Invasion: The Philippines – A Losing Battle against a Well-Equipped Foe

The same day that Jack Donalson was facing insurmountable odds in the Philippines flying his newly assembled P-40E, his fellow fighter pilots in Pearl Harbor, a thousand miles away, and Clark Field, a few miles away, were doing the same thing in P-40B/Cs. (Photo by John Dibbs/planepicture.com)

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When we departed San Francisco on November 1, 1941, there was little doubt in any of our minds that we would soon be at war with the Japanese. Aboard the SS Coolidge, I was one of 14 pilots, together with members of the 21st Pursuit Squadron ground crew. The remainder of the squadron was expected to follow on the next convoy out of San Francisco. 2ND LT. JACK DONALSON, USAAC 21st Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit...

PARDON THE INTERRUPTION

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