How 7 American Pilots Risked Everything To Protect Pearl Harbor

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This follows the stories of the seven American pilots that actually made it into the air in their P-40 and P-36 fighters and defended Pearl Harbor. This was made using the World War II flight simulator War Thunder. Hope you enjoy! Please like, comment, and subscribe. #WW2 #WWIIHistory #WarThunder
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[@TJ3]

Get 20% off + free international shipping @manscaped with code TJ3HISTORY at manscaped.com/tj3history #manscapedpartner

[@davidspencer8373]

Like video

[@thomaswhiddon7638]

Any man that strapped on a P-40 to enter combat with hundreds of Zeros already airborne deserve the Medal of Honor ........... at least.

[@jameseubanks1817]

P-40 hater! No P-51s were available.

[@FoxHillian]

Agreed

[@thomaswhiddon7638]

@@jameseubanks1817 The P-40 is one of my favorite planes of that era. but it was a bit outclassed by Zeros coming from above Most of the P-40s that taxied were destroyed on their take off roll or shortly thereafter. I am not really talking about the planes.......my point is about the kind of men those pilots were.

[@DennisAllen-oy7gi]

No shit !

[@DD-uf2uo]

I AGREE with you. You fight with what you have. .

[@ZaqDotHack]

There was another fascinating, unsung person in Pearl Harbor, that day. A guy named Frontino: a colorblind mechanic who was happy to serve his country any way he could even if he "would never see combat." During the opening of the attack, he said that some younger guys were giggling. This is apparently a common reaction to unexpected incoming fire, and Frontino started barking orders (he was not an officer) at some of the stunned kids scrambling around. That small gang went to the armory, grabbed a machine gun and bullets, and headed to the roof of one of the buildings. They were some of the first to return fire, that morning, and even managed to splash a plane before the first wave was over.

[@vaishakhsubin5545]

Just a minor correction: Both Welch and Taylor were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (the second-highest American military decoration) for their heroism during the attack on Pearl Harbor, not Silver Star.

[@TJ3]

Totally thought I said this. If I didn't then it was my mistake.

[@texasrockshillcountry6574]

I wished the President or higher ranking officers would have overrode those asinine charges and let Welch and Taylor be acknowledged for their heroism!

[@MVStarCatcher]

​@@texasrockshillcountry6574 I totally agree, in the face of their own stupidity these two men were Heroes

[@majic5zero]

Great video, but...one more correction needs to be made. Haleiwa field is pronounced Ha' - lay - ee' - va, not Ha - lay' - va. I live not very far away from there.

[@donoberloh]

The land masses are incorrect for bellows

[@RogueAce93]

This is why I idolize the airmen of the 2 world wars! They had nerves of steel and didn’t let rules and regs stop them from doing what they were trained and willing to do when they needed to! Thanks for another great vid, TJ!

[@JiaruiChen_]

Idk they seem like fools.

[@ButcherBird-FW190D]

@@JiaruiChen_ No, they were brave young men who acted to defend themselves, and their country.

[@OvelNick]

​@@ButcherBird-FW190D I think, in all honesty, it's fair to say foolish is part of the recipe that makes them heroic. War is a young man's game. There's nothing like a little blissful ignorance along side dogged determination and heart.

[@ButcherBird-FW190D]

@@OvelNick Extremely well put, Boss.

[@mypl510]

Quick side note, George Welch sadly he died while testing an F-100 Super Sabre. Also, he was reputed to have broken the sound barrier before Yeager, while doing a shallow dive in an F-86 Sabre.

[@Pgb633]

Thats false the F-100 Super Sabre was first used in 1953 , and the first supersonic flight happened in 1947

[@bradleybarnhart4188]

Respectfully, Mr. Bruma, I have no idea which statement is true, however mypl510 did not say the sound barrier was broken in a F-100, so the Super Sabre's first flight is irrelevant.

[@Pgb633]

@@bradleybarnhart4188 yea , i was sure that what mypl510 was fake

[@Pgb633]

@@bradleybarnhart4188 and now i realised i said F-100 instead of F-86 , but my point still stands

[@Nico9472_]

So, George Welch did break the sound barrier with an F86 Sabre, but it wasn't before Yeager did so in the X1; George Welch broke the sound barrier on 26 April 1948 with the F86.

[@larrytate5605]

glad we had those kind of guys for WW2,..........balls of steel.

[@TJ3]

Historical notes - First off, I believe there was one more pilot that got airborne in a P-36, 2nd Lt. Malcolm Moore - For some reason, there is very little info on him. He did not score any kills, so I did not include him but he certainly still deserves appreciation. Also, I believe all P-40s here would have been C models, but E models are used in this recreation, as it is the closest I had. Finally, I was limited in my skins, so some of the P-40s may have repeat identification numbers on the sides but I did my best. Hope you guys enjoy! Please consider supporting me on Patreon here: Patreon.com/TJ3History and make sure to also check out Stories Behind the Stars here: www.storiesbehindthestars.org/

[@butchyshoe]

No apologies, you did a fantastic job in this presentation. I've watched it a few times.

[@TJ3]

@@butchyshoe thank you!

[@nd_gunslinger_6264]

I wish I wasn't working so much, I have the premium P40C along with most of the P40's in the game from all of the countries that have them in the tech tree in War Thunder as well as Rasmussen's P36 (if you can't tell the P40 is one of my favorite fighter aircraft) and I belong to the discord, naybe next time I could come fly for you guys

[@richsmith7200]

How do you guys do such great work? I'm a complete idiot when it comes to this stuff. I'd be reduced to airplane models on strings......like an 'Ed Wood' level of production. Beautiful work.

[@78tag]

Great job. No worries about minor inaccuracies - it's not like there was a team there doing a documentary. We got the idea. Thanks for letting people know about some of the info that gets left out of typical history recollections - I guess we will have to go elsewhere to get the real story about the idiots who where running the show in those days (much like the ones we have now - all you have to do is look at Afghanistan to see that picture).

[@steveh1792]

Back in the early 90s a cache of Pearl Harbor-related pictures and written material that had not previously been published was collected for public presentation. I was lucky enough to attend the presentation in San Jose, CA, and meet several veterans there. The high point for me was talking to Harry Brown, who came across as a very humble, likable man. Not many of them left today.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

This men deserved the Medal of Honor.

[@MUSTANG_P51]

11:42 I first heard about the story of these two men on Yarnhub. The fact that Welch wasn’t given the Medal of Honor is dumb. It doesn’t even matter if he and Taylor took off without authorization. Enemy planes were attacking and they needed to defend the harbor and their home airfield.

[@kittyhawk9707]

yeah these same "Jobsworths" that refused him his Medal of Honour ironically probably ordered all the fighters grouped together to save them from sabotage.. then get pissed when they all get blown up on mass .. You cannot really make it up ..but sadly it happened .

[@MegaDirtyberty]

What's even more amazing is these boys were in their late teens, early twenties. You won't see that with today's lot.

[@2000ViperGTSsubscribe]

Yes, all they need to do now is use the wrong pronoun and our "men" will run crying. I'm a veteran and sickened with what they have done to the US military-we are not ready for anything anymore. I her what is happening now to our troops, it is a joke and like many veterans I would actively discourage people to join now.

[@spartan2767]

I disagree sir , your assuming by the notion of the news , the young men today would an probably be be more killers,or brave than them , their mind set an intellectual fortitude is beyond the earlier ones ,they’d be a wall of heated will. Take heed in what you say ,you belittle the youth of this country.

[@captaintoyota3171]

​@2000ViperGTS hey just because like 1% are not the same as your generations sexuality doesnt mean our military is broken. Look at u.k. they r a shadow of what they where 40yrs ago. Just because we allow a small % ITS A SMALL % that identify as lgbtq doesnt mean we dont still have honorable strong young ppl. Hard times breed hard men, hard men make soft times, soft times breed soft men, and then some tipping point restarts the cycle. EVERY generation thinks new one is weaker and a joke. Im sure ww1 vets thought kids in 40s where weaker too

[@Chilly_Billy]

The P-36 displayed at the Museum of the United States Air Force is painted to represent Rasmussen's ship. He's there too, climbing into the cockpit in his striped pajamas.

[@roedere]

Always great info and storytelling! FYI- I was stationed in Hawaii and went out and found the location of the old Haleiwa (“Holly Eva”) field.

[@TJ3]

That is awesome!

[@timmashburn9592]

Yes, note pronunciation guide Erich gave. Haleiwa is also a town and a center for N. Shore surfing.

[@T_bone]

Ha lay eeeeva.

[@qtrendsetter3853]

I'll be going to Hawaii next summer. I'll make sure to go find this historic place..

[@T_bone]

There are a couple of places there. Not much left. Years ago there was still a piece of a plane at Barbers Point Airfield. The fortified buildings at Pearl Harbor near the dry dock still have cannon strikes on them.

[@HornetCinematics]

It was fun making footage for this video, thanks for the opportunity TJ!!!

[@kahoki]

Am glad to see the greater recognition of US Army Air Corp and USN pilots and the number of US planes that were in the skies over Pearl Harbor, as the civilian aircraft, B-17s, and Taylor & Welch serving as an amalgamation of the contributions of them has been what was most commonly known from what was presented in Tora, Tora, Tora.

[@SUPRAMIKE18]

Surely George Sterling can be found, the wreck can't be too far from the island.

[@TJ3]

This was my thought as well

[@janiceduke1205]

Lt. Gordon H. Sterling, Jr.

[@scottwatrous]

Having build a replica of his fighter, I think it would be a great project to try and locate the wreck. Unfortunately it seems no-one has much idea where exactly it went down so I rekon it would involve a pretty serious survey to try and find it. He had a similar story to the first pilot mentioned, where he raced to the field in his brand new Buick and took some strafing fire for his trouble. The family still has his car in their possession.

[@TJ3]

@@scottwatrous well my end goal here with the channel is doing that kind of stuff, so hopefully we can eventually!

[@onebridge7231]

Harder than you think. If he crashed over the islands shelf it could be hundreds to a thousand feet underwater and after 80 years buried by silt from the island. It’s just a big mountain sticking out of the ocean with very steep drop offs.

[@codyhilton1750]

Great story. True heros. Just imagine if we had been able to get our planes in the air and the outcome of the battle?

[@andymcevoy7822]

Great video! Looking for an idea? I remember reading about a USMC pilot of Guadalcanal who ran out of ammo. The pilot got directly above a low flying Japanese plane, and kept knocking him down with his fuselage until the plane crashed into the ocean. The event was witnessed by a bunch of Navy sailors. I wish I remembered the book it was in.

[@jonradimey8452]

App up to up u up

[@jonradimey8452]

😅

[@jonradimey8452]

😅

[@jonradimey8452]

Y😅

[@tkskagen]

How about a Video based "What If" the Radar Station properly read and reported (and was received) situation? Sure beats the depressing reality of what happened originally...

[@jarrodcrandell5391]

Winston Brown was born and raised in my hometown of Amarillo, TX. Everybody called him Harry. Such a crazy cool life…he was BORN to be a fighter pilot. He earned his first airplane ride as a kid by digging up and pulling cactus out of a local grass airfield, and became so determined to fly for the US he had his tonsils pulled after being rejected and then came back to the Army doctor the next day for a re-evaluation! He had just completed becoming gunnery qualified in P-36’s and P-40’s literally less than 24 hours before the attack began. That’s the real reason the small batch of aircraft were available at the subsidiary field of Haleiwa. Fascinatingly, all of the guys who were successful in getting airborne from Haleiwa plus Dianes (Brown’s roommate) were all just wrapping up a near all night poker game at the Wheeler Field BOQ where they all lived. Brown was also clad in a unique flight uniform of tuxedo pants, a Hawaiian pajama top, and house slippers. The very articles he was wearing that day are in display at the USAF museum in Dayton. Amazingly, Brown was able to shoot down both of those aircraft (I believe they were Kates possibly) with only a SINGLE MACHINE GUN. Accounts vary as ti the reason; some versions of the story say time was the boy taken to load one gun before he took off, while others say the first time he pulled the trigger the other 3 jammed. Either way, with marksmanship like that, it’s fitting that Harry Brown was the first Texan to be decorated for bravery in WWII when he was awarded his Silver Star. He later flew with the 475th FG (anybody heard of Richard Bong or Tommy McGuire?) and was that group’s first ace. What a life.

[@michaelmitchell9612]

While stationed at Wheeler Army Airfield 96-99 with 3/4 Cav Ramussen came back to Hawaii. I got to meet him and get him to sign a print of his plane flying over Hawaii.

[@jamesvandemark2086]

As fighter pilots, they lived for this stuff!

[@teedtad2534]

Don't ever tell me these brave Americans deserved the silver medal cause they DESERVED MORE THAN THAT! Glad this video covers their history! So great, so brave! 🙏⭐🙏⭐🙏. All of them! True Americans! War is ugly, nothing about it pretty,. Just BRAVE men like these men need to me remembered!!

[@Spitfiresammons]

We have the only airworthy p-40b 284 that survived the Pearl harbour attack it’s now back in USA where it’s display in American heritage museum today. Ps sad news Johnny Johnson the world last living dambaster veteran has passed away at age 101 RIP.

[@brianmostowy8433]

That's gratitude for you .Help save the the people along side of them then get reprimanded for doing what is right.

[@johnwayne6501]

this is a great story you told as I didn't know about 3 of these unknown pilots. Thanks for sharing this. My first fascination with Pearl harbor was when I was in the 8th grade (1976-77) and I did a history project of making battleship row. Of course there wasn't anything but the USS Arizona on the marketplace so I just modified the others into its ship's name. Got an A+ on it. BTW...can you find out about an attack on Australia by the Japanese where there was a lone P-38 against 100's of attacking enemy? I barely remember the story but time as taken it toll. I think this would be in 1942.

[@RubyBandUSA]

Am so glad that so many of the 7 survived the war

[@lexington476]

Cool video, usually for the pilots that got into the air at Pearl Harbor you only hear about the last two in the video.

[@danor6812]

Being told to stand down while under attack. That is a superior officer just trying to assert his control. I'd like to know what happened to him after the story got out her told the pilots to stand down.

[@Weshopwizard]

I remember when Ben Affleck shot down all those zeros then was on the hull of the Oklahoma. He then went on to fly in the Doolittle Raid. True American hero.

[@gordonv2456]

Nice video. I wonder how the P36's stacked up against the zero? Slower but lighter than the P40 so more maneuverable. I think some of the weight gain on the P40 was for armor so it could take more hits, but the water cooling was more vulnerable. A bunch of US planes got shot up on the ground at Pearl Harbor and the Philippines.

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

Me too; might be a better match?

[@kittyhawk9707]

The P36 was stronger then the Zero , but considerably older and less powerful .. Also The Allies and the US hadn't figured out the tactics to defeat the Zero (boom and Zoom) at that time. The were still trying to turn fight with it . The P36 whilst it was a good aircraft .. was just a little outdated compared to the Zero.

[@christianlibrul]

There might be a reason the Air Corps replaced the P-36s with P-40s. But, then, they didn't have the wisdom of videogamers.

[@honkhonkler7732]

​@@christianlibrulMainly because the P-40 was a lot faster, even with armor and self sealing fuel tanks thanks to a more powerful and aerodynamic inline engine setup compared to the underpowered radial in the P-36.

[@ronmiller9265]

Whiteman AFB in Missouri is named after George Whiteman and is about 20 miles west of his hometown, Sedalia, Mo. This is where the B2 Stealth bombers are based.

[@Bmuenks31]

Yup 509th bomb group flies B-2s, and they even flew the B-29's that dropped the nukes on Japan

[@jonradimey8452]

Up

[@jonradimey8452]

P

[@redtomcat1725]

Thanks 4 remembering Sterling !! There were 2500 heroes that day weather recognized or not !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@frankalley8064]

The last story of the two pilots, were awarded The Distinguish Service Cross for there actions and one did receive a purple heart.

[@daveelsbury7103]

Hi, your videos are great to watch! Just love the history behind them. How about one on the P-38's intercepting and shooting down Yamamoto? I believe his actual Betty wreckage was recently found. Also, the read on Adolf Galland exploits were fascinating. I believe he was shot down a few times in the Battle of Britain.

[@davidkinsey8657]

As far as future videos I think pilots who fought against the odds in the Pacific; Henry Elrod MoH on Wake Island, the torpedo bomber squadrons at Midway, and the pilots of the Cactus Airforce at Guadalcanal.

[@nighthawk8053]

Just like my uncle who flew B-25's in the Pacific, they were very brave and didn't hesitate to do there job ,and do it well! Bravo to the greatest generation ! 👍🇺🇸

[@brokenbridge6316]

This video was a delight to watch. I love it when lesser known people get the recognition they deserve.

[@texasrockshillcountry6574]

I was REALLY peeved to hear that Welch and Taylor were reprimanded by "senior officers" for not getting their permission after they shot down six enemy aircraft!

[@brokenbridge6316]

@@texasrockshillcountry6574---I can see that

[@markdavis9148]

Harry and his wonderful wife Sylvia were my across-the-street neighbors in Alamo Ca, when I was in high school in the late 1960's, and they became life-long friends. Harry was a great man- smart, humble and kind. On December 7th, there was some sort of Officer's Club party, he had been up all night and was finally back at his accommodations relaxing that morning with some other pilots, partially dressed in his Officer's uniform, when the attack happened. They could tell right away that there wouldn't be any planes available in Honolulu, but there were some airfields on the other side of the island, where they maybe could take off. So he and another pilot hopped into Harry's brand new car and drove towards Wheeler Field. A Japanese pilot saw them driving, and kept strafing them. But the pilot made a game out of it, and tried to shoot them from the side, which was much more difficult than shooting them from behind. After several passes the pilot gave up and flew away. Harry was real happy that his new car didn't get shot up. Did I say that Harry was a great man? Harry was a great man.

[@RANDALLBRIGGS]

Contrary to the narration, 1st Lt. Lewis Sanders was not the C.O. of the 46th Pursuit Squadron. He might have been a flight leader, but his Silver Star citation reads: "for gallantry in action while serving as a Pilot with the 46th Pursuit Squadron."

[@oscarantoniomoreno5247]

Brave, brave, brave fellows.

[@บุญธรรมทวีบุรุษ]

Imagine you fight so hard and bravery then gunned down by your own side.

[@captaintoyota3171]

I wana fly these planes..... back when it was visually on you in the cockpit. What courage it took to rush to a plane in this attack. That car how did that guy make it to the airport? Incredible

[@petercole8798]

Great vid. Now cover what was going on on Honolulu and the other islands the night of Dec 7 1941. Very much overlooked in our Military History .

[@davidkinsey8657]

There were also 7 SBDs from the Enterprise that were shot down that day, some from friendly fire and some from enemy action.

[@rileycpo]

8:48 Rasmussen giving them "The Bird" ! Where are Hero's like that today? Those Officers that told them not to go up and fly should have been put in the Brig. All enemies foreign and domestic!

[@scottwatrous]

Looks like he's got his fingers crossed on both hands, showing that luck was on his side, with all those holes and all.

[@heatmizer-jim6762]

Thank you for these great stories! And thank you, Stories Behind the Stars!

[@jonathanbair523]

Do not forget, the USS Ward a old WWI destroyer was coming into Pearl Harbor after fishing her parole just outside of the harbor... She got a report of a parascope was fallowing a gunnery target being pulled into the harbor. She later found a IJN mini sub that was partly surfaced. She opened up with her 4 inch guns first 2 shots missed and 3rd hit at the waterline of conning tower. The sub dived and she sank it......I can not remember if that was hours before the attack or day before, but I want to say the morning of hours before the attack.....One of the Wards main guns is at the Minnesota state capital, I remember meeting one of the gunners and he was telling me how to use the gun back in 91... In the early 2000's they found the shipwreck of the sub that the Ward had sunk...... Also do not forget the new radar station that was set up on top of a mountain/hill top that spotted the IJN flight of aircraft that was flying in... The reported it but the guys in the office said it was a flight of B-17's that was expected coming in from the North East, where the INJ aircraft was coming in from the North West.....

[@lewiskemp5893]

I really enjoyed this one. I knew of the others but was nice to hear their stories

[@KyleCowden]

I've stayed at Bellows for vacation. Quite possibly the most beautiful location on Oahu.

[@monkeystank5241]

That air field located on the NW of Oahu is actually pronounced: Holly-ee-vah. Great video.

[@michaelmckinnon2906]

The aircraft at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 were Boeing B-17Bs, B-17Cs, Consolidated PBY-3s, PBY-4s, Curtiss P-36s, P-40Bs and P-40Cs on the US side and Aichi D3A1s, Nakajima B5N1s, and Mitsubishi A6M2s on the Japanese side. P-36s were then modern fighters and were actually still being built in newer variants. It's pronounced Holly Ava rather than huh lay wha (Marine Corps Air Field though damned if I remember how it's spelled)

[@nabeelflear975]

I'm a South African and I love your videos. I was wondering if you could make a video of either South African Ace Sailor Malan or the highest scoring commonwealth Ace Pat Pattle

[@videoeditingprojects2355]

Hey man! AMAZING video!! Just one point, I thought the last 2 pilots received the Distinguished Service Cross? Not the Silver Star. Just a small thing. Amazing video. Please keep making them!!!

[@TJ3]

I believe you are correct I meant to say that.

[@videoeditingprojects2355]

@@TJ3 ah ok. All good bro. Please keep making these!!

[@blainelytle341]

Thank you for telling us about history that until now 80+ years afterwards has not been made available to the majority of Americans ! I'm the soon of a WW2 veteran and this is the first time I've heard that we had Aircraft that engaged in air combat at Pearl Harbor !

[@gmfraizer73]

As always, I loved this! I understand that one of the P-36s that flew at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 is still in flying condition.

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

Really?

[@kittyhawk9707]

And an original surviving P40C .. the only one

[@philly0976]

Such incredible bravery!

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

Someone needs to find Stirling’s P-36!

[@rachelle8534]

Thanks for the video TJ

[@jeremymorse1123]

The last 2 stories I learned about through Simple History or Yarnhub both do really well and are accurate, but yours is good too.

[@garygaray3633]

Lts Taylor and Welch did not get Silver Stars as mentioned in this video. While their Medal of Honor nominations were rejected on ridiculous grounds, they both were awarded Distinguished Service Crosses. This medal is right below the Medal of Honor. While many attempts have been made to upgrade the medals of these two heroes, for whatever reason, we still wait. In any event, these two pilots deserve the proper recognition. God bless them and their families.

[@harrymiram6621]

FYI....Correction @ #3 involving Taylor/Welch....Haleiwa=Hah-lay-ee-vah. Still, better than average presentation than most other entries

[@vintageguitarz1]

It wasn't just the 2 pilots from Haleiwa Auxiliary Airfield with P-40's Far more in P-36's took off from Wheeler USAAC Field. At Wheeler Field, 2nd Lt. Philip M. Rasmussen was attired in purple pajamas, struggling with fellow pilots to arm and fuel Curtiss P-36 Hawk fighters of the 15th Pursuit Group. With bombs falling around them, four pilots got into the air just as the second wave of Japanese warplanes approached Kaneohe Bay. The P-36 was no match for the Zero, or even for the P-40, but it was the assigned aircraft and the only thing readily available. “We climbed to 9,000 feet and spotted Val dive bombers,” Rasmussen remembered later. “We dived to attack them.” Pearl Harbor P-36s and P-40s (left center) still undamaged at burning Wheeler Field during the early phase of the attack. National Archives photo Led by 1st Lt. Lewis M. Sanders and Rasmussen among the four pilots, the P-36s engaged the Japanese aircraft. Sanders got on the tail of one and shot it down. Moments later, 2nd Lt. Gordon H. Sterling, Jr., downed a Japanese aircraft but then was downed at sea and lost his life. Just before witnessing Sterling’s death, Rasmussen charged his guns only to have them start firing on their own. While the pajama-clad pilot struggled to stop his guns from firing, a Japanese aircraft passed directly in front of him and exploded. Shaking off two Zeros on his tail, Rasmussen got his guns under control, raked another Japanese aircraft with gunfire, then felt himself taking hits from a Japanese fighter. “There was a lot of noise,” he said. “He shot my canopy off.” Rasmussen lost control of the P-36 as it tumbled into clouds, its hydraulic lines severed, the tail wheel shot off. He did not know it yet, but two cannon shells had buried themselves in a radio behind his pilot’s seat. The bulky radio had saved his life.

[@aidanlouw4274]

Great video TJ3 History

[@beverlychmelik5504]

Kenneth Taylors son became a pilot in the airforce and ended his carreer as the Adjutent General in the Alaska National Guard as a 2 star.

[@IndianaDiecastRacing]

we're under attack! but make sure you get proper authorization, sign out your aircraft, and brush your teeth before taking off! 😂😂

[@marydesmond9595]

oh yeah...and take off your pajamas and put on a nicely starched uniform so if you die, you will look like a RESPECTABLE soldier.

[@rebvny]

Thank you for another excellent video; I'm a little confused, though. In the beginning, you said that you would tell the story of 7 pilots. If I am not mistaken, you tell the stories of 9 pilots.

[@TJ3]

7 with kills, two honorable mentions!

[@jimsmith9819]

the supertors that ordered them to stay out of the air should have been court martialed for dereliction of duty

[@ChrisJohnson-ki7dd]

Thank you for such AMAZING STORIES!!!

[@franzs9157]

Enjoyed this story Much Thank you for your work 😊💜

[@butchyshoe]

As a fighter pilot, you most often engage the enemy one on one !! You have to be very cocky to do that !! It's one on one !!!

[@frocat5163]

Gotta love that military bureaucracy. Dude disobeys orders _to fight the Japanese during the attack on Pearl Harbor,_ and the brass, who did a terrible job organizing any kind of resistance to said attack, deny him the MoH because of that insubordination (which likely saved at least a couple of lives).

[@kellyinfanger9192]

Suggestion: Pappy Boyington I bet you could reconstruct a good story from his book: "Baa Baa Black Sheep"

[@SeptonSid]

The beach you shown the crash is MCBH by the looks of it or back then MCAS Kaneohe Bay

[@Ima184mm]

I like the darkness camo with p40

[@jeremiahderosas9355]

They were true heroes

[@scottwatrous]

My father and I built a scale replica of a P-36 as part of a project we call ScaleBirds. We originally wanted to have it painted to match Rasmussen's famous fighter. But then we found out that Lt. Sterling was from Connecticut, which is where we hail from as well; and so when it was pointed out, we knew how we wanted to paint our aircraft to commemorate his role and legacy in the fight. HIs story is interesting in that he 'stole' his fateful airplane from another pilot that was getting ready to fly but had gone back to switch parachutes, at which point Sterling jumped in without one! Unfortunately, there's no good records we could find of which specific aircraft he took, or even which group or squadron it would have been part of. Nor could we find anyone who could dig up what, if any records, might exist of how the specific squadron's aircraft at the time were painted on the day. All we have are images from before, during, and after the battle where we can correlate squadron markings and different paint schemes. What we did learn is that the attack happened during a transition period when legacy aircraft in the traditional polished aluminum with US red white and blue tail flash, were being painted over with the OD and grey scheme that the USAAC had adopted in preparation for a war. So a good number of the P36 aircraft on the islands were painted fully OD with roundels. Some had been painted OD but had kept the original colored tail flash (as US based P40s had been painted until just prior) and some were still in the unpainted, polished aluminum (as Rasmussen's P-36 was during the attack.) It doesn't seem that there's a whole lot of rhyme or reason or consistency to say that on Dec 7 all of a given squadrons' fighters were all in matching colors, nor were crews taking all their aircraft from any one squadron when responding to the attack. Some squadrons probably had been fully painted, some were probably in the middle of transition, and some may not have started to paint their aircraft. Then there's other things like which markings did it have, did his aircraft have any stripes or other unique insignia, it's hard to know. Since Sterling unfortunately went into the sea, if his crash site were to be found at best I think it could only confirm if it had been left unpainted or if they had painted most of the exterior. Which specific scheme beyond that is probably lost to history. Seeing as it's all quite up in the air, or under the sea, we ended up picking a scheme we liked and felt was plausible. And hope to someday find more about Lt. Sterling and what he flew that day.

[@kevinnugent9280]

The P36 was a very capable fighter and could turn with a zero but was under armed at the time the Vichy French actually used them against us in the North African champagne. And the Finns were deadly with them in the Winter war. The Dutch also used them in the Pacific against the Japanese. But were far outnumbered.

[@Bambihunter1971]

Reprimanded those men for taking action... Bureaucracy at its finest.

[@skull3374]

Thank you for this historical video and amazing work!👍❤

[@DrewBlankMusic]

Great episode, thank you for sharing it.

[@40intrepid]

I believe another pilot got airborne in a Seversky P-35 fighter, dont remember his name.

[@frechstudios3129]

You should cover the Philippine Guerillas next! Great videos!

[@alwayssmiley01]

Always a Great watch 👍 Top-Class Upload 😁 Thaaaaaaaaankyou……..

[@TJ3]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@joefaraone977]

Great video! (subscribed!) You might consider the story of the defenders of Wake Island in their F-4F's....

[@davidkeeton6716]

Not fearless, as John Wayne said, Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.

[@pizzaplanettruck9761]

10:02 Unfortunately that Zero made it back. As did the one that attacked Sterling.

[@marcdevereaux9776]

Doesn't make sense that a senior officer would order Welch and Taylor to stand down in the midst of an attack on all the bases. Had to be a rear echelon paper pusher who had no stomach for combat when the rubber hit the road.

[@hodaka1000]

Other American heroes flying P40's took on the Japanese during the first attack on Darwin

[@Paladin1873]

The real Magnificent Seven

[@daleflannery7667]

My family has told me that Moss Flannery who's my grandfather was one of the lucky pilots to get off the ground at Pearl harbor and fight off zeros

[@danielmendoza355]

The A6m zero were not supposed to shoot down the American p40 when the pilot in the p40 tppk off because the usaaf p40 were not the enemy it was the Japanese a6m zero thst was the enemy fighters I'm mad that the Japanese attacked pearl harbor and japan shouldn't done that in the first place

[@garyrunnalls7714]

I hate to hear about officers who reprimanded the pilots for flying and shooting down the enemy on Dec7th 1941, WTF. These guys were heros.

[@carelvanheerden6589]

I don't think people realize how much friendly fire there was in ww1 and ww2.

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@TheChosenOne12848]

We have to give the man credit that we're trying to take off at the airfield in the beginning of the vid

[@bryonhogg485]

Damn - Those guy's had some stones !

[@wr1791]

Took off without authorization, that sounds like the Army I remember

[@texasrockshillcountry6574]

Really? Welch and Taylor shot down six enemy planes reprimanded by senior officers because they didn't their "get permission" to go up there? Geez, some supervisors are in those positions purely by politics, NOT because they were competent or had common sense! If I am a supervisor and we're getting the crap bombed out of us, and you can stop or lessen it, consider yourself permitted! lol The President or somebody who was over those "senior officers" should have overrode those "charges" and let them receive the awards they deserved.

[@JesseOaks-ef9xn]

George Whiteman (pronounced White man) had an airfield named after him. It was originally named the Sedalia Airfield after a nearby town in Central Missouri. Whiteman Air Force base is home for the B-2 bombers. I live 6 years next door to the base.