Let us remember this day, December 10th when the US got its 1st good news of the war:
US Marines successfully forgot off a Japanese invasion of Wake Island. Elements of the Pearl Harbor attacking force split up on the way back to Japan and assumed that Wake would be a push-over. It was NOT!
Unfortunately, on December 25th they came back with a larger force and overwhelmed the defenders who were out of everything except Japanese.
Admiral Jack Fletcher was on a rescue mission to Wake with Enterprise and Saratoga (as I recall) at the time of the 2nd attempt and because he took controversial time to refuel at sea, approached Wake after the island had been lost. He turned around and went back to Pearl.
Wake Island (1) December 10th 1941
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- Brigadier General
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Wake Island (1) December 10th 1941
Dr Deuce Over 50,000 driven miles in a CCKW
1942 CCKW closed cab shopvan
1943 CCKW closed cab cargo w/M32 MG mount
1944 CCKW open cab LeRoi Kompressor
1944 CCKW open cab F1 Aircraft fueler tanker
1945 CCKW open cab cargo w/artic cab
1942 Chev cargo
1942 Chev K51 Panel
1944 Chev M6 Bomb Truck
1942 GPW Jeep
http://home.comcast.net/~cckw/wsb/html/ ... 59870.html
1942 CCKW closed cab shopvan
1943 CCKW closed cab cargo w/M32 MG mount
1944 CCKW open cab LeRoi Kompressor
1944 CCKW open cab F1 Aircraft fueler tanker
1945 CCKW open cab cargo w/artic cab
1942 Chev cargo
1942 Chev K51 Panel
1944 Chev M6 Bomb Truck
1942 GPW Jeep
http://home.comcast.net/~cckw/wsb/html/ ... 59870.html
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- Brigadier General
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- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Seceral years ago , while attending the Pearl Harbor Memorial service at the Museum of the Pacific in Fredericksburg, Texas I met a Marine survivor that was at Wake Island. I talked to him briefly and got his autograph, along with several from the USS Maryland and USS Arizona and other ships. I imagine most are gone now.
They were young men in harms way.
They were young men in harms way.
52 M38 Willy's
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"
proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"
proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans