12. Kozono survived the war and died in 1960.
13. After the war Fuchida converted to Christianity and became a well-known evangelist. He died in 1976.
14. Komachi article.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. According to Henry Sakaida, Komachi remained in hiding for several years before resuming a normal life. He died in 2012 at the age of 92. Saburo Sakai went into the printing business after the war, and wrote several accounts of his wartime activities. He died in 2000 at 84.
18. The planned Allied invasion of the Japanese Home Islands, Operation Downfall, was to have been conducted in two main phases. The first, Olympic, would have put troops ashore on the southern part of Kyushu in October 1945. The second, Coronet, was planned for the spring of 1946 and would have been focused on the Kanto Plain.
19. Reports of MacArthur, p. 444.
20. Ibid. For a more in-depth discussion of Blacklist, see also the Volume I Supplement to the Reports, titled The Occupation: Military Phase, pp. 4–18.
21. MacArthur himself chose not to attend, believing that by remaining aloof he would further impress upon the Japanese delegates that he was the emperor’s successor and was therefore above such mundane negotiations. See American Caesar, p. 441.
22. Author interview with B-32 pilot Collins Orton. Hereafter cited as Orton Interview.
23. Final Mission Report, Mission 237-A-10, 25 August 1945.
24. Reports of MacArthur, p. 449.
25. Pugliese Interview.
26. Blackburn Interview. I have been unable to determine the bombardier’s name from surviving records.
27. Cook Interview.
28. Author interview with Robert Russell, hereafter cited as Russell Interview.
29. Ibid.
30. Ibid.
31. Pugliese Interview, Cook Interview, and Orton Interview.
32. The Occupation: Military Phase, pp. 24–25. Interestingly enough, although Tench and his men were the first members of the occupation force to set foot in Japan, they might not actually have been the first Allied personnel to land in the defeated nation. The official war diary of the U.S. Navy’s Patrol Bombing Squadron 116 contains a cryptic entry stating that the Iwo Jima–based unit’s commander, Lieutenant Commander Walter C. Michaels, landed his PB4Y2 Privateer (a Navy variant of the B-24) at Atsugi on August 27 after encountering “mechanical difficulties” during a patrol flight over Tokyo Bay. The plane was said to have been on the ground for less than an hour while the crew rectified the problem, and took off without ever being approached by the Japanese. Michaels later wrote that there were no problems with the aircraft, and that he had faked the emergency so that he and his crew could claim to have been the first Americans to land in defeated Japan. Although this story has been widely repeated, the author has been unable to find any other official documentation proving that it actually happened.
33. Orton Interview.
34. Orton Interview.
35. Ibid. This account is also contained in Orton’s official “Pilot’s Statement,” written on September 10, 1945, and included in Staff Sergeant George A. Murphy’s Individual Deceased Personnel File.
36. Orton Interview. Water condensation in fifty-five-gallon aviation gasoline storage drums was a huge and well-documented problem in the Pacific Theater because of the high daytime temperatures and excessive humidity.
37. Details of the actions of Henley and Aulick during the rescue of Orton and his crew are drawn from the ships’ respective war diaries, as well as from the Missing Aircrew Report produced following the incident.
38. Orton Interview and destroyer war diaries.
39. Deck Log, USS Aulick, 28 August–3 September 1945, pp. 1–2.
40. Cook Interview.
41. Svore Interview.
42. Narrative Unit History, 386th Bombardment Squadron, July–August 1945.
43. Blackburn Interview.
Chapter 7: Homecoming
1. Cook Interview, Pugliese Interview, and Anderson Interview.
2. At some point one of the aviators—it is not clear who—provided an odd tidbit of fanciful information that was quickly seized upon and repeated by the reporters in their various stories. When the Japanese fighters rolled in on Anderson’s aircraft and shot out an engine, this story went, the young pilot radioed Klein in the other Dominator and asked him to slow down. At that point one of the enemy pilots supposedly cut into the radio transmission and said, in English, “Yes, please slow down so I can shoot you down.” I asked Anderson, Klein, and other participants in the August 18 incident about this bit of lore, and all said it did not happen and they did not know how the story got started.
3. Among the other papers that gave the story front-page treatment in the days following the attack were the Los Angeles Times and the same city’s Daily News and, of course, Kinch’s Star-Telegram. Interestingly, Kinch’s reports made no mention of the Japanese pilot breaking into the conversation.
4. After his return from overseas Joe Lacharite spent nearly a year in the hospital before returning to his civilian life. He died on September 28, 2000, in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
5. The Graves Registration Service in World War II, pp. 158–162. There was also a cemetery for Japanese military and civilian dead, though the large numbers of the former—more than 110,000—resulted in the majority being interred in mass graves.
6. This documentation is included in Tony’s Individual Deceased Personnel File, a copy of which is in the author’s possession. His most recent dental examination had been performed at Will Rogers Field on February 30, 1944.
7. Wooden caskets were generally not used in the Pacific Theater because of the logistical difficulties associated with getting them to the islands (which usually did not have native woods suitable for casket construction) and storing them in the hot and humid climates. Shelter halves were the two parts of a “pup” tent.
8. Indeed, just ten days later the 3063rd would process the remains of those killed in the fiery crash of 544; those that were positively identified were interred in individual graves at the Island Command Cemetery.
9. August 15 in the Pacific Theater.
10. The following account of how Tony’s family learned of, and responded to, his death is based largely on the Marchione Sisters Interview. The sisters also graciously provided a trove of Tony’s letters, photographs, and official documents pertaining to his military service and death.
11. Letter from Frank Pallone to Theresa Marchione, September 6, 1945, a copy of which was provided to the author.
12. A copy of the letter was provided to the author by the Marchione family.
13. A copy of the certificate was provided to the author by the Marchione family.
14. A copy of the award citation was provided to the author by the Marchione family.
15. Final Disposition of World War II Dead, 1948–1951, pp. 39–40. Hereafter cited as Final Disposition. The program called for the final disposition of more than 280,000 individual sets of remains, some 171,000 of which were ultimately returned to the United States for final burial according to the families’ wishes. The total cost of the program reached more than $163 million.
16. Letter to Ralph Marchione from Major General Thomas B. Larkin, dated 19 January 1948. A copy was provided to the author by the Marchione family.
17. Letter from Major Richard B. Coombs, QMC Memorial Division to Ralph Marchione, dated 10 June 1948, a copy of which was provided to the author by the Marchione family.
18. Regulations required that disinterred remains be “disinfested, disinfected and wrapped.” Copies of Tony Marchione’s Disinterment Directive and other documents pertinent to the repatriation of his remains are included in his Individual Deceased Personnel File, a copy of which is in the author’s possession. Hereafter cited as Marchione IDPF.
19. Final Disposition, pp. 653–654. The other two West Coast distribution centers were at Auburn, Washington, and Mira Loma, California. Oakland Army Base
would ultimately handle some 57,000 sets of repatriated remains, the majority from the Pacific Theater.
20. Berkeley Daily Gazette, Wednesday, February 16, 1949.
21. Most sources indicate that the Army had 118 mortuary cars, all of which had apparently first been converted from civilian passenger use into hospital cars in 1942–1943.
22. Final Disposition, pp. 654–655.
23. The U.S. Army Air Forces had, of course, become the U.S. Air Force as a result of the National Security Act of 1947.
24. Marchione Sisters Interview; author interview with Frank J. Pallone Sr., hereafter cited as Pallone Interview.
25. Pottstown Mercury, March 22, 1949.
Author’s Afterword
1. Indeed, a strong case could be made that his was the final American combat death of any type in World War II—though other U.S. military personnel died fighting Japanese service members as late as 1946, the fact that their deaths occurred after the ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay places them firmly in the postwar period.
INDEX
A-20 Havoc bombers, 34, 45
A-20 Havoc pilots, B-32 conversion training and, 48
Aerial gunners
requirements for, 12–13
training, 12–15
Aerial Photography School, 135–136
Aircraft, shortage of Allied, 34. See also specific models
Air General Army (Japan), 99
Air Technical Service Command (ATSC), 43
Air-to-air gunnery science, 14
Allied Air Forces, 34
Allied war in Pacific, 62–63
air activity over Japan following ceasefire, 115
attacks on photo-reconnaissance missions following ceasefire, 122–127, 129, 140–141, 143–146, 148, 150–153
care of American war dead, 191–192
Japanese surrender ceremony, 185
Japan’s acceptance of terms of surrender, 29, 30, 66, 84, 85–87
Kawabe delegation, 162–164, 171–172
leafletting Japan, 84
photographic reconnaissance of Japan (see Photo-reconnaissance missions)
preparation for occupation of Japan, 77, 171–185
recall of fighter planes from Kanto Plain, 105–106
response to Japan’s conditional acceptance of Potsdam Declaration, 76–77
Altitude tests, 13
American Battle Monuments Commission, 199
Amoy (China), 24, 25
Anami, Korechika, 77
coup and, 75, 78, 80–82, 83, 88–89, 93
Japan’s conditional surrender and, 72–74, 79, 80–82, 83, 85, 86
as member of Supreme Council, 69
report on Hiroshima and, 84
seppuka of, 95
AN/APQ-13 radar bombing and navigation set, 53
AN/APS-15 ground-mapping radar system “Mickey,” 23
Anderson, John R.
August 18 photo-reconnaissance mission pilot, 138, 142, 143, 144, 150, 152, 153, 155, 157, 168, 189
debriefings, 190
AN-M46 flash bomb, 26–27
Antatet supply depot, 46–47
Anti-surrender leaflets, 105
Arisue, Seizo, 180
Armament Technicians’ School, 136
Armorers, B-32s and, 48
Army Air Forces Overseas Replacement Depot (West), 22
Army Airways Communications Systems, 179, 180
Army Effects Bureau, 193
Arnold, Henry H. (Hap)
B-32 combat testing and, 45
B-32 development and, 42, 43, 61
Kenney and, 36–38
request for long-range, heavy bomber development, 39
A6M Zero-Sen (Zeke) carrier fighters, 101, 102, 109, 111, 122, 145
Associated Press, 189, 190
Atomic bombing of Japan, 63, 64, 69, 84, 85, 133, 166
ATSC. See Air Technical Service Command (ATSC)
Atsugi naval air station
air defenses at, 100, 101
Allied attacks on, 102
arrival of occupation forces, 179–180, 184
attacks on August 18th photo-reconnaissance mission from, 144
continuing air attacks on Allied planes, 121–122, 140–141
preparation for Allied occupation and, 171–172
resistance to ending the war at, 102–108, 164–168
See also 302nd Air Group
AT-6 Texan dual-place trainers, 15
AWPD/1 plan, 41
B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, 34, 35, 39, 41, 42, 131
B-18 Bolo bombers, 136
B-24 Liberator bombers (F-7), 35, 39, 136
Japanese attacks on, 102, 154
recon missions and, 115, 126, 129, 132
rescues using, 131
training on, 16, 17
B-25 Mitchell bombers, 34, 49–50, 54
B-25J Mitchell bombers, 164
B-26 Marauder bombers, 34
B-29 Superfortress bombers
atomic bomb delivery using, 63
compared to B-32, 43
evaluation of, 40
firebombing raids using, 52, 61
Japanese attacks on, 4, 102, 105
Kenney and, 35–38
leafletting using, 84
production of, 41
rescues using, 131
weapons, 12
B-32 Dominator bombers
cancellation of, 185
combat test reports, 59–61
combat tests, 43–66
conversion training, 47–48
development of, 40–43, 61
Kenney and, 36–38
low-altitude bombing and, 53
night offensives and, 52–53
range and endurance and, 52
reconnaissance missions, 115–119
reconnaissance sorties and 20th Recon Squadron, 30–31
testing of, 42–43
transition training, 47–48, 60, 61
See also Harriet’s Chariot; Hobo Queen II; The Lady is Fresh
B-32 Dominator bombers (#528), 44, 46
combat missions, 60, 64
combat tests, 49–50, 51–52, 54–56
crash of, 181–184
photo-reconnaissance missions in preparation for occupation of Japan, 172–173, 174, 178–179, 180–183
on Yontan, 63–64
B-32 Dominator bombers (#539), photo-reconnaissance missions, 120–121, 123–125
B-32 Dominator bombers (#544)
August 18th photo-reconnaissance mission, 132, 133–134, 138, 139
crash of, 176–177
photo-reconnaissance missions in preparation for occupation of Japan, 172–173, 174–177
B-32 Dominator bombers (#578)
August 18th photo-reconnaissance mission, 132, 133–134, 138–140, 141–143, 147–155
debriefings, 159–160, 161
photo-reconnaissance missions, 121, 122–123
photo-reconnaissance missions in preparation for occupation of Japan, 174, 178–179, 181
return to Yontan after attack, 155, 157
Baker, J. R., 144
Balete Pass operation, 24–25
Barnes, William P. (Bill)
B-32 combat tests and, 46
B-32 544 crash and, 175, 178, 184
photo-reconnaissance missions and, 116–117, 134, 157
Bataan (C-54 transport), 184
“Bataan,” Japanese delegation directive, 162–164
Batan, 49
Battle of Midway, 33, 97
Battle of the Coral Sea, 97
Begley, William M., 204
“Betty” aircraft, 163, 164
“Big Six” (Supreme Council), 69–71, 78, 81
Blackburn, John R., 142–143, 144, 145, 175, 185
Boeing, 35–36, 39, 40
Boettcher, Byron K., 61
Bowie, Glen W., 145
Boyd, John L., 180–181
Britt, Henry S., 59
Brooklyn Army Base - Distribution Center No.
1, 202
Burnside, Merritt, 44
Bushido tradition, 72, 97, 99, 103, 108, 112, 140, 188
Butler, Horace, 181
Byrnes, James F., 76, 77, 79, 84, 86
C-46 Commando transport, 180
C-47 Skytrain transport, 22, 63, 163, 179, 180
C-54 Skymaster transport, 180, 184, 201
Cameras
K-19B night-reconnaissance, 25–26
K-22, 2, 137, 138, 139, 148, 181
Camera system, photo-reconnaissance, 19
Campbell, John F., 204
Canton River, 57–58
Casualties
care of American war dead, 191–192, 201
notification of families, 190
CAVU (clear and visibility unlimited) conditions, 57
Champlin, Darrell, 157
Chartier, G. L., 138
Chevalier, Frederick C., 143
Chiba Prefecture airdromes, reconnaissance of, 130
Christenson, Leslie, 157
Clark, John, 181–182
Clark Field, 22–27, 29, 44, 47, 111
Clayworth, Benjamin F., 142, 148
Collateral duties, 24
Colorado Springs Army Air Base, 22
Combat air crew debriefings, 159–160
Combat Crew Training Station-Photo-reconnaissance, 19, 136
Combat testing, of B-32 Dominators, 43–66
Combs, Lyman, 117
Consolidated Aircraft. See B-32 Dominator bombers; B-24 Liberator bombers
Consolidated-Vultee, Very Long Range bomber development and, 40–43
Conversion training on B-32s, 47–48, 60, 61
Cook, Frank R.
combat test report, 59
combat tests, 43–44, 46–47, 52
crash of B-32 544 and, 176, 177, 178, 184, 190
photo-reconnaissance missions, 117–118, 120, 121, 123, 126, 157
transition training and, 60
Coombs, Richard, 200, 203
Crabb, Jared V., 47, 59
Cunningham, Roy C., 182, 183
Dalton Victory (Army transport), 201
Davis-Monthan Army Air Field, 16–17
Deflection shooting, 14
Demobilization point system, 28, 31
Doehler-Jarvis Corporation, 11
Douglas, Very Long Range bomber development and, 40
Drew Army Air Field, 12
East China Sea, anti-shipping sweep of, 64
Eastern District Army (Japan), 75, 89, 92, 94, 95, 98