Customer Reviews

Slingshot Warbirds: World War II U.S. Navy Scout Observation Airmen

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On 30, November, 1942 my father was a HA1c on the USS New Orleans. That night the New Orleans was severely damaged by a torpedo blast that ignited the ship's magazine. A large section of bow was shredded by the blast and it tore away. The next morning dad was promoted to PhM3c. A few days later he was transferred from a casualty company to VSC Detachment Ringbolt to serve as the corpsman for the scouting squadron. It was established on two small islands called Gavutu-Tanambogo. For years he could not remember the name of the airplane they used. About three days ago I showed him a picture of a SOC Seagull and his eyes lit up like sparklers. Stories about those days started pouring out. When they first arrived on Gavutu there were still parts of Japanese seaplanes above water, including a Zero fighter. They had to sink those to make a clear area for the SOC Seagulls to moor.

Bored, he volunteered to fly as the second crewman and apparently did that quite often. One of the airman was giving dad flying lessons, and dad thinks that man was killed during a takeoff from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. He thinks that pilot's name was either Feeman or English. He also thinks he remembers the Lt. Pierce mentioned in the book. He remembers him as a young pilot who was very sharp.

Dad would ferry his medical patients to Tulagi to see the doctor - often on a PT boat. He says it was a quick trip.

Great book about a little known aspect of Naval aviation.

Dad went on to the 5th Marine Division and was a corpsman for an infantry-support unit. He is an Iwo Jima Silver Star recipient, and this book has made his day.

He is: Holman, Sam J, PhM1c USNR 1941 - 1945

I bought this because it has a picture of my Dad who flew Curtiss SOCs during the war in the south Pacific. There is a picture of him in his plane being loaded onto the catapult during the bombardment of Wake Island. My brother found the picture in the National Archives and got reprints for all of my siblings. Great book about a very unique set of aircraft that existed for a very short but impactful period of time during WWII. Good read!