Wally Young's Story

I am Wally Young, the only living person on the Franklin to view the entire attack. Here I am slowing the tape to show the incredible damage on the flight deck. Every hole you are viewing is where four 500-pound armor-piercing bombs exploded [the implication is that these were the U.S. bombs that were arming the U.S. planes].

Here we are viewing two twin five-inch cannon mounts on the starboard edge of the flight deck. Above the forward cannon mount on the left, or port side, of the flight deck, you can view the large chunk blown out of the flight deck. This is where I was sitting in the cockpit of my TBM Avenger. I was the next plane to take off, behind the TBM at the center line of the flight deck. He [Allan Edmands, the C.O.] was just spreading his wings prior to spooling up for takeoff.

I turned to the left in my cockpit to see a single-engine, radial-engine aircraft at one to one and one half miles, nearly dead astern, slightly above the flight deck in altitude. As he approached, I noted that he had no white diamond on the tail [the identifying mark for planes from the Franklin] and that his hatch was open. He was flying at a moderate rate of speed. I thought it was an SB2C [Hell Diver] from another carrier approaching to make a message drop.

As he approached my position, the pilot turned to his right and looked directly at me--smooth shaven, no moustache, teardrop-shaped goggles--then sank rapidly below the flight deck, so close aboard the port side of the Franklin that the deck covered up the red ball on his right wing. He jammed full power, and six black jets of smoke came from either side of his engine as he yanked the Judy into a vertical position. He rose about 100 feet, then executed a vertical reverse, then came in at a shallow angle toward the forward aircraft.

At about 35 feet above my head, he released a 1000-pound bomb from his left wing, hanging up against the fuselage--from the left wing only. The bomb exploded. All of us in the planes jumped out.

I went running back under the tail of my TBM, and all of a sudden just a BAAA!! and I went flat. And that propeller of the plane, this far [about two and a half feet] behind me, could have parted my hair. There were two pilots who did not duck and were ground into hamburger. One of them, I believe, was Commander Allan Edmands, our commanding officer of the torpedo squadron.(1)

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There is trustworthy testimony that Allan Edmands survived this first hit. Mr. Young is speculating here without firm evidence. No doubt he was too busy concentrating on his own survival to observe, through the thick smoke and pandemonium, what was happening with the squadron's skipper.
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The only thing the record said of it was "MIA--missing in action." They made no attempt to identify one of the two pilots that had been killed.

We all went back to the fantail and were milling around back there as the people went down to the water. Another Ensign, Ensign Russell Tucker, and myself were the last two in the water from a 65-foot dropoff. The biggest explosion of all blew me right off the rope. My Mae West was punctured by shrapnel, but I grabbed some floating balsa with seventeen others.

[Picture of Japanese aircraft] Here is the radial-engine Judy that 19-year-old Ko Harada flew. It took me almost 52 years to identify this aircraft--a very exciting moment.

[From a documentary] At 0557 the predawn fighter sweep began. There were now 45 planes aloft, 53 on board, 31 spotted on the flight deck, all fully gassed and armed with a total of 66 500-pound bombs, 12 11.75-inch Tiny Tim rockets, and machine gun ammunition. There were 17,000 gallons of gas on the flight deck. On the hangar deck were 22 planes, 5 of them gassed and each armed with one Tiny Tim, 11 fully gassed and not armed, and 6 defueled and not armed. There were 9,000 gallons of gasoline in gassed planes on the hangar deck.

At 0617 the Task Group commander aboard the Franklin ordered Condition 3 set on all aircraft batteries and Material Condition Yoke set on all ships. On the Franklin, instead of Material Condition Yoke, a modified Condition Zebra actually was set, which provided for one-sixth of the crew to be relieved for breakfast and for one designated hatch from the hangar to the second deck to be opened. The engineering plant was split. The fire main system was divided into eight sections. . . .

The sky was overcast with occasional breaks in low scattered clouds. Horizontal visibility was good. Although the Franklin's radar screen was clear, the Hancock reported that a twin-engine enemy plane had been sighted.

At 0649 the ship was brought into the wind and its speed increased to 24 knots to launch the day's first heavy strike. The forward gasoline system was severed and purged with inert gas. The after system was in operation. Topping off had just been completed on the flight deck. Three planes were being topped off in the after part of the hangar deck.

[See personal reactions to this videotape]

My Personal Account of the Attack
on the Carrier USS Franklin CV 13
March 19, 1945

I start this testimony by questioning the credibility of any writer who ever wrote about the attack on the Carrier USS Franklin CV 13, that occurred on March 19, 1945. The attack that day, an action in World War II that has received more publicity than has any action of any ship, of any war in the history of the United States Navy. As the pilot, who sat in the cockpit of my TBM Torpedo Bomber at the edge of the flight deck, I have come to realize over the years after reading and viewing so many accounts of this attack, I was the only eye witness to the entire action.

At this point, I offer an apology to the men of the USS Arizona December 7, 1941 over 100 July 1945 over 830 and the USS Indianapolis, but the USS Franklin CV 13 should rank for all time as the number three loss of life. Nearly 800(2)

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[Young's handwritten correction:] Nearly crossed out, "Over" inserted before 800, then 800 changed to 802.
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were killed and several hundred wounded, with close to 80 planes lost and a capitol ship put out of action. All this destruction was the result of one enemy bomb hit, as you shall read.

Sitting at my desk in my home in Kamuela, Hawaii, on the Big Island, I am holding in my hand a Bible that was in my pocket that day when I was blown off the vicinity of the flight deck of the Franklin. And, I swear on this Bible before God, that every word I have written is the true story of the attack on the Franklin on March 19, 1945. This is my upgraded account. One other was done in the form of a tape recording. I made it several years ago after becoming good friends with Colonel Frank Walton, US Marine Corp., retired in Honolulu. He was the combat intelligence office (non-flyer) of VMF214, Major Pappy Boyington's famous Black Sheep Marine Fighter Squadron of earlier W.W. II action. That reformed group came aboard the Franklin in Oakland, in February 1945, and flew fighter cover for me, a torpedo bomber pilot of VT 5, on combat strikes on Kyushu. We also had on board another marine Fighter Squadron VMF 452 under command of LT. Col Pat Wieland. When Colonel Walton learned of my account, he insisted on a tape recording and sent it to the Historical Museum of the Marine Corp., in Washington, DC.

On the morning of March 19, 1945, our position was 59.5 miles from Ashizuri Zaki Point, on a bearing of 132 degrees from the Island of Shikoku and 72.5 miles from Murotozaki Point, bearing of 192 degrees from the island of Shikoku.(3)

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[Young's handwritten insertion:] "Other reports says we were 40 miles from Shikoku Island and turned to heading of 070° to launch planes. Ended up at 59.5 miles when the bomb hit us." [See a map of this position]
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Although I did not know it at this time, we were in "Condition Three," which has been confirmed verbally by two ship's company personnel. This meant there was not one gunner, one lookout, one fireman, nor anyone on that entire ship at their General Quarters Duty Station, which is mandatory when launching airplanes. I will leave this damning statement for history to handle.

We boarded our planes shortly before 0700 hours. Our target was Kobe Harbor, where it was reported that the major remnants of the Japanese fleet were anchored, including the Yamato Battleship, by far the largest battleship in the world, although I do not believe we were aware of its size at this time.

We had 16 TBM's on the flight deck with four 500 lb. Armor piercing bombs on board each plane. Plus, numerous SB2C "Helldiver" dive bombers with similar loads, a few F4U Corsairs of VMF 214, with "Tiny Tims" on board; an incredible 11.75 inch diameter rocket over nine feet long with a 16 inch armor piercing navy warshell at the business end. Air Group 13 was first ahead of us on the Franklin with this weapon.

[This paragraph is an insert covering inaccessible text below it] We had launched several of the F4U corsair fighters and some of the SB2C dive bombers. the number one TBM avenger was just beside me spreading his wings I was to be number two from the flight deck from the left side of the deck as I looked around at the many planes from the four carriers in our task force that were in the air I swiveled and looked nearly in back of me to see a single engine aircraft at the seven o'clock position relative to the FRANKLIN. it was from a quadrant where there were no other aircraft: at about 1 1/2 miles distance and low on the water. I estimated his altitude at just slightly higher than where I was sitting at about 80 feet above the water. his course nearly paralleling ours; but slightly converging toward the flight deck.

On September 2, 1998 in Portland, Oregon at the reunion of the USS Hunt DD674, I discovered a man, a Mr. Howard Scates, who was on duty on the fantail of the Hunt. He saw a single engine radial engine aircraft from the port bow area on a reciprocal course from the carrier that ended up pointing toward the fantail of the Franklin. As he approached the area of the Destroyer which was about two miles astern the Franklin it started a left turn during which it almost touched the water. As he said, "I thought it was an F4F wildcat going to land on the Franklin. It took me 52 years to identify this Yokosuka D4Y3 suisei model 33 that we called the radial engine Judy. His estimate was 2 miles from the Franklin.(4)

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[Young's handwritten insertion:] "This was a model 43 Judy-- a Kamikazi Suicide Airplane painted black with no rear gunner."
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I saw it just a few seconds later when it was aiming at me and had just completed its left turn.

As he approached closer, several things crossed my mind in rapid order. First, I noticed that he did not have the big white diamond on the vertical tail that identified all planes from the Franklin. . . .

At this point, I will explain two of the monstrous mistakes that were made that contributed to the Holocaust that occurred. We had four carriers in Task Force 58.2: two smaller carriers, the Bataan and the San Jaciento, and two large CV class carriers, the Hancock and the Franklin. A few minutes prior to this point, at 0703, the Hancock had called the Franklin and reported a Bogie (enemy plane) at twelve o'clock, and 13 miles, closing on the Franklin. This was on a discreet short range radio frequency that no aircraft was guarding. No radar tracked him in.

And, even worse, in the Ready Room, prior to boarding our aircraft, our white diamond on the tail was explained; but, not one word was said about any identification marks on any of the other carriers' aircraft. The trap was so beautifully set that I walked in with my eyes wide open and missed my chance to have saved the carrier.

Next, I noted that he was flying slow at reduced throttle and that his cockpit hatch was open. The explanation was simple: We had been trained with a technique of a low, slow approach, bisecting the flight deck with hatch open to drop a leaded pouch on the deck under conditions of absolute radio silence. He was obviously from another carrier, no white diamond, and making a message drop.

By this time, he was approaching abeam my position from only about 150 feet away, where I noted that his silhouette was definitely not an F4U or an F6F, or a TBM. That left the SB2C, and this aircraft did have a slightly rounded tail, the elongated cockpit and the radial engine. The Japanese had a brand new aircraft we called radial engined Judy, that I had never seen. The aircraft approaching may have been one. It took me over 52 years to identify this aircraft a radial engine Judy that had no information on at this time. See enclosed statement from Lt. Comdr. John Sheridon CO of VB5 (Bombing 5) who was air born with his wingman Lt. JG7.5 Jones.(5)

As he passed my position he turned to the right and, I truly believe, looked directly at me. I could see he was wearing teardrop-shaped goggles and was clean shaven. He had straightened his approach and was now paralleling our course. When he was about 100 feet ahead of my position he depressed the nose of his aircraft and went below the level of the hangar deck. His position was approaching abeam the island of the carrier on the left side. Then several things occurred almost simultaneously, including my own horrible realization as to what was happening. At this point I will mention a question that was directed at me from friends of friends who have seen this report. The question what the H--- was that red hot pilot doing when that Jap plane flew right along side of him. Didn't he see the big red ball on the side of the fuselage. I could not answer because I did not remember a Red Ball. Recent information I have received straightened this question out. I have the combat reports from several of the squadron commanders. Lt. Comdr. John Sheridan, Commanding Officer of VB5 dive bombing 5, had just taken off and his wingman a LT (VE) T.S. Jones had joined up to him. They both saw the Japanese plane and were able to identify it as a radial engine Judy. They had a good long look at it. It was painted a dull black the wings were light gray and the red balls were outstanding. But almost unseen on the black fuselage. I have just learned that the Japanese were converting all their single engine aircraft to night fighters painted a dull black for the impending invasion of the U.S. fleets. The end of that report says the radial engined Judy flew away from the fleet without a shot being fired at it.

The pilot yanked the aircraft into a nearly vertical position as he shoved the throttle all the way forward, then kicked hard right rudder to execute a vertical reverse, or very rapid wing-over. First, a big burst of black smoke from all the exhausts on either side of the engine, then the big red balls of the wings as the aircraft rose. He completed this maneuver in a few seconds and ended up in a position slightly ahead of the island of the Franklin at about 75 feet above the carrier deck. He was at maximum power and accelerating rapidly in his shallow dive angle from bow to stern, into the forward row of the aircraft. I was by myself on the left.

In those few moments my eyes grew wide as I half rose from my seat and uttered a long drawn out "No-o-o-o". When he was only 30 feet above the flight deck, the bomb from the left wing detached and flashed into the flight deck. This was a 1000 lb bomb identified by a ships company officer standing at the entrance to the bridge area from the flight deck. He saw the bomb come from the left wing and enter the flight deck 25 feet from where I was sitting in the cockpit of my TBM. As he pulled out of his shallow-angle dive, fortunately for me, the bomb had a slight delayed action fuse and went through the flight deck just behind the plane in beside of me, adjacent and slightly ahead of my position before exploding in the hangar deck area.

A more complete explanation of this 1000 lb. Bomb is necessary. I attended the 1989 Franklin reunion in San Diego. I presented myself to Mr. Bailey the convention chairman, and told him I was going to destroy all of the official versions of a twin engined airplane zipping from the overcast 1000 yard ahead of the carrier and dropping two bombs. His reply was Oh No there will be too many people that will have to change their story. He instructed that I not be allowed at a microphone I have continued to accumulate information. I was standing at the entrance to the auditorium, talking to some fellows about Ko Harada's attack. I had just described how big the 1 bomb looked when it flashed from the left wing. At this point a genetleman who was standing near by approached and said I can confirm that, he described standing on the flight deck at the entrance to the bridge area. He saw it flash from the left wing and called it a mark 83 1000lb Bomb. He had the bearing of an officer and sounded like he knew what he was talking about. I cannot swear to the mark 83 comment but the marine corp has confirmed it as a 1000 lb bomb.

[This paragraph is an insert covering inaccessible text below it] the plane beside me was just spreading his wings as I ducked down in the cockpit the shock of the huge explosion under the flight deck was taken up by the hydraulic struts of my landing gear the result was some bounces; the black oily smoke that engulfed us was from the 115 octane gasolene from the aircraft on the hanger deck as they exploded. I never saw the avenger again that was beside me; but it must have been our commanding officer LT. COMMANDER ALLAN EDMANDS it is normal procedure that the C,O, [sic] is the first plane airborn, I was to be his wingman I jumped from my plane and ran under the tail, at that moment some GOD given instint [sic] caused me to drop flat on the deck just under the Whirling propeller of the plane just behind mine it could have parted my hair. I crawled all the way to the fantail under the many proellers [sic] a fellow pilot buck milligan told me years later that he had come across two pilots who had not ducked and had been ground into hamburger

For my part, an explanation of the comment I have made to many friends about being "blown off the flight deck of the Franklin" is 99.5% correct. After milling around with the other pilots at the extreme end of the flight deck, we ended up with just two of us left, Ensign Russell Tucker and myself. He had grabbed a rope and was almost to the water while I grabbed another and swung one leg over the steel grating that was a forty millimeter guad gun mount. I had just swung the other leg over and was momentarily free of the ship when there was a horrendous explosion in my vicinity. I was hit by a piece of shrapnel in the back of my survival back pack. It had a large machete with a huge blade. The shrapnel pranged against that blade and must have hit my Mae West when I came to the surface and yanked the toggles to the Mae West it just went PRRR. But my friend God had huge piece of balsa just 5 feet from me. There were 18 men hanging onto the piece of balsa when the USS Hunt came along side. I was told later that it was probably the oxygen shop with all the high pressure cylinders that exploded. It yanked the rope completely away from me, and I fell into the ocean. God bless the Destroyer USS Hunt 674, captained by Commander Halfo "A" Knoertzer, that picked me and 428 men from the water that day. [The following phrase is an insert typed in later] we buried seven men at sea that terrible day.

When I next came aboard the Franklin at Ulithi Atoll, over one week later, I examined the area and estimated the only bomb that struck the Franklin hit about 25 feet from where I was sitting. The ensuing holocaust has been filmed, written about, or personal interviews given during the past fifty years. Permit me to add just a bit more.

One well known incident happened to 2^nd Lt. Buddy Faught, pilot with VMF 214, who was standing just outside the door to the Ready Room under the flight deck level when the bomb exploded. He was partially shielded but suffered massive injury to his left leg and was subsequently transferred to Cruiser St. Paul. His entire leg was amputated that same day. He passed away a few years ago. But, what is not known is that there was another 2^nd Lt. Marine Pilot John Van de Grift, standing five feet from Buddy Faught, who sustained injuries to one of his legs.(6)

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[Young's handwritten correction:] One of his crossed out, "HIS RIGHT" inserted before it; the s in legs crossed out; the result then is "sustained injuries to his right leg."
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It was amputated as well, but not until several years after W.W. II, when all attempts to save it were given up.

As I read over this acount, it reminds me of something enhanced, to read like a Hollywood script. . . . All I can say to anyone is that I still have that Bible in my hand and every scene, every thought, every comment happened just exactly as I wrote it and I will not change one word.

One of the biggest Mis-conceptions of this attack is the "two bombs" theory that Capt Gehres first interview after the attack painted the picture of two bombs. The first through the forward elevator and the second among the planes aft on the flight deck. The last interview when this tape was made 23 years after the attack. Enough of the ships company had explained to him exactly what they were doing when the bomb exploded. But to this day many of the crew believe there were two bombs.

Capt. Wally Young [signed]
Captain Wally L. Young
Hawaiian Airlines (Retired)
Box 430
Kamuela, Hawaii 96743
LT USN (ret)

This will be the final report on the attack on the carrier Franklin, hopefully, on March 19, 1945. I have been compiling information for nearly 18 years, and I have never appeared before Ships Company personnel. The day commenced at 0545 am when the Japanese started sending out airplanes. By 0845 am, they had sorted out 31 aircraft, including Judy's, Frances's and 1 Betty from 2 airfields in the southeast quadrant of Shikoku Island, number 1 Kokubu and number 2 Kokubu. The first plane was an incredible scout airplane, the Nakajima C6N Saiun (SIGH YOON) (painted cloud in Japanese) with a 3-man crew and a speed of 365 M.P.H., only the F4U Corsair could catch it. It also had a range with drop tank that is almost unbelievable, 3306 miles, which is over twice as far as anything we had. It was also heavily armed with 2 20 MM cannons fixed and 1 20-MM cannon or 7.9 MM swiveling for the rear gunner. Their squadron record shows they knew they were giving up their lives to radio back the SOS with our position. They arrived first in the vicinity of 58.2 and the first pilot who saw them was Locke Trigg, who gave chance and started firing. A senior pilot, the commanding officer of VB5, Lt. Commander John Sheridon, who had just taken off his wingman Lt. T's. Jones saw this chase and Sheridon's statement, "I saw an F6 F5 chasing a Judy (the Judy and the MYRT look almost exactly the same). He fired all of his ammunition while way out of range." Locke Trigg said he chased it 20 miles, and called to other fighters for help. He was from the Bataan. During this time First Lt. Ken Linder, from the Blacksheep marine fighter squadron VMF214, was the last F4U to launch from the Franklin CV13. He was Commander Parker's (the air group commander) wingman and was a few minutes late with engine trouble. He said, "I saw the red balls of the Japanese plane, so I closed in and started firing. The first thing I saw was the rear gunner who was not firing. I thought he was dead." This kills Locke Trigg's story who said the MYRT entered a small cloud then came out and hit the water and exploded. Ken Linder said he could see his bullets hitting the cockpit area. Commander Parker flew in under Ken and fired a burst. Ken flew along side the "Judy" as he said, until it entered the small cloud. Ken rolled out and the Japanese plane dove out of the cloud and into the water, but did not explode. Commander Parker claimed the kill, but I give Ken Linder 95% of that kill, but his name is not mentioned even once in any official report of the kill. Locke Trigg was decorated with the DFC for "getting the plane that got the Franklin," by Admiral Michner himself. The next statement will enflame a couple of pilots, namely Ken Linder and Locke Trigg. I say that neither pilots ever saw the Judy that destroyed the Franklin as a fighting ship. Before anyone reacts, allow me to tell you about the proof of any statements I have ever made about the action of March 19, 1945. I have developed a string of informants that have been so valuable to my long project. The first is Mr. Henry Sakaida, a Japanese man who owns a large nursery in Temple City, California. He is in his forties and was not born until around 1955. He has an incredible collection of data on the Japanese and American Navies during the World War II in the Pacific. He started when he was 13 years old. His chief informant in Japan, who can write in English, Mr. Kazuhiko Osuo, has access to the official Japanese Imperial Navy files, and also all the squadrons and their airfields. And the information I received a short time ago says a MYRT was shot down that morning at 7:00 am, but no Judy. This means that Ken Linder shot down the MYRT that Locke Trigg claimed. But this plane had nothing to do with the Franklin, and was several miles away when it went into the ocean. I have many other informants, but these two were the principals while this was happening. Ko Harada, a 19 years old lead pilot arrived in his Yokosuka D4Y model L43 we call Judy. This was a Kamikaze suicide plane with no rear gunner painted dull black. There were about 2250 Judy's built. The first 2000 had an inline engine and were very under powered. The last 250 were converted to a radial engine, a much better aircraft, and were being converted to suicide planes for the coming invasion. I have another statement from Lt. Commander John Sheridon, in which he says he saw a Judy drop 3 bombs on the Franklin and then depart with not a shot fired at him. I have to disregard the first part of his report. Ko Harada's attack after his long approach (see my sworn testimony of the attack) took less than 8 seconds. He was not seen by any of the fighters and flew back to his airfield, where he was interviewed by Lt. Yonokawa about the attack. He led a flight of 7 Kamikaze airplanes the next day, March 20, 1945, and only 3 returned to base. Ko Harada was killed. The imperial Japanese records credited his incredible feat. And at a squadron reunion, several years later (I have a picture of this group), his attack was the subject of discussion.

Wallace Young [typed] Wallace Young [signed]
LT. USN, Retired

[L]et me pose a couple questions. I would Love to get info on a Lt T.S. Jones who was Lt Comd, Sheridan's wing man and had a good Look at the they called it JUDY but it was a Mert that was chased by an F6F and fired all his Amunition while way out of range. Do you have a copy of the BIG BEN DIRECTORY. A later version names the 921 men who were killed on the Franklin. Many of these were from previous actions I use the number 802. That Died on Mar 19 1945. I'll close this up now did you attend Annapolis. I would give anything for a current mailing List to find the gentleman who walked up to me and knew all about that Bomb

Sincerely
Lt WALLY Young USN Ret.
Capt WALLY Young Hawaiian AirLines Ret

[See the sections of this letter that are about Ace]

I have sent you two packages of info you will of course realize that my knowledge of VCRs is very amateur This just a short note to enlist your help if you would care to. One of the final proofs I need is to make contact with the gentleman who walked up to me in 1989 and described the bomb exactly as I saw it. I have never been able to obtain a copy of the mailing List that I presume Ray Bailey . . . has access to. If I can locate that fellow. Last year I attended the Franklin re-union in San Diego I was to be a keynote speaker and have it out with ships company. But also in attendance was Ken Linder the Boyington Black Sheep squadron SMF214 whom I had given credit for the kill on the myrt. But I Left the reunion when I talked to Ken and discovered it was just two officers calling each other a Liar before a bunch of enlisted men. If you have any Luck with Ray Bailey I will be grateful for the info.

Sincerely
Wally Young
Lt USN Ret.

The mailing list becomes more important from some of the questions that you rose. Im including a photo that I made a lot of marks on. [The photo was another copy of The Pilots of Torpedo Squadron 5, and in the top margin Mr. Young wrote the following: "The last picture taken of VT5. We were on the way North from ULITHI ATOLL at 58.2. I have the statement from Admiral Davison whose flag was on the FRANKLIN, who condemed Capt GEHRES LACK of preparation to withstand an attack. He had set condition 3 at 28 minutes until 7:00 AM. Then I believe went to his quarters to have his breakfast. I have the statement of an enlisted man who was on the bridge and said Capt Gehres was not on the bridge. There was no one on that bridge ordering general quarters when the handcock [sic] reported a bogie at 12 oclock and closing. The exec & Capt were both down below we were an absolute sitting Duck." In the bottom margin of the picture, Mr. Young indicates himself in the lower left by an arrow and the text "ENSIGN WALLY YOUNG." Under the image of Ace in the middle of the front row is an arrow with the text "Lt Commander ALLAN EDMANDS our C.O. and a very good MAN." At the right of the bottom margin is the following: "12 of these gentlemen were not scheduled to fly and were setting in the ready room. they were killed instantly by the Bomb that exploded just outside the door."]

[See the sections of this letter that are about Ace]

[Y]ou quoted Lt. Carr's Letter which stated "an enemy bomb struck the ship." That is a very facinating statement No where in the official documentation of that attack is there a mention of a bomb. That S.O.B. Capt Gehres on his first interview on film described a twin engined airplane coming straight down from 30,000 (that is the reason our radar did not see him. He was a total Liar from A to Z. it dropped two bombs the first went through the forward elevator. But he changed that Lie when so many ships company told him exactly where they were and what they were doing when the bomb exploded. The last official Lie was about a twinengined airplane that came out of the overcast 1000 yds ahead so fast we could not bring a gun to bear and then dropped 2 bombs the first blew that forward elevator high in the air. He finally got it right when he got to the bridge from his quarters where he was having his breakfast. He turned to his Nav officer Comdr Jurikas and asked him what hit us and Jarikas right it correctly-- A bomb it just flew across the flight deck. At that moment a huge explosion forward blew the elevator high in the air. Remember he had set condition 3 at 28 minutes until 7 o clock, I have Letters from some of the people whose general quarters was at those 57 quad 20 & 40 mm. gunmounts they were down in the crews mess where they were handing out apples. Another item Lt Carr said the ring was delivered to him and he found the dog tags Later. Do you know if they were ever delivered to your mother. Lt Carr said he had both items. This would be a valuable item to pose to all those Living. At 40 minutes after the bomb exploded it would be impossible that any person would have seen anyone at the stern on the hangar deck level. there was 40,000 gallons of 115 octane aviation gasoline released as our gas lines were all open. There was officially 100 men and pilots getting ready to send I believe there were 5 Corsairs with tiny tim rockets ready to go. There was only 2 people who got out of the hangar deck alive. These rockets were 9 1/2 feet Long 12.75 inch diameter and armed with 1500 Lbs of armement. When I got back on the Franklin 1 week Later at ULIHI ATOLL I examined a huge hole in the 3 1/2 to 4" armor plate steel, about 8 ft across and the armor plate was peeled back like the peeling of an orange. One of the explosions on the hange deck had knocked a Corsair up on its nose. and I presume the steel was red hot. There are some scenes that are almost beyond description that were told to me many of the men of the 98 who were killed on the hangar deck were blown by the many of our bombs that exploded, up against the steel gratings that were the walkways then pour flaming aviation gas over them for severals hours. The stern had been destroyed so they were just piled up in the bow area. No body bags no flag no ceremony. I was told there were 367 bodies the first burial. Nothing that resembled a human being. They just resembled big pieces of cork coal black with a Leg or an arm or a skull or just pieces. This part I saw from the destroyer that picked me up. We had 429 people and buried 7 that day, and not too far away the carrier with big pieces of black cork floating for at least 1 mile astern. I still believe your father was killed almost instantly.

Sincerely
Wally Young

[See the sections of this letter that are about Ace]
[See my conclusions about Ace's death based on Edward McGuckin's report]