PORTLAND, Ore. -- Eighty years ago, on November 11, 1944, Armistice Day, known as Veterans Day since 1954, was observed overseas by the World War II elements of the 142nd Wing.
Over in the European Theater of Operations (ETO), the 371st Fighter Group (today’s 142nd Wing) attempted to operate the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt from two sodden airfields in France in support of US Seventh Army and Free French forces advancing from southern France up to the German border.
Meanwhile, over in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater, the 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (today’s 123rd Fighter Squadron) conducted combat reconnaissance operations over the vast landscape of China and over into Burma with the Lockheed F-5E Photo Lightning from four flights based at three airfields in two provinces of China.
Armistice Day in the ETO
For the 371st Fighter Group based at Dole Airfield (Dole/Tavaux Airfield, Advanced Landing Ground Y-7), rain limited flying to one morning sortie on November 5 and then continued to shut down flying operations. Pilots maintained a state of readiness to fly from 0600, but the liquid sunshine kept falling, so they spent the rest of the day on alert standby waiting for the weather to break.
After nearly a week of rain, which deprived Allied ground forces of the group’s support, on November 10 the nearby Doubs River had enough, and “…went completely berserk, in angry retaliation for the many times it had been “bombed” with jettisoned 500 pounders.” The overflow over the south side of the Dole runway, which grew by inches per hour, soon forced the group to evacuate its P-47s to Dijon Airfield (ALG Y-9) some 30 miles to the northwest and pull other resources like mess tents and equipment up to higher ground at Dole.
The unit received no slack from higher headquarters and was ordered to remain ready to conduct combat operations. The pilots and a skeleton crew of maintenance mechanics went to Dijon to stand by to fly and maintain the Thunderbolts, while the bulk of the group’s assigned and attached 1,100+ personnel (including several women in the American Red Cross Field Office) remained at Dole to carry on with administration and services. The split operations were an added strain for the group, on top of dealing with the foul weather.
The rain continued on Armistice Day, which was relatively quiet with no combat missions flown.
From the group’s official history for November, 1944: “11 Nov. – ARMISTICE, but hardly the cause for elation as in 1918. We were informed we would conduct operations from Dijon and not be off ops until our return to Dole as previous orders had indicated. Weather too bad for flying. Birthday party and steak dinner held for Colonel Kleine at Group Officers BOQ.”
Even if not flying that day, it was a soggy experience to remain postured for operations when the weather broke, as related in the group’s unofficial warbook, The Story of the 371st Fighter Group in the ETO (Army & Navy Publishers, 1946): ”We would jump off the trucks and carry our mud-splashed mess kits to the sagging, soaked mess tents, try to thaw out next to the field ranges that cooked our powdered eggs, and stand shivering while eating, trying to mitigate the effect of the penetrating cold with hot coffee.”
In the tents along the flightline near where the men serviced the aircraft, and in which the pilots briefed their missions and waited for a break, “…pot bellied stoves were available, but good fuel was not. We had to contend with wood – muddy, soaked tree branches that burned too quickly. A ton of eastern Kentucky coal would have looked like a pile of gold to us.”
As a result of the rains, the group generated the following operations report for higher headquarters: “Oprep A. No. 101 for 24 hours ending sunset 11 November 1944, a negative report is submitted.”
The same report was submitted from November 6 until the nasty weather finally cleared enough for combat operations to commence from Dijon on November 15. Split operations continued for another week until the planes and personnel returned to Dole on November 21 to carry on.
Armistice Day in the CBI
Meanwhile, over in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater, the 45 officers and 260 enlisted men in the Redhawks, the 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, today’s 123rd Fighter Squadron, spent their Armistice Day at the home field in Chanyi and in four detachments at scattered locations in China.
At the “home ‘drome,” “H” Flight at Chanyi Airfield in Yunnan Province, squadron commander Maj. Albert J. McChristy flew F-5E No. 812 (Lightning serial number 43-28622) on a 6-inch Trimetrogon (Tri-Met) mission to image North Eastern Yunnan Province for mapping work. This kind of imaging allows for stereographic interpretation of topography. In a sortie lasting from 0945 and 1125, he flew two lines at 30,000 feet, taking five and 155 exposures, respectively.
The mission was mostly uneventful though Maj. McChristy experienced a right booster pump failure. F-16 veteran pilot Chris Fahey, now flying vintage warbirds including the P-38 Lightning in Southern California, shares some perspective on this matter regarding the Lockheed Lightning’s Allison V-1710 engines and fuel system: “…there are redundant boost pumps. Each engine has an engine-driven pump, and an electrical pump. Usually after takeoff you turn the electric pumps off… In flight if the electric fails it’s not a big deal except that you've lost redundancy.” In this case, the loss of the right booster pump did not apparently adversely affect Maj. McChristy’s ability to accomplish the mission.
About 250 miles west of Chanyi toward the Burma border, “G” Flight was located at Yunnani Airfield in Yunnan Province. The flight accomplished two photo recon missions on Armistice Day.
First off the ground was 1st Lt. Estal W. Behrens who took off from at 1205 local time in F-5E No. 810 (Lightning serial number 43-28610). He flew a Tri-Met mission over the Burma Road on a segment running south from Wanling (Wanding today, in Yunnan Province) to Lashio, Burma. As the road was a winding one, he took images along three different headings to accomplish his mission, flown at 25,000 feet.
Next was 1st Lt. William W. Deen III, who took off at 1215 local in F-5E No. 806 (Lightning serial number 43-28312) to image a 24-inch and six-inch strip of roads and trails running from Bhamo in northern Burma towards Chetao, going as far as Manhsien, in Yunnan Province. Deen accomplished his mission at 25,500 feet and returned to base at 1445.
The squadron’s “E” Flight at Chihkiang in Hunan Province, some 450 miles west of Chanyi, and the recently relocated “F” Flight at Chanyi, which had been forced back from Nanning Airfield (400 miles southeast of Chanyi) in Kwangsi Province by Imperial Japanese forces in October, 1944, did not fly on this day, either due to weather or operational requirements.
Post-World War II
For the 1,500+ American servicemen and Red Cross women in these two deployed units, the new year would bring an end to the war, return to the US and deactivation in November, 1945. But in May, 1946 both organizations were reactivated and redesignated. One, the 123rd Fighter Squadron, returned to the Oregon National Guard as Oregon’s first military aviation unit. The other, the 142nd Fighter Group, newly allotted to Oregon to help build up the air component of the National Guard in a lesson learned from World War II of the need for a more robust reserve capability, arrived in Portland without personnel or equipment to begin a new start.
When Armistice Day became Veterans Day and was first celebrated on November 11, 1954, the 142nd Fighter Group operated the F-86 Sabre jet, the organization’s first jet fighter. And this year, the 142nd Wing received the first F-15EX Eagle II to be assigned to an operational unit.
Since November of 1944, thousands of men and women have joined the Oregon Air National Guard, wearing the uniform with pride as they served community, state and nation. Many were veterans who served on active duty prior to joining the ORANG. Others joined the Air Guard and have served on active duty for a stint; a few even started in the Air Guard before transferring to active duty. On Veteran’s Day, we honor their service and sacrifice, and that of all veterans in all branches of the service. Let’s all remember that freedom still isn’t free.