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Show Tilltop 10 TIMES May 30, 2013 HILLTOP TIMES HALL From page 7 At the time, Australia and New Guinea were under threat of Japanese invasion, said Twelves. "When the best possible work was needed, William Hall and dozens of other dedicated young Americans, reported for duty," he said. Twelves described Hall's birthplace, Storrs, Utah, a coal mining camp which flourished and then was demolished when the mine was closed. "Today Storrs is only a memory, and a fork in a dirt road is the only thing that marks its location," said Twelves. "I find this history to be both fascinating and delightful because it shows that no matter how humble our origins may be, they have nothing to do with what we can contribute in life." The aircraft that Hall was flying was slow. The SBD Dauntless was a first generation monoplane dive bomber. When the Scout Bomber Douglas Douglass came off the production line it was considered to be obsolete because of how far aircraft engineering had progressed since the time of its initial design. The SBD Dauntless had to execute its mission during desperate times and first generation engineering. "Abbreviated training, ergonomic flaws in early cockpit designs and youthful enthusiasm took a terrible toll (on navy aircraft)," said Twelves. "In 1943 alone, the Navy had 20,000 aircraft accidents," he reported. "These numbers speak to the desperation of the times. We would never accept those kind of losses and accident rates in peace-time." Dive bomber tactics at the time called for nearly vertical dive angles of 70 to 80 degrees. The crews reported graying out and even blacking out for a few seconds during the pull-out. Inflatable Gsuits didn't become available until a few years later. An aft-facing gunner was added to the design of the Dauntless to provide a degree of protection during the vulnerable time the bomber was diving on a target. The pilots couldn't take evasive action during a dive. They had to stay on course to ensure accuracy. Twelves pointed out that the accuracy largely depended on a manual sight and pilot skill. The Battle of the Coral Sea was critical for a number of reasons, he pointed out. It was the first time that a Japanese invasion was stopped. It preceded the action at Midway by a month and deprived the Japanese of three of its carriers. It prevented the invasion of Port Moresby, New Guinea, and subsequent plans for an invasion of Australia by the Japanese. Hall's part in all this, the sinking of the Shoho and his downing of three enemy aircraft displayed heroism in many ways. During the air battle, Hall had to compensate for bullet wounds to his feet in order to stay in the fight. He cranked in excess right rudder trim and counterbalanced the controls with his left foot. He went on to shoot down two additional planes and then fly back to the Lexington. "He was a good man with a good heart who fought with extraordinary determination and courage during one of our darkest hours," concluded Twelves. Lottie Hall, daughter of the inductee, thanked the crowd, recited a speech her father had given on the Medal of Honor at the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, and quoted another of her heroes, Thomas Jefferson. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants," she quoted. She also reviewed some of his statements on the right to bear arms, large government and the responsibilities each generation has for paying off its debts. In speaking about some of these positions she pointed out that veterans gave citizens the ability to support these positions and she hoped that these specific rights would be retained. Maj. (Ret.) Pat Gilmore, administrator of the Utah Aviation Hall of Fame, then spoke and revealed some of the subsequent actions Hall took after he downed his third aircraft, according to family lore shared by his daughter. Hall reportedly had another opportunity to shoot down a fourth aircraft MARY LOU GORNY/Hilltop Times Attendees sing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," at the Memorial Day Service at the Mazer Memorial Chapel. Col. Pete Miner (Ret.) spoke at the Service in Memory of Fallen Warriors at which a bell tolled once for each of 41 Utahns killed in Southwest Asia. Below Col. (Ret.) Pete Miner speaks at the ceremony. High Flight - The Aviator's Poem By John Gillespie Magee Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air... Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God. © This England Books, 1996 W. Van Twelves (center), son of 2011 inductee, Lt. Wendell V. Twelves, deceased, talks to attendees after the ceremony at the Hill Aerospace Museum. but ran out of ammunition. Alongside the other enemy aircraft and close enough to shoot him with his 45, he instead exchanged salutes with the other pilot and each returned to his carrier. When the Lexington went down and everyone was ordered to abandon ship, he and his gunner were being treated in the dispensary. As Hall was put into a lifeboat he noticed his gunner, Seaman 1st Class John Moore was not present. Struggling to get out of the lifeboat he made his way to the dispensary, despite his wounds, picked up Moore, carried him back and deposited him in the lifeboat in the last remaining seat. He then went down with the lifeboat and held onto the gunnels of that boat until the men were rescued by another ship. "Lt. Commander Hall was not merely a heroic pilot who sunk ships and other aircraft. He was also a humanitarian," said Gilmore. "This more than anything shows him to be a man of integrity and a man who deserves to receive our nation's highest award for bravery during war and all time." |