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1945 It's Over!
Wally's
War
Glen
Wallace's War Diary 3
Editor's note: These are the pages from Glen's
diaries exactly as he wrote them at the time. He has attached
comments to add to or explain the
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Glen and Bonnie, 1970 |
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The Original Diary text is in this column
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The modern text to by Captain Wallace to explain
each entry This Column
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15 AUGUST 1945
It`s all over!! Our planes were over Tokyo when peace was declared.
The CAP shot down 4 Japs this afternoon . We may go home tomorrow..
The other ships are in on the occupation. Okinawa was attacked
by Japs tonight.
18 AUGUST 1945
We got 10 replacement pilots. Farrell and Weisner came back aboard.
It looks like we may be out here a long time yet. They have stopped
cannibalizing the ship and are trying to get some of the stuff
back..like 2300 pounds of butter. All fouled up!
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20 AUGUST 1945
We are back to cannibalizing the ship.. Just heard the bull horn
tell a DD alongside that we would see them in Frisco. The Wasp
is taking our place here and we are going to task group 38.4...
Sounds good..
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20 August
1945 — Cannibalizing the ship
Going Home . . . maybe
Cannibalizing the ship
meant giving all our supplies and equipment to ships that
were staying. We really didn't need all that stuff back
in the good ole US of A.
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The Original Diary text is in this column
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The modern text to by Captain Wallace to explain
each entry This Column
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22 AUGUST 1945
Had a big exhibition (Group Grope) for moving pictures. We may
be in on the occupation of Japan and then again we may go home.
Not sure of anything.
24 AUGUST
Guess we don`t go home....
25 AUGUST 1945
Patrols over Japan.. Threw cigarettes to PWs.. Tokyo is Flat Ass!
Had the tail of my plane chewed off by Gunner Way`s plane. Seven
planes cracked up today. three pilots in the water.. - no one
hurt.. more of same tomorrow.
27 AUGUST 1945
Japs came aboard the Missouri to turn in their swords but said
they wanted them back after the ceremony because "They were
used to them". Our ships in Tokyo bay now..
Landings start tomorrow.. two planes cracked up today.
28 AUGUST 1945
Flew Atsugi patrol - Saw the airborne troops land. - Flatted hatted
around.. Looked over Yokohama . Yokuska and Tokyo. Saw another
PW camp.. Tomorrow we refuel and get replacement aircraft. (Cracked
up two more today). Even the Captain is grasping at straws...
He said "Tomorrow we take aboard passengers for the States,
but it may not mean anything."
30 AUGUST 1945
Took aboard over 400 passengers...only dropped 4 in the drink.
Lots of hustle and bustle... We`re going home at last, (it says
here).. Two more days of operations... we depart on the 3rd.
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31 AUGUST 1945
We really gave the Emperor a buzz job today.. Flathatted over
Tokyo and surrounding area for two hours.. Snuffy landed at Yokosuki
and left his plane there and is now aboard the Yorktown.. We may
go home tomorrow...
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just for
the hell of it
Flat-hatting
We were given freedom
to fly anyway we liked over Japan to impress the natives.
I know we did because when I was flying very low once, they
threw rocks at me. We would also put our wheels down on
a Jap runway and zip along for the length of it . . . just
for the hell of it.
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The Original Diary text is in this column
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The modern text to by Captain Wallace to explain
each entry This Column
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1 SEPTEMBER 1945
Took aboard more passengers.. Must have over a thousand now. The
Battleship Wisconsin is alongside. We have one rock happy Commander
aboard.. He turned on the ship`s sprinkler system and flooded
us out... We are now on our way to rendezvous with a tanker fleet.
We leave for Seattle on the 3rd via the great circle route and
the Aleutians.
3 SEPTEMBER 1945
Started for home this AM. We have another carrier, the San Jacinto,
the Battleship Massachusetts, a CVL, the San Diego and two DDs..
Our homeward bound pennant was hoisted but broke off and fell
into the sea...it was 1538 feet long.
5 SEPTEMBER 1945
Position 40-08 N. Latitude..156-10 E. Longitude. Getting cold..
Rain and wind all day. I guess it is typical Aelutian weather..
The movies are getting worse all the time.
7 SEPTEMBER 1945
Tomorrow is also Friday 7th. We are now at 47 North Latitude.
Weather cold. Heard Admiral McCain is dead.. Sea is very rough.
12 SEPTEMBER 1945
The only plane left aboard is the English Seafire that landed
aboard and cracked up. We are 300 miles from Seattle. I guess
the boys who flew in are making a big night of it... One F6F went
in on take off but the pilot was rescued.
14 SEPTEMBER 1945
Went aboard an old DD and to NAS Sand Point, Seattle, Washington..
What a wonderful place this ole US is!!! Called wife and heard
my baby boy, Jimmy making noises.. Ate lots of vegetables, drank
cold milk and many beers.
15 SEPTEMBER 1945
Went to town.- Put in for Regular Navy - probably won't make it
because of busted back.
18 SEPTEMBER 1945
Air Group 83 was Decommissioned and I got orders to NAS Atlanta
for Instrument Flight Instructor School and then to San Diego
for further assignment.. Things are looking very, very good!!
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22 SEPT 1945
Arrived Chicago, met Bonnie & my boy.
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10 months
old!
First Haircut
I met Bonnie and my boy,
Jimmy, who is now 10 months old. He had long curly hair.
When we sat him in a barber chair for his first haircut,
Bonnie cried.
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The Original Diary text is in this column
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The modern text to by Captain Wallace to explain
each entry This Column
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23 SEPT- 28 October 1945
Rockford, Ill. On leave, visited our folks in Ill, St Louis and
Poplar Bluff, Missouri
29 OCT 1945
Atlanta, GA. and my leave is over - guess the war was pretty tough
on the people back home.
3 NOV 1945
Received Air Medals from Capt. Strong also D.F.C.
13 NOV 1945
Atlanta is some town & this is some life. Eat, sleep, &
go to town - - Sea Duty was never like this. Instrument flight
instruction in SNJ`s and some ground school.
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SNJs
Training
The SNJ is a single-engine,
two-cockpit trainer. The AF called it the AT-6 Texan.
Instrument instruction in SNJs included spins while
on instruments under the hood. Compared to how much
I had been flying in the war, this was considered
"little flying," but it was at least one
hop per day.
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.jpg)
Photo coutesy the Air Force Museum. The AT-6 (SNJ)
advanced trainer was one of the most widely used
aircraft in history. The USAF aquired 10,057 AT-6s.
Others were used by the US Navy (SNJs) and more
than 30 Allied nations. Many of the Spitfire and
Hurricane pilots who fought the Battle of Britain
trained in the Harvard, the British version.
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23 NOV 1945
Went home for Thanksgiving
25 DEC 1945
Home for Christmas
5 JAN 1946
Left Atlanta - bought a 1937 Packard. (For $600.)
10 JAN 1946
Left for San Diego. ( Traveling at 35 MPH )
14 JAN 1946
Jimmy sick in Fabens, TX
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total cost
was $33
Jimmy in Clinic
We put him in a clinic
for three days. We slept and ate there too. The total cost
was 33 dollars. Nice folks.
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The Original Diary text is in this column
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The modern text to by Captain Wallace to explain
each entry This Column
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19 JAN 1946
Arrived after a nice trip.
20 JAN 1946
Left Dan Diego & reported in at NAS Los Alamitos - found a
place to live in the Gardeners Cottage on a big estate - looks
like nice duty.
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. . . would
inevitably go into a spin.
Instructing Students
Six of us were assigned
the duty of instructing student pilots in instrument flying
in SNJs. We got real good at it and when things got boring,
would play tricks on the students. A good one was to do
a barrel roll and when upside down, hand the controls over
to the student. A barrel roll is so smooth that the student
couldn't tell which side is up when under the hood (a canvas
cover on the cockpit so the student couldn't see out). So
the poor student would inevitably go into a spin in total
confusion. We would then pop the hood and let him see what
was happening.
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March 1946
It is nice duty! Scuttlebutt had it we shove off from here July
one. I re- applied for regular Navy
19 March 1946
Left in an F6F for Chicago - Ferry trip - took 16 days
21 AUG 1946
CASU - Moved to Dago.
27 AUG 1946
I got orders to AG-98 at Dago.
30 AUG 1946
Got orders to Anacostia Wash. DC ( 18 nice days in route )
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The Original Diary text is in this column
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The modern text to by Captain Wallace to explain
each entry This Column
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17 SEPT 1946
Arrived at Anacostia Found a two room apartment in DC and started
flying twin engine SNB's - Instruct gold braid-
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revenge time
. . .
Instructing Pentagon
Pilots
We were instructing Pentagon
pilots on instrument flying. The students were mostly Commanders
and above.
One of my students was a Major in the US Marine Corps.
Strangely enough, he was my flight instructor (then a Lt.)
when I was a Cadet at NAS Olathe, Kansas. A hard-nosed SOB
he was too! He had no patience. When I would do something
real dumb, he would say:"Now put your head between
your knees" and then he would whack the control stick
vigorously back and forth. Since the controls were interconnected,
this resulted in a good head whacking. Now, the situation
was reversed and I was his instructor. It was revenge time
— I thought, but it turned out that he was such a nice
guy by then I didn't have the heart to work him over.
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20 OCT 1946
Nice duty - piling up 2 engine time - students mostly Comdrs &
above. Autumn - first cold weather in 4 years coming up
1 MAY 1947
Got orders to Atlanta, Ga. In the Active Reserve. 27 day leave,
and a new Buick convertible. Spring has sprung and life is good.
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with
a 1941 Buick convertible
Leave with Bonnie
With a 27-day leave, we sold
our war bonds and bought a 1941 Buick convertible
for $1500.00.
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1941 Buick Convertible |
We visited Bonnie's and my folks in Missouri and
Illinois.
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The Original Diary text is in this column
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The modern text to by Captain Wallace to explain
each entry This Column
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29 MAY 1947
Arrived at NAS Atlanta, Ga. Bought a new 28 ½ foot trailer
for $2800. Duty looks fair.
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going for
110 . . .
Lived Happily Ever
After
Our new home
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Settled down with my little family
and lived happily ever after. As the saying goes, "I
was going to make a career of the Navy, but after 30 years
I gave it up."
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Family in 28' trailer - 1947
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| I had total support from my wife
and we raised two fine boys. One died, and the other
one, Jim, married a |
Successful paint job. . .
with a paint roller — June 2001 |
| beautiful girl, Karan. They live
across the road from me and feed me supper every night
and try to keep me out of trouble. We buried my wife,
Bonnie on our 56th |
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wedding anniversary. At age 81. I am once again a
bachelor, hanging in there and going for 110. . .
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Continued . . .
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Air Medal
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Editor's
Note: Glen retired in 1971 as a Navy Captain.
During his career, he received six Air Medals and the
Distinguished Flying Cross |
Distinguished Flying Cross |
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MAY
THE ROAD RISE UP TO MEET YOU.
MAY THE WIND BE ALWAYS AT YOUR BACK
MAY THE SUN SHINE WARM UPON YOUR FACE,
THE RAINS FALL SOFT UPON YOUR FIELDS,
AND UNTIL WE MET AGAIN, MAY GOD HOLD YOU IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND.
Glen
( Wally) Wallace
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