World War II Chronicle: Foss's Flying Circus

Unto the Breach ^ | Jan. 8, 2023 | Chris Carter

[fugazi]

A mother who learned her three sons were all killed in action has received a letter from President Roosevelt. Jack, Edward, and Charles Rogers were at their battle stations when an enemy torpedo blew the bow off of the cruiser USS New Orleans during the Battle of Tassafronga. The destroyer USS Rogers (DD-876) is named in their honor. A fourth brother, Hugh, was also aboard the ship but survived the attack...

On pages three and 33: Maj. Donald K. Yost of Marine Fighting Squadron 121 (VMF-121) has become an ace, splashing six Japanese planes between Dec. 23 and 24 last year. He earns the Silver Star for the feat, and another for leading a strike into the North Korean capital in 1951. VMF-121 is known as "Foss's Flying Circus," whose pilots have scored 72 aerial victories during their brief time in the Solomons. Squadron leader Capt. Joseph J. Foss has scored 23 so far, earning the Medal of Honor. 1st Lt. William P. Marontate just scored his 12th victory of the war, second only to Foss.*

VMF-121 Navy Cross recipients to date:

Maj. Leonard K. Davis, five victories.

2nd Lt. Cecil J. Doyle, lost on Nov. 8 and the destroyer escort USS Cecil J. Doyle (DE-368) is named in his honor.

1st Lt. Roger A. Haberman, seven.

1st Lt. Gregory K. Loesch, 8.5

2nd Lt. Thomas H. Mann Jr., 10

2nd Lt. Joseph L. Narr, seven

[fugazi]

World War II Chronicle is a daily commentary series accompanying the newspaper from this day 80 years ago which can be read in full at the original post.

This day in 1942: https://www.untothebreach.net/2022/01/08/world-war-ii-chronicle-january-8-1942/

[T. Rustin Noone]

I dated a woman whose grandfather was the Captain of the New Orleans at Pearl Harbor and later at Guadalcanal. He wrote an unpublished memoir of the events that I was privileged to read. The perspective from the bridge still gives me chills when I think about it.

[fugazi]

I’m amazed that a ship can have its front quarter blown off and still sail around in open water. Quite a testament to the crew who overcame the damage and the designers/builders that made it possible.

Watching how the Russian navy fared in Ukraine it shows just how spoiled we are when it comes to the parts of the ship working like they should, plus excellent crews and leaders who respond quickly an effectively. Seemingly everything about Russian ships and subs fail and their sailors don’t appear to be much better.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

OT, but I've always known the phrase as "into the breach," not "unto," and figured the blog authors made a mistake. So I looked it up and was surprised to find the phrase appears in Act-III, Scene-I of Shakespeare’s play, "Henry V." The scene begins in the middle of the blockade of Harfleur, as King Henry’s army has blown up some French fortifications. He encourages his army to attack the city again by uttering these famous lines:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger.

More at Literary Devices Once More unto the Breach.

Why does "In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility" remind me of nothing so much as FJB?

[EC Washington]

Article written many years ago claimed Joe Boss was the toughest Marine fighter pilot in WW II

[DPMD]

“1st Lt. Gregory K. Loesch, 8.5”

Not to mock his accomplishment, but that half a Zero flying around shouldn’t have been hard to shoot down,

[fugazi]

Half of Zero does not compute

[robowombat]

Joe Foss in retirement frequently appeared at veterans events. He flew a lot and traveled light. after 9-11 he was, as a result of having little or no baggage, tagged as a ‘potential terrorist’ and subjected to an insulting and deliberately humiliating ‘security check’ by ignorant TSA employees. The clowns were particularly suspicious of the MOH he carried in a presentation container. None of them knew what it was, refused to believe Foss’s explanation and one female minority TSA type removed the MOH from the container , held it up, and accused Foss of having no right to carry it. This is the nation we have that hates much of our country.

[fugazi]

I believed you until I saw this was “fact-checked” by Snopes. Since fact-checkers have a 100% success rate of getting everything wrong, and they confirmed that agents detained Foss, I am now questioning whether he ever existed in the first place.

[DPMD]

Tell that to the guy trying to figure out where his empennage went.