Quarterly Lariat
www.upperhastingsranch.org
Winter 2015
President’s Message After seeing former Block Captain Bob Monson’s holiday decorations representing his military service, we wanted to share some stories about our wonderful neighbor. Thanks to Bob and his daughter Tracy for helping to bring you this article. Robert Monson’s service began June 13, 1943. He remembers the day! He knew the draft was coming and wanted to choose the branch of service rather than be assigned. He went into the Army Air Corps (the predecessor of the Air Force) at 19 years old. Bob was sent to Chicago to be processed and sworn in. The building, which was about 10 stories tall, was full of men doing the same. He was sent to Camp Grant in Elgin, IL for a week of “testing and shots,” basic training in Amarillo, TX, then Keesler Field in Biloxi, MS where he was told he couldn’t be a pilot because he had “four eyes.” Instead, he went to Transport School and became a crew chief on a four man team to repair engines on C-46 and C-47 transport planes. On his way to his assignment, he went to Australia via San Francisco. He was stuck in San Francisco for more time than he had planned while fighter crews, which had priority, were shipped out. He spent all his cash in San Francisco so he had to wire his dad for more! In New Guinea (Port Moresby), he joined the 33rd Troop Carrier Squadron. Their emblem is a running turtle. When the military brass asked for a copy of their logo, they were engaged in conflict so they did not submit it in time. As a result of the delay, neither army nor air force recognizes their logo as official. Their decreasing members have tried repeatedly to get it recognized to no avail. Bob spent most of the war in the Philippines, just outside of Manila living in tents in a rice paddy. He saw a Japanese POW camp for women and children in New Guinea freed by the Allied troops. He survived when a palm tree fell on his tent during the night, and he was present when a POW camp was liberated in Bandung, Indonesia.
He flew supplies into Iwo Jima, landing on one end of the runway while the other side was being shelled by the Japanese and flew resupply misisons to Okinawa, including one after the end of the war, unsure if the Japanese soldiers knew the war was over. He slept in the planes overnight after missions, and “boy, were they cold!” The planes had gasoline stoves which would occasionally catch fire! Planes sometimes were lost in the dark, on hillsides, or in dense fog. Planes lost during WWII are still being found. Bob Monson returned to San Francisco December 1945 and was honorably discharged in January 1946. Until a few years ago, Bob edited and published a newsletter for the 33rd Troop Carrier Squadron. It went to children of the original members if the members were no longer alive. The newsletter has been discontinued due to the age and decreased number of surviving veterans. For his 50th wedding anniversary, the whole family went to Hawaii, and Bob saw the Arizona Memorial. It was touching for him. The family took an evening “cruise” on America’s Cup II. Bob was blowing away in the wind, being splashed by waves and shouted to the front of the boat, “This is why I never joined the Navy!” If you see Bob around the neighborhood, give him a salute and thank him for his service. We also thank him for his many years of service as a UHRA block captain. Kathy Gregg UHRA board president