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...."These growing feelings of uneasiness and resentment were compounded even further by the fact that military aircraft were making low flights, or "buzzing" the camps at all hours. The intensity of feeling generated by these activities may be judged from a letter written by Tetsuo Hirasaki, Say, what is this? Just as I wrote this, three bombers came roaring overhead flying so low that the barracks shook. Every now and then the Chinese Air Force who are training somewhere close to Poston, come zooming down at us here in camp. They must think it's funny. A couple of weeks ago, one of the bombers (twin motored Douglas attack bomber) crashed on the other side of the Colorado and burst into flames. It wasn't right, but a lot of us were kinda glad in a cynical sort of way. God forgive us for the thoughts that are beginning to run amok in our brains".50
..."A little over a month later Louise Ogawa wrote, "In the day time they [the military aircraft] often swoop down very low and try to scare us. They don"t scare us anymore - just get on our nerves. Now a ruling has been issued that if they swoop down on us lower that 200", we should take down the number and report it to the officials".51
Sources:
50. Tets Hirasaki to Clara Breed, 16 November 1942, SDNHP.
51. Louise Ogawa to Clara Breed, 30 January 1943, SDNHP.
Source: http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/96summer/nikkei.htm
7 comments:
The P-38 crashed just outside the gate of Camp II. It had run out of fuel and the pilot landed with his wheel up in the sand using the Camp 2 lights to guide him at night. The PM did allow us to go see the aircraft which was outside the security fence/gate. I was 10 years old at that time living at 213-3-D.
Howard Okamoto
howardko@napanet.net
1012 Alpine Court, Napa, CA 94558-5340
707-253-7218
Thank you Howard.
Dianne K
The P-38 was not painted, i.e., aluminum skin, and the propellers were bent back. The Provost Marshall (PM) allowed the Military Police (MP) to allow us to view the aircraft up close. The aircraft was loaded on a semi truck and taken away later in the week.
Howard
Did anyone talk to the pilot? How did he leave the area?
The event happened at night outside the security fence/gate when the P-38 made the forced emergency landing. I presume that the MP handled the situation. This was a pilot on a training mission at night and ran out of fuel when he could not make it back to his base (lost?).
Howard
WAR DEPARTMENT
U.S ARMY AIR FORCES
REPORT OF AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT
April 30,1943 2:00
RP-38E A.F. NO. 41-2102
Station: March Field, California
IV 20th Fighter 77th Fighter Squadron
Louis D. Ogle, 2nd Lt. Air Corps
AIRCRAFT DAMAGE: Both engines, both rudders, both propellers-all cowlings and firing under engines and gondola
Nature of Accident: Belly Landing (Forced)
Cause of accident: The Pilot got separated from flight and got lost. He then ran out of gas and belly landed. 100% pilot error (40% technique.
FLIGHT REPORT
March to March Via Bakersfield
01 Ogle, L.D. 0730585 March Field 2nd Lt. Local
01 Ogle, L.D. 0730585 March Field 2nd Lt. March to March Via Bakersfield.
While on flight cross country trip, I became separated from rest of flight while working with my radio/Picked up Kingman beam the only one I could clearly hear. Followed it to cone and took up heading for Blythe Calif. Ran out of gasoline 37 miles N.E. of Blythe and made a belly landing along side the highway at the Jap. concentration camp. There was no injury to personnel or damage to private property.
LOUIS D. OGLE
2ND Lieut., Air Corps
George S. Wemyss
Captain, Air Corps
Operations Officer
4/30/1943
Station: March Field
Crew Chief of Aerial Engineers:
T/Sgt. McGeorge
Aircraft Data: 4th Air Force
4th F. C. Command Corps(Area or Dept)
20th F. (Group & type)
77th F. (Squadron & type)
Component: Fighter
Aircraft Model: RP-38E
Aircraft Serial no: 41-2102
Engine model: v-1710-27 & 29
Engine Serial No. 41-33872
Engine Serial No. 41-32996
"A True Copy"
R. P. McGregor, lst Lt., Air Corps, Engineering Officer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1st Lt. Louis Doyle Ogle, U.S. Air Corps
(1919-1943)
Born in Mercer, Missouri
Enlisted 1/29/1942 Camp Crowder
Killed in action: 9/15/1943
Hometown: Lawrence, Missouri
Many thanks to Chris McDoniel and his website located at:
http://www.chrismcdoniel.com/P-38/WWII_Arizona_Army_Air_Fields,_Aircraft_Wrecks_and_Internment_Camps.html
Chris was able to research this crash and obtain a copy of the RP-38E crash report.
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