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Topic: Mini Series about PT Boats? |
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Travis B
Advanced Member
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 Posted on: Feb 11, 2024 - 6:22am
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In a recent interview with Tom Hanks about his new mini series Masters of the Air, Tom Hanks hints that they will continue to do these stories as long as there is great source material." I think a mini series about PT boat would be incredible. I am Not saying this because of my passion for the boats but from a historical look on the impact they had during WW2, My question to all of you, what would the mini series would look like? What parts of PT boat history should they portray in the series? If we work together we could reach out to Hanks and the production team with a presentation about a mini series on these great boats!
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TED WALTHER |
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 13, 2024 - 10:01am
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Travis;
Great minds think alike!
I was watching an interview on YouTube, with the script writers of Masters of The Air, the same guys who wrote Band of Brothers and The Pacific. They mentioned at first when they were deciding what project to do, it was a toss up between a WW2 Army Air Force story or a Navy story .
I suggest that a PT mini series follows the career of the Searles Brothers, and a few others of the original Tulagi Yacht Club gang that way The Med and D-Day, and later Pacific actions could naturally be included.
I have passed my thoughts on to my reunion group, the Combatant Craft Crewman Association, who does have Hollywood connections. Possibly, with the Association behind the project, it can even follow the history of the Naval Special Warfare Combat Crewmen, including Vietnam and Operation Just Cause and the Gulf War(Operation Praying Mantis).
Take care,
TED
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Travis B
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Feb 17, 2024 - 4:13pm
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A PT boat mini series would need John Bulkeley in it. They could tell his heroic story at the start of WW2 then touch on Buckeley's return state side for a war bond drive and meeting the Ambassador to Britain Joseph Kennedy at New York's Plaza Hotel in 1942, Shortly after this meeting he recruited Lieutenant John F. Kennedy into the Navy's Motor Torpedo Boat Training Center Mellville Rhode Island.
I have read that Tom Hanks loves to read his fans mail. Maybe we should put something together and send it to him in hopes it sparks some interest.
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TED WALTHER |
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 22, 2024 - 12:19pm
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Travis;
IMHO, “They Were Expendable”, is the only movie that should represent John Bulkeley and his exploits with RON 3.
Same goes for PT 109. Both are classics that should not be duplicated. Hollywood has a strange habit of redoing movies and hoping the make a ton of cash.
Tom Hanks is different. His Band of Brothers, The Pacific and now Masters of The Air, are fresh and new. These miniseries all have a few factors in common, they are all buddy stories , they all tell the human factors of combat, good, bad, and ugly. The fun times, hardships, and things guys witnessed that they never talked about again, but never forgot.
This is why I suggested a story line centered on the Searles Brothers. They both came into PT Boats in Pre-War RON 2, with the 70 footers. MTBSTC Melville didn’t exist. Then progressed to the 77 footers. They trained with a collection of Officers and Men that would form the nucleus of the PT Program. These guys all got into PT’s when Bulkeley was starting with PTC RON 1. Almost all were part of multiple MTB RONs during the course of the war. Many enlisted later became PT Officers.
IMHO, what is good about focusing on the Searles Brothers is they were at first together at Guadalcanal with ELCO PT’s, then both came back to the US in 1943, took some leave, then both were made Squadron Commanders of later Higgins Squadrons(like 658).
Jack(the oldest brother )as CO of RON 31 went back to the Pacific with several of his Guadalcanal Officers and men. They went back to the Solomons, then the Philippines, then Okinawa.
Bob as CO of RON 30, went to England and worked for John Bulkeley during D-Day and after.
These two and their buddies were fighting The Tokyo Express at Guadalcanal when Bulkeley was touring and recruiting, and Kennedy was still a student at Melville, he would arrive in the Solomons in April-May 1943, after the Searles Brothers rotated back with other members of “The Tulagi Yacht Club”.
So a story along these lines would include Bulkeley and Kennedy but only as background figures, but they will be included.
Plus, I don’t know how much you have researched Masters of The Air, but the Special Effects people built two full size replicas of B-17’s and a third partial to show close ups and damage or crashed aircraft. These two aircraft will probably go to a museum somewhere as the Douglas Devastator Replica which is now on the hangar deck of USS Midway ( it should be on Hornet, but it’s not yet).
This being said , maybe we can finally get one or two 77’ full size Replicas and one or two 80’ full size replicas, inside and out, just like the B-17’s. For the 78’ Higgins, they can use 658, with a “substantial “ donation.
Take care,
TED
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Andy Small
MASTER
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Posted on: Feb 22, 2024 - 1:37pm
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It's great that much of their cliff note history is well documented in At Close Quarters, and John Searles being awarded a Navy Cross for actions with PT-59 and Robert Searles with a Silver Star is also helpful.
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TED WALTHER |
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 22, 2024 - 5:13pm
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Andy;
Thanks, that was exactly my way of thinking. When Jack Wrote Tales of Tulagi (which would be a great title for the Guadalcanal portion), he sent his original notes to Ken Prescott (Skipper of PT 61 and PT 48), well Ken sent those original notes, which Jack typed himself, to me. I still have them today.
Another aspect, PT men were all volunteers for “Extra hazardous duty”. While there were some Naval Academy Grads in the PT service most were reservist volunteers. Which highlights their call to service and many led the rest of their lives that way.
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Travis B
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Feb 23, 2024 - 2:27pm
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Ted you have changed my mind, I agree it would be an incredible story that would tie together PT boat history really well. I noticed with Masters of the Air that to many names come and go so you never get attached like Band of Brothers or the Pacific. Now we just have to contact Tom Hanks.
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TED WALTHER
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Posted on: Feb 24, 2024 - 11:02am
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Travis;
Roger That, I already have a few points of contact for him, I want to send a write up on the basic story, historical facts, names and biographies, and photos, and send it in a package to him. Since I have multiple points of contact, I will send a identical package to each one
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TED WALTHER
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Posted on: Feb 24, 2024 - 3:52pm
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Travis;
Roger That, I already have a few points of contact for him, I want to send a write up on the basic story, historical facts, names and biographies, and photos, and send it in a package to him. Since I have multiple points of contact, I will send a identical package to each one
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TED WALTHER
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Posted on: Feb 25, 2024 - 4:56am
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Travis;
Roger That, I already have a few points of contact for him, I want to send a write up on the basic story, historical facts, names and biographies, and photos, and send it in a package to him. Since I have multiple points of contact, I will send a identical package to each one
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