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Page 34 March 2016 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
Our Neighborhood Veterans took a total of 48 hours and 30 releasing his belly tank. While diving
minutes. and pulling up hard; he thought he
While at Port Moresby, George may have torn something loose when
flew P-38s while awaiting his the belly tank released, or thought he
assignment to a fighter squadron. had received some bullets through his
by Jim Houck, Jr. It didn’t take long before he and wings. One or the other had caused
five of his buddies were assigned to
him to lose gas, and he didn’t think
1ST LIEUTENANT GEORGE WARREN the 35th Fighter Squadron-5th Air he had enough to return to base.
Force, 8th Fighter Group stationed
He called the squadron
BAKER, U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS at Wakde Island on the north side of commander and reported his
New Guinea. The next day, an Island
situation. The commander sent a
— Continued from “Our Neighborhood Veterans” February 2016 edition — called Biak was invaded and a couple pilot back to help him. The pilot was
of hours after the air strip was taken familiar with the area and led him
George was sent to Santa Rosa overseas. George said they did very and repaired, they landed. When to Noemfoor, an island the Army
in the later part of December little except wait. In the latter part landing, the squadron commander had taken a few days before. The
1943 where he was trained in the of April he had to take a physical to overshot the field. George was flying weather got real bad with heavy rain
P-39, a nice plane for low altitude. be sent out. Because he had a sore his wing position and was able to and when they got to some clouds,
Once, when the weather was bad throat, they told him they wouldn’t land. George didn’t know that the he told the other pilot to go on the
and George was trying to land, he let him go until it cleared up. So, commander wanted to be the first to instruments and George would fly
forgot to put his landing gear down he went back to the barracks, took land, so he got a royal chewing out by looking at his wing. Just as they
and almost crashed. He received a his toothbrush handle and squeezed by the commander. That wasn’t the entered the clouds, he peeled off
call from the control tower to go his tonsils until all the infection was way to start out with a new squadron. and left. George was in the clouds
around and put his wheels down this gone. His tonsils didn’t look bad George’s squadron commander, and was afraid that if he turned, he
time. George was chewed out, but except they were really red. along with two other commanders, would hit him, so he just let the plane
everything turned out okay. He went back to the hospital the were killed in the next few days while descend gradually and came out
George was sent to Paine Field next day and managed to pass the flying missions. George said everyone under the clouds.
in Evert, Washington in February physical. He was shipped out the was a little scared of becoming the George was 200 feet above the
where he flew the P-39. He said the next night along with the fellows he squadron commander. water when he turned to what he
place was very lax on discipline and had graduated fly school. George From their position in Biak, they thought was the direction of his
they left him do practically anything and his buddies flew from San were able to escort bombers over home airfield. He looked up and
he wanted to do. George said he Francisco to Hawaii, from Hawaii to the Netherlands, East Indies, Guam, saw several B-24s through a hole in
thought it was to give them a good Canton Island, from Canton Island the northern part of New Guinea, the clouds and flew up beside them.
time before being sent back overseas. to Nanumea Island, from Nanumea Borneo, and Southern Philippines. He tried to make radio contact with
In April he was sent to Hamilton Island to Guadalcanal, and finally, On one mission, they were them, but couldn’t get a response.
Field in San Francisco, California from Guadalcanal to Port Moresby. escorting B-24s to Ceram. After His gas was getting very low by
to wait for squadron assignment for They were in a C-54, and the flight they dropped their bombs, the then and George knew he either
squadron got into a small fight with had to bail out or go down with the
some Japanese fighter planes called plane. In the past few weeks, pilots
Oscars. Fortunately, it didn’t seem had bailed out and their chutes
they really wanted to fight, although hadn’t opened. Because of that,
his squadron shot several of them George was leary of bailing out, so
down. After the fight, they started he came along the side of one of the
to strafe the ships in the harbor and B-24s and released his canopy hoping
the airfield. George said the Japanese the pilot would realize he was in
were running all around. trouble, but they just waved back.
George remembered being on the George looked down and saw
receiving end of a strafe at Hickam several small islands that had coral
Field on December 7, 1941, and he reef around them and he thought he
had no problem strafing them back. might set the plane down on them
While flying, he thought he was since they only had ten to fifteen
remembering it too much because feet of water covering them. George
he looked up and his squadron had made his approach to land with his
started home. When the fight started, wheels up. That didn’t allow for the
George said he had had trouble increased drag the wheels would
Our Neighborhood Veterans took a total of 48 hours and 30 releasing his belly tank. While diving
minutes. and pulling up hard; he thought he
While at Port Moresby, George may have torn something loose when
flew P-38s while awaiting his the belly tank released, or thought he
assignment to a fighter squadron. had received some bullets through his
by Jim Houck, Jr. It didn’t take long before he and wings. One or the other had caused
five of his buddies were assigned to
him to lose gas, and he didn’t think
1ST LIEUTENANT GEORGE WARREN the 35th Fighter Squadron-5th Air he had enough to return to base.
Force, 8th Fighter Group stationed
He called the squadron
BAKER, U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS at Wakde Island on the north side of commander and reported his
New Guinea. The next day, an Island
situation. The commander sent a
— Continued from “Our Neighborhood Veterans” February 2016 edition — called Biak was invaded and a couple pilot back to help him. The pilot was
of hours after the air strip was taken familiar with the area and led him
George was sent to Santa Rosa overseas. George said they did very and repaired, they landed. When to Noemfoor, an island the Army
in the later part of December little except wait. In the latter part landing, the squadron commander had taken a few days before. The
1943 where he was trained in the of April he had to take a physical to overshot the field. George was flying weather got real bad with heavy rain
P-39, a nice plane for low altitude. be sent out. Because he had a sore his wing position and was able to and when they got to some clouds,
Once, when the weather was bad throat, they told him they wouldn’t land. George didn’t know that the he told the other pilot to go on the
and George was trying to land, he let him go until it cleared up. So, commander wanted to be the first to instruments and George would fly
forgot to put his landing gear down he went back to the barracks, took land, so he got a royal chewing out by looking at his wing. Just as they
and almost crashed. He received a his toothbrush handle and squeezed by the commander. That wasn’t the entered the clouds, he peeled off
call from the control tower to go his tonsils until all the infection was way to start out with a new squadron. and left. George was in the clouds
around and put his wheels down this gone. His tonsils didn’t look bad George’s squadron commander, and was afraid that if he turned, he
time. George was chewed out, but except they were really red. along with two other commanders, would hit him, so he just let the plane
everything turned out okay. He went back to the hospital the were killed in the next few days while descend gradually and came out
George was sent to Paine Field next day and managed to pass the flying missions. George said everyone under the clouds.
in Evert, Washington in February physical. He was shipped out the was a little scared of becoming the George was 200 feet above the
where he flew the P-39. He said the next night along with the fellows he squadron commander. water when he turned to what he
place was very lax on discipline and had graduated fly school. George From their position in Biak, they thought was the direction of his
they left him do practically anything and his buddies flew from San were able to escort bombers over home airfield. He looked up and
he wanted to do. George said he Francisco to Hawaii, from Hawaii to the Netherlands, East Indies, Guam, saw several B-24s through a hole in
thought it was to give them a good Canton Island, from Canton Island the northern part of New Guinea, the clouds and flew up beside them.
time before being sent back overseas. to Nanumea Island, from Nanumea Borneo, and Southern Philippines. He tried to make radio contact with
In April he was sent to Hamilton Island to Guadalcanal, and finally, On one mission, they were them, but couldn’t get a response.
Field in San Francisco, California from Guadalcanal to Port Moresby. escorting B-24s to Ceram. After His gas was getting very low by
to wait for squadron assignment for They were in a C-54, and the flight they dropped their bombs, the then and George knew he either
squadron got into a small fight with had to bail out or go down with the
some Japanese fighter planes called plane. In the past few weeks, pilots
Oscars. Fortunately, it didn’t seem had bailed out and their chutes
they really wanted to fight, although hadn’t opened. Because of that,
his squadron shot several of them George was leary of bailing out, so
down. After the fight, they started he came along the side of one of the
to strafe the ships in the harbor and B-24s and released his canopy hoping
the airfield. George said the Japanese the pilot would realize he was in
were running all around. trouble, but they just waved back.
George remembered being on the George looked down and saw
receiving end of a strafe at Hickam several small islands that had coral
Field on December 7, 1941, and he reef around them and he thought he
had no problem strafing them back. might set the plane down on them
While flying, he thought he was since they only had ten to fifteen
remembering it too much because feet of water covering them. George
he looked up and his squadron had made his approach to land with his
started home. When the fight started, wheels up. That didn’t allow for the
George said he had had trouble increased drag the wheels would
