PAUL C MADDEN
Name: PAUL C MADDEN
Entry Date: 43
Exit Date: 45
Rating:
Squad: 111
Status: K
“I WAS AN ‘AMM3/C’ WITH CASU-F-9., CHUCK KELLER ‘AMM1/C’ AND
H.L. LOUDERBACK-AMM3/C WERE MY SHIPMATES FROM HUTCHISON, KANSAS NAS. WE WERE
IN THE SECOND GROUP TO GO THROUGH B-24 (PB4Y1) TRAINING. THE FIRST CLASS
WENT TO ENGLAND AND WE WENT TO NAS SAN DIEGO, CA. AND THEN CAMP MUGU FOR
COMBAT TRAINING.
WE SHIPPED OUT ON A DUTCH TRANSPORT “”USAT TABINTA”” IT HAD
THE SECOND LARGEST DIESEL ENGINES IN THE WORLD AT THAT TIME, COULD DO OVER
30 KNOTS IF NEEDED. WE CROSSED THE PACIFIC UN-ESCORTED TO HOLLANDIA, NEW
GUINEA, THEN IN CONVOY TO LEYTE GULF. OUR SUPPLY ACORN UNIT WAS LOST AT SEA,
AND WE SET UP CAMP ON A LITTLE ISLAND IN THE GULF UNTIL THE ‘CB’S AND ARMY
ENGINEERS BUILT THE METAL LANDING STRIP NEAR TACLOBAN. I DON’T REMEMBER THE
DESIGNATION OF THE FIRST GROUP OF PB4Y-1’S THAT CAME TO TACLOBAN IN
NOVEMBER,1944. I OPERATED A STERLING-WHITE CRANE TRUCK, AS WELL AS BEING A
PROP SPECIALIST ON AND OFF.
IN DECEMBER,44 A NOTICE WAS POSTED THAT SAID ‘
DUE TO TOO MANY 3RD CLASS AMM’S THE FOLLOWING MEN HAVE BEEN DE-RATED AS OF
THE DATE RATED AND PAY ACCOUNTS SETTLED AS SAME. I WAS ONE OF THE TWO
LISTED. ( BACK AT HUTCHISON THE BASE SKIPPER CAME TO ME PERSONALLY AND
THANKED ME FOR MY EFFORTS AT THE SCHOOL AND WAS PROMOTING ALL S1C ‘S TO 3RD
CLASS AMM’S. HA! HA!.) THE DAY I WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE THE 3RD CLASS TEST, I
WAS WORKING WITH THE CB’S WITH MY CRANE TRUCK SETTING UP A STAGE IN THE
SWAMP BEHIND THE CAMP FOR THE “” HELLZA POPPIN “” STAGE SHOW. THEY HAD TO MOVE
ME AROUND WITH A D-8 CAT AND I WAS LATE GETTING TO THE TEST, AND THE LT.
WOULD NOT LET ME TAKE IT BECAUSE THE OTHER GUYS WERE ALMOST FINISHED.
I WAS IN THE ADVANCE GROUP TO GO TO PALAWAN,TO GET THE BASE READY FOR
TRANSFER FROM LEYTE. SHORTLY AFTER WE STARTED OPERATING OUT OF PALAWAN
(PORTO-PRINCESSA), WE STARTED TO GET THE FIRST PB4Y-2,S THE PRIVATEER, WITH
THE SINGLE RUDDER, AND THE NEW RADIO-GUIDED BOMBS. I HAD BEEN GIVING THE
EXEC A LOT OF STATIC ABOUT THE SCREWING I GOT ON MY RATE AND I ENDED UP
DIGGING POST HOLES FOR QUONSET HUTS AND THEN KP. I WROTE A LETTER TO CHIEF
OF STAFF U.S.NAVAL PERSONNEL, AND ASKED A FIRST CLASS YEOMAN FOR A CORRECT
ADDRESS SO IT WOULDN’T GO THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. HE SAID HE WOULD DO
SOME CHECKING BECAUSE HE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY COULD DE-RATE ME AS
THEY DID. TWO DAYS LATER AS I WAS DIPPING WATER INTO CANTEEN CUPS IN THE CHOW LINE,
HE ASKED ME WHAT MY HOME ADDRESS WAS, AFTER I TOLD HIM, HE TOLD ME TO COME
TO THE PERSONNEL TENT WHEN I GOT OFF. HE HAD PAPERS READY FOR ME TO RETURN
TO THE STATES AND REPORT TO PHILADELPHIA NAVAL AIR STATION FOR HYDRAULIC
CATAPULT TRAINING AFTER A 30 DAY LEAVE.
AFTER REACHING THE CONTINENTAL U.S..
THE NEXT DAY I DREW MY PAY AND WAS HANDED PAPERS TO TRAVEL “” BEST WAY”” . I
HITCHED A RIDE TO SAMAR AND WAS GIVEN A BILLET AND GUYS TOLD ME I WOULD BE
STUCK THERE. AT 3AM A GUY WOKE ME AND ASKED IF I WAS PAUL MADDEN, WHEN I
SAID YES, HE SAID GET YOUR GEAR AND COME WITH ME. HE TOOK ME TO THE AIRSTRIP
AND PUT ME ON A RD-5A 4 ENGINE TRANSPORT. AFTER ONE FUELING STOP IN MID
PACIFIC I LANDED AT PEARL HARBOR. SINCE ONLY WOUNDED COULD FLY INTO THE
CONTINENTAL U.S. I HAD TO WAIT AT A BASE OVERLOOKING PINEAPPLE PLANTATIONS
FOR 5 DAYS BEFORE BOARDING AN AP TRANSPORT. AFTER GOING THROUGH A TYPHOON WE
CROSSED UNDER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE AND I TOSSED MY LAST NICKEL OVERBOARD
FOR GOOD LUCK. AFTER INDOCTRINATION WE WERE ALLOWED TO GO INTO FRISCO
OVERNIGHT. THE FIRST THING I DID WAS GET A REAL BIG JUICY HAMBURGER WITH
LETTUCE, TOMATO AND ONION, AND A BIG CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE, AND THEN GO TO A
MOVIE THEATER. I LEARNED LATER THAT MY BUDDIES FROM CASU-F9 HAD TRANSFERRED TO SAMAR TO
AWAIT TRANSFER TO THE STATES AND DIS-BANDED.
WHILE GOING THROUGH HYDRAULIC CATAPULT TRAINING FOR THE NEW CARRIER
CV-51- THE FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT, I ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL AND AFTER
WEEKS OF TESTING WAS TREATED FOR AOMEBIC DYSENTERY, FROM TAKING TOO MANY
LONG BATHS IN THE SWAMPS ON LEYTE. I ENDED UP AT GREAT LAKES NAVAL TRAINING STATION WHERE
I HAD GONE THROUGH BOOT CAMP IN SEPT-OCT1943. I WENT TO SICK BAY FOR A STOMACH ACHE AND THE DR.
GAVE ME BLACK AND WHITE LAXATIVE AND SENT ME BACK TO THE BARRACKS, IN A
COUPLE MORE HOURS I WAS DOUBLED OVER IN PAIN AND THEY DIAGNOSED ME AS
ASTERITIS ACUTE AND SENT ME BY AMBULANCE TO THE MAIN SIDE HOSPITAL, THEY
DIAGNOSED ME AS A-TYPICAL PNUEMONIA, FINALLY AFTER 5 DOCTORS CHECKED ME
THEY RUSHED ME TO SURGERY FOR A RUPTURED APPENDIX , PERITONITIS HAD ALREADY
SET IN. SO I SPENT THE NEXT 6 WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A DRAIN TUBE
STICKING OUT OF ME.
I FINALLY GOT DISCHARGED IN JUNE 1946, AND GOT TOGETHER
WITH H.L. LOUDER BACK IN ANDERSON INDIANA WHOM I HAD MET IN THE OGU AT
GREAT LAKES FOR ASSIGNMENT AFTER BOOT CAMP. HE WAS THE LAST “”L”” AND I WAS
THE FIRST “”M”” IN LINE. WE HAD GONE TOGETHER TO NAVY PIER IN CHICAGO, THEN
NORTH ISLAND, SAN DIEGO, THEN HUTCHISON,KANSAS , WE HITCHHIKED HOME FROM
HUTCHISON ON 15 DAYS DELAYED ORDERS BEFORE BACK TO THE “”NO LONGER”” NAVAL AIR
STATION, SAN DIEGO, THEN CAMP MUGU, PORT HUENEMA, LEYTE , MINDANAO, PALAWAN,
WHERE I SEPARATED FROM THE UNIT IN MAY,1945. WE BOTH MARRIED IN 1947 AND
REMAINED CLOSE FRIENDS UNTIL HIS SUDDEN DEATH IN 1976.
HAVE NOT HEARD FROM CHUCK KELLER FOR SEVERAL YEARS, SINCE HIS WIFE DIED. MY FIRST WIFE AND
MOTHER OF MY SONS DAN AND JOHN, DIED IN 1972, I RE-MARRIED TO A FORMER
FRIEND’S EX FOR 4 YEARS OF HELL, AND DIVORCED, THEN MET MY DREAM WOMAN IN
1975 AT HER HUSBANDS FUNERAL. HER SISTER IS MARRIED TO MY BROTHER IN
CALIFORNIA AND I NEVER MET THIS LADY UNTIL MY SISTER-IN-LAW INVITED ME TO
THE FUNERAL OF HER BROTHER-IN-LAW. WE WERE MARRIED FOR 17 YEARS UNTIL SHE
PASSED AWAY IN 1992 FROM LUNG CANCER.
EVERY YEAR I WISH TO ATTEND THE REUNION, BUT EITHER I DIDN’T HAVE THE
MONEY, OR I WOULD CONVINCE MYSELF THAT I WOULD NOT KNOW A SINGLE
PERSON, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN THE PHILIPPINES THEY KEPT ME SO BUSY THAT I
NEVER REALLY GOT TO KNOW ANY OF THE FLIGHT CREWS PERSONALLY.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, I LOOK FORWARD TO READING THE QUARTERLY
NEWSLETTER, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN’T PERSONALLY KNOW ANY OF YOU FLY BOYS.
IT SURE BRINGS BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES OF ALL THE GOOD AND A LOT OF
TRAGEDIES THAT HAPPENED.
YOURS IN COMRADSHIP,
PAUL C. MADDEN, AUGUST 2004
lemaddog@gmail.com”