The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.

Monday, August 23, 2021

Wilmington's World War II Veterans-- Part 1: 'Rice Paddy Navy', the 'Hump' and 'Flying Tigers'

From the  August 15, 2021, Wilmington (N.C.) Star-News " 'Bonded together forevermore':  Honoring  Wilmington's World War II heroes" by Wilbur D. Jones Jr..

Three Wilmington Navy men served withy the Sino-American Cooperative  Organization, better-known as the "Rice Paddy Navy."  They were a group of guerillas, intelligence agents and weather observers operating behind Japanese lines.

They included Yeoman 1st Class Marvin Murphy

Boatswains Mate  1st Class G.C. West

W.S. Rourk

********************************

Captain Skinny Pennington flew C-54 cargo transports over  the "Hump" (Himalayas) along the "Aluminum Trail" (so-named because of the wreckage of crashed aircraft) into China from India.

Donald Whelpley served  18 months with the "Flying Tigers" P-40 fighter squadrons.

Of course, if you want to know anything about Wilmington, N.C., in the war, M r. Jones is the man to see.

--GreGen


No comments:

Post a Comment