American Airpower Comes of Age

AMERICAN AIRPOWER COMES OF AGE
(c)
Desirability of and the means of building up an AF society
of 2,300,000 men who are now in Air Force. 132
Went to bed at 10:00. Japs captured many AC [Air Corps]
vehicles, gas trucks, cars and jeeps at Stotsenburg. Today the
AC are using the same vehicles. The car I rode in all day yesterday
had been captured by the Japs and is now being used
by AAF, is in good condition.
Wednesday, June 20, 1945 [Luzon, Philippine Islands to Okinawa,
en route to Guam]
Up at 5:00, said goodbye to Whitey. Kenney and McMullen
in Kenney’s plane, my crew in mine. 133 Took off for Okinawa at
6:25, distance 840 miles. Our time of arrival will be late as we
are following Kenney’s B-17 which flies slower than our plane.
Rested 3 hours; arrived Okinawa 10:25. Had an excellent view
of islands as we approached.
Came in from South and saw Naval Patrol boats along South
coast, all kinds of craft: BB, CVs, CLs, DDs and cargo ships
along East and West coast. 134 South section of island was warswept
and we could see artillery and bombs exploding. Japs
are in a very small area about 2,000 by 1,000 yards. There are
about 200,000, some say 400,000 Jap civilians on the Island.
So far we have 2,500 Jap soldiers in cages. There are many
Japs still at large, some are captured or killed in all parts of
the Island every night. The [US] high command is about to
announce all organized resistance is over. 135
General Buckner was killed while watching a tank attack on
the South end of Island. 136 There was but one piece of artillery
that the Japs had. It was located a very short distance away,
about 300 yards. The first shot hit a short distance away from
Buckner, a fragment went through his chest.
General Post, Chief of Staff of 10th Army, met us at plane,
so did General Woods, Marine Air Commander. 137 We went to
10th Army Headquarters and met General Geiger and Admiral
Hill. 138 Talked over problems re getting airdromes in with least
delay, and they need more engineers and Seabees, 139 more
ports and port facilities, more troops to unload, a more energetic
policy from Base Commander, a message from Army
338