Tribby - James
TRIBBY --- MARKS Tribute by Bill Boone
Epilogue --Two of Ladoga's most celebrated sons were involved in two of the most horrific yet heroic episodes in WW II. Ironically, one occurred within days of the beginning of the war and the other within days of the end of the war. Much has been written of both episodes. The following is a timeline of the events, first of the Bataan Death March and Jim Tribby's heroism and the second of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the bravery of Adrian Marks. The Bataan Death March has been called the most brutal event in American history and the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the worst disaster in Naval history.
First the Bataan Death March:
" December 7, 1941-Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. 353 Japanese fighters, bombers, and torpedo planes sank four U.S. Navy battleships and damaged four others. They sank or damaged three cruisers and three destroyers and killed 2,402 Americans "
April 9, 1942-After a three month battle against overwhelming odds, with no hope of reinforcements, either of men or supplies, the Battling Bastards of Bataan surrendered and began the 70 mile march to the capitol city of Bataan, Batagna. "
April 12, 1942-70,000American and Filipino troops were alive when the march began. "
April 18, 1942-After six days and some 79-90 miles, about 54,000 reach Camp O'Donnell.7,000 to 10,000 died on the way. The rest escaped into the jungle. "
April 9, 1945-The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. 40 percent of the city and 79,000 people are destroyed. After two years as a POW, Jim Tribby becomes the sergeant-of-arms for the liberated prisoners. He said," You can't forget, nor can you forgive. You can only cling to the moment. Only about five minutes after the A-bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, the Japanese made a complete turn-around in their treatment. We couldn't see, hear of feel the bomb, but we knew something had happened. Within minutes we saw American aircraft."
April 3, 1946-the Japanese Commander of the invasion forces in the Philippines, Lt. General Homma Masharu was executed for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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The timeline of the 2nd episode, the sinking of the USS Indianapolis:
" July 16, 1945-The ship leaves San Francisco Bay for Tinian, a small Island in the Western Pacific with parts for the world's second and third atomic bombs. "
July 6, 1945 Arrives at Tinian with uranium 235 and other components for the bomb. "
July 28, 1945-Leaves Guam headed for Leyte in the Philippines. "
July 30, 1945-The ship is hit by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine. 300 of the 1196 men go down with the ship. Nearly 900 are thrown or jump into the cold, shark-infested water of the Pacific.
August 2, 1945-After four days in the water, many are dead from injuries, exposure and shark attacks. At 11:25 AM, Navy pilot Lt. Wilbur Gwinn spots an oil slick and sees men in the water. Hours later, Adrian Marks, against all orders and protocol lands his Catalina seaplane called a Dumbo and begins to rescue survivors. After the hold of the plane is filled, they tie the men to the wings with cords from parachutes. "
August 3, 1945-the rescue continues through the night. Most men who will be rescued have been found. They had been spread out over several miles of open sea. Captain McVay is one of the last to be rescued. "
August 6, 1945-At 2:45 AM, the B29 bomber Enola Gay, drops the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima killing 60,000 people and destroying four square miles of the city. The code name of the first bomb is "Little Boy."
" August 8, 1945-The search for survivors of the USS Indianapolis is discontinued. Of the 1196 men on board, only 316 survive. 56 are rescued by Adrian Marks and his crew. After all are safe on board, Marks requests that the captain of the Doyle destroy the Dumbo. "
August 9, 1945-The second bomb is dropped on Nagasaki. 40 percent of the city is destroyed and 70,000 people are killed. The second bomb is carried by the bomber Bockscar and is named "Fat Boy."
" August 18, 1945-The war in the Pacific ended just as it had begun, with a surprise attack by Japanese warplanes. Just after 2 PM, U.S. Army Sergeant Anthony J. Marchione bled to death in the clear, bright sky above Tokyo.. He died like so many others of America's best, quietly cradled in the arms of a buddy. He died after the Japanese had accepted the Allied terms of surrender. He was the last American killed in air combat in WW II.
" September 2, 1945-Japan officially surrenders.