Jonathan wrote:
Putting myself in my father's shoes, his first month
in combat during WW2 should read something
like this....


General MacArthur, in keeping his famous promise, steadily
advanced from one Pacific Island to another, so the HQ of
my unit, the 307th Bombardment Group, the Long Rangers
"Jungle Air Force" moved with him.

From Midway to Canton Island and Guadalcanal. On to
air fields at New Georgia, Los Negros and finally to
the Wadke Island Aerodrome just off the coast of
New Guinea. The last 'hop' before the long promised
Big Invasion.

My new airfield was just captured from the japs during
'Operation Straight Line', only 4 jap soldiers survived.
Little did anyone know that several thousand more jap
soldiers died in a remote cave on the island, hiding from
the bombers. They hid so well that 62 years passed before
their skeletons were to be found, and properly buried.


Given that the island is only 1.5 miles long x 1 mile
wide, that it was defended by a single Japanese
battalion and captured by a single US Infantry regiment
several thousands seems somewhat exaggerated.

Keith