Death Rattlers Marine Squadron VMF 323 over Okinawa - William Wolf.pdf

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Willialll
,Wolf
Schiffer Military History
Atglen, PA
Dedication
I wish to dedicate this book to my wife, Nancy, and my good friend, partner, and fellow
historian, Jim Lansdale. But most of all I wish to dedicate it to the brave men ofVMF-323,
who gave up precious years of their youth-and sometimes their lives-to defend America.
Book Design by Ian Robertson.
Copyright
©
1999 by William Wolf.
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 99-62987
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any forms or by
any means - graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or information
storage and retrieval systems - without written permission from the copyright holder.
Printed in China.
ISBN: 0-7643-0953-6
We are interested in hearing from authors with book ideas on related topics.
Published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
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Phone: (610)593-1777
FAX: (610) 593-2002
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Contents
Acknowledgments
Forward: Gen. George Axtell
CHAPTER 1:
CHAPTER 2:
CHAPTER 3:
CHAPTER 4:
CHAPTERS:
CHAPTER 6:
CHAPTER 7:
CHAPTER 8:
CHAPTER 9:
CHAPTER 10:
CHAPTER 11:
CHAPTER 12:
CHAPTER 13:
CHAPTER 14:
CHAPTER 15:
CHAPTER 16:
CHAPTER 17:
CHAPTER 18:
CHAPTER 19:
CHAPTER 20:
CHAPTER 21:
CHAPTER 22:
CHAPTER 23:
CHAPTER 24:
CHAPTER 25:
CHAPTER 26:
CHAPTER 27:
CHAPTER 28:
CHAPTER 29:
CHAPTER 30:
CHAPTER 31:
CHAPTER 32:
Pioneer Days: 1 August 1943 to 11 January 1944
El Centro: Desert Interlude
Camp Pendleton: Fun, Fun, Fun in the California Sun
Long Island (CY-l): 21 July to 26 July 1944
Ewa: Hawaiian Holiday
USS Breton (CYE-23): 7 September to 18 September 1944
Erniru: Tropical Sojourn
Odyssey of the Sea Pike: 8 October to 29 November 1944
Espiritu Santo: Jungle Humdrum
Espiritu Santo to Pityilu
White Plains (CYE-66): 26 March to 9 April 1944
Ulithi: Pacific Springboard
Okinawa: Finally into Battle
LST-744: We'll Meet You There
Sea Bass: Another Epic Sea Odyssey
Okinawa: The Final Battle, A Background
Okinawa Air War: The Enemy
Picket Ship CAP
Close Air Support: TAF Background
The Weapon: F4U-lD/FG-lD Described
Flying the F4U-ID Corsair
F4U Armaments and Tactics
Death Rattlers Board of Directors: Photo gallery
April: The Death Rattlers Go Into Combat
May: A Magnificent Month
June: Closing Down
Anti-climax: July, August, September
Victory: The Cost and Worth
Death Rattler Legacy:
Death Rattler Aces: Biographies and photos, Complete claim list
Enlisted Men: Complete Roster, photo gallery
Rattler Epilogue: Korea and Vietnam, YMF-323 Song
Bibliography
Index of Personnel and Photographs
6
7
8
19
22
37
38
41
44
49
50
65
66
67
68
69
75
77
82
86
87
91
99
102
106
109
149
175
190
194
195
196
204
212
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215
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Acknowledgments
During the course of writing this book I conducted numerous
telephone and personal interviews and incorporated them into the
framework of the official histories.
It
must be remembered that more
than 50 years have passed, and each man had a different vantage
point in observing the course of events. Each was limited in his
observations by his rank and the role he played, and therefore con-
tributed a personal tile to the VMF-323 mosaic.
It
is often forgotten
in the praise of pilots in air combat that their success could only
happen through extensive and comprehensive training and, most of
all, through the unheralded, behind-the-scenes efforts of the en-
listed men on the ground. Unlike many aviation unit histories that
concentrate on combat, I also tried to underscore the role of the
men on the ground and Major Axtell's extensive training for the
Death Rattlers' success. Throughout my research both officers and
enlisted men ofVMF-323 emphasized the camaraderie in the squad-
ron. This was nurtured by the fun, boredom, discipline, and hard
work of everyday squadron life during the long training period, and
led to the success of the squadron over Okinawa.
Every VMF-323 member I contacted during my research was
helpful and exceptionally friendly, but several members were out-
standing in their assistance. Henry Brandon contributed his collec-
tion of almost daily letters to his new bride that gave me an insight
into everyday life during training and combat. Brandon, James
Ban-ett, Al Wells, George Axtell and John Ruhsam contributed ex-
tensive personal/telephone/E-mail interviews and other material.
Dorothy Spangler, the daughter of pilot, Charles Spangler, lent me
22 audio tape recordings she had made in the early and mid-1990's
at various reunions and via the telephone. Harley Brock did exten-
sive work in constructing a comprehensive enlisted man's roster,
and put me in contact with the enlisted men who contributed so
much to the success ofVMF-323. The extensive bibliography con-
fers to the reader some idea of the assistance I was given by squad-
ron members in writing the history and the reason for its complete-
ness and authenticity.
By mid-1944 the restrictions on personal photography were
relaxed, and consequently, members of the squadron took a large
number of photos which they contributed to this history. All photo
contributors are credited after the caption. Special thanks to Whitey
Miller, Henry Brandon, Jody O'Keefe and Bill Drake, who each
supplied a substantial number of photos. Hank Brandon, with his
great memory, contributed to the identification, writing, and cor-
rection of many photo captions. As with the success of VMF-323
during the war, the success of this book came from the friendship
and cooperation of all members of the squadron.
6
Death Rattlers: Marine Squadron VMF-323 Over Okinawa

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