“Cactus,” Carney Field, Guadalcanal

Have taken quite a ribbing about this “wingtip” business. Flew the PB4Y over to the Army Depot Engineering this afternoon for its repairs, and Bailey flew Franck and I back in the GB-2. Tried my damnedest to have the thing repaired at Tontouta (Nouméa) but no luck. (The Chief of Staff, Van Overs, sabotaged me.)

Went to Adm’l. Halsey’s for dinner. Bill Kitchell was in bed with a fever. Big argument at the dinner table over medals. Adm’l. Fitch wants the Navy to loosen up and not let the Army drag down all the medals, but Adm’l. Halsey kept harping on the Navy standards! 

Navy standards be damned. When one pilot can get 14 medals and the other none for the identical work, something is wrong!