The Twilight Warriors (34 page)

Ens. Roy “Eric” Erickson, art student turned fighter pilot.
(
U.S. NAVY
)

Cmdr. John Hyland, commander of Air Group 10, nearly missed the war. (
U.S. NAVY
)

Lt. (jg) Phil Kirkwood, Air Group 10’s highest-scoring ace at Okinawa. (
U.S. NAVY
)

“Toni the Tease” entertains the Tail End Charlies in Atlantic City before they deployed aboard
Intrepid.
(
U.S. NAVY
)

A VBF-10 Corsair on the catapult. (
U.S. NAVY
)

Lt. (jg) Wes Hays won the Navy Cross for the attack on the
Yamato
task force. (
U.S. NAVY/WESLEY HAYS COLLECTION
)

Lt. William “Country” Landreth became the air group’s first POW, March 19, 1945. (
U.S. NAVY
)

VBF-10 Executive Officer Lt. C. D. “Timmy” Gile. (
U.S. NAVY
)

Wreckage on the flight deck of USS
Bunker Hill
after kamikaze attack, May 11, 1945. (
NMNA
)

VBF-10 skipper Lt. Cmdr. Wilmer Rawie proposes a toast. (
U.S. NAVY
)

“The Bald Eagle,” Vice Adm. Marc Mitscher, commanded the Fast Carrier Task Force. (
NMNA
)

Ernie Pyle hadn’t wanted to come to the Pacific, but thought he owed it to the troops. (
NHHC
)

A Corsair fires rockets at target on Okinawa. (
NHHC
)