-
Chapter 4: “Why Send Over These Ninety-Day Wonders?”
- Texas A&M University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
PartII 106 C H A P T E R 4 “WhySendOverThese Ninety-DayWonders?” O nthemorningofTuesday,June24,1941,Maj.KirtleyGreggwas surprisedtolearnthattheUSATPresidentPiercewasatPier7in ManilaBaywithaloadofpilotsbeingassignedtothePhilippine DepartmentAirForce.Hewasexpectingthepilots’arrivalabout June27or28,butnooneinthePhilippineDepartmenthadbeen informedoftheexactdate.ThePiercehadmaintainedradiosilenceduring itsentirevoyagefromSanFranciscoduetosecurityprecautionsimposed onitbytheWarDepartment.Gregghurriedlymadehiswaytothepier togreetthenewcomers.Hewasbeingassigned63ofthemforhisthree pursuitsquadrons,withtheother33beingallocatedtothe2dObservation Squadronandthe28thBombSquadron.Ofthe96pilotsdisembarking,68 hadgraduatedfromflyingschoolthemonthbeforeinClass41-C,and28 inClass41-D—justoneweekpriortodepartureforthePhilippines. Despitethelackofpreparation,thenewiesweretakenimmediatelyto theArmyandNavyClubforanimpromptuwelcomingpartygivenby thesquadronstowhichtheywerebeingassigned.Ofthesquadronsunder Gregg’scommand,BillyMaverick’s3dPursuitwasgiventwenty-twoof thebrand-newpilots,BuzzWagner’s17threceivedtwenty-oneofthem, andJoeMoore’s20thPursuithadtwentyallocatedtoit.Inonestroke,the pilotstrengthofeachofthegroup’spursuitsquadronshadbeendoubled.1 Atthereception,Greggexplainedtothenewarrivalsthatallofthem weregoingtobetransferredtoClarkFieldinfourdaysbecauseamajor constructionprogramwastobestartedatNicholsandthesquadronssent out.DuetoNichols’sboggyterrainandthesubmergenceofitssingle runwayduringtherainyseason,pilotswereoftengroundedandtraining curtailed.Toovercomethisobstacle,Gregg,supportedbyMaverickand Grover,hadproposedclosingtheairfieldforrepairsuponthearrivalofthe ch4 4/2/03,1:03PM 106 Chapter4 107 nextbatchofpilotsandshiftingtoClarkFieldforthenecessaryextended training.Nichols’soft-floodedlandingstripwouldbedrainedandlengthened ;aconcreterunwaywouldbebuilt;morehangars,maintenance,and shopfacilitiesconstructed;additionalstorageareasforbombs,ammunition ,andgasolinecreated;andbarracksandofficersquarterserected.2 Greggtoldhisnewchargesthatassoonasthepartyendedtheywould boardtrucksforthefifty-five-milejourneynorthtoClarkandadjoining FortStotsenburg,wheretheywouldbeaccommodated.Theoldies,with theexceptionofthoseinthe17thPursuit,wouldjointhemonJune28.The 17th’spilotswereheadedforthegunnerycampatIbaFieldinZambales.3 Afterthereception,Greggwentbacktomakingfinalarrangements forthemove.Hehadbeenfightingforthisplanforthepastfewmonths, butwiththePDAFcommanderandexecutiveofficerawayinChinasince mid-May,hadnotbeenabletogetitapprovedinthefaceoftheopposition ofColonelsRichardsandChurchill.However,onJune18—aweek afterClagettandGeorgereturned—Greggdropped“abugintheear”of fivedifferentpersonsthatnothinghadbeendoneabouthisplan.Hiscomplaint quicklymadeittoColonelGeorge’sattentionandonthefollowing morninghisstrategypaidoff.ColonelGeorgecalledat8:30toinform Greggthattheentire4thCompositeGroupwouldbeshiftingtoClark bythetwenty-seventhandwouldremaininthefielduntilthesixty-three pilotsbeingassignedtoGreggcompletedtheiradvancedtraining.Hehad alsobeengiventheoptionofsendingoneofhisClark-boundsquadrons toIbaFieldinZambales,onLuzon’swestcoast,forair-to-groundgunnery practiceifhesodesired. Greggwaselated.TheNicholsFieldcommandhad“notdoneone damnedthingtowardsfunctioningasaBase—buttheyaregoingtoproduce now,orelse!”heassertedinalettertohiswife.Greggfeltthathehad “almostearnedmylast16years’payinthelast48hours.” TwodaysafterthenewiesleftforClark,however,itwastheelements’ turntoconspiretothwarthisplan.“Oneofthe...