Saving Buck Rogers

March 10, 1952

Monday night

Some of Jim's crew members maintaining machine guns.

Hi Norma, 

What's new? "Nutting" over here. it's always the same. 

I'm sorry to hear that you have a cold. This makes two or three for you this winter, doesn't it? You must be unlucky.

But I've been lucky.  All through the bad weather I never did have a cold.

The weather us getting better all the time, but it still isn't warm enough.

I think the big "wheels" have finally decided to win the war instead of talking the "gooks" out of it because we've been flying like "hell" for the last three days. 

Where we used to fly 70 or 80 sorties per day, now we're flying a hundred or more. 

Those top ten tunes you wrote about are new to me. I've never heard of any of them, except "Tell Me Why." 

We have that record, "I Can't Help It" by Hank Williams. 

In case you didn't notice, my pen is all "fouled up." I loaned it to one of the guys this morning and he used some sort of ink that wasn't good for it. I think now it is about washed out though. 

About that clipping you sent. Since you've read it in the paper, I'll you what happened.

The was an A.D. (Attack Douglas) "guppie," which means it was equipped with radar and sonar gear and used mostly for hunting submarines. And when a sub is found, some other plane moves in and kills it.

I know the pilot pretty well. We call him "Buck" Rogers and he is one of the best we have. There are very few pilots who could have gotten it off the water. In fact, the air officer passed the word that a plane was in the water. It was dark (about 4:00 in the morning) and snowing, so nobody could see there hand in front of their face. We turned on the crash lamps but about five minutes later, he radioed back that he was O.K.

The reason it all happened was because of a faulty holdback on the catapult. We had him set up on the "lot," ready to send off and his engine was supposed to be turning up to 45 hundred RPMs, but when it got to 23 hundred RPMs, the holdback broke and off he went. And believe me, we we were "sweating" for awhile.

[Editor's note: Click on this link for a declassified internal Naval document detailing the accident, which took place February 2, 1952 and is described in "Part 2, Chronological Order of Events." "Buck" Rogers' real name was Lt. Commander W. H. Rogers.]

Rogers was a lieutenant at the time, but when he came back, they made him Lieutenant Commander. The admiral said any pilot who could do that deserved another rate, so he got it.

Norma, I started this letter about 4 days ago, but I didn't get to mail it or finish it if I had had a chance to mail it.

It is 10:15 now, we got came off the flight deck. We've been flying since 4:00 this morning.

Norm, I'm so tired I can't hardly see the paper I'm writing. We've been flying 18 hours per day since the 3rd of March, but tomorrow is refueling day and maybe we can get some rest. That is, if the "Gooks" don't come over and cheat us out of that.

Norm, 70 knots isn't the temperature, it's the speed of the wind. If the ship is going 30 MPH and the wind is blowing 50 knots across the bow, that would equal 70 knots of wind, or velocity, and it is pretty much a gale. In fact, you're pretty lucky if you can stand up in it.

No, they don't keep the mail on board until we enter port. It goes off on refueling days, which is every 4 to 10 days.

So, you got three letters from me and want to kiss me for it, "eh?" Well, just hang on until I get home.

Well, Norm, I've got to sign off before I fall off this seat.

Answer soon.

Love, 

Jim

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Thinking Of You On Valentine's Day

February 14, 1952

Thursday night

Whitman's Sampler print ad, ca. 1952, featuring Elizabeth Taylor

Hi ya Norma,

How's the cutest little girl in all Detroit? I didn't get a letter from you last mail-call day, but I was wondering what you are doing tonight and decided to write you.

"Boy," we've been lucky the last three days. Day before yesterday, the weather was real bad over the target area and we didn't launch a plane. Yesterday, we refueled and couldn't fly and today we launched one strike this morning, then the "ceiling moved in" (weather got bad) and we didn't fly at all this afternoon. We landed the morning strike in a snowstorm and one of them cracked-up, but it wasn't very bad, thank goodness.

Did I tell you about one of our heroes who sat on a burning gasoline tank to put it out? The guy can't sit down yet. He said, "Sitting on a burning gas tank was alright at first, but it will get you in the 'end'." 

Do you ever hear any "Hank Williams" records (he is a hillbilly singer)? [Editor's note: this link goes to Hank's "Hey, Good Lookin'," a song Jim used to sing around the house.] I used to like him when I was home. Well, anyway, I read in a newspaper (from the States) that his wife had divorced him and had sued for almost a half million "bucks." I didn't know hill billy singers made that kind of money. When I get out I think I'll get a guitar and start singing. I'll be able to retire when I'm thirty.

Tomorrow is my anniversary again. I've been in the Navy 13 months. In one way it doesn't seem very long and in another way, it seems like years.

I've got 35 months more to do and I hope I don't have to do much more of it over here.

I wish I could think of something to write about, but out here it's the same old routine all the time. Nothing ever happens very exciting. Those crack-ups used to be, but now they are nothing but all in the day's work. In fact, they are a nuisance.

There is a guy sitting right below me playing a steel guitar. He is pretty good with it.

We're going back to Yokosuka in about a week, but this time I don't think I'll go ashore very much. Those "gook" towns all smell alike and I don't like the stink.

Well, Norm, I got to sign off now.

Answer soon.

Your pal,

Jim (Gym)

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The "L" Word

February 9, 1952

Saturday night

Vought F4U-4 Corsair fighters of U.S. Navy fighter squadrons VF-114 Executioners (V-4XX) on the aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) during the Korean War in 1951/52.

Hi Norma,

I just got your letter this morning and since this is the only chance I'll have to answer it anytime soon, I had better do it now.

I guess you haven't heard from me in more than a week because I haven't written. I've been too busy. If I have more days like the last, I will make plans for burning my I.D. card. "Boy," they have been miserable. Cold weather has been the least of our troubles. We've had crack-ups, lost planes in the drink, and had them shot down. It is getting to be too much. We've been on the flight deck from 16 to 20 hours each day for the last 4. To give you some idea of how we've been catching "hell," we've even had 3 helicopters shot down. But I suppose I can't kick. I'm still O.K. Just plenty lucky, I guess.

I sure will be glad when we go back into port. I can really use a rest.

"Yes," I like that song "I Can't Help It." Also, I haven't heard it since we left the States. The first time I heard it was in Vancouver, Canada last summer.

No; we haven't had any more storms "thank goodness." I think a storm would just about finish us all off.

I didn't tell you about the worst crack-up, did I? It was a real dilly.

A "Corsair" (light fighter-bomber) was taking off when his engine cut out. He tried to "ditch" it in the water, but it landed on a 5 inch gun mount on the side of the side. The plane had one 1000 pound bomb and 4 smaller ones and the gun was loaded. Then, the whole damn works caught fire. I didn't think of those bombs until everything was over. If I had, I might still be running, but we were lucky again. None of them went off. The pilot jumped over side and the helicopter picked him up. He was burned some, but not too bad. "Oh, well" that's enough of our grief.

That place where you work must have trouble keeping girls, but there is one thing for sure with all you girls there, they wouldn't have trouble keeping me.

Yes, I used to be a member of good standing at Gilead, but now I don't know. They may have disowned me. Yes, I got a package from the Y.P. [Young People's] Dept.

Sure, it's O.K. with me to put my name on the Grace Class if your mother wants to. I would feel honored.

Well, Norm, I better sign off now.

Answer soon.

Love, 

Jim

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The Human Stars And Stripes

February 6, 1952

Wednesday night

A U.S. Navy Grumman F9F-2 Panther from fighter squadron VF-52 Knightriders prepares for launch from the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge(CV-45) off Korea on 19 July 1950. 

Hello Norma,

When you call me the "sweetest sailor" you know, that makes you the sweetest gal I know. And it sort of makes me feel homesick too.

Why were you surprised to hear from me? Don't I write often enough? I write every chance I get.

You know, Norm, I looked at the water where your letter went in and it looked so cold I just couldn't go over side. If it was summer, I would have.

The 2nd, 3rd & 4th of this month were the worst days I've ever endured yet. I thought it got cold in Detroit but the weather there is like Florida compared to this. The wind is terrific, up to 70 knots sometimes. [Editor's note: approximately 80 mph.] A few times I thought it would blow me off the flight deck.

A carrier from the States came over to relieve the carrier that has been operating with us. I'll bet those guys are glad to be going home. I think I'll "hitch" a ride with them. HA 

We got to knock off early tonight (at 5:00) because the weather over Korea is too bad for flying and probably by tomorrow our flight deck will be covered with snow. And I'll be up there at 5:00 shoveling it. "Oh" this exciting life of a Sailor. HA 

"Oh heck" (that's milder than "hell") I stopped long enough to get a drink (of water) and forgot where I left off.

While we were in port last time, my buddy from North Carolina and I went over some Japs house (he knew the people from last year) and they really treated us good and were glad to see him. They said that he was "veddy good boy." They gave us beer and something to eat. I don't know what it was. It wasn't very good, but I ate it to be sociable. 

Guess when you're in Rome, you're supposed to do like the Romans.

I don't know if I should come out to your house when I come [home] or not, if your smile knocks guys over, but I'll risk it if you'll let me, O.K.?

You should have seen me yesterday morning. I was working on the wheel of a plane when the one in front of me started turning his engine up.   I got caught in the "slip stream" and I grabbed hold of the wheel I was working on. The blast from the one forward had me waving like a flag in a big wind. Now the guys call me the human stars and stripes. HA  I almost beat my insides out before I could get out of the way.

No, you've never seen me smoke. I didn't before I came in the Navy, didn't drink either. HA 

[Editor's note: I'm pretty sure that's a fib. When I was a kid, elementary age, I was on the anti-smoking bandwagon and nagged my father relentlessly about his habit. In one sincere conversation, I stopped telling him why he should quit and asked him why he started.  He explained that he took his first drag on a cigarette when he was 11 years old and something inside him when "pow!" He described his head feeling different, lighter; he got a buzz. He wasn't hooked immediately, but the feeling was so pleasurable, he knew he would repeat it as often as he could.  I quoted the recent Surgeon General's Report on the effects of smoking and implied that the 1960s must be more enlightened than the '40s.  Jim said, "It doesn't take a genius to know that lighting up something and sucking on the other end is a bad idea."]

Well, I've got to close now. Almost time to go to bed.

Answer soon.

Your pal,

Jim

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