Twenty Minutes Over Iwo Jima
History of Honor:
The War of 1812 through the Eve of Civil War
The guest speaker at Andover’s 2012 Veterans Day dinner in Paresky Commons was Will Cochran ’41, a Navy F6F-5N Hellcat night fighter pilot. Will shared his memories of Iwo Jima that evening and later in a personal interview.
(excerpts from The History of Andover in the Military, by David Chase)
Andover’s military service dates back to its founding in 1778. Forty-plus graduates have achieved the rank of brigadier general, rear admiral, or higher; the PA alumni body also includes one secretary of war, two presidents, and eight Medal of Honor recipients. Hundreds of alumni have died for their country. War of 1812—Impressment is a factor! William King (Class of 1781), officer, later became governor of Maine; his portrait stands in the U.S. Capital’s Statuary Hall. Levi Konkapot (Class of 1799), Andover’s first Native American student, served in the Stockbridge Indian Company. Navy surgeon Abraham Burnham (Class of 1810) died aboard a prison ship in Liverpool. William Gates (Class of 1800), West Point 1806, was Andover’s first military career graduate. An artillery officer during the War of 1812, he participated in the capture of Toronto; in the 1830s, he engaged in Florida’s Seminole Wars. In the 1840s, Col. Gates
led troops in the Mexican-American War and then ruled as Governor of Tampico, retiring in 1863 after 57 years service. He later commanded troops until 1867; he was 79. James Thompson Gerry (Class of 1806), U.S. Navy commander, was lost with all hands in 1854 in a Caribbean hurricane. Andover’s first career Marine was Thomas Stanhope English (Class of 1807). Dashing George Derby (Class of 1838), Army topographical engineer, humorist, cartoonist, and prankster, authored Squibob Papers while surveying newly acquired West Coast territories. To view The History of Andover in the Military, please visit www.andover.edu/alumni/connect/ military/history/pages. (Edited by George S.K. Rider ’51)
From the Editor The importance of our veterans: I arrived at Andover in September 1975, four months after the last 10 Marines were pulled off a rooftop in South Vietnam that April 30th. These were painful times, and at Andover, one did not talk about military service; that was taboo. I knew little of Andover’s military contributions until I later, selectively, expressed interest in West Point. Quietly my teachers told me their stories: Bill Brown ’34 (English), at the Remagen Bridge; Peter McKee (physics), over Germany in his B-24 Liberator; Ronn Minné (chemistry), with the 82nd Airborne Division in Normandy; Fred Harrison ’38 (athletics), Diz Bensley (art), and Josh Miner (admissions), all with the Army in Europe; John McClement (math), disabled by a German machine gunner in Italy; Fred Stott ’36, decorated for valor as a Marine; Sherm Drake (math), on the USS Missouri as the Japanese surrendered; Ted Sizer (headmaster), Army veteran; Jack Richards (history), Air Force veteran; Henry Wilmer ’63 (foreign languages), a serving Marine Reservist; Meredith Price (English), a serving Air Force Reservist; and many others. I had been entrusted with their proud secrets that I too tucked away, believing that military service discussions at Andover were still taboo. I was very wrong. Today we have a committee honoring our veterans, a website with close to 900 registered living veterans, an endowment fund, a biannual newsletter, and, on October 31, we held our fourth annual Veterans Day program and dinner on campus. Phillips Academy is proud of its veterans. Non Sibi. Sincerely,
Charlie Dean ’79 Editor 2
20 February 1945
THE BLUE GUIDON The Newsletter of Andover and the Military Vol. 1, Number 2 Published biannually by the Office of Academy Resources, Phillips Academy
EDITOR Charlie Dean ’79
ALUMNI CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE DUTY* Jake Bean ’08
Matt Riehl ’99
Hanson Causbie ’08
Samantha Samora ’99
Ben Kagan ’08
Grancis Santana ’99
Walker Washburn ’08
Ali Ghaffari ’98
Karl Novick ’07
Philipp Risseeuw ’98
Alex Ryan ’07
Luis Gonzalez ’97
Lauren Johnson ’07
Ian Stephenson ’96
Young Fei ’06
Kenny Weiner ’96
Connor Flynn ’06
Laurie Coffey ’95
Jenn Bales ’04
Jesse Ehrenfeld ’96
Livy Coe ’04
Robert Crevey ’95
Tom Barron ’04
James Mok ’94
Matt Fram ’04
Ryan Shann ’93
Aaron Stroble ’04
Robert Bolton ’92
Nicholas Ksiazek ’03
Kenneth Jambor ’91
Catherine Reppert ’02
John Orsmond ’91
Marc Ward ’02
David King ’90
Corbin Butcher ’01
Robert Patrick ’88
Aaron deVos ’01
Julian Facer ’85
ASSOCIATE EDITOR George S.K. Rider ’51
Gilman Barndollar ’00
Jonathan Leete ’85
Carl Dietz ’00
Graeme Henderson ’83
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Seth Moulton ’97, chair Christine Balling ’86 Tom Barron ’04 Tom Beaton ’73 Harrison Flynn ’75 Johnson Lightfoote ’69 Karl Andrew Novick ’07 Robert Patrick ’88 George Rider ’51 Dana Seero ’71
Jarreau Jones ’00
Alexander Cochran ’82
Matthew Sullivan ’00
James Donnelly ’82
Hunter Washburn ’00
Ruben Alvero ’76
*We recognize this list may be incomplete; it is based on data we have received from alumni updates. If you, or someone you know, is not on this list, please e-mail Jenny Savino at jsavino@andover.edu.
Evening was coming on and twelve single-seat Navy Hellcat night fighters were arrayed on the deck of the USS Saratoga in three divisions of four aircraft each, ready for bombing runs over Iwo Jima. It was D-Day +1. Will was in the first division to launch, led by Lieutenant Reinhardt, then his wingman Charlie Horne, then Will, and finally Jim Hurley, Will’s wingman. They climbed into the darkening sky to circle three miles west of Iwo Jima, half way between their carrier and the smoldering island. “The island was so incredibly desolate, almost like the moon, dry and barren with no visible vegetation,” Will recounted. “The most striking thing I saw were six battleships off to the east of the island. As each ship pulsed with steady broadsides from its 16” guns, nine parallel lines of red glowing shells screamed laser straight for the island. The explosions made large grey puffs of the volcanic ash, connecting a solid line of detonations and smoke that ran parallel to the eastern beaches, just ahead of the Marines. I knew that a tough fight was taking place.” As Will and his division waited on the last division to completing its launch from the Saratoga, their circling came to an abrupt end as the 12th and final aircraft was about to catapult from the Saratoga. An undetected Japanese kamikaze, skimming low over the water, struck the forward section of the Saratoga, setting off a terrific explosion, igniting both the Hellcat and ship on fire. “Drop your bombs immediately, head north, many bogies coming south!!” the Saratoga ordered.
LCDR Laurie Coffey ’95
Radars on the ship and its supporting cruiser, the USS Alaska, suddenly saw 40-50 blips streaming south. Reinhardt ordered his pilots to dive and drop their bombs over the western beaches. Twenty miles north of the fleet, Reinhardt’s division pierced a thick cloud layer. His pilots struggled with their radar screens to locate kamikazes with minimal success in the light of day. The next hour was a melee as the sparring aircraft moved south in the clouds and finally, when over the fleet, the kamikazes dropped down to strike the ships. The escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea was hit and sank. The Hellcats were ordered out of the cloud layer and ships’ guns started banging air-bursting shells into the clouds. Burning kamikazes fell from the sky and Will and Charlie Horne, working together, downed an enemy aircraft. As night set in and his fuel almost exhausted, Will landed on the listing, burning Saratoga while others, including Lieutenant Reinhardt, landed on the USS Enterprise. The “Sara,” with Will onboard, would return to Hawaii for repairs, not to fight again. —Charlie Dean ’79
Andover Training Pays Off Ansley White ’10, Cumberland Center, Maine, U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2014, is synonymous with non sibi. Andover’s training in time management and work ethic were key to her adjustment as a midshipman. Andover’s independent thinking had direct benefit in Ansley’s approach to leadership and her responsibilities of command. She is the executive officer of her company of 150 midshipmen. Ansley eagerly awaits her goal of assignment as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and the opportunity to demonstrate the skills finely honed at Andover. —Stephen Kaufman ’62
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