"All the Glory"

Along with many first blows of war, the U.S. was given its first individual heroes last week. They were flyers.

If heroism can be compared, the most illustrious of America's first heroes was Captain Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. His citation was recorded in a single pregnant sentence of a communique issued by General Douglas MacArthur: "General MacArthur announced with great sorrow the death of Captain Colin P. Kelly Jr.. who so distinguished himself by scoring three direct hits on the Japanese capital battleship Haruna, leaving her in flames and in distress."

Pilot Kelly probably never returned to his base. A 26-year-old West-Pointer, he was the first Army officer to fly the Boeing Flying Fortress in the Far East. He possibly flew one to his death in the attack on the Haruna. His wife, in Brooklyn with her parents, took the news dry-eyed. She told reporters: "Please, when you write, write only of what Captain Kelly has done, not of me, not of Corkey [their 18-month-old son]. For it is Captain Kelly who deserves all the praise, all the glory." Praise and glory aside. Captain Kelly had promptly shown that American aviators do not spot any courage even to the Japanese suicide squads.

Other first heroes, their deeds:

> Lieutenant Clarence A. Keller, 31-year-old Kansas Navy flyer. He sighted a Japanese battleship, trailed her. despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, until other planes arrived, and scored one, possibly two direct hits.

> Lieutenant Boyd D. Wagner, 25-year-old Army flyer from Pennsylvania. Five Japanese fighters attacked him over Aparri, Hawaii. He shot down two, machine-gunned twelve other Japanese planes on the ground, left five of them burning.

> Naval Flyer Lieutenant Harman T. Utter, who attacked three Japanese fighters alone. He shot down one, the other two fled. He landed on the sea with engine trouble, taxied to land fixed his engine, returned to his base the next day.

> Six Filipinos of a flight led by Captain Jesus Vallamor. Over Batangas, near Manila, Villamor's flight ran into two flights (27 each) of Japanese bombers. The Filipinos attacked, shot down two and broke up the Japanese formations. Manila reports indicated that Villamor and Lieutenant Caesar Basa were cited for bravery.

There may be more illustrious, more spectacular acts as the war develops, but deeds of America's first heroes will compare with any. Inexperienced in combat, surprised and not entirely prepared, they more than held their own against long experienced Japanese pilots.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.