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SCUBAPRO Sunday – Battle of Midway Medal of Honor

Sunday, June 6th, 2021

The Battle of Midway was fought from 4-6 June 1942. It was a decisive victory for the United States over the Japanese.

Richard Eugene Fleming was born on November 11, 1917. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on 15 December 1939 and applied for flight training so he could join the fight to protect the United States. He was accepted as a cadet by the Federal Government on 25 January 1940 and went through training at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. Fleming then joined the services on December 7, 1940 and proceeded to his first duty station at Naval Air Station San Diego. He was assigned to VMF-214, a Marine dive-bombing squadron known as the “Black Sheep Squadron”.

In early December 1941, he and seventeen of his squadron were flying their Vindicators headed out to sea to meet up with the USS Lexington. The team continued to Midway Island and arrived two days before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

There, Fleming would engage in the Battle of Midway. On May 25, 1942, he was promoted to First Lieutenant and days later, on June 5th, under harrowing circumstances, he was promoted to Captain. His heroism was evident in the 2 days he fought in that battle.

On June 4, 1942, the aviators on Midway were informed they had to gather their aircraft and warm up. With their squadron commander, Lofton Henderson, in command, they rumbled off to intercept waves of Japanese fighters. They then launched into the sky and searched for the fleet that was presumed to be lurking nearby. During the initial Japanese attack on a U.S. aircraft carrier, Fleming took command of the unit when the Squadron Commander Henderson got lost and separated from the others. He then dove to the extreme low altitude of 400 feet, exposing himself to enemy fire in order to score a hit on a Japanese carrier. After failing to drop a warhead on the aircraft carrier, Akagi, his aircraft was damaged but he still managed to bring his plane in for a safe landing at base, as it limped back with 171 holes. His commanding officer, Henderson, was killed.

The next day, he was promoted to squadron commander and Captain Fleming returned to battle. After sleeping only four hours, he returned to the conflict and led his second division to direct his squadron in a coordinated glide-bombing, dive-bombing, and strafing assault of a Japanese battleship. Heavy anti-aircraft gunfire continued to strike Captain Fleming’s plane and, although riddled with 179 hits by the hail of fire that burst upon him from Japanese fighter guns and antiaircraft batteries, he was not seriously wounded and only suffered two minor injuries. The heavy antiaircraft strafing caused Fleming’s plane to catch fire and, despite the flames and the threat to his and his gunner’s life, he kept the plane on course. Undeterred by a fatal attempt to glide, he pressed home his attack to an altitude of five hundred feet, and, in a screaming dive at the Japanese cruiser, Mikuma, released his bomb to score an almost direct hit on the stern of his target. Unable to pull out of his dive, Fleming’s plane struck the cruiser and plunged into the sea, his plane a cinder of fire. He and his aircrat were last seen crashed to the sea in flames.

Captain Richard Fleming was the only man to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor during his magnificent stand in the crucial Battle of Midway. His unwavering dedication and persistence were consistent with the highest principles of the U.S. military.

The Marine died with his gunner, Private First Class George Albert Toms. There is some circumstantial evidence that it might be possible that Fleming deliberately crashed his plane into the battleship with the Mikuma sinking the next day.

For “extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty”, Captain Fleming was awarded the nation’s highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor. Private First Class Toms, too, was awarded for his actions with a Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt presented the Medal of Honor. Fleming’s award, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt states:

“The President of the United States orders the MEDAL OF HONOR to be awarded to Captain Richard E. Fleming, United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous courage above and beyond the call of duty as Flight Officer, Marine Scouting Bombing Squadron 241, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Midway Island from June 4 through June 5, 1942. When his squadron commander was shot down during the initial spontaneous uprising.”

Private First-Class George Albert Toms’ award reads as follows:

“The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Private First-Class George A. Toms United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a radioman-gunner in Marine Scout Bombing Squadron TWO HUNDRED FORTY-ONE (VMSB-241), during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Battle of Midway, 4 and 5 June 1942. With courageous efficiency and utter disregard for his own personal safety. Private Toms manned a radio and free machine gun in the rear seat of his plane during a search and attack mission against the enemy on the night of 4 June, and again during an assault upon a Japanese battleship on 5 June. Under conditions attendant upon the Battle of Midway, there can be no doubt that he gallantly gave up his life in the service of his country. His conscientious devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

Although Captain Richard Fleming has disappeared, there is still much debate as to what happened to him. The USS Fleming, commissioned on September 18, 1943, was named in his honor and his name is listed on the “Tablets of the Missing” at Honolulu Memorial.

Richard Fleming is recognized annually at his high school, Saint Thomas Academy, during the Cadet Colonel Promotion ceremony when he is remembered by the presentation of the “Fleming Saber” to the Cadet Colonel. Since 2008, the military academy has added another award and, in 2014, Governor Dayton proclaimed a day in honor of the Medal of Honor. The proclamation honors three recipients: Richard Fleming, John Espy, and Ted Liggett. He is also mourned in his hometown. In honor of Richard E. Fleming, the former South St. Paul Airport was renamed the Richard E. Fleming Field. Though interred in Arlington National Cemetery, a memorial marker has been placed in Fort Snelling National Cemetery for Captain Fleming.

Lastly, if you decide to watch a movie about the battle of Midway, go for the 1976 version. The producers used a lot of real footage from the battle that was shot by director John Ford during the actual battle. Ford also directed “They were Expendable” and “Mister Roberts”. Although you can tell it is old footage, it does help tell the story. It also has some of the best actors of all time, Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Tom Selleck.

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, History, Navy | 1 Comment »

How I Discovered Arktis

Saturday, June 5th, 2021

In the Spring of 1990, I was on the downhill side of a two year tour in Germany that had been involuntarily extended to 30 months due to lack of retainability. Rather than extending my enlistment and accepting an involuntary assignment to Fort Carson, I was waiting for my re-enlisted to window to open so I could go to Bragg. At the time I was working outside my SIGINT MOS as a radio operator in 3rd ID’s Long Range Surveillance Detachment and preferred to go to an airborne assignment rather than another heavy division.

I had picked up this copy of Soldier of Fortune magazine featuring a story about the British Pathfinders at Leighton Kaserne’s Stars and Stripes bookstore. In the story was a sidebar about the members’ kit with a couple of photos and it mentioned a company in Exeter named Arktis.

I was already highly interested in British aftermarket gear having obtained two books entitled, “Combat” and “Survival” which had been published in Great Britain and based upon the weekly serialized imprint called “Combat & Survival,” also on post.

Now that I had a company name, the real fun began. This was 1990, there was no internet to look things up, and I was relying on the very expensive German phone system to make overseas calls to the UK to track Arktis down.

I used phone booths during my search because it was easy to track how many German Marks I used for calls. You inserted as many as were needed for the call in the phone’s slot.

I eventually got on the phone with Arktis’ founder and proprietor at the time, former Royal Marine Major David Ross, OBE who had served in the Falklands. He explained that he had started the company due to his dissatisfaction with issue kit. And for me, his military service explained the location of the company in Exeter. Fortunately, I lived off post in an apartment so I could use the German Post for shipments rather than the US mail which would have resulted in any parcels heading from the UK to NY and then back to Germany and the unit mailroom.

David sent me a catalog and I shared it with the other members of my LRSD. I bought a 42 pattern chest rig and a few pouches. A few of the other guys bought 45 pattern chest rigs. At the time we could get away with wearing either OD or DPM pouches. DPM blended in pretty well with Woodland, but I always felt self conscious about it. Regardless, the gear was only worn in the field.

Not long after, I learned about another company called Special Air Sea Services and purchased a few things from them, including a smock. Another company I shopped was Survival Aids and this photo of an Arktis 42 Pattern rig comes from their catalog.

A few years later, David Ross sold the company and it has changed hands a couple of times, becoming Arktis Outdoor Products and now Arktis Limited. These days, it seems that they concentrate more on clothing than kit but they still produce a few of the original items that put the company on the map.

David also told me about the monthly version of “Combat & Survival” magazine and I set about to obtain a subscription for it as well, feeding my interest in kit for the remainder of my tour in Germany. Once I got back to the States, you could find the magazine on newsstand shelves for quite a while, right up until it ceased publishing a few years ago. I was quite the fan. After being assigned to Bragg, I even wrote a couple of articles for C&S myself.

store.arktis.co.uk

Posted in History, International | 14 Comments »

My Favorite Armed Forces Network Commercial of All Time

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021

Youtube user AFRTSfan is archiving as much Armed Forces Radio and Television Service content seen on US military overseas TV broadcasts as possible with over 3,600 videos so far. Fortunately, my favorite commercial of all time is there, “We Will Rock You” but don’t rock that rip-off vending machine in the day room.

Posted in History | 6 Comments »

Blast from the Past – What Sort Of Man Reads Infantry?

Monday, May 31st, 2021

For decades, Infantry Magazine was the professional journal of the grunt. Printed by the Infantry Center, it facilitated outreach to members of the branch, informed on modernization efforts and served as a platform for professional writing. This ad promoting the publication, was printed during the early 70s heyday of men’s pulp magazines, with their lurid covers promising to satisfy an appetite for life.

I love the combat ace look, with ascot, starched OG-107 fatigues, aviator shades and leather gloves. The only things missing are a Vietnamese Ranger badge or jump wings, and direct embroidery.

The text reads:

What sort of man reads Infantry?

He’s the guy who’s always there when the going gets tough. Cool, self-assured and thoroughly in control of the situation, he makes the difference no matter what team he’s on. A profile of INFANTRY readers shows that 98% have specialized skills. Taste patterns in clothing reflect remarkable similarity and conformity, leaning towards the conservative. The IM reader is widely traveled, 97% having traveled abroad or resides in a foreign land. An outdoorsman at heart, he is the bon vivant of cuisine au natrual (sic). The INFANTRY buff is well informed and willing to go out of the way for a superior product.

Posted in History, Profession of Arms | Comments Off on Blast from the Past – What Sort Of Man Reads Infantry?

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Memorial Day

Sunday, May 30th, 2021

Shortly after the Civil War, what is now known a Memorial Day began as Decoration Day. The reason for that name is because it was a day on which Americans, both North and South, would decorate the graves of soldiers who died in the Civil War.

Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, who lead a group for Northen Civil War veterans, declared in 1868 that Decoration Day would be observed annually on May 30. The date was chosen only for the reason that it didn’t coincide with any battles fought. It was a day for the North and South to honor their fallen and decorate their graves. After World War I, the holiday was broadened to include service members who died in all of the country’s wars, not just the Civil War.

Multiple cities claim to be the birthplace of this holiday, but President Lyndon Johnson formally gave the honor to Waterloo, N.Y. in 1966. Up until 1971, Memorial Day was observed on May 30th, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day, but in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The same law also declared Memorial Day as a federal holiday and created a day for everyone to take time to reflect and honor the fallen. That did not go into effect until 1971.

Most people look at the Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial start of summer, mattress and furniture sales, or a day for cooking out. I know most of the people that read SSD will understand the real meaning. This is a day to remember the fallen service men and women of the military who have gone before us. Like most holidays in the U.S., it has been turned into just a weekend for sales and people to try and make money. But please take the time to think about the fallen and their families who have, as President Lincoln said, “Laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.” We truly are lucky to live in the greatest country in the world, where “the pursuit of happiness” is a guaranteed right. You are never asked to do anything for it other than maybe do jury duty. But some people chose to serve for whatever reason and some died because they chose to serve.

There are a couple small things you can do. One is, if you fly an American flag, lower it to half staff until noon. Then at noon raise it all the way up until sunset. Second, in the year 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance was passed by Congress that says at 3pm local time, take a moment in your own way to remember the fallen.

Memorial Day is not Veterans Day. I have heard so many people say, “oh, this weekend, we should really thank a veteran”. This isn’t for us; it is for the people who never came home and for their families.

Lastly, I wanted to say something about what to say to someone else on Memorial Day as a greeting. Please do not say “Happy Memorial Day”. This is a little thing, but it’s like saying happy funeral day. So, if you feel like “Happy Memorial Day” isn’t appropriate, try saying, “I hope you have a nice/good Memorial Day”. Never forget that, for some people, every day is Memorial Day.

Long Live the Brotherhood

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, History, Memorial | 3 Comments »

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Charles Lightoller

Sunday, May 23rd, 2021

The life story of Charles Herbert Lightoller is something that there is no way you could make up. He took part in three of the century’s most memorable maritime activities, and one that is straight out of a James Bond film — that is, if Bond was 65 and with his wife on their private boat.

Charles Lightoller was born in Chorley, Lancashire, in 1874, and sailed for the first time at the age of thirteen. The Holt Hill, on which he was serving, ran aground in 1889, which was his first shipwreck at the age of 15. Before joining the White Star Line in 1900, Lightoller had a series of high-seas adventures during his childhood — overcoming cyclones, fires on board, and tropical diseases.

The White Star Line operated a fleet of ships between the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. On one of his visits from Australia, Lightoller would meet his wife, but it was on a trip to America that he would cement his place in history.

The RMS Titanic, the White Star Line’s supposedly unsinkable ocean liner, set sail from Southampton in 1912, with Charles Lightoller serving as the ship’s second officer. On the night of April 14th, Lightoller was already in bed after finishing his last rounds when he felt “a sudden vibrating jar pass through the ship”. After hearing that the water had already entered the mail room shortly after midnight, another officer reported to him that “we’ve struck an iceberg”, so Lightoller dressed and made his way to the deck. The ship was, as everyone now knows, completely unprepared for a tragedy of that magnitude. Even though Lightoller acknowledged that he was “fairly sure” that the Titanic would not sink, he knew that it was safer to be careful and prepared than risk the lives of the passengers who were now huddled on deck. To avoid a mass panic, he started forcing all the women and children into lifeboats and ensuring that his men-maintained order.

He cheerfully tried to convince the passengers that getting into the boats was merely “a precaution” and that “they were perfectly safe, as a ship was just a few miles away”. According to his account of that evening, he was most troubled by the band’s choice of music as they performed on deck in an effort to restore order, adding, “I don’t like jazz music in general, but I think it helped us all”.

“Women and children first” was translated as “women and children only” by Charles Lightoller, who refused to let John Jacob Astor follow his wife onto a lifeboat, telling the millionaire that “no men are allowed in these boats before the women are loaded first”.

Lightoller and his fellow officers “all shook hands and said ‘Good-bye’” before seeing off the last lifeboat when it became apparent that the Titanic was doomed.

From the deck, Lightoller plunged into the freezing water, miraculously avoiding being sucked down with the huge boat. Until the survivors were rescued, he clung to an overturned lifeboat. Lightoller was the last person to be rescued from the Carpathia, and he was the highest-ranking officer to survive the disaster.

One would think that surviving the twentieth century’s worst maritime tragedy would bring Charles Lightoller back to shore for good, but his sea adventures were far from over.

During WWI, Charles served in the Royal Navy and was given command of his own torpedo boat. He was decorated twice for his fighting efforts (including sinking the German submarine UB-110) and rose to the rank of full naval commander by the end of the Great War.

After the war, Lightoller retired, but he couldn’t fully abandon the sea. When the Germans started planning for war again, he and his wife purchased their own yacht, the Sundower, and spent the next decade cruising around northern Europe and carrying out the occasional covert surveillance mission for the Admiralty. The Royal Navy recruited the once retired veteran and his wife to carry out a series of secret missions, in an effort to obtain intelligence about the movements of the German army. The couple seemed to just be an elderly couple on vacation; it was the perfect cover. The Lightollers communicated any information they could gather and kept a watchful eye on the German coastline. She would sit on the deck of the boat and would pretend to be reading and drinking while keeping watch and he would be down below secretly taking notes and sketching the coastline.

When the war finally broke out in 1939, the Nazi war machine ripped through continental Europe, rebuffing the Allies at every turn. As France prepared to surrender, the British army, joined by French and Belgian forces, was caught between the sea and the Germans. Germany attacked in a last-ditch effort that could have ended the Western European theater of war in a single blow.

Winston Churchill and the British government devised a bold scheme to save the troops, which, if successful, would guarantee that their army would live to fight another day. On May 27th, 1940, civilian boat owners along the English coast started receiving phone calls from the government telling them that their boats were being requisitioned by the government to assist in the evacuation of Allied soldiers across the channel. When retired Commander Charles Lightoller got his phone call, he only had one condition: he decided to take the Sundower himself.

Charles Lightoller, now 66 years old, set out with his son Roger and Gerald Ashcroft, a teen Sea Scout. The Sundower paused en route to the beaches to rescue the crew of a motor cruiser that had caught fire before going on to pull 260 men aboard, all while dodging “quite a lot of attention from enemy aircraft”. “My God, mate!” exclaimed one astonished officer as the Sundower docked in England, watching the nearly endless stream of soldiers emerge from Lightoller boats. “Where did you bring them all?” says the narrator.

The adventures of Charles Lightoller during WWII would later serve as the basis for Mark Rylance’s role in Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed film Dunkirk.

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, History, Maritime | 3 Comments »

Vietnam Veteran Shares First-Person Account of Life in the Bush in 1968 in Debut Memoir

Tuesday, May 11th, 2021

In ’13 Months,’ author Bruce A. Bastien reflects on his experiencesas a young U.S. Marine Corps grunt serving a 13-month tour in Vietnam

SAN DIEGO – For many Americans, the Vietnam War often conjures mental images of high-action military combat overseas, unprecedented frontline media coverage of the war as it unfolded in Vietnam, and tensions across the U.S. as protestors called for the war to end. In “13 Months: In the Bush, In Vietnam, In 1968,” author Bruce A. Bastien draws back the curtain of this high-conflict period to share his experience as a young Marine – both the common notions of war and the mundane, daily life experiences that shaped his 13-month tour of duty.

“13 Months” sweeps readers up on a coming-of-age journey through a U.S. Marine Corps grunt’s daily struggles, battles, and funny moments as he navigates a new and sometimes unforgiving environment. Bastien’s book shares with readers the range of emotions and physical discomfort he experienced during his service, from unmitigated terror to utter boredom, hot and dry to wet and cold, rested and ready to frazzled and wired.

“13 Months” also shares Bastien’s experience maturing from a young man to an adult as he grows philosophically, finds his confidence, develops the ability to handle stress and strain, and learns lessons about friendship, love, difficulty, danger, deprivation, and loss. Bastien reflects on his friendship with the other American men with whom he served who came from all different walks of life, backgrounds, races, and levels of learning. The common element among them was their humanity, bravery, and willingness to risk their lives to help one another, all the while hoping to find their way back home.

“This is a personal account of the feelings, frustration, horror and friendships, of a young man under very exceptional conditions. It describes the grassroot experiences of a young marine on a mission for his country, but where questions arise of the ultimate purpose, the Why,” Mårten Wikström wrote in an endorsement of the book. “It is not a story of heroes, but a sincere description of what a young American boy experienced. What was the purpose of this war? And even, what was the purpose of some of the movements of the soldier’s unit? This is a very realistic story of how many young Americans must have experienced their role in Vietnam. The narrative doesn’t dwell in excesses, or drama, yet describes the horror and fright very clearly, but also the extreme boredom and man-to-man conflicts that arose.”

Ultimately, Bastien’s book is a gripping and unforgettable story peppered with supporting photos about a boy’s journey to becoming a man that highlights the incredible power of camaraderie and friendship. “13 Months” keeps the memories of the people who served during the Vietnam War alive and provides a glimpse into the negative impact and harrowing toll of war on individual lives.

“13 Months: In the Bush, In Vietnam, In 1968”

By Bruce A. Bastien

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0456-1 (sc); ISBN: 978-1-6632-0458-5 (hc); ISBN: 978-1-6632-0457-8 (e)

Available through iUniverse, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.

About the author

Bruce A. Bastien has had dual careers in data processing and aviation. Bastien’s previous roles include computer salesman for IBM, business applications computer programmer, consultant, and owner of a “Cloud” service bureau business that hosts client business applications. He has also worked as a flight instructor and owner of a Part 135 on-demand airline, and he earned commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates for single and multi-engine aircraft with instrument ratings. Bastien holds degrees in biometry, computer science, and accounting. He currently resides in San Diego with his wife, Carol. To learn more, please visit www.scsstories.com.

Posted in History, Media, Press Release, USMC, Veterans | 1 Comment »

Historical Auction Block

Monday, May 10th, 2021

Are you tired of Ebay and all it’s rules about what you can sell and what you can’t?

A new list-it-yourself online auction site was recently launched called Historical Auction Block. In partnership with the U.S. Military Forum and Worldwide Military Forum this is an auction site run by collectors for collectors. Low listing fees, which are FREE until June 1st, after June 1st:

$0.10 posting fee

$0.05 Buy It Now & Classified fees

$5.00 Maximum reserve auction fee

All sales are a flat 5% final value fee!

You can post items from all wars and Countries with limited restrictions! US medals (Purple Hearts), Third Reich, signed Japanese flags, etc… Sorry but no Firearms or live ammo.

You can choose your payment options, your sale terms, feedback for BOTH buyer and seller, easy to use, mobile app will be available soon too!

Administrators take very seriously the fraudulent sale of reproductions as originals. They will make every attempt to ensure that items are being sold as described!

www.historicalauctionblock.com

Posted in History, Press Release | Comments Off on Historical Auction Block