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Foreword
- Texas A&M University Press
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Foreword M yfirstcontactwiththeauthorwasin1977whenhewrotemewhile researchinghisbookDoomedattheStart.Wecorrespondedoverthe nexttenyears,hislettersaskingmanyquestionsaboutmyexperiences asanArmyAirCorpspursuitpilotstationedinthePhilippine IslandsatthestartofWorldWarII,andmyanswersdescribingmy memoriesoftheeventsandofmyexperiencesduringthatchaoticperiod inournation’shistory.Webecamefriendsduringtheensuingyearsand thisnewbookisagreatlyexpandedreportoftheeventsofthoseearly daysofWorldWarIIinthePhilippineIslands,whichhehasaptlyentitled December8,1941:MacArthur’sPearlHarbor. Aperson’sviewofanyunusualevent,chaoticoccurrence,accident, or,asinthiscase,theopeningdaysofawar,ismyopic,limitedtowhathe heardorsaw.Otherpeopleonthescenewillreportwhattheysaw,and eachpersonwillofferadifferentversionofwhathappened.Confusionso oftenprevails. IwasparticularlyimpressedwiththemeticulouswayinwhichBill Bartschconductedhisresearch.Hehastakenallthestoriesrelatedbythe manyparticipants,checkedandcross-checkedthem,andpiecedtogether the big picture of the opening day ofWorldWar II in the Philippine Islands.Theresultwassurprisingeventome—whowasthereinwhatI thoughtwastheverycenterofallthatwashappening.Somuchmorewas goingon,onamuchgranderscalethanIhadseenorimagined. InDoomedattheStart,Billtoldthegraphicstoryofthepursuitpilots inthePhilippineIslandsduringthemilitarybuildupthattookplacethe precedingyearandthedayoftheJapanesestrikeonClarkField,December 8,1941. foreward 4/2/03,1:02PM 3 Inthisvolumehetracestheevolutionofourmilitaryandnational policiestowarddefendingAmericaninterestsinthePhilippinesintheface ofmountingevidenceofJapanesemilitaryexpansionintheSouthwest Pacific,usingnationalandinternationalsourcesofinformation.Healso coversthedevelopmentofJapaneseplanstoexpandintotheSouthwest PacificandtoneutralizeAmericanmilitaryforcesinthePhilippines. InOctober,1940,Iwasafirstlieutenantassignedtothe20thPursuit Squadron—atrained,combat-readyunitofourregularArmyAirCorps— stationedatHamiltonField,California.Wehadjustbegunreceivingnew aircraft,theCurtissP-40,thelatestpursuitplaneintheArmyAirCorps’s inventory,andwereinthemidstofatransitionandtrainingprogramon thenewaircraft. OneMondaymorning,wereceivedorderstopreparefortransfertoan overseasstation.Weweregivenjustsixdays.Afterfeverishlypreparingour squadronfordeploymentintheshorttimeallotted,wedepartedHamilton FieldthefollowingFridayafternoonforSanPedroHarborandembarked thenextmorningontheUSSWashington.Itwasthenthatwelearnedwe wereenroutetothePhilippineIslandsasthefirstaerialreinforcementsfor theU.S.Army’sPhilippineDepartment. WearrivedinManilathirtydayslaterandwereassignedtoNichols Field.Incontrasttotheurgencythataccompaniedourdeparturefrom Hamilton Field, we found a complacent, business-as-usual atmosphere. Wesoonsettledintotheroutineoflifeinthetropics:workingduringthe morninghoursandtakingtimeoffduringthehot,humidafternoons.At thattime,theU.S.ArmyAirCorpsintheislandsconsistedofthe4thComposite Group,withthe3dPursuitSquadronflyingP-26AaircraftatNichols Field,the28thBombSquadronflyingB-10Bs,andthe2dObservation SquadronflyingO-19EsandO-46AsatClarkField.Thesesquadronswere notfullymanned,andtheywereflyingold,obsoleteaircraftthathadbeen transferredfromsquadronsinthestatesasthosesquadronsreceivednewer aircraftmodels.Noneofthese4thCompositeGroupsquadronshadany combatcapability.Mysquadronwasgiveneightofthe3dSquadron’sP-26As andweflewthoseeightaircraftmoreinthenextthirtydaysthanallthe P-26Asintheislandshadbeenflownduringthewholeprecedingyear. Twoweekslater,the17thPursuitSquadron—anothertrained,combat -readyoutfit—arrivedfromSelfridgeField.ShortlyafterChristmas,we receivedP-35AsthathadbeensoldtoSwedenandthencomandeeredand sent...