Pearl Harbor

Breakfast at the Royal Hawaiian (room and two meals — $1!) and back to the squadron by 10 a.m. A little before lunch, a PBY-5 from VP 24 crashed into a nearby cane field, killing all hands. It suddenly nosed over at about 500 feet and crashed without ever leveling off — burst in the flames upon hitting. It carried two officers and eight men. One of those officers was Frank Henderson, now a Lt., and acting-squadron-commander. He was with me under “Simon Legree” Erdman in old VP 61 in Alameda just a year ago. I never got along with him very well, although I believe he was a good kid at heart – the “Academy” just “done him in,” like hundreds of others. He left a wife, and, I think, a child – yes, he did have a child, I remember now. Well that’s three from the old VP 61 in the last for a few months.

The papers have just announced the eruption of Mauna Loa last April 26th. The news was kept quiet at the time for fear the Japs using it.

The first TBF has reached the island, and a whole bunch of fellows have been down to see it. They say it’s big as hell (14,000 lbs) — a virtual baby P-boat — looks like an overgrown F4F.