Purdue's connection with Pearl Harbor (OT)

[TMA62]

75 years ago today, American forces were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Some do not realize the Purdue connection on "the day which will live in infamy."

During the 1st wave of Japanese attacks, two Army Air Corps pilots managed to take off from nearby airfields to engage the enemy. One of the pilots, George Welch, completed three years of a mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University, before joining the Army Air Corps in 1939. While attending Purdue, he was initiated as a brother of Delta Upsilon.

On December 7, Welch shot down 4 Japanese aircraft including 3 Aichi D3A Val dive bombers and one Mitsubishi Zero fighter.

The other Purdue connection was the plane that Welch and Taylor (the other AAC pilot) flew. The iconic Curtis P-40B Tomahawk was designed by a Purdue man, Don Berlin (BSME, 1921).

 

[Michael6969]

That is awesome! Thanks for sharing that story.

 

[tigerchump]

Wow,that is great to know.I know that two members of the Black Sheep Saudron were Purdue Grads.The letter after p no longer works on my keyboard.Thats why the word after Sheep in the previous sentence isnt spelled correctly.

 

[NVBoilerFan]

Wow,that is great to know.I know that two members of the Black Sheep Saudron were Purdue Grads.The letter after p no longer works on my keyboard.Thats why the word after Sheep in the previous sentence isnt spelled correctly.

Click Start and in the search box type OSK, hit enter. Now you can type Q that one time a year you use it.

 

[burbo]

Maybe a bit of a thread hijack. I lived in the luxurious Terry Courts my first year on campus back in the early 80's. The buildings were pretty flimsy, the walls were damaged quite easily from any impact (horseplay), and the buildings seemed pretty cold and hard to heat in the midst of winters. I don't recall if I read it somewhere, or just a verbal account of the history of the buildings when I lived there.

Purdue was a training location for pilots during WW2, and Terry courts housed the pilots while they were training. The planes used for the training were built elsewhere and then assembled locally, and the drywall/plaster board and lumber that was used to ship the wings was carefully dismantled and used to construct all of the buildings in Terry Courts. Anyone have knowledge if that is accurate, or any other details on Purdue's contribution to WW2?

 

[fentonboiler]

75 years ago today, American forces were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Some do not realize the Purdue connection on "the day which will live in infamy."

During the 1st wave of Japanese attacks, two Army Air Corps pilots managed to take off from nearby airfields to engage the enemy. One of the pilots, George Welch, completed three years of a mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University, before joining the Army Air Corps in 1939. While attending Purdue, he was initiated as a brother of Delta Upsilon.

On December 7, Welch shot down 4 Japanese aircraft including 3 Aichi D3A Val dive bombers and one Mitsubishi Zero fighter.

The other Purdue connection was the plane that Welch and Taylor (the other AAC pilot) flew. The iconic Curtis P-40B Tomahawk was designed by a Purdue man, Don Berlin (BSME, 1921).

I think he and Taylor took flight in their clothing from the night before - like a half a tuxedo or like luau shirt or something? Thought I read that somewhere.

 

[TMA62]

I think he and Taylor took flight in their clothing from the night before - like a half a tuxedo or like luau shirt or something? Thought I read that somewhere.

From Wikipedia:

"At dawn on December 7, 1941, 2nd Lt. Welch and another pilot, 2nd Lt. Ken Taylor, were coming back from a Christmas dinner and dance party (with big band orchestra) at a rooftop hotel in Waikiki, that ended in an all-night poker game. They were still wearing mess dress when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Welch telephoned an auxiliary Haleiwa Fighter Strip on Oahu's North Shore to have two Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk fighters prepared for takeoff. He and Taylor immediately drove his Buick at high speed to Haleiwa in order to join the air battle."

 

[Michael6969]

Notice they didn`t ask for a safe space? True Patriots!

 

[GGT]

Notice they didn`t ask for a safe space? True Patriots!

No true Boilermaker needs safe space.

 

[TheBoris]

My father enlisted in the Indiana National Guard in the 1930s and his enlistment was supposed to be over on Dec. 14th, 1941. They kept him for the duration of WWII.

He then went to OCS and spent the entire war riding conveys between Boston and Cardiff, Wales, as the Transportation Officer. He kept track of what was loaded on each ship so that when the convoy arrived in the UK, he knew what cargo had been lost in the ships that were sunk by subs. His boat was never hit.

 

[Michael6969]

Thank God,another True Patriot right there!!

 

[boiler2288]

My dad once told me the story of going down to the Marine Corps recruiting center on Dec 8th w/his best buddy to enlist but because they were only 18, they needed parental waivers. He got his mom to sign and returned later that day but only found out yrs later his buds mother refused to sign for him-said buddy worked the entire war in a factory. 8 mos later dad is wounded at Guadalcanal and discharged. He enrolls in 1946 at PU and his frat brother was Abe Gibron (future Bears HC) and also a marine vet. I also think John McKay & Alex Agase may of been at PU in 46' after Marine Corp service too?

 

[TMA62]

My dad once told me the story of going down to the Marine Corps recruiting center on Dec 8th w/his best buddy to enlist but because they were only 18, they needed parental waivers. He got his mom to sign and returned later that day but only found out yrs later his buds mother refused to sign for him-said buddy worked the entire war in a factory. 8 mos later dad is wounded at Guadalcanal and discharged. He enrolls in 1946 at PU and his frat brother was Abe Gibron (future Bears HC) and also a marine vet. I also think John McKay & Alex Agase may of been at PU in 46' after Marine Corp service too?

On a Marine related note. The airbase in Bunker Hill, Indiana (now Grissom ANG) was opened by the Navy in 1942. It was a trainer base for Navy cadet pilots. In addition to Bunker Hill, there were octagonal airfields that cadets would do touch and go's in the vicinity of Bunker Hill (one of these octagonal airfields still exists west of Converse, Indiana). Anyway, one Marine pilot gained his wings at Bunker Hill and over Indiana skies was baseball great, Ted Williams.