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On December lt;th, l'.Ml, hirst l.t. Warren Wilkinson war sleeping I peacefully in his quarters :»l llickain | r ield, which was only one block troni the long line of Hangars on the edge of the Army Air Field. l’he Japs attacked this air tield and line of hangars at the same t iin-- they attacked ■♦'earl Harbor, which was not far away.Major Wilkinson states tlial when he first heard the explosions of bombs lie thought the noise was from blasting which was frequently going oil in the harbor; also the drone of air planes was not unusual foi the reason that il wa ciislomai.v for planes to leave their carriers ev-eral hundred miles at sea when returning from maneuvers anil fly in to port. It was only when he heard the American anti aircraft batteries open up, and the Jap machine guns straffing the Hunars that he realized what was actually taking place.Reaching the air field in a few minutes he found the plane- on tin-ground and the hangars in flames, and the Japs were still straffing the hangars. He took shelter in a Hangar and waited until the Japs left. Knowing that a second wave of Jap planes would soon be over, Lt. Wilkinson proceeded to check the R ib Sigh* Room, which he was in charge of. and placed a guard over the place. The second attack by the Japs was aimed at the Barracks, and the building area of Hickam Field.I ins was one 01 me longe: stop rai is which has ever been .1 round trip of nearly 2.-MO The flight was made at niglit; over 1.20U miles of ocean, tl Wake “square on the nose”; tl tiny island, a mere dot out \ast I'acific. They went stra to their target ami released bombs; caught the Japs con by surprise, and wrought Ituvi llieir installations.Captain Wilkinson receive Distinguished Flying Cross goo 1 work on this succes. ft He was ordered to the South in July, 11M2, where he remai til March, 1H4-5. His first j operating against the Japs they were still in possession o alcanal Island.The American bombers wer at F.spiritu Santo, in the N brides group of islands, froit they backed up the gallant and the Navy in taking Guai from the Japs.During these operations son’s outfit made repeated .mi Guadalcanal, Tulagi barb Florida Island, and after He Field was captured from tl these intrepid flyers use I th from which to take off for t Jap land target-, such as Gi m the New Georgia group Solomons, Kekata Bay, Santj Island, Buka Air Field, ship (Continued on page tw
Newspaper Details
Lincoln Times
Lincolnton, North Carolina, US
Mon, Apr 12, 1943
Page 1
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 21 Sep 2023
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