Movie "Unbroken" familiar flight scene; Ralph H. Hepworth

Saturday afternoon (27 Dec 2014) Earl and I went to the movie “UNBROKEN” a true story of the life of Louis Tamperini an Olympic runner and a hero in World Ward ll.  We enjoyed this story of survival, determination and forgiveness.  Makes a person (again) appreciate the sacrifices made by those men and women who fought for our freedom.

In the beginning of the movie is a scene of a B-24; damaged with its belly ripped apart; the occupants clinging to the sides and 500 miles from their base yet the pilot landed the crippled plane safely.  My thoughts were “mmmmm the details about this crippled plane sound so familiar.”  Earl read the book but, I did not.  After the movie while driving home I reflected about that scene when I remembered posting in 2012 on this blog about a first cousin of my father’s Ralph Huntington Hepworth who was in World War ll.  He was a Lieutenant in the Navy and a Co-Pilot on an American Privateer Search Plane stationed in Okinawa.   

On 2 July 1945 Ralph experienced what I saw in this movie.  The headlines in the Twin Falls Times were:

Albion Pilot’s Mangled Plane Back With Chunks of Ripped-off Jap Mast.

This story was in Newspaper’s all over the world.  If you click on the words Ralph Huntington Hepworth it will take you to the story I posted on Friday 25 May 2012 that describes men holding on for dear life in a crippled plane(the belly of the plane was ripped apart) 500 miles from their base and safely landing.  

If you want to know 'the rest of the story'  click on the words In Honor of Ralph Hepworth. THis happened 24 July 1945; twenty two days later. 

Ralph Huntington Hepworth       In Honor of Ralph Hepworth

In honor of Ralph H. Hepworth World War ll

Missing Pilot's Plane Sank

      Transport and Cargo Vessel

  (Editor's note:  The following dispatch from the U.S. Navy arrived one day after Times-News announcement that Lieut.(j.g.) Ralph H. Hepworth, Albion is missing in action in the Pacific.)

          SOMEWHERE IN THE PACIFIC - Lieut. (j.g.) Ralph H. Hepworth, USNR, whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.V. Hepworth, live in Albion, Ida., was co-pilot of a navy Privateer search plane which recently sank a Japanese transport, a merchant ship and probably destroyed two Jap fighters planes during an anti-shipping patrol in the Pacific. 

     His four-engine search plane, out on reconnaissance patrol, entered an enemy harbor where two merchant ships and one transport were sighted. 

     Flying only 15 feet off the water the pilot made a strafing run over the three ships, the gunners plastering the transport and a merchantman with machine gun fire, circling around the Privateer came back in again, dropping four bombs.  One hit squarely on the deck of the transport, blowing the bow off, and the ship sank rapidly.  Before the big search plane left the area the transport and disappeared from view as had the strafed merchant ship.

     Turning to sea, the Privateer was immediately jumped by six Jap fighters which made a total of eight runs.  The turret gunners scored repeated hits on two of the fighters and one of the planes broke off, smoking badly.  Another Jap started a run from high above, but the gun crew boresighted him all the way.  The navy plane was flying only 50 feet off the water when the nip fighter dived.  He was on his back and burning when last seen. 

     In 1946 Ralph's family received this letter from the President of the United States

Harry Truman.   

President of the United States  Harry Truman

IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF

Ralph Huntington Hepworth

WHO DIED IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY

Attached to Patrol Bombing Squadron 124, Asiatic Area, 25 July 1946 (Presumed)

HE STANDS IN THE UNBROKEN LINE OF PATRIOTS WHO HAVE DARED TO DIE

THAT FREEDOM MIGHT LIVE, AND GROW, AND INCREASE ITS BLESSINGS.

FREEDOM LIVES, AND THROUGH IT, HE LIVES-

IN A WAY THAT HUMBLES THE UNDERTAKINGS OF MOST MEN

(SIGNITURE OF HARRY TRUMAN)

President of the United States Of America

We will never forget you.  

Memorial Day 

is a day when we pause to give 

Thanks

 to the People 

who fought for the things we have. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Renee