Sunday in Hell, page 104
On Friday, 20 February 1942, Sara Hill Heaton and Sara Dudley Heaton, wife and daughter of Major Leonard D. Heaton, the Army surgeon at the North Sector General Hospital in Schofield Barracks on 7 December, left Oahu for the mainland on the Lurline. An anguished Dr. Heaton wrote in his diary the night after his wife and daughter departed Honolulu into waters still haunted by Japanese submarine attacks, from an island still deeply worried about another air raid - or worse.
What can I write - all I love near aboard the Lurline at 10:45 AM today. Oh God please please help me to bear up under this cross. And God please be with them every step of the way. Sara Hill held up well and I would have too but Sara Dudley started crying and then I was literally torn to shreds - this is almost like going thru the Valley of the Shadow of death - but I pray God that it is his will that in some distant day we shall draw together again. I can’t write more - tears just can’t be held back.
Three days after they left on the Lurline, Japanese submarine I-17 shelled the oil production facility at Goleta, California, north of Santa Barbara. En route, Mrs. Heaton wrote in her diary, describing the convoy and conditions similar to those experienced by Joey Border and other passengers in the December 1941 convoys. “…9 beds in a stateroom…put on and told to keep on life belts…1700 women - 800 children and quite a number of men…sea sickness…twins and other babies born en route…heard some women lost babies…zigzagging.”
The relatively large convoy she described in part in a simple diagram in her diary included a destroyer in the lead, the President Garfield on the port bow of Lurline; on her starboard bow was the British-owned Curnard Line’s giant, 901 foot-long, 45,647-gross ton SS Aquitania, which took her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England in May 1914, and was built to carry 3,230 passengers as a grand cruise liner.
A cruiser was in the formation, beyond Aquitania, and the President Grant was on the starboard abeam of Lurline. An unnamed transport and another cruiser were off Lurline’s starboard quarter, and the 13,788-gross ton transport USS Wharton (AP-7), was off Lurline’s port quarter. Astern of Lurline came the aircraft transport Kitty Hawk (AKV-1), which in early February had carried a load of airplanes to Pearl Harbor to replace those lost in the 7 December attack - and another destroyer off the starboard quarter of Kitty Hawk. She described Navy and Army airplanes overhead, escorting the convoy from Honolulu “for some distance, then disappeared.” When they were en route the Grant broke down, which slowed progress considerably. Then, because of the submarine threat off the West Coast, the convoy veered considerably off the great circle route, all of which stretched five days into nine. Sara Heaton was heartened and the passengers were cheered considerably to see a Catalina PBY aircraft meet and begin escorting the convoy into its destination.52
Sara Hill Heaton’s husband completed a distinguished 40-year career as a surgeon in the Army, devoting his life to healing and saving the lives of soldiers and their families. The first surgeon in the Army to become a lieutenant general, he was named the Army’s Surgeon General from 1959 to 1969, which spanned in part the Vietnam War. During that period he became President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s personal physician and provided devoted treatment to retired General of the Army Douglas MacArthur in the days before he died in 1964.53
No Greater Love….
By 1 March 1942, approximately 10,000 people were evacuated from Oahu, and some 20,000 more followed safely before the end of the year. The evacuees were convoyed on ships that had taken thousands of American servicemen, their equipment and supplies to Oahu and other huge staging bases building up to prosecute the war in the Pacific.54 The additional 10,000 above original estimates can be accounted for in part by approximately 2,000 Japanese Americans brought to the United States for internment, 1,500 more who volunteered to serve in the armed forces, most in the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regiment.
In World War II, from 7 December 1941 until Japan surrendered 2 September 1945, the United States fought a war lasting 1,364 days, or 44 months and 24 days. American casualties were 435,399 dead, including non-combat deaths and 78,976 missing later declared dead, with 670,846 wounded for a total of 1,106,245. Seen from a different perspective, the nation suffered an average of 319 dead, and total of 811 killed and wounded a day, every day at war.
On 5 January 1941, Karl Frederick Border celebrated his 26th birthday - flying solo out of Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida. His mother, Missy, and his dad gave him a magazine subscription for a gift, and he received a decorated birthday cake from Mary Mather, a young woman who was a long time friend.
Nineteen days later, in Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bob Border said goodbye to his shipmates and was detached from the Tennessee. A few days afterward he and Joey said their goodbyes to Captain and Mrs. Springer, Joey’s parents, and left Seattle by train for Mobile, Alabama, arriving at 1520 hours on 5 February. They were overjoyed to be home. Bob was happily on his way to Naval Aviators’ Training in Pensacola, looking toward a future as a Navy fighter pilot, a dream finally come true. Karl was in Pensacola while they were still en route that morning, and he later remarked in his diary, “…Luckily was able to meet them and we had a big dinner afterward. Sure is good to see Minimus and his 4.0 wife.”
Joey met Bob’s mother and father in person for the first time and was able to stay with them almost a week, which spanned Missy’s birthday. Karl noted they “bought her many fine presents,” and he took her some flowers and a compact. On 11 February Joey and Bob went to Warrington, Florida, near Pensacola, to see the new house Karl had picked out for them at 304 2nd Street. He was delighted to know “[they] like it, thank goodness.”
On 1 April Bob Border flew his first training mission out of Pensacola, and on 4 April, an excited Karl Border, his class having completed its training, remarked in his diary, “Received our wings today! It seems impossible that we are Naval Aviators now but it’s a swell feeling…” Four days later he told his diary, “Bob evidently is getting this flying very well - the little scoundrel is doing as I expected and I expect him to be an ace.” By 8 April, Bob had flown six training missions in the N3N-3, a yellow bi-wing airplane nicknamed by the men who flew it, “The Yellow Peril,” and was enjoying flying immensely. Two days later he soloed, and in his mind flying progressed from enjoyable to exhilarating.
On the 17th Karl wrote, “Had one of the best evenings I’ve ever had tonight. Missy, Dad, and I went to a cocktail party together at Lt. Cmdr Goldenberg’s and afterward to a Mobile Junior League Dance. Missy enjoyed it, I think, and I had a deuce of a good time dancing with her and watching her have a good time.” Two days later - “Said Aloha to Missy, Dad, Bob, Joey, and Bunky [the family air dale dog], and then Margaret, and headed west on a trip I hope will stop by Tokyo. Saw two ships launched at the yard this morning and a photographer took Dad and Bob and my picture.”
He drove through southern Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, arriving in San Diego on 22 April for assignment to the Advanced Carrier Training Group. The Springers were now living in San Diego, as Captain Springer would soon be preparing for further assignment somewhere in the Pacific. When Karl arrived about 9:00 p.m. they greeted him warmly, invited him to stay with them while he looked for an apartment and began advanced carrier qualification training, first in the SNJ-3, then in the Douglas Dauntless dive-bomber, the SBD. They had a room ready to provide him, and the warmth of their reception eased his delighted acceptance of their offer.
On 12 May, the Springers brought him “…lots of nice things,” the beginning of a red letter day. That was the day he met Mary Chubbock, “…a pretty little nurse [at the Navy hospital] who [had] been in England,” during the early days of the war. On the 16th, without elaborating, he noted in his diary, “In the last seven days 5 pilots have been killed in A.C.T.G.” – a measure of the hazards inherent in advanced carrier training, and on the 19th he remarked with obvious pleasure, “Captain Springer made major today, and I’m damn glad!”
Mary Chubbock had attended school in England, and Karl was enthralled with her personality and beauty. During later encounters, including movies, parties, dancing, dinners at restaurants and at the Springer’s home, a whirlwind romance ensued. On Friday, 30 May he proposed to her, and she accepted. Wedding plans proceeded apace, with enthusiastic help from the Springers; a Saturday, 7 June drive to Los Angeles to meet Mary’s mother and father, Bob and Jeanette “Jay” Chubbock; on Sunday eight days later, a day with Mary at the Springers with a phone call and “…wonderful talk with Missy, Dad and Bob.” Then came Friday, 20 June, and the words, “Mary and I were married at eight o’clock tonight by Canon Barnes, making this the happiest day of my life…”
Karl and Mary Border left that night for their honeymoon in Idyllwild, California, and he wrote in his diary the next day, “Idyllwild is a marvelous place - mountains, giant pines, trails, streams - and above all, Mary. Last night was a night of happy and perfect love.” On Monday, he was back on duty, and remarked, “Back to work at North Island and our honeymoon is over - the happiest two days and nights of my life. With Mary as a wife I expect to fly and fight better.”
Six joyous weeks followed their wedding. They moved into their first home on 10 July, described by Karl as a “nifty” apartment at 910 4th Street in San Diego, amid more movies, parties, picnics, swimming, a rodeo; dinners at clubs, restaurants, and with Springers; Charlotte Springer’s silver wedding anniversary, visits with Mary’s family, his discovery that Mary was a “4.0 cook,” his promotion to “full lieutenant,” more flying - which he loved - and all the while Karl’s departure for the Pacific war drew nearer.
On 24 July, still at North Island, Karl and three other pilots from the A.C.T.G. reported to their new squadron, Bombing Squadron Ten, VB-10, a squadron in Air Group 10 - and he met the squadron’s Skipper, Lieutenant Commander Frank T. Corbin, and the Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander James A. Thomas. To Karl, “They both seem fine and it looks like a good outfit.” On Thursday, 30 July, VB-10 bombed a target boat, and Karl was elated by his results, “…I think eight of my ten bombs would have sunk a carrier.” The next day Air Group 10 exercised as a unit three long hours - scouts, bombers, torpedo planes, and fighters. Karl flew again on Saturday, on the wing of the squadron exec, and on Sunday, 2 August, the Group packed all day, ordered to be ready to leave for Hawaii immediately.
On Tuesday evening, Karl and Mary attended a party given by Tom and Shel Gary for all the new “full lieutenants” and their wives in the Naval Academy class of ’39 - the Malones, Harris’s, Millers, Gardners, Nortons, Abbots, Wallaces, MacConnagheys, Kilpatricks, Eckhardts - “before we’re off to war!” as he remarked in his diary. The next day, he wrote, “[In] Coronado. Kissed my Mary ‘Aloha,’ and started for Hawaii and wherever else the war may take us. What a lovely and perfect wife the little gal has been! Took the train with all of A.G. X [10].” The train went to San Francisco, and as soon as it arrived, he went to Vallejo and “Saw Grandma and Aunt Carrie, Elizabeth. Bill and Gail had a nice dinner and he stayed all night.”
The next day, 8 August, he was aboard ship en route to Hawaii when the squadron executive officer told him he would have the additional duty of squadron “Engineering Officer,” the officer responsible for aircraft maintenance. Delighted with his expanded responsibilities, he wrote that night, “…It will be a lot of work but also the best training and I intend to work like hell…”
The roll of a ship under his feet felt good, and on the way he thought of the Tennessee, his leaving her a year earlier - and this had been the best year of his life. The week en route was busy, with briefings and lectures on anti-aircraft artillery, radar, duties of the squadron’s executive officer and commander. Additionally, he practiced sending Morse Code and was becoming proficient. But most of all, he missed Mary. Thought of her. Wrote about her. Wondered what she was doing. He was deeply in love with his wife, wished she were with him. Simply couldn’t think of much else when he had a few free moments.
They arrived in Pearl Harbor on 15 August, and there was the Tennessee. Karl enjoyed a fresh look at her, repaired and fit to fight. But there was no time to lose. The next day the entire squadron was sent to Kaneohe, and they began settling in - until the 18th, when they were told to move again, to Ewa, where training began in earnest. On the 19th VB-10 trekked by highway, over the Pali, and resettled at Ewa. Karl noted “…Hawaii is very changed & warlike…Ewa is about as crude as they make them but will have fun and get started flying at last. Took our desk from Kaneohe. Wrote Missy, Mary, and Mary’s mother by V-[mail].”
In the following week the squadron worked hard to settle in at Ewa, arranged for base support by the Marines, learned their field operating procedures and how Ewa fit in with other airfield operations on the island, organized aircraft operations and maintenance, got oriented on island defenses, gunnery and bombing ranges before beginning flying training on 26 August - the day Karl, now a pilot on a combat aircraft, for the first time got back into the air over Hawaii.
The next day he learned of the first American offensive land campaign of the war, the invasion of Guadalcanal, the beginning of what was to be a long, bloody battle on many islands in the Solomons. Major George Springer was in fact there, in the role of a comptroller and paymaster, and survived the war, although Karl didn’t know for certain Joey’s dad was on Guadalcanal when he wrote the night of the 27th, “Major Springer must be with them, and I hope to hell is all o.k. The Marines are really a damn good outfit and I’m proud of them…” The next evening, after working in squadron engineering, he noted “…some trouble with dirt in the [aircraft] gas coming from heaven knows where.”
Karl had begun receiving letters from Mary within a day or two after the squadron arrived in Pearl Harbor, and the flow of letters continued, with Karl noting he had received more letters from Mary than any other officer in the squadron received from their wives or sweethearts, saying, “[I] get a tremendous thrill out of each one. She is taking care of things in fine shape at home but must be a bit at loose ends so she’s thinking of getting a job. It worries me a little bit but she has lots of sense and will do the best thing I’m sure. Give most anything to have the little sweetheart with me.”
Then came September and a whirlwind of flying training, except on the 7th he managed to get a station wagon and drive to Pearl Harbor and Honolulu, where he bought a jade necklace for Mary’s birthday and mailed it the next day. Dive bombing, glide bombing, gunnery, formation flying and tactics, dive bombing from 16,000 feet - for the first time using oxygen. Target ship attacks from 16,000 two days later. Gunnery missions to give radiomen/gunners in SBD rear seat practice at shooting airborne target sleeves towed by other aircraft. Following a 14 September gunnery mission, he observed, “Margarido, my gunner, did very well on the sleeve and I hope he’ll be able to do as well on the Jap Zeroes…”
The next day Karl was delighted to learn “…Bob got his wings, his lifelong ambition, and I’m very proud and glad. Hope we will be flying together in the not too distant future.” Plans were under way between Mary Chubbock Border in San Diego and Mary Joleen Border in Warrington, Florida. Bob already had orders for Navy North Island. His father had tried to “help him” get his long-dreamed-of fighter assignment, but the Bureau of Personnel needed dive bomber pilots, and he was going to fly the SBD. The two Mary’s agreed Mary Chubbock Border would hold her apartment at 910 4th Street in San Diego for Mary Joleen Border and Bob, and Karl’s Mary would go visit and personally introduce herself to Captain and Missy Border in Mobile, for an overdue visit and “get acquainted” period. A perfect arrangement, and a way for Bob and Joey to avoid house hunting when time together was already scarce.
Joey pins on Bob Border’s Navy wings of gold, Pensacola, Florida, September 1942. Borders’ Collection.
Since the day Karl came into VB-10 at San Diego’s Naval Air Station North Island, his squadron commander and executive officer had been observing and evaluating the performance of every officer, pilot, radioman/gunner, petty officer and sailor in the squadron, to organize and develop the most cohesive, effective combat squadron they could. On September 18, he received a pleasant surprise. “I have been given the second division, quite some responsibility. Am going to have to whip the boys into shape for a quick, accurate dive bombing attack and a tight defense against Zeroes.” He would be leading three two-plane sections in combat. “It’s a hell of a responsibility and a great privilege. We had a night of flying tonight.” This was the prelude to night practice carrier landings.
In the days ahead he began welding his division into a team. On the 22nd, he tested his “permanent plane, B-7 [Bureau Number 40 6654], and found it pretty good. Took the lads around the island, through the clouds, close to the surf; tail chased & dive bombed.” The next day he flew a scouting hop with his new wingman, Bob “Hoot” Gibson. “Bob is a veteran with two subs to his credit and is an excellent flier and a good fellow.” The 24th Karl put the second division “through a good workout - clouds, surface flying - the boys are learning to fly tight.” And then he added, “The moon is full and miss Mary more than ever. How I wish we were together.”
26 September 1942. Barbers Point, TH - My darling Mary sent me two letters, and I’ve been happy all day. Her brother Bob is going to prep school in Long Beach and I hope will get an appointment to the Academy. Each day I miss Mary more and more and I long to be back with her. It will be more wonderful than anything else in my life when I can get back to her.
He continued to work hard to weld his second division into a strong unit within VB-10. On Sunday, the 27th, he drew a truck from the motor pool and took 12 “boys” to Pearl Harbor. Knowing it wouldn’t be long until the squadron was aboard an aircraft carrier, they looked at the “Big E” - the Enterprise - the battleship South Dakota, and the carrier Saratoga - and then it was off to Oahu Country Club for 18 holes of golf. The artist came out in him again when he observed, “Nussover valley was shrouded in clouds and mist, a beautiful contrast to the blue sky over Honolulu and the Aloha Tower. Wrote Mary and Missy and Dad, wished I were with my wife.”
