THE ROUNDTABLE FORUM
Official newsletter of the Battle of Midway Roundtable
"To promote awareness and understanding of the great battle and to
honor the men who fought and won it."
26 June 2005....................Issue No.
2005-25....................Our 8th Year
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AROUND THE TABLE ...............................................
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MEMBERS'
TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE
1. USS Yorktown (CV-5) Reunion Report
2.
USS Saratoga at the BOM
3.
Who Attacked the Akagi?
4.
National History Day Contest
5.
New member: Charles deGruy
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20 June 2005
From: Sam
Laser slaser@laserlaw.com
(BOM vet, Y2c, 6th Div., USS Yorktown)
I
enjoyed reading about the San Francisco anniversary event. I could
have been there, but I was attending the 63rd Reunion of the CV5 Survivors
Club. It was held in Cincinnati, and some 80 persons, including
guests, were present. However, there were only 37 of us survivors in
attendance, which is a considerable reduction from the last three years.
The oldest was 92, and the youngest 81. I doubt that we will have more
than about three more reunions.
You may be interested to know that retired 4-star General Earl
"Andy" Anderson was there. Andy was a captain of our Marine
detachment at Midway, having just been promoted after Coral Sea. We
had a great two hour visit.
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21
June 2005
From:
Bill Roy billgroy34103@yahoo.com
(BOM vet, ship's photographer, USS Yorktown)
CDR Harold "Hal" Buell's biography was listed in the 63rd
anniversary program at Jacksonville. I know that he is a great hero and
super flyer with all kinds of awards, and a nice person. Someone wrote in
his biography, "at Midway he flew scouting missions off of USS
Saratoga."
Do
you know where the Saratoga was positioned for the BOM? I
have no reference to Saratoga as one of the USN
ships at the Battle of Midway.
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We frequently have questions or comments about the "Sara"
and its involvement in the end stages of the BOM. The ship was rushed
from west coast repairs to Hawaii, where it loaded 107 aircraft and headed for
Midway on June 7th. It linked up with TF 16 on the
9th (per John Lundstrom in "The First Team"). In
Buell's book "Dauntless Helldvers," he reports flying search missions
from the Sara during those days, looking for downed BOM aircrews.
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"Who Attacked the Akagi?" (see issue 5-23, 5-24)
Ed. note: Bill Vickrey provides more data to support the finding that
Akagi was attacked by only three VB-6 SBDs, not five as is shown in some
references. It would seem that the squadron's second section (LTjg
Roberts and ENS Halsey) definitely attacked the Kaga.
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17 June
2005
From:
Bill Vickrey bkv@triad.rr.com
I had a lot of correspondence with RADM Wilbur E. Roberts. Both Best
and Kroeger were certain that only Kroeger and Weber followed Best down to Akagi.
I knew Commander Jim Murray (Best's rear seat man) very well, and he
gave me a lot of first hand information. Roberts always maintained
that he and Best attacked the same carrier, but they said
that its island was on different sides. That proves that
they attacked different carriers.
Roberts was one of a very few inactive reserve officers to make rear admiral.
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"National History Day Contest" (see issues 5-05, 5-12, 5-13, 5-14, 5-19, 5-20)
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20 June
2005
From: Patricia
Sanchez rafaelrei@netzero.net
The final results are in! Patricia took 4th place in the nation with her
documentary "Priceless Advantage: Communication at the Battle of
Midway." What an honor to work with all of you through this process,
and then to be recognized by NHD. Thanks again for all your help!
--Amy
and Patricia
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Sincere congratulations to Patricia for her outstanding showing amid the
stiff competition at the national finals, and thanks especially to you
Roundtable vets who helped her put her presentation together.
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21
June 2005
From:
Charles deGruy cdegruy@wbbinc.com
Charles M. de Gruy (Cajun)....Vienna, Virginia (suburb of Washington,
DC)....defense consultant serving U.S. Armed Forces and the Defense Industry....30
year U.S. Navy veteran, Vietnam, Desert Storm service. CO VF 211, CO VF 101
(Fleet Readiness Squadron), XO, USS America (CV-66),
CO USS Austin (LPD-4), CO USS Saipan (LHA-2)....Captain,
U.S. Navy-Retired .
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CAPT deGruy comes to us upon the recommendation of Bill Houser, and is a
prime mover for the BOM commemoration activities in the D.C. area.
Welcome aboard, sir!
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HEAR THIS! ..................................................
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NEWS
& INFO IN THIS ISSUE
--Last
Muster for Joe Eason
--Pritzger
Military Library Webcasts
--TV
This Week
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LAST MUSTER FOR JOE EASON
Bill Vickrey provides that sad news that we've lost another BOM vet member of
the Roundtable. CWO4 Joseph K. Eason, USN-Ret, passed away on 25
May. I've added his name to the honored "Remembrance" section
of our web site (click "BOM Vets List" on the home page).
Joe was an electrician's mate serving on the yard tug USS Tamaha (YNT-12)
at Midway during the BOM. In 2003 he gave us an interesting report on the
little Tamaha struggling to pull the grounded submarine USS
Trigger off the coral reef surrounding the atoll (see the 329-xx thread on
your archive disk, if you have it).
Fair winds and following seas, Joe........
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PRITZGER MILITARY LIBRARY WEBCASTS
Tim Maurice suggests that those with broadband Internet connections check out
the Pritzger Military Library, http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/home.jsp.
They have an archive of webcasts that include several topics of interest to our
members. The most recent one, on 21 June, discussed the heroic fight of
the DDs and DEs off Samar in 1944. You have to register first, but it's
free. (Note that you'll need Real Player to view the webcasts.
Windows Media Player is cited as an option for some of them, but I couldn't
make it work. Tim says Real Player is the best choice.)
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TV THIS WEEK
Here are TV programs or movies of possible interest to our members during the
week of Monday through Sunday, 27 June - 3 July. Times shown are
EDT, so be sure to check your local guide for the time in your area.
(Many thanks to Greg Gaynier for helping to research this report.)
Networks: HC = History Channel, AMC = American Movie Classics
Wednesday, 29 June
10:30 AM (AMC) Jet Pilot (1957).
This classic is off-topic for the Roundtable, but many members will find it
highly interesting. It's a Howard Hughs production with the usual
implausible story, but the early jet-age flying scenes are excellent (F-86s,
with F-84Fs simulating MIGs). It is reported that the eccentric
Hughs withheld the film from television for over 25 years, watching it over and
over at home. It was only released to TV after his death.
3:15 PM (AMC) Midway (1976). If you
haven't watched this one since it was in the theaters, set your VCR. The
current TV release has a lengthy segment on the Battle of the Coral Sea that
was not included in the theatrical release.
Friday, 1 July
11:00 PM (HC) Modern Marvels: Mig-15. This is
a good followup for those who found interest in Jet Pilot (see 29 June
above). It repeats Saturday morning at 3:00 AM. Of particular
interest are interviews with Russian pilots (yes, Russians) who flew
combat against the USAF in the Korean War.
Saturday, 2 July
7:00 PM (HC) The Color of War: Anchors Aweigh.
The History Channel guide says "For the sailors who fought in World War
II, combat at sea differed radically from any previous conflict. The jobs they
performed were far more complex and technically more demanding than ever
before, and the threats they faced were much more lethal. Utilizing vivid color
film and photographs unearthed from archives and personal collections, along
with firsthand accounts from veterans, we recall the remarkable true stories of
these sailors and the battles they fought."
Sunday, 3 July
6:00 PM (HC) Secret Japanese Aircraft of WWII.
History Channel guide: "In the 1930s, Japanese designers created a
range of warplanes, culminating in the legendary Ki-43 Oscar and the A6M Zero.
As the war turned against Japan, designers created the rocket-powered Shusui,
the Kikka jet fighter, and the experimental R2Y Keiun. We also disclose frantic
preparations to assemble a secret air force of jet and rocket planes to counter
an anticipated US invasion in1945, and chronicle post-war aviation and the
birth of the Japanese rocket program in the 1950s and '60s."
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For a glossary of abbreviations, acronyms, and terms
used in The Roundtable Forum, click the following URL or go to our home page
and click "The Roundtable Glossary" link.
http://www.midway42.org/glossary.htm
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