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A selection of related stories of
U.S. Naval Aviation In the South Pacific during WW II
Featuring the Lexington Aircraft Carrier
and her dedicated crew as key participants in
The Battle of the Marianas — June 1944
Chapter 4
The “West of Tokyo Missionary Society”
Page 2 of 2 Pages
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Air Intelligence Officers take a lot of kidding for their predictions and operations analysis. Here Lieut. Cheston (left) and Lieut. Ben Grosscup (right), using a helmet as their crystal ball, estimate how long it would take the missionaries to vote them permission to sign the society manifesto and to allow them to become high-pressure missionaries.
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The carrier’s deck tractors took an important part in the society’s founding ceremony and were designated by the missionaries as the appropriate mode of travel for the top officers of the society, Commander Ernest M. Snowden, chief evangelist (rear right) and his three holy steam rollers. He is General “Hap” Arnold’s son-in law.
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Crew members of the “West of Tokyo Missionary Society” on board the carrier gather around their “manifesto.”
Organization of society was delayed when Turret Gunner James Rehn, who was lettering the manifesto, was shot down in his torpedo plane when he was only halfway through. It was a week before the carrier got him back. He finished the lettering for the first meeting.
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The first membership card was issued to General James H. Doolittle, made honorary missionary for his Tokyo raid. Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, task group commander, holds card No. 2 as chief ministering missionary. This grand originating chapter is called Local 140 Degrees because the 140th meridian passes almost directly through Tokyo.
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The final story is Fred Gwynn’s “Torpedo 16” We suggest you take time to review this excellent and final story of this series. Also, as stated in
our Editor’s Introduction, you may access the web site, entitled
“USS Lexington CV-16,” by clicking on URL
http://usslexington.bizland.com/
which will provide a multitude
of related resources.
Chapter 4 — End of Page 2 of 2 Pages — End of Chapter 4
Page —1 — 2
Or This Story’s
Cover Page — Editor’s Introduction — Table of Contents
Fred Gwynn’s “Torpedo 16” — Chapter — 1 — 2 — 3 — 4
Or
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