Hello everyone,  I wanted to share a medal grouping and some original paperwork for Aviation Ordnanceman Hughes, who flew with VP-34 during WWII. Nicknamed the "Black Cats", VP-34 was one of the Navy’s premier night-raiders in the Southwest Pacific, flying matte-black PBY Catalinas at mast-head height to hunt Japanese shipping.   The most interesting part about the group is that Hughes received two Air Medal awards for specific combat actions just days apart in January 1944, with one of them coming from the Army, a rare cross-service award to see for a Navy aircrew. The Army citation was awarded by HQ Far East Air Force for an action on the night of January 15–16, where Hughes’ crew intercepted an enemy convoy in the Bismarck Sea. Operating in total darkness and under heavy anti-aircraft fire, they scored two direct bomb hits on an 8,000-ton cargo ship, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel. This was preceded by a Navy award on January 11, where his bomber sank an enemy lugger and inflicted serious damage to a tanker. Hughes would go on to earn four Air Medals in total, as well as a DFC in August 1944 for a night strike where he damaged an enemy destroyer escort and sank a Japanese freighter transport "without the use of precision instruments" in the Netherlands East Indies. To round out the group, his unit also received the Presidential Unit Citation for their aggressive anti-shipping attacks from September 1943 to February 1944 in the Bismarck Sea area.   

Great yardsale finds!! Super jealous! Ill do some looking, I believe I have a photo of that sign around here somewhere. I have a copy of their unit history, Surf and Sand, as well.

Great finds!!! Here's a previous thread about the unit:   https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/8132-533rd-engineer-boat-shore-regiment/

This one has got me. I've checked all of the Winchester Carbine Club newsletters and couldn't find anything about those markings. Also, went through Ruth's and other reference material.......nothing. Kinda thinking it's bogus. If you have access to the Carbine Club web site, post it there. Marty, Dan or others might shed some light on it.

Correction. The cover was found on PCF 21 not PCF 40. Lt. Brannen was on the 21 first then the 40. The cover was found June of 69 in the gun locker.   

Well, just ignore them!

Liz, PM sent

Decent movie, but the filming crew is extremely noticeable in a few shots.    Wade

The Fall of The Roman empire 1964

Thanks for that heads up on both subjects.   There is a map of Fort Ord where they trained.