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THE GREAT COMMISSION     by W. J. Sneed

Tales to be used in the Saga of the Great Sea Plane Tender, The U. S. S. Tangier and her swarm of "Black Cats", especially VP 54

On a hot and humid day in the summer of 1942 near the city of Corpus Christi within the boundaries of United States Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, there was some 146 young men who by taking one step forward and saluting were changed, changed forever. Let us say that in less time than it takes to bat an eye, the Commandant pinned a set of Gold Wings on our left breasts, handed to us a piece of parchment paper and a little box that contained the Gold Bars that indicated we were new Ensigns, Flying Ensigns in the greatest Navy in the world. This small action was what had followed "E", or Elimination Base where we found out if we could qualify as a flying cadet. "P" where we were assigned to be pooled for ground school and waiting for our chance to be assigned to the real flying at a real station where we could fly the real thing and not just the N2S, Stearman or the N3N, Navy "Yellow Peril" trainers. All of us were eager in these first three months of 1942. The news wasn't good from any of the Battle Fields, particularly the Pacific. We knew, or at least felt like we were "expendable", but we still wanted to get into the real action. So what a thrill when the orders arrived at Hensley Field near Dallas, Texas where we were in "P" base for a group of us to proceed to the University of the Air Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. Because of our time of arrival, this group of young men, boys from 18˝ to 24˝ years old was designated to become Class 3A 42. Hard work and hard study followed. Some of this group were killed in training, others were "washed out" because of the strenuous and severe testing and remember, during this time we were now promoted from a Seaman 2nd Class to Flying Cadet Seaman 1st Class. We having had a lot of Navy crammed down our throats as well as a lot of flying. Even though the Navy knew we were "expendable", they were preparing us to be the best pilots that we could be capable of, and, now, by this simple one step forward, we were United States Commissioned Naval Reserve Officers and I don't think that there was any one of us that did not want to go directly to the fleet and start killing anything that resembled a Jap. Yes, it was a commission. It changed our lives, it put us down paths that we personally had no control over. We were now because of a little piece of paper "Officers and Gentlemen". On thinking back though. I doubt that on that summer night that too many of the single boy's actions were completely as "Gentlemen."

Now, 40 plus years later, there is a knocking on the door for us to try to put in written words some of the outstanding events that took place while we were a part of the PBY5A Black Cat Squadron VP 54. As is the good ole Navy Way? Class 3A 42 was carefully selected for that duty.

All of those whose last names had a beginning letter "A" through "M" were given orders to the East Coast to report to Norfolk Naval Air Station. All last names in the rest of the alphabet were given orders to report to the San Diego Naval Air Station. The writer was supposed to have been checked out as a dive bomber pilot, the SBD - Douglas Dauntless, but because there was a new syllabus and a demand for PBY pilots, a bunch of us from Class 3A 42 C. C. N. A. S. were assigned to this syllabus. Upon finishing this hard flight testing, we were given orders to Kaneohe Bay Naval Air Station, Oahu Island near Honolulu. At last, sea duty, and a chance to fight the Japs. ToJo and his "Yellow Bastyards" had been indelibly imprinted in our minds as something to kill. Something to exterminate.

VP 54 was commissioned as a squadron with Commander Carl Schoenweiss as Skipper, Lt. Greg McDonough as Executive Officer and Lt. John Erhard as Flight Officer and a motley group of young P. P. C. and an even more motley group of Boot Ensigns as their first and second pilots. After a few short weeks we were given orders, "Secret" to proceed "South". This was truly all that we knew. God provided some seasoned enlisted personnel to this group of kids who were to be entrusted with doing their part to stand firm for freedom and to move out and eradicate totaliarism from the face of the earth.

Yes, it was a great Commission.

But there preceded us An Even Greater Commission Since 1945 time has mellowed all of us of that first VP 54 that are still left. Our squadron was the first of the PBY 5A, known as "Land Cats" to be painted black and ours was a group of early arrivals on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. So in this mellowing and the unfolding of our lives, we must now individually reflect.

The writer is not a bible scholar but I do love to read the bible. My Navy Days were preceded by being raised in a Christian home by a beautiful, fine and kind mother and dad and a family of three brothers and two sisters.

All of us in VP 54, and for that matter, most any of us that went to the Pacific have individually and collectively reflected to how this Great Commission helped us in the fighting of World War II in the islands of the Pacific.

In my Bible, I find this Great Commission stated and restated in each of the Gospels of the New Testament and in the Book of Acts.

In the Book of St. Matthews: In Chapter 28, in the 17th Verse, Jesus said:
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."

In the Book of St. Mark: In Chapter 15, in the verses 15 and 16. Jesus said:
"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believed not shall be damned."

In the Book of St. Luke: Chapter 24, in the 47th Verse, Jesus said:
"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

In the Book of St. John: In Chapter 20, in the 21st verse, Jesus said:
"Peace be unto you, as my father hath sent me, even so send I you."

In the Book of Acts: In Chapter 1, in Verse 8, Jesus said:
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth."

Now, if Solomon Islands from Bougainville to the North of the Solomons, to San Cristobal on the South of that particular chain of islands isn't the uttermost parts of the world, then you will have to help me with my geography.

Many stories have come out of the islands about the Coast Watchers and their "Christian" taught natives helping, spying and saving lives.

There is a book, a movie and also a song entitled "God is My Co-Pilot". I personally don't think that any pilot, but, more particularly, the ole Black Cat Boys who flew on the darkest of nights, and in the most dreadful weather a pilot would ever think possible to encounter, who did not have many long talks, mostly silent, some audible with the Lord and Savior.

All of us knew that the Great Commission preceded us into this area from some of our personal experiences but the writer would like to attempt to recall just two times that were outstanding and also, emphatically explain some of the feats performed by the "Black Cats" that were far and above the call of duty and also a part of God's Plan of Life for those involved as well as those whose lives have since been touched.

The writer would like to believe that the "Black Cats' did as Paul said when he was directing Titus.

In the Book of Titus: In the 14th & 15th Verses, Paul said :
"And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful."

"All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen."

On Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, our squadron everyday had one crew "on ready" for "Dumbo", or rescue work. There was also always another crew to back up the "ready crew". Below is a picture of our first camp. Tents, rats and mud. Lots of grapefruit juice and "K" Rations. There were also some very persistent and sizable mosquitoes.

The VP 54 Camp was moved to the very West end of Henderson Field, just South of the actual landing pattern. We by this time had quonset huts for our bunk houses land a wooden frame mess hall. We even had the "Black Cat" Bowl that was a natural amphitheater that was falling off into the Lungi River Basin. Here we had our movies, sitting on benches that were made from Coconut Logs. We had even erected a make shift stage for any of the Celebrity entertainers that the USO let come our way.

Even with all of these luxuries of life, Guadalcanal still had Japs and although our Marines had secured Henderson Field, there was still hand to hand, foot to foot and face to face fighting going on to our North and Westward part of the island. We had our fox holes and day and nightly hour Japanese raids. Therefore, there were many injured and wounded who were brought back to Henderson Field and the "M. O. B." (Mobile Operating Base) hospitals as they were set up.

During this time a group of the Marine Pilots were moved into a part of our Quarters and until more quonsets could be built by the great and wonderful CB's, we shared our camp with SCAT (South Pacific Combat Air Transport). They were stationed actually back at Caledonia land but this forward camp was fixed for them to fly back to Espiritu Santo Hospitals or New Zealand Hospitals, the wounded Marines, that were more than "plentiful" and also, needed better facilities than the Field Hospitals could possibly have available.

These boys were excellent twin engine and weather Pilots flying the ole DC3 "Gooney Bird" and the C47 Plane that we called "Curtis Commando". One of the first of these men that came to our camp was a fellow Shreveport, Louisianian that had attended Centenary College at the same time I did.

He returned to civilian life, served out his time with Braniff and at the last knowledge he and his family had retired to Florida.

On this particular day, Henderson Field was fairly clear as far as the weather was concerned. Off  to the Southeast one could see the front that was a constant companion to all the flyers moving in this

South Pacific area back and forth and particularly in the big Cumulonimbus clouds that in this area could sometimes build up in excess of 50,000 feet.

It seems that one of the SCAT boys had taken off early the morning before in a DC3 with a complete load of stretcher patients. He had already been reported missing. Word came in through the Coast Watchers and their chain of communications that the Gooney Bird had crash landed on the side of the second highest mountain on San Cristobal which is the island just South and East of Guadalcanal and the furtherest southeastward of this chain of Solomon Islands that was referred to as the "Slot".

The Great Commission was working. There in the uttermost parts of the world were two men and two women of the Anglican Church, English and Australian, who had moved here, built a church, a school for the native girls and a workshop for the native boys.

They had heard the crash, (caused by the weather, no doubt a down draft) and had sent their native runners into the jungle to see if any help could be given. Their native communications advised that there had been no fire and although both pilots were killed, they had succeeded a belly landing in the trees and seventeen of their stretcher patients were still alive.

These Christian people without hesitancy but with one thing, the thoughts of helping their fellow men, and at the very time they were not sure the injured were friend or foe, they took all their medical supplies, they made stretchers out of all of their own sheets and blankets between cut off tree limbs and with the help of all, boys, girls and God, they proceeded up the mountain and brought back from this crash all those aboard. Of course the living first and then the dead.

The stand-by crew for "Dumbo" in our squadron was Lt. Harold Carter. His co-pilot was Paul Pfister, his second pilot was sick and so because Nick Carter, and I were both from the Northwest part of Louisiana, he called out to me "Willie, come on, we are going to need some strong backs and weak minds." Because of this, I can relate this story.

Lt. Schall, his co-pilots Jicka and Robinson were the stand-by to the "Ready crew".

Let me tell you, now, when something of this nature happens the Cats went to work. Commander Schoenweiss in his quiet was giving his orders to his executive officer Greg. McDonough and he and Johnny Erhard were getting the men called up and all were trying to prepare each plane for what they could foresee as necessities.

Both "Black Cats" were off from Henderson Field lin short order but flying at 100 knots when in forced draft it seemed an eternity before we reached the Wanoni Bay and there laying on the beach was our ole Stars and Stripes, the "American Flag", with then only 48 stars. This was our signal that all was clear, as far as the enemy was concerned and also this was the place we were needed.

We landed in the water and the natives came out to meet us in the typical South Pacific hollowed out log with a side outrigger to keep it from turning over. We taxied in close and with all of us aboard except Nick Carter and Paul Pfister, we went into the water with the natives and moved the planes in as close to the beach as possible.

Schall and his Crew were doing the same thing with the combined thoughts of getting the wounded back to Guadalcanal and Medical attention. We also had our squadron doctors who were aboard to start as much medication as possible.

When we had both planes pulled back to the beach as close as we could and not have them be on the bottom when we loaded, we all turned and started for the beach.

We were met by the two men of the Cloth and their two Sisters and then for the first time I saw the Church and what a beautiful and holy sight it was.

Our work was cut out for us. The two fathers and their two sisters had been up now for almost thirty-six hours and they had been doctoring and nursing with all the supplies they had, with all the limited education they had and with all of God's help they could call on. The boys and girls at the school even though they had been working so hard were still eager and physically able to help us get the living, wounded and injured on two planes and we took off just as soon as possible. The "Cats" were doing their good works and as far as the writer was later able to learn, those seventeen Godly Marines were placed aboard awaiting SCAT planes and all of them survived this ordeal.

The Great Commission was still working, the original two crews of Cats were unloading their stretchers and were immediately loaded with sheets, blankets, pillows, pillow cases, food, medical supplies and anything else that our Skipper, Executive Officer and Flight Officer could obtain from any and all possible sources. The SCAT officers were "mooching" as frantically as were the Navy people. All of this now coming to the attention of the Commander of the Air of the South Pacific. Nothing was too much for us to take back to this church and its leaders who had given so much with not even the slightest idea any of their own supplies would be replenished.

As is written "Cast you bread upon the water and it shall be returned a thousand fold."

Without equivocation, our squadron knew that they were doing good works and these people received the gifts with humbleness and much gratitude.

We returned to the church with supplies on four more trips. The writer was allowed to make two of these trips. One can only assume that the results of this adventure had an impact on the lives of all who had the privilege to be a part. Enclosed herewith are pictures taken in and near this church. One could only feel The Holiness, The Spirit when you entered onto this hallowed ground.

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