Dear Mom:- Letters Home From the War in the Pacific
Navigator
20th Air Force
XXI Bomber Command
313 Bombardment Wing
505th Bombardment Group
483rd Bombardment Squadron
Distinguished
Flying Cross
Air Medal
Purple Heart
Asia-Pacific
Campaign Medal
American
Campaign Medal
World War II
Victory Medal
On December 3, 1942, my father, George O’Laughlin, enlisted in the US Army while a student at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend Indiana. In June 1943, he reported for duty at Camp Grant in Rockford Illinois, to begin his military service ‘for the duration of the war plus 6 months’, which would turn out to be just under 3 years when he was discharged in January 1946.
He was assigned to the Army Air Corps and earned his wings as a navigator of the B-29 Superfortress bomber. In March 1945 he deployed to Tinian and, with his crew, completed 24 bombing missions in the run-up to the end of the war in the Pacific theater.
Through letters home to his widowed mother during the war and in voice recordings made in 2010 when he spoke openly about his wartime experiences for the first time, he reflects on the distant yet still raw memories of his wartime service.
This website is authored by Kevin O’Laughlin (kevolaughlin@gmail.com) and Brian Ronan (BRonan3995@fpsed.org).
©2010-2019 Kevin O’Laughlin. All rights reserved.
Audio recordings of George O’Laughlin are ℗2010-2019 Kevin O’Laughlin.
Happy New Year
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Alamogordo, New Mexico
"...well, we are now in the process of getting settled here in New Mexico...the nearest town of any size is El Paso and that is probably about 75 miles away...this i gather is an R.T.U. rather than a D.T.U. for B-29 crews. R means replacement which means we will replace crews in combat now rather than in a new outfit going overseas as a unit...the group I am with is particularly confused because we are assigned to crews that already have a navigator. Something new is in the works!...it will be a lot of work from here out...also, i'd like to know if ours is a joint account, that came up today in processing..."
The Announcement
...after laying around all last week we began today at 3:30am only to learn that we wouldn't be able to fly...and then one of the crew members showed me these 29s...it really has many innovations and I'm anxious to fly in it...then next thing that happened was a memorandum stating that henceforth we would be known as a radar officer...there is another radar navigator on the plane...he will be up front most of the time and my job...is to work on the set that is located about 2/3 of the way back...we are not satisfied at all but maybe everything will work out ok...
Evasive Action
"...It's almost bedtime - in fact that is where I am now. Tomorrow morning will be an early one, meaning we will be up about 3:30am...yesterday was the first time I got a workout, we were up in the plane from 5 in the afternoon til after midnight. The mission called for us to fly to an airport in Kansas. There we were to be picked up by searchlights and get a little practice on evasive action. That plane really went through its paces...but we had a hard time shaking [the guys on the ground operating the lights]... "
Work
"...our crew had all of yesterday off which doesn't happen very often...[my section] now has 98 hours to its credit and we were topping the list as of Sunday. The A/C (airplane commander) is George Eisenhart. Our co-pilot is Nick Gisotti. The bombardier is Alex Topping, the other navigator John Mann. Our tech engineer is from Brooklyn name is Briggs. The unlisted men are mostly from New York. Other fellows are Myers, Remmons, Wyatt, Mould and Cervini. They are a darned good bunch and I think that all in all we have as good a bunch as any and probably a lot better than most... "
"Birthdays are just the same as any other day. Your box got here in plenty of time and it was pretty good...there are a few more planes than crews but only a portion of them are in commission at any one time. Repairs and inspections have to be made regularly...Sunday evening and nite we made the milk run out to Palm Springs...we can cruise at 250 true air speed and when you get a good tail wind your ground speed can be in the vicinity of 300...the war news is pretty good these days... "
"I just got back from our morning flight. We were up at 3:15 this morning and got back here at 4:00pm this afternoon so that will give you an idea of one of our working days. This morning we flew one of the revised models of the B-29. There are quite a few changes at my position and now it is a half way decent position to work..."
Crew
Tom Kemmons
Bill Wyatt
Hal Myers
Ruidoso, New Mexico
"...last week we got in quite a bit of time now have in excess of 140 hours...but we still have a few missions left to be completed...last week we got in a little gunning with live ammunition as well as some camera gunning...we are still waiting for the films to be developed to see how well we succeeded in keeping those fighters framed in the sight...did you get those bonds and money order i sent?... "
"...I have come to the unhappy conclusion that the porter that keeps the barracks clean has just tossed out all my stationery...on top of that some kind soul swiped my wool lined flight jacket a few days agao out the the club cloakroom...it just isn't my week...one of these days I hope to see it clear to get down to Juarez...lots of scarce stuff can be found there..."
The Battle for Iwo Jima Begins
Storming of Iwo Jima
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Long mission
"...Well we finally got our 'long mission' flown...it took us across New Mexico and Arizona to Los Angeles, then up to San Francisco and Medford, Oregon, back to Los Angeles and then back here. We spotted such places as the Rose Bowl, Hollywood, the Golden Gate Bridge and Mt. Shasta...now that the long one has been taken care of we are well on our way to winding up training here. Our graduation is scheduled for March 11 and then we will be in some staging area in Kansas or Nebraska... "'
"...they are starting to get all the papers in order once again for our leaving ...rumor has it that we will be sent to Topeka, Herington in Kansas or Kearney in Nebraska around the 10th...yesterday the crews living in the adjoining rooms in the barracks...flew their cross country missions...to Chicago and if they were on course would have passed just over you..."
Mexico
"...well we won't be here very much longer now for we leave for Kearney Nebraska on the 10th. Tomorrow morning we will complete our flying...last Sunday I headed down to El Paso and got over into Mexico...it was a miserable day with all the dust blowing at over 75mph...have you got any papers from here concerning insurance, etc?... "
"...we will leave tomorrow night on a troop train [for Kearney]...it will probably be sometime on Monday when we arrive...don't know how long we will be at Kearney as yet...we (the crew) hope to receive a ship too, it is suppose to be a fly-away base which is considered better than traveling by train and boat..."
Operation Meetinghouse
LeMay takes charge
George discusses LeMay’s change in strategic direction.
Keeping Busy
"...[on Wednesday] we had no classes because we were scheduled for a revisit to the pressure chamber. That only took about 3 hours so they tossed in a standby inspection just to keep our minds occupied...this time we went to an altitude of 31,000 ft and some of the guys had a few pains here and there at that altitude...but I got nothing more than a little prickly heat...high altitude can have a lot of queer effects on you..."
"...I just sent my suitcase and a B-4 bag home and since I have the only key to the case I'll enclose it in this letter. Try to unpack the stuff and put it away in a good place...there is watch and it would be best to keep it running and someone may be able to use it...we have been assigned a plane and this morning had it up for a 4 hour check flight. It can really get up and go and we are pretty much all set now..."
"...at the last minute we needed some extra work to be done [on the plane, at Kearney]...and by the time that had been fixed some weather rolled in and we stuck around for awhile more. We left there Wed morning and had a good trip out here [Oakland, CA]...this liquid sunshine of California has got me down a bit..."
Enroute to Tinian
Tinian Island
"Easter Sunday...Somewhere in the Marianas...well, i've done a little traveling since writing you last...a look at the map will show you that. The trip was uneventful and everything went off like clockwork...all of us were pleasantly surprised by what we found here, everything is much better than we had ever hoped it would be...the barracks are very crowded but new ones are being put up so that should be remedied shortly...the enlisted men aren't quite so fortunate for they share tents..."
Officers in Crew
First Mission
"...first mission was to Tokyo with an initial point of Choshi Point...we made the turn and almost immediately we were in the searchlights...our commander took evasive action, but that didn't last long because...we got hit..."
Telegram from War Department
Return to Tinian
"...we hung around Iwo for a couple of hours then word came back that I was to be sent back to Tinian...a couple of days after returning the pilot came to see me [in the hospital] and apologized [about overruling me]...'Mann admitted he made a mistake'...that was very important to me...very important...I was in the hospital for three weeks before being discharged and returned [to active status]..."
Ottawa Times (Illinois)
New Plane : Forever Ember
24 Missions
"...in three or four weeks we were flying missions...we flew 24 missions so we flew pretty hot and heavy there...another flight I might mention caused me anguish...it was a case where I didn't have a good radar set...and we had to abort our original mission...we dropped what we could and then went to Iwo and then back home...the plane was flown by another crew the next day...and it was rammed, and never returned...and you always wonder, was it the same problem for them [with the radar]..."
Victory in Europe
New Order
"...This afternoon was the third one in succession that we were up flying in formation. This deal is a part of the 'new order' which went into effect about a week ago...a few fellows are trickling out [going home] daily..."
Wrapping It Up
"...We don't have very much to do these days...nothing definite has come down to us concerning rotation back the the states...since the [bombings ended] a change has come over the group. Before we lived pretty much as we pleased. The weeds grew in the yard, the beds were never made and it was rare when the floor was clean. but now the powers have decided those conditions aren't to last any longer, so we've had to reform somewhat. Naturally that is very distasteful and there has been a lot of complaining...but that is the army way and just one good reason why I would just as soon get out as soon as possible..."
Going Home
"...they came up with a point system for determining who got to go [leave Tinian] first...you got points for length of time in service, rank, number of medals...my bombardier was longer in service but I left before him [because of the medals]...I flew to Hawaii then Mather Field [Sacramento]...and then an awful train ride through Utah enroute to Chicago. From there I went south to Chanute Field in Rantoule Illinois where I was formally separated ...war over."
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