49Th Fighter Wing Historian the Next Morning, L-5S from Recovery and Returned to Service
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Capt. Nelson Flack: The rediscovery of a Black Sheep by Master Sgt. planned to search for Lieutenant 25 to 30 pounds and had con- When stories of the Fighting Greg Henneman Flack the following day. tracted malaria. Yet, all made a full 49ers passed from generation to 49th Fighter Wing historian The next morning, L-5s from recovery and returned to service. generation, names of air power Sergeant Salternik’s squadron For his actions, Lieutenant legends such as Bong, McGuire, On Feb. 14, 1944, the 8th dropped supplies and a note tell- Henstridge was awarded the Dis- and Johnson filled the history Fighter Squadron launched P-40 ing him to stay put, and inform- tinguished Service Cross, Ser- books. The nearly forgotten res- Warhawks from their base at ing him an Australian commando geants Salternik and Nichols re- cue mission of Nelson Flack may Gusap, New Guinea, to attack an would soon come to help. In his ceived Silver Stars, and Lieuten- have been completely lost to his- enemy airfield known as Wewak. first parachute jump ever, Austra- ant Flack the Air Medal and tory, if not for an incredible event First Lt. Nelson Flack was num- lian Lt. Hector Henstridge made a Purple Heart. which happened last year. bered among the pilots who flew perfect landing near Sergeant Flying P-38s over Tacloban, Visiting remote villages only into combat that morning, which Salternik’s position. Completing Captain Flack went on to score accessible by helicopter, aviation A Stinson L-5 “Sentinel,” similar to the ones flown by the proved to be anything but a typi- the first half of their mission, three additional aerial kills in archeologist, Mr. John Douglas, 25th Liaison Squadron. cal Valentine’s Day. No stranger Lieutenant Henstridge and Ser- two days—Nov. 1 and 2 in 1944— was promised by New Guinea vil- to combat, Lieutenant Flack re- geant Salternik found a tired, hun- as the 8th Fighter Squadron lagers that they would take him to corded his first aerial victory Nov. gry and injured Lieutenant Flack helped liberate the Philippines. the wreckage of three aircraft in 7, 1943, during a mission support- the next day. These achievements lifted Flack’s exchange for school supplies and ing the Australian Army’s 7th Di- Getting back home would official aerial victory count to watches. With both sides making vision. prove dangerous and difficult. On five. From this point forward he good on their promises, Mr. Dou- On the fateful Feb. 14 mission, Feb. 22, 1944, Staff Sgt. James proudly hailed the coveted title glas became the first outside visi- Lieutenant Flack noticed his Nichols landed an L-5 on a make- of “Ace.” tor to the wrecks of two L-5s and wingman, a new pilot named 1st shift airstrip, built by Lieutenant After World War II, when the Flack’s P-40 in more than 60 years. Lt. Ed Glascock, was in trouble Flack, Sergeant Salternik, and vast majority of military men Other than vegetation growth and and under attack from an enemy Lieutenant Henstridge. Without took off their uniforms and re- the decay of time, the three aircraft Ki-61 “Tony” fighter. Although any tools, the three men flattened turned to civilian life, Flack re- sat undisturbed on the jungle Flack shot down the Ki-61 and the grasses by rolling on it, creat- mained a pilot with the newly es- floor. The Australian War Memo- Photos courtesy of Mr. John Douglas likely saved the life of his squad- ing what became known as “Flack tablished United States Air Force. rial museum gathered the remain- The engine of Staff Sgt. Nichol’s L-5 remains intact after 60 The 49th Fighter Group flew P-40s, such as this one, in combat from 1942 to 1944. ron mate, his P-40 took damage. Field.” However, instead of Ser- During combat in the Korean War, ing sections of the P-40 in June years on the jungle floor. It soon became apparent that the geant Nichols picking up the Lieutenant Flack was shot down 2004 and planned to restore the P- Sergeants Salternik and Nich- aircraft would not make it home. downed airmen and returning again. This time, there would be 40 to its original condition, ols received Silver Stars. Flack attempted to land his P-40 them home, Nichols’ L-5 was dam- no heroic rescue, as he was killed proudly displaying the markings into six to eight foot tall grasses. aged upon landing—resulting in in the air-to-air battle. of the 8th Fighter Squadron. However, the plane stalled, hit a four Airmen in enemy territory. tree, skidded across the grasses By this time, the 25th Liaison and stopped after impacting a Squadron could not risk losing small hill. Lieutenant Flack found any more airplanes or pilots. In- himself 150 miles from home, with stead, the group of four would a broken arm, gashed forehead have to rely on the navigational and behind enemy lines. skills of the Australian, Lieuten- Pilots of the 25th Liaison ant Henstridge, and walk 35 miles Squadron spotted the burning P- to a recovery point. Attempting 40, but could not tell if Lieuten- to stay clear of Japanese patrols ant Flack had survived. Manned while traveling through dense by enlisted pilots, who main- jungles, wading through chest- A propped-up wing from Lieutenant Flack’s P-40. tained their own planes, the 25th deep swamps, and climbing over gained a reputation for recover- steep ridges, the men had limited ing allied pilots across the south- rations and no ability to commu- west Pacific. nicate with the outside world. In As Lieutenant Flack’s P-40 fact, when they had not been spot- burned, Tech. Sgt. Eugene ted for several days, their status Salternik attempted to land his was changed to missing in action, small, light L-5 observation plane as they were assumed to have into the same tall grasses. Hitting been captured or killed. the tough grasses, Sergeant After nearly a month in the Salternik’s aircraft somersaulted. jungle, living only on the food Although Sergeant Salternik ex- they could catch, Lieutenant ited his aircraft without injury, two Flack, Sergeant Salternik, Lieu- Local villagers stand next to the tail section of Lieutenant Flack’s P-40. American Airmen were now evad- tenant Henstridge, and Sergeant ers in enemy territory. As the sun Nichols were found by an Austra- The remnants of Tech. Sgt. Eugene Salternik’s L-5. began to set, Sergeant Salternik lian patrol. Returned to a hospi- stayed with his broken plane and tal at Gusap, each man had lost Villagers stand next to the remains of the nose of Sergeant Eugene Salternik’s L-5..