
190–91
,
193–94

airplanes.
See also
L-4s, Piper
: Aeronca L-3s,
83
,
86–87
,
213–14
; around Kauai,
114–15
; B-25s,
156–57
; damage to,
116–17
,
148
; dropping hand grenades from,
147–48
,
161–63
; Fleet biplanes,
36
; Interstate “Cadet,”
36
; Japanese,
131–35
,
260
; Kerns as copilot in bomber,
156
; Kerns's opposition to dropping light planes,
279
; L-5s,
192
; maintenance for,
119
,
218
; P-36s,
47–48
,
50–51
; P-38s,
127–28
; P-40s,
47–48
,
50–51
,
114–15
,
155–56
; radios on,
93
,
106
,
151
,
200
; ranges for,
149–50
; repairs to,
117
,
124–25
; Stinson L-5s,
192
; Taylor L-2s,
92
; transporting and replacing,
106
,
120
,
123
,
127
,
140
,
196
; vulnerability of,
209–10
,
241–42
; weapons on,
151–53

airstrips: Agoo,
212
; Aringay,
213
,
218
; clearing cows from,
117
; construction of,
109
,
124–27
,
155
,
160
; Japanese sniping at,
218
; lighting for night land ings,
149–50
; limitations of,
116–17
; Lingayen,
196–97
; Loacan Field (Baguio),
248–49
,
249
;
Pugo,
218
; Rabon,
199
,
210
,
210–11
; San Fabian,
196
; surf overtaking,
153–55
; at Tor River,
143–44

Allen, Kennis: building airstrip,
126–27
; cobra and,
128–29
; damage to Kerns's plane and,
148
,
163–64
; lighting
airstrip,
149–50
; at Maffin Bay,
126
,
143
;
maintaining airplanes,
110
,
125
; riding with Kerns,
148
,
153–55
; riding with Vin,
179
,
181

Allured, Steve,
158

Anderson, Staff Sgt.,
98

Anderson, Technical Sergeant,
131

Aringay, Luzon,
213
,
218

Arizona,
USS,
51

Arizona Keed
(Vin's plane),
127
,
151–52
,
191–92
,
196
,
248

Army, U.S.,
70
; aviation branch of,
114–15
,
278–79
; deserving of honor,
49–50
,
279–80
; training regimes of,
279

Army Air Corps, entrance requirements,
36

Army Air Force (AAF),
39
,
70
,
99–100
,
227
; in New Guinea,
155
,
160
; 25th Liaison Pilot Training Detachment under,
83–84
; weapons of,
150–51
,
153

Arnold, Paul,
195

artillery,
66
,
118
.
See also
air observation
, for artillery; 122d Field Artillery Battalion; in attack on Baguio,
243–46
; Carlson's skill at,
177–78
,
236
; coordination with infantry,
70–71
,
234–37
; effectiveness of air observation for,
231–32
,
236
,
242
,
249–51
; HE shells,
176–77
; Kerns trying to protect civilians from,
243–44
; Kerns's skill at,
74–76
; limitations of,
216
,
268
; lucky shots by,
232–34
; officer training in,
64–65
,
73–76
,
78–80
; philosophy of,
70–71
; pilots hit by fragments,
175–76
,
223
; rules for clearance,
249–50
; support for infantry by,
169
,
171–73
,
199
; uses of,
55
,
206
,
222–23
,
228
,
232–33
,
245–46
,
264

artillery, Japanese,
233
,
237

Artillery Officers Advanced Course, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma,
276

atomic bombs, precluding invasion of Japan,
213

Baguio, Luzon: American attack on,
244–46
,
248
; Americans in,
253–55
,
268–70
; 33d Division in battle for,
230
,
231
,
255
; Japanese in,
222
,
245–46
; as objective of 33d Division,
203
,
215–16
,
243
; topography of,
244
,
248–49
,
257–58
; war damage to,
247

Baker, W. D. “Doug,”
46
,
95–97

Bales, Pfc.,
105

Barking Sands,
114–15

Base F, P-38 pilots around,
127–28

Battle of Midway,
70

Bechtel, Lieutenant,
90

Bernard, Robert,
66

Blake, Lieutenant,
170

Bledsoe, William P.,
45
,
57
,
60
,
64–66
,
69
,
277

Booby Trap II
(Kerns's plane),
127
,
182
,
191

Bortz, Dick,
111
,
213–14
,
252
,
255
; medals for,
224–26
; visiting Fortification Point,
124–25

Brady, John,
192

Brazil,
SS,
103

Brisley, Bill,
98
,
106
,
108
,
138
,
262

bulldozers,
7
,
124–25
,
219

Bunn, Carl,
45–46
,
48
,
49
,
257
,
278
,
281

Burns, Mr. and Mrs.,
113–14

Bushong, Kenny,
215

Bylotas, Edward,
53–56
,
58–59

Calugong, Mount (Luzon),
229
,
231
,
235–36
,
241

Calvert, Tommy,
83
,
85–86
,
88

Camp Atterbury, Indiana,
273–74

Camp Clipper, California,
98
,
100–103

Camp Stoneman,
103

Cancro, William,
42
,
49
,
278

Cannon Company, with 123d,
241

“Captain Red,”
204–8

Carlson, Roland P. “Bud,”
196
,
243
; artillery under,
177–78
,
199
,
212–13
,
227
,
234–36
,
250
; Burnses and,
113–14
; as commander,
174
,
238
,
240
; Kerns and,
183
,
229
,
271
,
277
; pilots and,
109–10
,
235–36
,
268–69
; Volckmann's guerrillas and,
264–65
,
268–69

Carney, James,
51–52

Carroll, James,
46–47

Carroll, Major,
70

Carter, “Nick,”
57

Catalina amphibious patrol bombers,
56–57

Cates, Mr.,
87–90

chart operator, Kerns as,
65–66

Christian, Linda and Peggy,
114–15

Churchill, Winston,
256–57

City of Sacramento,
103

civilians: American in Luzon,
266–67
; British in Luzon,
256
; Filipino and Americans,
197
,
210–11
,
217
,
255
; Filipino in Baguio,
246
,
255
; Kerns trying to protect,
216–17
,
243–44
,
253–54
; killed at Checkpoint #6 in New Guinea,
176–77
,
243–44
; New Guinea,
133–37
,
188

Clark, Dane,
195

Clarkson, Percy W.,
117
,
224–27
,
225
,
253
,
271

Cold War,
276

combat fatigue,
239–40

Command and General Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
276

Compton, Clarence,
42

Crenshaw, William,
236

Crupi, Salvatore,
49
,
63
,
67
,
278

“Cub Pub,” Bortz's,
214

Dahl, Charles,
42

Damortis (Luzon),
199–200
,
204
,
233

Darling, Elmer,
46
,
92

Davis, Hal,
98
,
106–8
,
137
,
278

death, Kerns's expectation of,
49–50

Denton, Texas,
82–90

Department of Air Training of the Field Artillery School (DAT-FAS),
90–92
,
94
,
95–97

Desert Training Center, demonstrations of air observation at,
100–101

Devereaux, James,
70

Dick, William W.,
46

DiNunzio, Alphonso H.,
207–9

Div Arty.
See
33d Infantry Division Artillery

Dlusky, Charles,
47

Domincan Hill (Hill 24-A) (Luzon),
244–46
,
245

Donaldson, George,
98

Downs, Maurice “Pappy,”
41
,
49
,
61
,
63
,
66
,
278

Drapczak, Michael,
47

Durant, John L.,
166–67
,
168

Dzyb, Joe,
119–20

Eder, Herb,
98

education, Kerns's,
36
,
69
,
74

8th Field Artillery Battalion,
36
,
257

89th Field Artillery Battalion,
59–60
,
67–69
,
257
,
277–78
; Headquarters Battery of,
38
,
40–47
,
60
,
122
,
141
,
143
,
155

Enterprise,
55

Eppes, Leo R.,
43
,
44

Europe, war ending in,
256
,
270

Ferris, John,
43
,
45
,
46
,
257
,
277
; on expectations of invasion of Hawaii,
48–49
; as operations and training officer,
64–65
,
69

Field Artillery Replacement Center, Fort Bragg,
274–75

filter center,
114–15

Finschhafen (New Guinea),
122–24

1st Cavalry Division, in Philippines,
198–99

flight training,
106
; at Denton, Texas,
82–90
; exercises in,
110–11
; at Fort Sill, Oklahoma,
90–95
; ground school for,
83–84
; Kerns's,
36–37
,
79
; pilots' game playing in,
107–8
,
118–19

Foe Maoe Plantation (New Guinea),
151–53
,
154
;
enemy at,
159–60
; pilots exploring,
144–45
,
147

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
276

Fort McDowell, at Angel Island,
72

Fort Sill, Oklahoma,
73
,
90–95
,
276

Fortification Point (New Guinea),
130
,
138
,
140
; construction of airstrip at,
124–27
; Div Arty at,
124
,
128–29

43d Division, 33d Division to relieve,
198–99
,
210

French, Walter R.,
43

Germany,
70
.
See also
Europe, war ending in

Gibson, Bill,
38
,
195
,
257
,
278

Giudice, Paul,
169–71

Green, Winfield,
146

Grimes, Philip,
57

ground crew, importance of,
110–11

guerrillas (in Luzon),
260–69