#pilippines

Pilippines and Slovenia

The view from the cockpit of a B-17D at Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii, June, 1941.  These Flying Fortresses had flown in from Hamilton Field, Calif., on May 31, the first trans-oceanic crossing of a bomber group. They later flew on to the Philippine Islands, where several of them were destroyed by the Japanese attack on December 8.  But a number survived, and one even carried Gen. Douglas MacArthur from Del Monte Field in Mindanao to Australia.

Colin Kelly immortalized

Colin Kelly won the DSC attacking the Japanese invaders during the early days of the lst Philippines campaign flying one of these B-17s. He was killed on Dec. 10, 1941, when his plane was shot down by Zeros.

Colin Kelly

Harl Pease

Harl Pease in high school 

Harl Pease won the Medal of Honor piloting one of these B-17s, which he had flown from the Philippines to Australia, then, staging from there via New Guinea with five other escaped Fortresses, attacked the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul in the Solomon Islands in support of the Marine landings on Guadalcanal, August 7, 1942.  His plane was shot down and he was captured.  On October 8, 1942, he was forced to dig his own grave, then beheaded.