| CONFIDENTIAL
MARINE
FIGHTING SQUADRON 222, MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 14
FIRST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, FLEET MARINE FORCE,
C/O FLEET POST OFFICE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
[Partial]
WAR DIARY
From
| 1
January 1945, to 11 January 1945 |
|
Distributions: |
Commandant,
Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps
Commander in Chief, U. S. Fleet
Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet,
Commanding General, Aircraft, F. M F. Pacific
Commanding General, First Marine Aircraft Wing
File
|
|
| Geographical
Location of Unit: |
|
Green Island [1-10 January] |
|
| Name
of Commanding Officer: |
|
Major
Roy T. SPURLOCK, USMCR |
| Name
of next higher echelon:
|
|
Marine
Aircraft Group FOURTEEN |
| Roster
of Flight Echelon: |
|
|
|
| SPURLOCK
Roy T. |
Major |
|
Commanding
Officer |
|
| GEIGER,
Gerald |
Major |
|
Executive
Office |
|
| MATNEY,
Robert. E. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
Flight
Officer |
|
| ROSEN,
Maurice M. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
Intelligence
& Photo Officer |
| POTICHA,
Joseph S. |
Lt.
(MC) |
|
Flight
Surgeon |
|
| |
|
|
| FIRST
LIEUTENANTS |
SECOND
LIEUTENANTS |
|
| |
|
|
| BARNETT,
Robert V. |
|
|
AMERINE,
Beauford L |
|
| BROWN,
Fred I. |
|
|
BOLLER,
John F. |
|
| DRIFTMIER,
John F. |
|
|
DAY,
Harland E. |
|
| DUGAN,
Patrick |
|
|
GAUVREAU,
Norman C. |
|
| GRIFFITH,
Donald C. |
|
|
GERMSCHIED,
Donald |
|
| HANSEN,
Dale W. |
|
|
GRAHAM,
Byron Jr. |
|
| LYNCH,
James W. |
|
|
HEILMAN,
Roland B. |
|
| MARSHALL,
Samuel P. |
|
|
HORSLEY,
Frank |
|
| PETERS,
James E. |
|
|
HOTT,
Delano V. |
|
| SCRIMGEOUR,
Frank H. |
|
|
HOWARD,
Robert B. |
|
| WILDER,
Loren E. |
|
|
JAMES,
John W. |
|
| |
|
|
LOVE,
Floyd E. |
|
| |
|
|
McCALL,
Lewis B. |
|
| |
|
|
McIVER,
Richard W. |
|
| |
|
|
MILLER,
Gerald R. |
|
| |
|
|
MOONEY,
Thomas G. |
|
| |
|
|
NELSON,
Emery E. |
|
| |
|
|
PAULIS,
Albert A. |
|
| |
|
|
PHILLIPS,
Ralph A. |
|
| |
|
|
RIX,
Charles L. |
|
| |
|
|
RUMMEL,
John A. |
|
| |
|
|
RYAN,
Harwood K. |
|
| |
|
|
SEMB,
Alan H. |
|
| |
|
|
SMITHEY,
William R. |
|
| |
|
|
VERMILLION,
James A. |
|
| |
|
|
VITTITOE,
James A. |
|
| |
|
|
WRIGHT,
Robert A. |
|
| Officers
of Ground Echelon: |
|
|
|
| SAULIERE,
Frank K. |
Captain |
|
LUTH,
Perry A., Jr. |
2nd.
Lt. |
| BREWER,
Henry H. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
OSTER,
Ralph J. Jr. |
2nd.
Lt. |
| HOPKINS,
Warren G. |
1st.
Lt. |
|
|
|
|
| 1
Jan. |
|
| |
As
of this date there are 268 men attached to this squadron,
50 officers, 1 Flight Surgeon, 209 enlisted, and 8 Corpsmen.
The squadron is still in an alert status awaiting movement
north, as has been the case since 9 December 1944, and consequently
does not have any scheduled combat missions. VERMILLION
on a test hop.
For the record: 1 sortie, 1.3 hours.
|
| 1515-1700
|
HEILMAN,
McIVER, BROWN, and HORSLEY ferried four of our planes to
Emirau for transfer to Marine Aircraft Group TWELVE.
For
the record: 6 Sorties, 8.8 hours.
|
| |
|
| 2
Jan. |
|
| 0745-1005 |
GEIGER, GRAHAM, FOX, SMITHEY, and PHILLIPS off to MANUS
to exchange our older planes for new ones. MILLER AND SCRIMGEOUR
on test hops.
For
the record: 7 sorties, 13.1 hours.
|
|
|
3
Jan. |
|
| |
DUGAN
and JAMES on test hops. LYNCH on two test hops.
For the record: 4 sorties, 3.2 hours. |
| |
|
4
Jan. |
|
| 0600-1040
|
KANUS
with starter trouble. MILLER and McIVER on test hops. Dispatch
received this date from First Marine Aircraft Wing setting
forth dates of movement - our squadron scheduled to leave
the 7th of this month.
For
the record: 6 sorties, 17.4 hours.
|
| |
|
5
Jan. |
|
| |
SMITHEY
and JAMES on test hops. Received dispatch from First Marine
Aircraft Wing, which delayed our prospective date of movement.
Isn't it always the case?
1st
Lt. Moszek ZANGER, M.I.A. since 5 December, 1944, was officially
transferred to Bureau of Missing Persons and Prisoners of
War.
For
the record: 2 sorties, 1.4 hours.
|
| |
|
6
Jan. |
|
|
MATNEY,
BROWN, MC CALL, BARNETT and LYNCH on test hops.
For
the record: 5 sorties, 9.6 hours.
|
| |
|
7
Jan. |
|
| 1430-1700
|
HORSLEY,
SMITHEY, RYAN, LOVE, THOMPSON, and HOWARD, flew Service
Squadron planes to OWI. Log: to EMIRAU today; to HOLLANDIA
on the 8th; and then to OWI on the 9th. Round and round
we go - received word that we are to move out on the 9th.
(And by golly - we did).
For
the record: 6 sorties, 51 hours. (Complete flight).
|
|
|
8
Jan. |
|
|
Another
hectic day with everyone running back and forth getting prepared
for the move. Everyone has packed and repacked at least
four times with every change of plans pertaining to means
of transportation and weight allowances. |
|
|
| 9
Jan. |
|
| |
Fourteen
enlisted men and ten officers joined this date. The officers:
| GOUDREAU,C.
L. |
Captain
|
Flight
Officer |
LA
VINE, R. |
Captain |
NA |
ZINGKEIM,
C. P. |
Captain |
NA |
FRIESZ,
E. W. |
Captain |
NA |
JONES,
H. V. |
2dLt
|
NA |
LEASE,
C. B. |
2dLt
|
NA |
| MAJORS,
R. F. |
2dLt
|
NA |
WARD,
E. J. |
2dLt
|
NA |
PHELAN,
R. W. |
2dLt
|
Mess
Officer |
AUSTIN,
A. J. |
2dLt
|
NA |
The
trip north finally got under way. The following pilots flew
Corsairs: BOLLER, DUGAN, FOX, GAUVREAU, GEIGER, GRAHAM,
JAMES, MILLER, MOONEY, NELSON OERTH, PETERS, PHILLIPS, RIX,
RUMMEL, SCRIMGEOUR, SEMB, SPURLOCK, VERMILLION, VITTITOE,
WILDER, and WRIGHT. The flight was divided into three sections,
led by SPURLOCK, GEIGER, and DUGAN respectively, with each
section having a PBJ from MAG-32 doing its navigating. All
planes pancaked safely at EMIRAU.
ROSEN,
BREWER, LUTH, OSTER, and POTICHA, with 25 enlisted men and
1 corpsman left on ten PBJs and pancaked at MANUS.
For
the record: 22 sorties, 55.0 hours.
|
| |
|
10
Jan. |
|
| |
Fifteen
enlisted men left on five PBJs. The flight section left
EMIRAU and pancaked at OWI.
For
the record: 22 sorties, 129.9 hours.
|
| |
|
11
Jan. |
|
| |
Ten
of our short-timers received orders for return to Uncle
Sugar - able: BARNETT, BROWN, GRIFFITH, HANSEN, McIVER.
The
flight section continued their trip this date and pancaked
at PELELIEU. PETERS, NELSON, MILLER, BOLLER, DUGAN, and
OERTH flew test hops from PELELIEU. ROSEN and detail arrived
at SAMAR, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, and were welcomed by rain,
mud, and bulldozers at work on the strip.
For
the record: 28 sorties, 68.7 hours.
|
| |
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|
The
exploits of VMF-222 in the Philippines and Okinawa
will be continued in a future, second chapter. |
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