MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 222, MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 14
FIRST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, FLEET MARINE FORCE,
C/O FLEET POST OFFICE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

WAR DIARY

From

As or this date there are 266 men attached to this squadron, 51 officers and 215 enlisted.

All scheduled flights were cancelled account of adverse weather.

Major R. T. SPURLOCK returned from "Health and Recreation" at Sydney, Australia.

AMERINE and WILDER on local Dusk Patrol - negative.

All other scheduled flights cancelled on account of adverse weather.

First Lieutenant Maurice K. ROSEN, USMCR joined from VMSB-256 as intelligence officer relieving Warrant Officer George C. SCHAEFER, Jr., USMCR.

DAY and NELSON on Dumbo Escort - negative.

Presentation of the Purple Heart was made with appropriate ceremony by Colonel Z. C. HOPKINS to First Lieutenant James E. PETERS for wounds received as a result of anti-aircraft fire on 7 July, 1944.

LANGLEY and McCALL on Dusk Patrol - negative.

Technical Sergeant Charles L. RIX this day received his appointment to Seoond Lieutenant, to rank from 26 April,1944.

All acheduled flights were weathered out.

DUGAN, MARSHALL, MATNEY, ZANGER, HEILMAN, and PERU returned from "Health and Recreation" trip in Sydney.

Capitan E. G..MO, USMCR, and Second Lieutenant P. A. LUTH, USMCR, Joined from Marine Fleet Air, West Coast.

Only two Rabaul Patrols were able to take off due to bad weather - three others cancelled.

AMEERlNE, WILDER, SEMB, and VERMILLION on Rabaul Patrol. ACA-1, Number 05.

DAY and NELSON on Dawn Patrol - negative.

DRIFTMIER and GAUVREAU on Dusk Patrol - negative.

A gala time was had by all this evening at the beer party given the enlisted men by the pilots in appreciation of their fine work and cooperation. Five beers per man after a long dry spell goes quite away.

The exodus back home started this day for the ground echelon, as its fourteen months in the South Pacific ended. Selected were one hundred fifty-five weary Marines, consisting in part of the "sick, lame, and lazy", and married men who were figured to be of more use to their spouses. The contingent augmented by one ground officer, left aboard an L.C.I. As is usual in this cock-eyed world, those considered the best workers were "penalized" by being retained, and are they chafing at the bit.

Replacements to the tune of one hundred thirty- seven men and ten officers fresh from the states joined this date. All the officers were pilots. i.e., Second Lieutenants Richard M. FOX, Donald GERMSCHIED, Robert B. HOWARD, Hugh E. IRWIN, John W. JAMES, Curtis D. JERNIGAN, Robert E. LINDSEY, Virgil A. LINGENFELTER, Floyd E. LOVE, and Ralph T. PHILLIPS.

All scheduled flights were weathered out.

PETERS, HOTT, and SCRIMGEOUR left via "SCAT" for "Health and Recreation" in Sydney.

All Rabaul Patrols were weathered out with only one getting airborne and they were forced to return before reaching the target area.

WILDER and AMERINE on Dawn Patrol - negative.

HEILMAN and LYNCH on Dawn Patrol - negative.

All scheduled flights cancelled on account of inclement weather.

SPURLOCK, IRWIN, BARNETT, and JAMES on Rabaul Patrol. ACA-l, Number 11.

ANDERSON and REEDER left via "SCAT" on first leg of Journey to Uncle Sugar Able.

AMERINE, WRIGHT, SEMB, and VERMILLION on Rabaul Patrol, ACA-l, Number 13.

DUGAN, BOLLER, DRIFTMIER, and JERNIGAN on Rabaul Patrol, ACA-l, Number 13.
Last two Rabaul Patrols were weathered out.