The Roundtable Forum

15 January 2010

Issue Number: 2010-02

Our 13th Year

~ AROUND THE TABLE ~

MEMBERS’ TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE:

1. The Pacific: Book Version

2. “Decision at Midway” by VF-6 C.O. James Gray

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1. THE PACIFIC: BOOK VERSION

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9 January 2010

From: Hugh Ambrose

Montana

I thought I should mention that my new book will be released March 2. Entitled The Pacific, it is the companion to the big HBO miniseries of the same name. Since a guy can’t write a history of the war against Japan without the BOM, it is included in the book (not the series).

I have learned so much from all of the Roundtable members and am very grateful for the exchange of ideas and information that is the BOMRT. I send my thanks to everyone.

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Ed. note: For a look at the Amazon listing for Hugh’s new book, click here. In addition to his work at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and on the upcoming HBO miniseries, Hugh has collaborated on some of the books credited to his father, Stephen Ambrose.

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2. “DECISION AT MIDWAY” by VF-6 C.O. James Gray ( see issue # 2009-48, 2010-01, )

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10 January 2010

Dennis Rodenburg

Nevada

One night my dad, a VS-6 pilot at the BOM, and I were talking about the BOM. He said that a court martial had been considered for Jim Gray over his refusal to protect the Yorktown. VF-6 was flying CAP when the Yorktown came under attack and Jim was vectored to help. He said, “Negative, my job is to protect the Enterprise” and that’s where he stayed.

Dad didn’t say who gave the vector order or which attack it was but he agreed with Jim. He was aboard the Enterprise during the Yorktown attacks, waiting for his SBD to be fixed. Dad was a sharp guy so I’m sure the story is true but I’ve never seen any mention of it, not even in John Lundstrom’s books. Do any of you fellow BOMRT members know about it?
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~ NOW HEAR THIS! ~

NEWS & INFO IN THIS ISSUE:

- E-mail from Howard Ady

- Link of the Week

- Editor’s Notes

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E-MAIL FROM HOWARD ADY

Very few Roundtable members are with us today who were aboard when PBY pilot Howard Ady was a contributing member. The Roundtable archives in my possession did not include any of the e-mail exchanges from those earliest days in the 1990s, but here is one that I got some time ago from Ralph Brading in Australia. This message dates from May 1998, and it’s quite interesting to read the veteran captain’s perspectives concerning what he remembered and knew about the BOM:

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I was musing last night and the thought came to me, why did the carrier pilots miss the Japanese task force so badly? A four carrier force takes up so much space. Then, the Marines and even the Army AC’s B26s and B17s managed to find them. Was the carriers’ position so far off, or the staff—whether Fletcher’s or What’s His Name’s—estimate of the track and speed as erroneous that most of the A/C overflew and only found the enemy by forming a scouting line and ran their fighters out of fuel?

After circling the Japs, I went over to the east, when we passed the late scout from the Jap cruiser, and continuing on ran into our carrier force of which we were never briefed or even mentioned that we had any help other than what we had at Midway. As a matter of fact, Nimitz’s message ended up with, “God be with you.”

After encountering Fletchers’ group, in order to maintain radio silence, my radioman said he could send blinker, which we tried. I don’t recall if the message from Fletcher was in the log, but he sent to Simard “a large blue plane circled our force for some time, apparently trying to send some message. Was it yours?” At this date in the war, if the people on the carrier or Frank Jack’s staff didn’t recognize a PBY, I think we were awfully lucky that they didn’t shoot us down.

Our instructions after launch were not to return to Midway, anticipating a loss of avgas, and to proceed to French Frigate Shoals where we would be refueled by a converted DD, which is another horror story. Unfortunately, only the five senior pilots carried out the orders, the rest, including Chase, that sent the plain word message of “many planes heading for Midway,” which was rather stupid anyway, since they were pretty aware that many planes were coming.

Didn’t mean to be so verbose, but wondered what you think.

Best to all,

Howard

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LINK OF THE WEEK

Here’s a web site that appears to list the Navy Cross citation for everyone receiving the medal during World War II. You’ll find several BOM vets here, including some of our members. Note also the supplementary links at the bottom of the main page.

Click here for the link of the week.

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EDITOR’S NOTES

~ I’m happy to see that Yorktown vet Sam Laser is going strong and still works at his office in Little Rock, AR. Sam will host the annual USS Yorktown (CV-5) association reunion there later this year. For a recent photo of Sam with Bill Vickrey, click here. (Sam is on the left.)

~ Please devote a prayer or kind thought on behalf of Yorktown vet and Roundtable member Chaplain Stan Linzey, who underwent major surgery due to cancer on January 6th. Stan is now recuperating at a nursing home, but he faces followup surgery in a few weeks. Cards or letters are welcome and may be sent to:

Stanford E. Linzey

Life Care Center #109

1980 Felicita Road
Escondido CA 92025 USA

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