by Jack Lee
Chico, CA – In 1936 Dale Ritter (see photo top left) was just 16 years old when he joined a cadet program called, Citizens Military Training, under the direction of Gen. George C. Marshall.
If he successfully completed the 4 year (part-time) program he would become 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army. However, Dale didn’t finish because he was selected to go UCLA as a pre-med student.
While at UCLA he joined the ROTC and war broke out! As he recalled he was nearly activated to be sent to Corregidor in the Philippines under Gen. MacArthur and Gen. Wainwright. But, fate intervened and instead he was given a deferment so he could finish medical school and he did because he was told the Army needed doctors.
He would later be stationed at a number of Army hospitals stateside where he would treat many wounded and injured soldiers. He finished 12 years of Army service with the rank of Captain and then went on to private practice.
While at UCLA he met a student by the name of Iva Toguri and they became good friends. Iva graduated from UCLA with a BA in Zoology and just before the war began she was sent by her father to Japan to care for an ailing relative, although she didn’t even speak Japanese.
When the war started Iva was not a very popular person in Japan because she was an American, this meant she couldn’t even find work to support herself. Because of her American citizenship the Japanese government decided to hold against her will. They threatened her, roughed her up and eventually forced her to make propaganda messages over the radio. Her new name became Tokyo Rose. When the war ended she returned home and was tried and convicted of treason.
However, Dr. Ritter steadfastly defended her and said she was a good American and she was forced into becoming Tokyo Rose. In 1974, investigative journalists found that key witnesses claimed they were forced to lie during testimony. Toguri was pardoned by President Gerald Ford in 1977. Dr. Ritter spoke with her as recently as 6 years ago and he still considers her a good friend.
Cecil C Bray served between 1942-45 in the Army Signal Corps as a Tech Sergeant. He was first stationed at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea setting up communications for the army air corps. Milne Bay is located at the Eastern end of the Island and is known for it’s heavy rainfall, over 100 inches a year. During the battle for control of the air strip Australian forces lost 167 killed or missing, 206 wounded and the Americans lost 14 KIA.
Cecil was later stationed at Buna, Leyte’, Okinawa and eventually in Japan when they surrendered. During the Battle at Milne Bay Japanese infiltrated the base and attacked soldiers sleeping in their tents. During one such attack Cecile was shot in the foot, but he said he didn’t qualify for a Purple Heart because the commanding general declared the Island secure (meaning this was not technically a war-zone)!
However, the second time he was wounded it was definitely in a hot war zone – the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Cecil was in an LST (landing craft) when it was strafed, possibly by a Japanese Zero fighter (see below right). Cecil said, “There were so many planes in the sky you
couldn’t always tell who was shooting at you.” He received a minor wound to his chin from a bullet that bounced off the deck. “There were so many of us on deck there was no place to take cover.” Cecil recalls the Japanese were very fearful of our P38 Lightnings as well as the P51 Mustangs that followed. His company served the communication needs of the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 13th and 20th Army Air Forces throughout the Pacific Theater.
Just before the war Cecil was working as a lineman, a job that was in demand in the military at this time. One day an Army officer showed up at his work site and wanted to speak with them. He introduced himself and asked the linemen to attend a brief speech he was giving the next day. They did, in fact all 18 of them showed up. After the pep talk about joining the service, the officer departed with these prophetic last words, “I’ll be seeing you soon.” Right after his speech… all 18 received their draft notice!
Here’s another story…
http://www.worldwar2pilots.net/guynn-01.htm
RHT…thanks, that was a wonderful story, almost miraculous… about one of our own.
Your most welcome. I have more than a passing interest in that story. My dad was also a pilot with the 447th Bomb Group (711 squadron) and survived 35 combat missions over Europe. For anyone interested, there is a 447th website:
http://www.447bg.com/
Take a look at this one. Another example of the clowns we elect raiding the piggy bank.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/05/29/california-11-fund-raided-to-plug-deficits-finance-other-programs/?test=latestnews
For your father to have survived 35 combat missions is really lucky! He was a brave man.
You may be interested in a great WWII book I finished recently called, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Being somewhat of a history buff I couldnt put it down even with all the atrocities the men suffered.
http://books.google.com/books?id=-kNK2cNXlEQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=laura+hillenbrand&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mDbFT73wJZKDsgKSw5TaCQ&ved=0CFEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=laura%20hillenbrand&f=false
Here is Charles Krauthammers response to Obamas Memorial Day speech at the Vietnam Memorial.
Krauthammer: Obama Was “Essentially Doing Penance” For Way Vietnam Vets Were Treated
“It helps explain the huge gap between the Republicans, whether it’s Romney or a McCain in getting support from the veterans. It isn’t only demographic, it’s history. And the fact is, in Vietnam era, the Democrats were the antiwar party and we heard Obama today essentially doing penance for a country that spat on soldiers who returned from the Vietnam war,” Charles Krauthammer said on FOX News’ “Special Report” panel segment on Memorial Day.
“And what he didn’t say is that in the large part that was the work of the American left. It wasn’t the work of American right who supported the war,” Krauthammer observed. “And Democrats were the anti-war element in the country, the anti-war party, particularly in 1972. And they inherited the stain of this association with the Left that really denigrated soldiers, which is the word that Obama used and he said, ‘it shouldn’t ever happen again.’ So in some way he’s trying to undo this legacy of 50 years, but that’s why for 50 years Democrats were always seen as the weak, anti-war party and weak on national defense. But it isn’t only that, it isn’t only history. It continues.”
“Democrats have for decades used the defense budget as a piggy bank for social spending. And we see it today. The sequester of half a trillion dollars, which is going to happen, which the Secretary of Defense under Obama said would hallow out military and be a catastrophe. Republicans are opposing it and trying to get out of it. What are Democrats doing? Leaving it in place, using it as a stick and blackmail weapon against the Republicans in return for trying to get increase in social spending or an increase in taxes,” Krauthammer said.
“So who stands up for weaponry and the training and the protection that soldiers are going to have to have? It’s the Republicans. So it isn’t only the history and demographics, it’s actually the standing of the parties on policy,” Krauthammer concluded.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/05/28/krauthammer_obama_apologized_for_way_vietnam_troops_were_treated_it_was_the_left_that_treated_them_that_way.html
Ronald Reagan honors Vietnam Vets on Memorial Day in 1988 at the Wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY47IaUQ25U