The GMC CCKW

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.

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.