After some discussion on this site regarding this legendary Marine Aviator I have had several long enjoyable conversations regarding our mutual past in the Corp . He came in the Corp August 1942 as a Naval Cadet & I came in 6 April 1942 at Boot Camp PI. He said as part of his training than was with Air Lines , American Air Lines in New York During WW2. Much of the training was done with Civilian contracts under the Title "War Training Service". I have a certificate "War Training Service" from my NAP courrse which was at TCU in Fort Worth Texas . We flew each day from a dirt field outside Fort Worth which was from an Aviation Co at Meecham Field. He said the Airfields at that time in New York were camaflaged & had the old WW 1 type barrage balloons around them. Those balloons were also at the beach at PI in 1942 when I was in Boot Camp. Later in 1943 he was at Edenton Aux Field Near Cherry Pt . At that time I was at Cherry Pt which was still under construction. He said he was given his final check ride before graduation in a PBY. He was in the A/C behind another student that was starting his check out flight. That one was in the take off run when he released the seat which was on tracks. It slid all the way back & that pulled the yoke full up !! The instructor Pilot desperately shoved his yoke with his foot to recover the full up control & the A/C fell hard back into the water. He said there was water sperting up in small geysers in the bottom of the fusealage !! He was assigned to VMDR 154 a Photographic Squadron flying the B24 four engine Bomber. He was flying out of Henderson field at Guadcannal. He had missions over Bouganville which he had to fly at 1000 ft. That was a big target for the Japanese Zeros !! I joined VMTB 232 as it was leaving Bouganville. The B24 had all manual rods & cable control linkage with no Hydraulic assist !! The controls were heavy. He said he liked flying the A/C but it had a rapid sink rate when commited to landing. He told about firing a burst of 20 mm at the hulk of an old Japanese ship off Henderson field when he returned from a mission. He said there was couple guys in a small row boat near there & they took off so fast didn't look like the oars touched the water !!! He was at Espritu Santos, New Hebrides Island in 1944 same time I was there in the TBM Sqd 232. One of his Co Pilots was the LtCol Ullman that I had a run in with at El Toro MAG 25 in 1954. In my assignment. Ullman ended up under investigation after I requested a transfer because of his neglect in duties & misuse of goverment equipment & marines working on his house etc.He was retired as a Major. Henry & I were both in MWSG 37 there at El Toro . He was a MSGt E 7 flying the R4Q. Our CO was an old NAP from the early 1930ies Col C. C. Campbell. I was only there a short time when I was assigned to the first Sgt Major Class at PI.. He said he would liked to have flew helicopters but was afraid he could than never get back in fixed wing flying which he loved. Henry will be 96 14 May. He said he owed his longivity to his Mom that lived to be 110 !!! What a fine old Gentleman & Marine Found this photo of Henrys B24 at Guadacanal and thought it should be posted, SF PM