Tne AtR FoRCES EscApE & EVASIoN soctEry SUMMER 2005 Communications Volume 17, No. 2 WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS 76g0T-2501 JUNE 16, 2OO5 *)hlAlN*il4NNXXXlry*tXeXt-tXXStXl+ttt<St*tt+lXtS,lrStXXt:trStS.ll-itS.tSla.tSlt+lSySlStS'Sla.tS.tS,t*tX The school that fell from the sky On June 5, 1943, Lt. Fred Hargesheimer was in a P-38, PAPUA flying a photo reconnaissance mission 8,000feet above the Japanese-occupied island of New Britain He was shot down by an enemy jighter. A month after parachuting into the jungle, he was found by the M eramer a p eop I e fro m the vil lag e of Ea Ea (now called Nantabu) in Papua New Guineu ForJive months, they nursed him back to health, hid himfrom enemy patrols andftnally took him to a Coastwatchers camp. From there he was rescued by a submarine, the U.S.S. Gato. In 1960, Fred went back to the ishnd to acpress his grntitade to was the dreams that haunted me. a crowd of natives chattei.ine and the people who had aided him Weeks had passed since I had sjnqfng as they waded throulh the shallow That led to the establishment of bailed out of Eager Beaver, but the water. I screwed the Airmen's Memorial School in trauma continued to grip me. I had up enough courage to temiSring nightrnares, sometimes staft walking towards the canoe. I Papua New Guinea by Fred, his about those moments when I moved if family andfriends. struggled to escape from the these p t bv the cockpit, and other times about the Jap rhe er/en man I had picked out This k part of his story. more tenifoing ptospect of as the leader clyrng alone in the iunsle. or elder of the group came closer. All my fears By FRED HARGESHEIMER July 6 was a day fife all the rest; vanished as I saw a a morning warm and sympathetic smile Grass Valley, Calif. swim, a hike in the bush spread to hunt for dry across his face. Author of The School that Fell wood, roasted snails for lunch and an afternoon Another man rushed up, waving From the Odyssey Books, 9g9 nap. ^S/ry, Just before sunset, I went a notebook. Scribbled on the ."coid Sutton Way, Grass Vallev CA to the ..To edge of the Pardi gather page was a note that read. 95945, phone: SZO-+li-ZgSS River to bamboo shoots -a $1s.95 + p&h for supper. f.* minutes into my sear.C[, I was startled by what seemed to My survival meant an almost be voices constant coming from downstream. Could kept my they be rea7, or was I halluci natins.? e The shot down by the Japanese. day. Th sound grew in volume. These Finally, the nose of natrves can be trusted, and anyone story. I dreaded them. but not an outrigger canoe pushed into .-.CONTINUED because I feared animal intruders. It view, followed by ON PAGE 3 Page 2 STIMMER 2OO5 U.S. AIR FORCES ESCAPE & EVASION SOCIETY Prez Sez COMMUNICATIONS The <http ://www.rafinfo.org.uk/rafescape/afees usa.htm> By Richard M. Smith <afeeso n e@h otm ail.com> Volume 19 -- Number 2 June 16,2005 , -, , New Orleans is behind us and 'iw'as a great gathering 170 DIRECTORS - OFFICERS AND members, families and friends were CHAIRMAN: pres€nt at Saturday night banquet. *Ralph Ave', Chevy Chase, MD K. Patton, Apt. #1205, 8100 Connecticut There was plenty to do in the Fax: 301-657 -4479 20815: Phone: 30l-657-4478; BIG EASY. Among them, the D- CO-FOUNDER: Day Museum, a short distance from Leslie A.G. Atkinson. 22 bis rue des Pleus, 77300 Fountainbleau, hotel. FRANCE; Telephone (011-33-l) 60 72 5766 the reunion PRESIDENT: I thought the one-hour film on **Richard M. Smith, 3614 Augustana Drive, Battle Lake, MN 56515-9458 the buildup to D-Day was the best I (Summer) Phone 218-495-2106; Fax 495-3000 have seen. For those of us who VICE PRESIDENT: have visited many war museums, the ***Francis J. Lashinsky, 8015 Gatehouse woods, PO Box 125, Cornwall. PA presentation was first-class, though <fran kl ash@ earthl i n k net> 17 0 1 6 -0 125 ; Phone 7 l 7'228 -07 92 ; much of the rnaterial we have seen TREASURER: before. *Francene Dr McHenry, lL 6005 1-92 1 1 weyland, l l l T w. Northeast Shore , For those of our generation, the 8 I 5-38 5-4378: FAX 8 I 5-459-043 5 Phone museum is well worth a visit. MEMBERSHIP & CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: AFEES has a new Board member. *Clayton C. David, 19 Oak Ridge Pond, Hannibal' MO 63401-6539 Robert Sweatt was named to replace Phone: 573-221'0441 PX MANAGER: the retiring Bud Loring, who is **Thomas H. Brown Jr, 104 Lake Fairfield Drive, Greenville, sc 29615-1506 retiring after a decade of service. Phone: 864-244-5420 <tbrown 1 [email protected]> Margaret and I found the food in OTHER DIRECTORS: the French Quarter to be excellent. **Herbert Brill, 4800 Cortland Drive, Corona del Mar, CA 92625; My waist line proves it. Phone: 949-760-9217 Of course, some of our members **Yvonne Daley, 1962 Brae-Moor Drive, Dunedin' FL 34698-3250; had to explore Bourbon Street and <gadabout I com> Phone: 7 27 -7 3 4-9 573 ; 27@msn. sample the fare there. **A. Lane, Watertown, WI 53098; Ray Kubly, 1204 Amber Riding the trolley brought back 920-261-3782 Phone: memories to our senior citizens. My *John C. Rucigay, l4 Ashley Drive, Ballston Lake, NY 12019; wife and rode the St. Charles car to Phone 518-877-8131 i **rRoberr H. Sweatt, 5208 FM 390-W, Burton, TX 77835-9704,978-289-2073 the end of the line and Margaret LEGAL COUNSEL; complained about the hard wooden R.E.T. Smith, PO Box 38, Wahpeton, ND 58074;Phone: 701-642-2668 seats. C OMMUN ICAZON,S EDITOR: The trolley rides became more 'rr,NLarry Grauerholz, PO Box 250l,Wichita Falls, TX 76307-2501; popular when we learned that the Phone: 940-692-67 00; <[email protected]> senior citizens fare was 40 cents, compared to the regular $1.25. *Class of 2006 **Class of 2007 ***Class of 2008 Had a nice note from George W. Michel, winner of the $500 raffle pr|ze. AFEES COMITTUNTCATIONS IS TEE OFFICIAL JOURNAT OF TIIE AIR FORCES ESCTPE & EVASION SOCIETY. AFEES IS A TN(-EXEMPT George escaped from internment \/ElERArrs oRGANTZATTON UNDER rRS coDE 501 (c) (19). rT tlas in Switzerland and reports that some FOI'T{DED IN 1964 AIID IS CIIARTERED IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA. people today criticize him because THE SOCIETY'S PURPOSE IS TO ENCOI'RAGE MEI{BERS IIEI,PED BY TTTE he wear a lapel pin that shows the RESISTANCE ORGA}fIZATIO}.IIS OR PAIRICTIC NATIONAI.S TO COITTINT'E Stars and Stripes with the Tri-Color EXISTING FRIEI{DSHIPS OR REI{ET{ REI,ATIONSIIIPS IfITH THOSE IIITO T of France. "Little do they know HELPED TIIET,i DT'RING TEEIR ESCAPE OR EVASION. when they start, but before they BEEN A U.S. AIRIIAI| ELIGIBTI.IfY REQTJIRES THAT ONE MUST HAVE , leave, they do understand," he says. HE MT'ST HAVE BEEN FORCED DOflN BEHIND ENET.IY LINES AND AVOIDED Make a note: it is Albuquerque CAPTNTITY, OR ESCEPED TB.OM CAPTIVITY TO RETURN TO AIJ,IED next year and Kansas City in '07. cottlRol,. We need you there! IN ADDITION TO REq'I,AR I.IEI{BER,SHIP, CITHER EATEGORIES OF --DICK SIVIITH MEI,TBERSHIP ARE HELPER !iEI'IBERS, AND FR.IEND MEI'{BERS. SUMMER 2OO5 Page 3 MORE -- The School school in Australia. openmg ceremony. Little did I realize that the idea of The air attache in the U.S. From Page 1 a scholarship would turn into a r school with an enrollment of nearlv linding irimself to in sirnilzu 500 students by 1996. crcumstances, good will receive In March 1964 the Airmen's food and care. John Stokie:A.I.F." Mernorial School opened with four Townsville, Queensland. Before I had even finished ' '. classrooms, four native teachers. an At the Officers' Club that reading, tears began to nickle db*n Australian headmaster named Jim my cheeks. some U.S. Navy My prayers had been Bye, and about 40 first-throueh joint answered. ary duty for a fourth-grade students who stuiied with the RAAF. English, arithmetic and penmanship When we told them the reason A SCHOOL IS BORN for -- plus social science, which was an our trip, they offered to do a exploration of the traditions, flyover at the school. Two days After my trip back in 1960 was mythololgy and oral history of their later their twin-engine jet delighted over, rny lnelnones were never- own culture. They even had a the gathering with a low-altitude ending. And now a simple thank school garden. pass just as I delivered my speech. you didn't seem enough. Perhaps I A few months later my wife ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ could start a scholarship fund to Dorothy and I experienced the thrill I;red Hargensheimer can be send one of the Merameras to of attending the school's official con tac t e d at <suar [email protected]) The Airmen's Memorial school, Papua New Guinea Page 4 STJMMER 2OO5 Collection scanned for pfeservation ', , For many years people attending AFEES reunions have enjoyed the stqdes, military records, pictures and other memorabilia that Scotty David has mounted in newspaper- sizgd scrapbooks.