Search and Rescue Missions

Search and Rescue Missions. Eyes In The Sky. , Nort Carolina Kingfisher pilots performed two famous rescues during world war two., April 30, 1944 , Rescue of 10 Men off Truk , During a strike on the enemy's main mid-Pacific naval base of Truk, LT John A. Burns, with Radioman Aubrey Gill, fearlessly landed his plane in choppy seas and rescued the remarkable total of 10 Navy aviators who had been shot down. The plane could not take off with such a heavy load. Burns taxied out to sea with drenched pilots on the wings and in rubber rafts towed astern. He delivered the men to the USS TANG (SS-306). For this heroic act LT John Burns was awarded the Navy Cross., August 10,1945 , First Rescue of an American from Japanese Homeland , On August 9, 1945, Task Force 38 resumed air offenses against northern Japan, including attacks on the Ominato Naval Air Station. The next day two North Carolina Kingfisher planes were sent to rescue a downed pilot from the Japanese homeland. True Comics captured the harrowing event. For their heroism in rescuing the downed airmen LT(jg) Almon Oliver and LT Ralph Jacob’s were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross., [B]oth pilots were wildly waving from the beach. I landed, taxied to the beach.. blipped the engine with full flaps, and backed through the surf onto the beach..."I decided to try to make it back to some ship in the fleet. Fortunately, we picked up the ZB signal and made it back to the ship with No fuel left aboard so on August 10, 1945, I picked up the first and only downed pilot from within Japan proper, not one but two." , CDR Almon P. Oliver, USN, Retired