Okla-homey
7/29/2006, 12:45 PM
Lt Col Besby Holmes
The WWII fighter pilot and ace took part in the epic 1943 mission to kill Yamamoto. Yamamoto was the architect of the strike on Pearl Harbor. Holmes died of a stroke last Sunday in Greenbrae CA at 88.
He entered the US Army Air Corps in 1941 and stayed on after the war retiring from the USAF in 1968. He was a WWII member of the 67th Pursuit Sqdn and flew fighter attacks against the Japanese during the Guadalcanal Campaign in Oct 1942. There, he strafed a Japanese navy ammo ship which exploded and sank.
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/8603/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzuy0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Holmes receiving one of his two Distinguished Flying Crosses.
This was particularly noteworthy because these young 13AF guys were part of the "Jungle Air Force" during the Pacific Campaign. They lived on island airfields hacked out of the steamy jungle and the men and machines kept going despite the horrible conditions suffering tropical fevers, disease and occasional attacks from Japanese army and navy aircraft.
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/1645/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzwg0.jpg
Insignia of the 67th Pursuit Squadron..."The Gamecocks"
His most famous mission came after US codebreakers intercepted and interpreted Yamamoto's inspection tour itinerary in early 1943. 16 P-38's were launched and those guys (the then 23 y/o Busby among them) found the bomber enroute to one of Yamamoto's inspection destinations. The admiral didn't make it. His bomber was smoked by the .50 caliber machine guns of the airborne ambush force.
Holmes served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
The WWII fighter pilot and ace took part in the epic 1943 mission to kill Yamamoto. Yamamoto was the architect of the strike on Pearl Harbor. Holmes died of a stroke last Sunday in Greenbrae CA at 88.
He entered the US Army Air Corps in 1941 and stayed on after the war retiring from the USAF in 1968. He was a WWII member of the 67th Pursuit Sqdn and flew fighter attacks against the Japanese during the Guadalcanal Campaign in Oct 1942. There, he strafed a Japanese navy ammo ship which exploded and sank.
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/8603/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzuy0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Holmes receiving one of his two Distinguished Flying Crosses.
This was particularly noteworthy because these young 13AF guys were part of the "Jungle Air Force" during the Pacific Campaign. They lived on island airfields hacked out of the steamy jungle and the men and machines kept going despite the horrible conditions suffering tropical fevers, disease and occasional attacks from Japanese army and navy aircraft.
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/1645/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzwg0.jpg
Insignia of the 67th Pursuit Squadron..."The Gamecocks"
His most famous mission came after US codebreakers intercepted and interpreted Yamamoto's inspection tour itinerary in early 1943. 16 P-38's were launched and those guys (the then 23 y/o Busby among them) found the bomber enroute to one of Yamamoto's inspection destinations. The admiral didn't make it. His bomber was smoked by the .50 caliber machine guns of the airborne ambush force.
Holmes served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.