Inspiring Courage and Devotion

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 256, 29 October 1942, Page 5

Inspiring Courage and Devotion

Air Epic Written in Salomons (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. 1 Received Wednesday, 10.50 p.m. NEW YORK, Oct. 27. With inspiring courage, faith and devotion, United States Marine, Navy and Army forces have stood as steady as a stone wall under the terrific ordeal of shelling and bombing preliminary to an ail-out Japanese bid for the Solomons, writes John Dowling in a dispatch to P.M., written on October 15. For three days Japanese bombers in waves of 30, escorted by Zeros, were over our position. For three nights the Japanese battleships, heavy and light cruisers and destroyers, hurled everything they had into our lines yet our people are still here and smiling. Under cover of this never-ending barrage, the enemy landed 12,000 fresh troops within 10 miles of our positions but not without losses to himself. The Japanese now have 17,000 men ready to attempt to wrest the airfield from us, but it has already cost him 20 warships sunk or damaged to get here and the Marines are ready. The story of these past days is as inspiring as it is tragic and as full of courage as of heartbreaks. For three days we have had no sleep and little food simply because there is no time. Our magnificent Murine, Army and Navy fliers have huddled sleeplessly all night and then flown torpedo planes and divebombers all day. Their story is an epic of the air. They are flying until their planes fall apart. Then, patching them with spit and tin, they are sending them up again.