Samuel D. Rose - Training

I joined the Army Air Force 7, Jan. 1942 at Fresno, California and was sent to Leardo Air Base out of Bakersfield, California. While waiting there for a new Cadet training class to start, we set up tents and beds for a lot of new men coming in. We also had shots and physicals and a little ground school. Around the first of February we moved to Hemet, California and started Cadet Flight training. A lot of Ground school and sixty hours
of flying in Ryans and Steermans.

On April first 1942 we went to Lemoore Air Base and started Basic training.

While there I got home to Ivanhoe a few weekends. I also Buzzed the town
in a BT and are they noisy! I got in 79:10 hours of which 50 hours was solo.

On June first 1942 I went to Victorville, California and trained in twin engine aircraft. AT-9s and AT-17s.

While at Victorville we flew off dry lake beds as well as the strip at home. We had instrument flying and link trainer flying. The weather and ground was 50 hot at times it was hard to get the AT-17s. on the ground because of the heat waves rising up under a light aircraft.

The 20, July 1942 I got commissioned a Second Lieutenant and went to Columbia, S.C. and flew B25s and had a lot of ground school in B25s. The Base was made out in a swamp, I think, it was so hot and sticky, we were never dry. I got to town once and was surprised at how many statues were allover the place.

They picked 10 of us up and shipped us to Greenville, S.C. by milk train, it took us 10 hours to go 100 miles. Greenville Air-Field was just being built so we used a little of it but didn't stay but a few days then went to Willow Run Ypsilanti, Mich. That was the Ford Plant that later put out a lot of B24s. When we got there the 11, August 1942 they had completed four ships, but the army would not accept them, because of defects.

On the 20th August I went as a Co-Pilot with Lt. Crosson to Barksdale, LA to fly around Baton Rouge to help the Radar (which was new) on the ground to calibrate their instruments by flying different headings at various altitudes. After one day we had an engine go out. Back to Barksdale and got it fixed and flew on to Willow Run the 26th. On the 29th we left for a fuel test on B24s to Hamilton field San Francisco, California. There were six airplanes and we stopped at Phoenix on the way and flew up the San Joaquin Valley to Frisco. As we got to S.F. the Pacific ocean was covered with fog up to the coast range. The gap where the Bay Bridge is let the fog come in like a highway across the bay to Oakland, Very Pretty. Hamilton field at that time was also a camouflage school, so from 10 thousand feet you couldn't see it. There were creeks, orchards, vineyards, houses and no airport. We flew back to Willow Run for a few days and around the 7th or 8th of Sept. we all moved to Hamilton and got a APO # 959 % Postmaster, S.F., California. All the ground crews and extra air crews, left by boat for Hawaii. The Pilots and crews went to Mather Field, Sacramento and picked up new planes. We flew them around there a few days calibrating compass and instruments.
On the 16th at 6 a.m. we took off for Hawaii. There were about 9 or 10 planes to group over the bay bridge before starting out. We were at three thousand feet when two inboard engines stopped. In a case like that you look for a smooth spot to land. My Pilot, J.P. Davis, did a good job sliding it in between Alcatraz and Angel Islands. I went straight up through the broken top and saw the plane break at the waist windows. The plane sank in about a minute. All but one man got out. A boat from Alcatraz picked us up after about ten minutes. By then one of our two life rafts popped to the top and we put the worst hurt on it, the rest swam and hung on to baggage that came to the top. We were taken to the hospital at Angel Island. The Coast Guard from S.F. picked up the stuff floating.

After three days in the hospital those of us in shape were taken back to Hamilton A.B. Most of us were OK except our skin peeled off because we dumped 12 hundred gals. of gas on the water. At 6 a.m. the fumes looked like a hot road in July. I found out when your scheduled to go to war you better go because your expendable on this side and nobody knows what to do with you. They told us to go home for 10 days and maybe they could figure it out.