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Topic: Green Island Stories: |
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CJ Willis
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Posted on: Sep 22, 2016 - 8:16am
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I recently went to the movie "Sully" about the airliner that ditched in the Hudson River in NYC. Reminded me of a Green Island Story. The P.T. Base at Green was located approx. 2-3 miles directly across the lagoon from the airfield and our base fuel dock was also located there at the end of the runway. One day the airport radioed over and wanted us to come to the fuel dock, they had a plane that was going to ditch and needed us there. We cut loose from our buoy and went roaring over there. A SBD Navy dive bomber was coming in for a water landing about 100 yds from our boat. Wheels up they hit the water and water splashed about 2 stories high. You could not even see the plane. When the water settled the two guys already had the canopy back and standing up in the plane. They had life jackets and climbed out on the wing and got in the water. We went over to them and threw over a rope ladder and they climbed aboard. I was surprised that the plane floated for at least 5 min.or more before it sank. The pilot said the landing gear would not go down and they decided on a water landing rather on the runway because they had almost a full load of gasoline and would not likely have a fire with a water landing. We took them over to the fuel dock where they met people from the airport.
Another Green Island story: The lagoon at Green was usually very smooth like a lake. One day we were going from the Base over to the fuel dock to re fuel when we met an Elco (not in our squadron) towing a guy on a surfboard which they had made out of a piece of
plywood. That was the only time in my tour of duty over there that a ever saw a PT used as a recreational boat.
C. J. Willis |
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Will Day
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Posted on: Sep 22, 2016 - 10:47am
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Thanks, C.J. Good stuff, as always!
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TED WALTHER |
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Posted on: Sep 22, 2016 - 8:40pm
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C.J.
Awesome stories! We did the same with our 11m NSW Rhib, except we used a big inner tube towed behind the boat. We were off Punta del Pero, Chiponia, Spain August 1999. What a fun day that was! It looked like 1000 girls were on the beach watching us do our thing all afternoon😁😎
Take care,
TED
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Drew Cook
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Posted on: Sep 23, 2016 - 8:04am
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Great story C.J. - thanks.
Reminds me of the day on St. Thomas back in the '60's when my Dad and I, standing on the waterfront by Dad's glass bottom tour boat one morning, saw a Grumman Goose from the Antillies Air Boats line take off, roll over, and flip in an upside-down crash into the flat-calm harbor.
As C.J. described in his wartime incident with the Dauntless SBD, the sheet of water as it hit rose quite high, and stayed up for a long time before splashing back down.
Before Dad could wind up our boat, one of UDT 21's LCVP's raced out to the floating Goose and rescued everyone on board. I don't think anyone was even hurt badly.
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David Waples
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Posted on: Sep 23, 2016 - 8:35pm
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Great stories CJ. I'm hoping to see the movie this weekend. I'm sure I'll be thinking about your SBD.
Dave
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Jeff D
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Posted on: Sep 25, 2016 - 6:19am
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Thanks as always for the stories C.J.. Good to hear a happy ending for the airmen.
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Nuge210
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Posted on: Sep 30, 2016 - 11:18am
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Steve |
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