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Topic: Iliff Richardson of PT34 and his Guerrilla Shotgun |
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Jerry Gilmartin |
TOP BOSS
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 Posted on: Aug 24, 2021 - 11:56pm
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Forgotten Weapons You Tube Channel Ian posted a video about 6 months ago about Iliff Richardson, the XO of PT34 who went on to become "An American Guerrilla in the Philippines". He started a company in 1947 to build some slam fire shotguns and Ians Video is about those shotguns. Here is a link to that video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUjDumvMK6I&t=5s One of PT658s "Save the PT Boat" founding members, PT596 XO Bob Hostetter, was delivered a 152 page typed diary by Richardson upon their liberation of Mindanao 2 years after Richardson left the book with Catholic Priests for safekeeping.
Iliff Richardson was a real BA WW2 hero. Not only one of the PT Boat Captains who helped save Gen Douglas MacArthur, but then went on to help lead the Philippine resistance fighters. After the war he moved to the Houston Texas area. During the war, he had a typed 152 page diary that describes his PT Boat experience, and gave a copy to the Priests in Mindanao. They buried it in a wooden box in the church courtyard. Many of the pages show signs of rot from being buried for so long. 2 years later, the Priests dug it up and delivered it to the first PT Boater they came across; LT Bob Hostetter of USS PT596. The PT boats were there when they liberated the Island. After the war, Bob held onto this diary until 1986 where he finally met Richardson at a PT Boater reunion. Before that, Bob was unaware that Richardson had survived the war. Anyway once Richardson had "taken his last patrol", his widow Coma Richardson donated the diary to the Museum of the Pacific War in Frederickburg TX. Today, you can go online and read the electronic version of it here.
https://digitalarchive.pacificwarmuseum.org/digital/collection/p16769coll3/id/2/rec/5
(Note: make sure to expand page using blue double sided arrow in upper right corner of page then click on square icon in upper left called "Toggle Sidebar" to see all pages, the pdf document is pretty large so it takes a couple of minutes to download! Just be patient) Bob Hostetter went on to help found the group that restored the USS PT658, the only remaining WW2 PT Boat that is still afloat and operating, located in Portland OR.
Dick I was curious if you could post a link to this Diary onto the websites link page for me?
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR |
Total Posts: 1473 | Joined:
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Grady
MASTER
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Posted on: Aug 25, 2021 - 2:19am
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this is the stuff that brings stories alive , personnel straight up history , look forward to reading the whole thing
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Dick
Moderator
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Posted on: Aug 25, 2021 - 11:28am
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Thanks for posting this Jerry, much appreciated.
Will be happy to include it on the links page.
Dick . . . .
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Scott C |
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Aug 25, 2021 - 1:27pm
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what a treasure this diary is! look forward to reading it thanks for posting links.
Scott Campbell 2nd gen,PT 248
Ron 20
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Aug 26, 2021 - 11:37am
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Thank you Jerry, that is a great document and incredible story of its history. I'm going to enjoy reading every page, even the stains which tell their own story.
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JEno
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Aug 29, 2021 - 4:14pm
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An amazing document. I started reading it and (sorry) John Wayne and "They Were Expendable" leapt into my thoughts. this should e required reading in schools, all of them. especially in today's culture.
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