Looking for any information concerning the October 1943 CBI shoot-down of 1940 Heisman Trophy winner/two-time University of Michigan football All American Lt. Thomas D. Harmon.  Harmon was flying on a combat mission in China with the 51st Fighter Group/449th Fighter Squadron on 10-30-43 when his Lockheed P-38 "Little Butch II" was brought down by enemy fire.  Harmon was able to parachute to safety but spent several weeks evading the Japanese Armed Forces and walking out of the wilderness.  Chinese civilians and partisans were instrumental in aiding Harmon's escape.  I have read Harmon's book "Pilots Also Pray", which was published in 1944 and has apparently been out of print for over 60 years.  The book offers no details of Harmon's escape because it was published during the war.  I am looking for any information concerning Harmon's CBI shoot-down and escape.  I am looking for any information concerning Harmon's career in the 51st FG/449th FS.  Also looking for any information concerning Harmon's service as a P-38 instructor in California in 1944.  The October 1943 China incident is not to be confused with Harmon's parachuting to safety and weeks-long survival walk-out in French Guiana when his North American B-25D "Old 98" crashed there in April 1943, which I have researched extensively.  Looking for any information or veterans willing to discuss "on the record" Harmon's career with 449th FS,  his service in California in 1944, or his short time in North Africa in the summer of 1943.  Looking to interview any veteran who served with or trained with Lt. Thomas D. Harmon.  Thanks.  Tony Mireles
 
Anthony J. Mireles
1102 156th Place
Calumet City, IL 60409
708-862-1413

Tony - I remember reading in one of my books that Harmon was specifically told not to get into a dogfight with Jap A/C and to use the Hit and Run attacks. Apparently He had a rather large Ego , I have his book , and
didn't follow orders. He and his Squad. got the Crap knocked out of them . I have a huge library and am trying to find the book.
Mike

I found for that were lost on that day 30 Oct 1944
42-13031  P-38G-10     51st Fighter Gp MACR #1052
42-13253  P-38G-10     51st Fighter Gp MACR #1053
42-13415  P-38G-10     51st Fighter Gp MACR #1054
42-13248  P-38G-10     51st Fighter Gp MACR #1055

 
Terry T.

Thanks Terry - According to the book he was leading this Flite and was responsible for all getting shot down.
Mike

Mike:
 Not something you would want on your flying resume - come follow me...
 
I fould this on a sie called "Castes on Parade"
Heisman Trophy winner  Thomas Dudley "Tom" Harmon   University of Michigan halfback (1938-40); father of actor Mark Harmon




¤
nickname: "Old 98" born on 9-28-1919 in Rensselaer, Indiana
expired 3-15-1990 in Los Angeles, California   age 70

 
Terry T.

Terry - His daughter was married to singer Rick Nelson. His Grand daughter was Sister Steve on the old Father Dowling TV show.
 His Book " Pilots also Pray "  is usually available on www.abebooks.com
Mike

Thanks guys for all the help.  Harmon grew up just a few miles from my desk.  He is still a big deal around these parts. 

Terry T.  Do you happen to know which P-38G serial number Harmon was flying? 
 
What happened to the other pilots?  Were they killed or did they escape?  Any info helpful.   

Tony Mireles

Tony,

Reference your "Do you happen to know which P-38G serial number Harmon was flying?"

Just a whag, but the 'Little Butch II' in the photograph at attachment appears to have serial number 42-7655?

Take what you like and leave the rest....

Andy 


[image]local://upfiles/10103/6B349098C4E14E96B0BE06DC56A706E3.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

Andy:
42-7655, was attached to 14FG/15AF. lost Nov 1942..North Africa..
 
Terry T.

oops I was quick on the draw I was..
thats 41-7655
 
There was no P-38 serial 42-7655..
  I will do some homework and see what I can find, it may have been a P-38J...
 
 
Terry T.

For you trivia enthusiasts:

When Harmon got married, the wedding dress was made from the silk of a parachute that was used in one of his shoot downs.

Jerry Cobb
AF VET E-5
aka: madrussian
Military Patch Collector

Those little 4" nose cone numbers found on P-38s almost never reflect the tail serial number.  I think they are Lockheed numbers.  See Page 41 of Lockheed P-38 Lightning IN ACTION; P-38J # 43-28748 carries the nose cone number 3763.  It appears to be a Lockheed photo; pilot appears to be Tony Lavier.  Same book, page 49; P-38J # 43-29019 carries the nose cone number 4034.  Also appears to be a Lockheed production photo.  In addition, see Page 45 of WARBIRDS  American Legends of World War II; P-38J # 42-68008 carries the nose cone number 2518 or 2510.  It is another Lockheed photo of brand new Lightning.  Now I am talking about the small numbers (about 4") as indicated by Huey in his post and not the larger numbers applied in the field.  Tony Mireles

well if Harmon was in Africa and that  7655 was indeed the acft #, then this is/was his acft, 41-7655, was attached to 14FG/15AF. lost Nov 1942..North Africa..
 
  14th FG history prior to there deployment to Italy is very skecthy, seems the 14FG broke up for reorganization Jan 1943, and there new arriivals (Dec 1942) were dispersed to other units, the older combat experienced pilot's were sent back to the US for RR ..perhaps that is what happened to Harmon, prior to him going to the CBI?
 
 
Terry T.

Some info on Tom Harmon's service:
 
Harmon was awarded his wings and was commissioned a 2Lt. on 10-30-42.  He underwent transition training in B-25 airplanes at Greenville, SC, in late 1942 and early 1943.  He and crew took off for North Africa in B-25D # 41-29964 (named "Old 98 Little Butch") in early April 1943.  He was involved in a fatal accident at French Guiana on 4-9-43.  Five crewmembers were killed.  Harmon was the only survivor.  He spent weeks walking out of the South American jungle.  He was then returned to the states to recover.  He then was shipped to North Africa in late May of 1943 and was trained in P-38s in Africa near Casablanca.  According to Harmon himself, this was his first experience with P-38 airplanes.  He flew the P-38G known as "Little Butch II" to the CBI in summer of 1943 (the name and artwork had been painted on just prior to the flight).  He shot down his first Japanese airplane on 8-28-43.  
 
In November 1942 (when 41-7655 was lost), Harmon was known to have visited his folks in Gary, Indiana, and was also training in B-25s in South Carolina at that time.  Since Harmon had not served overseas until late May 1943, and had not actually flown a P-38 airplane until June 1943, it is safe to say that Harmon never flew the P-38 # 41-7655 (which is a P-38F) before it was lost in November 1942 in North Africa.  The  number 7655 on the nose of "Little Butch II" in the photo is probably a Lockheed nose number and not part of the AAF serial. 
 
Got Harmon's 1944 book "Pilots Also Pray" off the shelf.  A photo on page 107 in Harmon's book indicates that "Little Butch II" was a P-38G-10-LO and not a P-38F.  A partial AAF serial can be seen in the photo: It looks like 42-132..  The rest is unreadable.  The airplane in the photo has the 7655 on the nose.  I'm guessing that Harmon was shot down in "Little Butch II" on the October 30, 1943 mission.  According to Harmon's book, Harmon says he was flying "his" airplane in the "tail end charlie" position on the mission he was shot down on.  He does not indicate he was flying a replacement, so I guess that we can assume that it was probably "Little Butch II".  A Lt. Jordan, who was also shot down that day from the same flight, also walked out of the China wilderness.  Apparently the other two pilots were killed or captured.  And if they were captured, they were likely executed by the Japanese.  Tony Mireles

Well if he was there after Jan 1943, he was not with the 14thFG, most likely either 1st  or 82nd which also used P-38's. 
 
 Seems like Harmom was a very lucky pilot, although those around him were not as lucky...
 
Terry T.
 
 

More on Tom Harmon.
 
In September 1942, Harmon and another Cadet, A/C Bodie Fite, while training in Cessna AT-17s at Williams Field, Arizona, became lost on a cross country training flight and crash landed near Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico, after running out of fuel.  A/C Fite, who was listed as the PIC, was washed out and Harmon, acting as co-pilot, was allowed to continue his training.  Some have suggested that Harmon's celebrity as a football hero saved him from a washout. 
 
In April 1944, Harmon, was leading a P-38 training flight that ended in a fatal mid-air collision over the Pacific Ocean off the California coast.  One P-38 student was killed and another injured.  Harmon, who was a P-38 instructor at the time, left the service soon after.  Tony Mireles

Where do I start? Hi, I'm Clint Frank. Dad was 1st Lt. Jack V. Frank. Flew P-38J in China. He wouldn't talk about war. Been surfn for info. Stumbled on you site. Tom Harmon was friend of Dads. Remember him coming to our house when I was a kid. Also been looking for info on Dads partner, Joe Fodor. By the way, small world, I live in Rensselaer, In. I went thru nasty divorce in 70's. She thru all my stuff in the dump while I was on the road. (truck driver) I learned to live without Dads photos from China untill my son started asking about grandfather. Got any pic's I can copy? Have been trying to make contact with Mark Harmon. His family surly has some. Nose art on Dads plain was just words... Lil' Tootsie. Looking forward to talking to all you guys. Maybe we can sit down and have a cup a 40 weight (coffee) .

Clint Frank,

Harmon's Grandson has a website dedicated to the All-American Harmon.  I think the kid's name is Donetello or something like that.  If you poke around on the internet with keywords connected to the flier Harmon, you'll find him.  Perhaps the kid can help you.  He seems like he is genuinely interested in Tom Harmon's AAF career.  Maybe he will help you.  Have you tried looking for other members of 51st FG?  I think they might have a vets group.  Keep looking.  Good Luck with your research.  Tony Mireles

hello to all,
my grandfather was a sgt. with the 449th FS, 51st FG in the CBI theater of ops. his name was arthur fiedler. i believe that he was a gunner. he never would speak about the war, and for years i have tried to track down any part of his service record. it would be terrific if i was able to find someone who knew him, was a member of his squadron or crew, had pics, or was willing and able to provide any accurate 1st hand info. any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you and good luck to all.
 
george nocito
philly, pa

About 5 years ago I contacted my dad's old squadron leader from China. Dad had been on a mission to to destroy river shipping and got bounced by some fighters (2, I think). As I recall, they were newer and capable of higher altitudes than the types usually encountered. Anyway, there was a note in dad's photo album that Tom Harmon confirmed a ship he sank.
 
So I asked his squadron leader about it, and this was the story: Yes, it was the Tom Harmon of football fame. Tom's squadron was going to do a follow-up mission (the next day, I believe). Dad's leader paid a visit to Harmon's squadron (449th) to share some intel. He says Harmon was standing around joking with some other pilots and just blew him off. "Cocky" was the word used of him. The Japanese were ready in larger numbers and some came in from behind from a higher altitude. Harmon's grandkid's site has the text from his Silver Star citation with more details. Harmon shot down two. See http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/st/~doniloharmon/  and click through for details about Harmon, his crash and retraining and the 449th.
 
When I was growing up I remember the bedtime story of a pilot bailing out, getting circled and shot at and playing dead, landing in a lake with the parachute over him -- turns out it was Harmon. May be wrong, but I think he returned to base 2 days after his effects were shipped home. Harmon had help from the Chinese underground. The next part dad never told me (he probably would never have been told himself). Dad's squadron leader said Harmon was interviewed by a journalist (football hero now survives second bail-out) and inadvertently gave too many details. The journalist was captured  by the Japanese, and with the information he had, two of the Chinese that helped Harmon were killed. Chennault told them to arrange for Harmon's quick departure -- he wouldn't have him anymore. In fairness, I don't have a second testimony to back this up (about getting the heave-ho), but the gentleman I interviewed had a distinguished record and did not seem iffy about the details. I won't give his name, because I don't want any trouble for him. I was thinking I'd just keep this story to myself, but changed my mind when I read about the number of people that wound up dead around him. Hope his family doesn't stumble across this.
 
Best regards,
 
Bill Garriott