-
Chapter 1: “They Have Really Ripped the 17th All to Hell”
- Texas A&M University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
Chapter1 45 C H A P T E R 1 “TheyHaveReallyRipped the17thAlltoHell” S weatwasalreadyseepingthroughMaj.KirtleyJ.Gregg’skhakichino shirtonahumidManilamorninginearlyDecember,1940,ashe limpedovertothelineofstubbyfightersinfrontofHangar2at NicholsField.Accompaniedbyhisyouthfulpilots,thecommanding officerofthe17thPursuitSquadronwasgoingtoinspecttheeight BoeingP-26Asturnedovertothesquadronfollowingitsarrivalfromthe UnitedStatesthepreviousweek. “Those look like the P-26As we had in Panama and Hawaii,” he remarkedto2dLt.GeorgeArmstrong.Thenhediscoveredthatoneof themwasthesamebirdhehadflownin1934–35whileservingwiththe 17thPursuitGroupatMarchFieldinCalifornia:ithadhisinitialspainted ontheinsideleftpanel!Hisformersteednolongersportedthebrown, blue,andyellowcolorschemeofhisold95thSquadronanditskickingmule emblemonthefuselage,butitsbrightlypainteddarkbluebodyand yellowwingswerestillstriking.1 ToGregg,thesituationwasludicrous.Hehadcomeseventhousand miles to the Philippines as commander of the renowned 17th Pursuit Squadronwithnineteennewlyassignedpilots,andtheywerebeinggiven thesamepursuitshipsthathadbeenflownatMarchandBarksdaleFields inthemid-1930s.Backthentheyhadbeenfresh-from-the-factory,top-ofthe -lineaircraft—theArmyAirCorps’sfirstall-metal,low-wingfighter. Nowtheyweretotallyobsoleterelicsofthepast,dumpedonthePhilippine Departmentafterhavingoutlivedtheirusefulnessstatesideandin Hawaii.Butitwasjustatemporarysituation,Greggreasoned,untilthe newRepublicP-35AsthathadcomewiththemontheUSATEtolinwere uncratedandassembled. ch1 4/2/03,1:03PM 45 PartI 46 ThePhilippineDepartmentworkdayendedat11:30.Greggheaded backtothetentthatservedasthe17thPursuitSquadron’sheadquarters.It waspitchednearrowsofothertentsinwhichhisenlistedmenwerenow relaxingaftertheday’sexertions.“TentCity”hadbeensetupatNichols justbeforethesquadron’sarrivalonDecember5toaccommodateits157 enlistedmen.Theairfield’sonlyvacantbarrackshadbeenassignedtothe menofthe20thPursuitSquadronfollowingtheirarrivalinManilaon November23,twelvedaysaheadofthe17th.Itwasarawdealforhismen, butatleastitwasthedryseason.Greggknewthatwhentherainsarrived inafewmonthsthenearbyParanaqueRiverwouldoverflowitsbanksand floodthelow-lyingareaoccupiedbyhismen.2 Withnomattersremainingtotakecareof,Gregglefthisheadquarters tent and made his way to the main gate.There he hailed a taxi and instructedthedrivertotakehimtotheArmyandNavyClub,justafew minutes’driveaway.Enteringhiscrampedinsideroom,heploppeddown onthebed.Hedidnotlikelivingattheclub,buthehadlittleotheroption apart from sharing a house or quarters with another midgrade officer, GroundcrewmenreconditionaP-26AatNicholsFieldfollowingitstransfer fromthe3dtothe17thPursuitSquadronca.January,1941.Notetherecently assembledP-35Asinthebackground.PhotocourtesyGeorgeH.Armstrong. ch1 4/2/03,1:03PM 46 [3.239.59.193] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 03:57 GMT) Chapter1 47 whichappealedtohimevenless.The 17th had been ordered to travel to the Philippines without dependents, so he had been obliged to leave his wifeKatherineandtheirtwochildren behind.3 Lightingupacigaretteandfixingit initsholder,Greggsankintosolitary thought. Here he was, back in the Philippinesagainafternineyears.He found that little had changed since theearly1930s,whenhewasasecond lieutenantatClarkFieldwiththe3d Pursuit Squadron serving a standard two-yeartourofduty.Theeasyworking hours, the debilitating heat and humidity,andthegeneraltorporthat permeatedallactivitystillcharacterized anassignmenttothePhilippine Department. However, there was a big difference at the personal level between1931and1940.He...