WWII MOH Fighter Pilots - Most were USMC Pilots

[Steindaddie]

As far as bases go, I agree that operating and living conditions for airmen in the Pacific were were far less posh than those in England. Plus, the Japanese were skilled defenders and made no mission against them an easy one. But it was a war mostly over water, and that made quite a difference in how missions were flown.

 

The men based in England flew their missions against the Luftwaffe in the most heavily defended airspace on earth. A target in nazi occupied Europe was not reached after droning across water, where, on an average mission, you did not spend hours battling through the defenders. Near the target, yes, but that endless ocean was neutral. It held no acres of flak batteries or dozens of Japanese airfields along the way where radar controlled fighters would swarm on you from any direction. Regardless of the type aircraft they flew, ETO airmen were subject to repeated fighter attacks and flak coming at them from any and everywhere and this often begain in the first hour of the mission. If they were going to Germany, it could be hours of sustained battle just to get near the target.

 

Also, if you went down over nazi occupied europe, there was no chance of a search & rescue aircraft or friendly ship coming to pluck you from danger - being shotdown almost always meant being killed or captured.

 

The PTO had it's dangers, so did the ETO. No one had it easy.

[Chris_B]

Witnesses to the event probably had something to do with it too.

 

Take Jim Howard's MOH action. Multiple bomber crews saw it- this was pretty rare that bomber crews could do something like that- pick out one plane whose pilot did X Y and Z. Now imagine you're part of a P-38 finger four and you're flying a sweep or similar- a total of three other guys, maximum, can comment on your actions. More likely one, and likely only if you're the element or flight leader

 

Also, the US Army seems to have reserved the decoration for certain events. Like D-Day. Major Winters certainly was deserving, but apparently only one MOH was being awarded per battalion (? Do I recall that right?), and his was downgraded.

 

But maybe the MOH was more common among USMC pilots because of the desperate nature of their actions, against a vicious enemy we truly despised. It also seems to be true that the USMC was required to do more with less for much of the war. It's also possible that the 'rifleman first, pilot second' nature of the Marine pilots made them more of an 'all around red-blooded American' than the admittedly cartoon-character like perception of the AAF fighter pilot. But ask guys like George Loving jr if his time with the AAF flying Spits and Mustangs was glamorous and cushy. But true or not, I think the image of the AAF fighter pilot was that of a more privileged warrior that didn't have to rough it

 

I'd also like to mention that both Boyington and Howard had joined the AVG. His departure notwithstanding, Boyington did volunteer and was a flight leader. Two MOH recipients among their initial roster. That's not too shabby a record

[38Driver]

Witnesses to the event probably had something to do with it too.

 

Take Jim Howard's MOH action. Multiple bomber crews saw it- this was pretty rare that bomber crews could do something like that- pick out one plane whose pilot did X Y and Z. Now imagine you're part of a P-38 finger four and you're flying a sweep or similar- a total of three other guys, maximum, can comment on your actions. More likely one, and likely only if you're the element or flight leader

 

Also, the US Army seems to have reserved the decoration for certain events. Like D-Day. Major Winters certainly was deserving, but apparently only one MOH was being awarded per battalion (? Do I recall that right?), and his was downgraded.

 

But maybe the MOH was more common among USMC pilots because of the desperate nature of their actions, against a vicious enemy we truly despised. It also seems to be true that the USMC was required to do more with less for much of the war. It's also possible that the 'rifleman first, pilot second' nature of the Marine pilots made them more of an 'all around red-blooded American' than the admittedly cartoon-character like perception of the AAF fighter pilot. But ask guys like George Loving jr if his time with the AAF flying Spits and Mustangs was glamorous and cushy. But true or not, I think the image of the AAF fighter pilot was that of a more privileged warrior that didn't have to rough it

 

I'd also like to mention that both Boyington and Howard had joined the AVG. His departure notwithstanding, Boyington did volunteer and was a flight leader. Two MOH recipients among their initial roster. That's not too shabby a record

 

I think it still comes down to who did the writing, submitting, and signing off on these, along with how the expectations were defined in each particular service and theater.

[Cobrahistorian]

I think it still comes down to who did the writing, submitting, and signing off on these, along with how the expectations were defined in each particular service and theater.

 

This isn't facebook, but can I 'like' this post?

[hink441]

You know we all have tapped danced around this issue here. The bottom line is; How do you give a MOH to a fighter pilot when the Bomber boys are having their asses handed to them? In 1943 the War was very much in doubt and the Bomber crews were suffering incredibly heavy losses. I think the reason little to no MOHs were awarded to 8th and 15th USAAF fighter pilots is because it would have been considered to be a serious blow to Bomber crew morale. I am not saying this type of thinking was justified, but I can understand the dilemma the USAAF had to contend with.

 

The PTO did not have huge losses of Bombers like the ETO. Sure there were bomber losses but not at the ETO levels. As a result, USMC fighter pilots did not have to contend with potential morale issues related the awarding of the MOH. I guess that could be considered political motivations in todays verbage. Just my thoughts, and like mileage, yours may vary.

 

Chris

[Cobrahistorian]

Excellent point, Chris. There were a few MoHs awarded to bomber pilots in the ETO/MTO, five for Operation Tidal Wave alone, and two for the crew of the B-17 "Lady Jeannette", but as you said, the bomber boys were taking the lion's share of the losses.

 

Jon

[Chris_B]

I think it still comes down to who did the writing, submitting, and signing off on these, along with how the expectations were defined in each particular service and theater.

 

 

Hard to argue with. But if you needed ten guys to corroborate the story and there were only 3 around, it would seem to make it tough to get the corroboration needed, regardless of the writing involved