tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324176019881275668.post7715647153005858899..comments2023-11-03T06:19:27.550-07:00Comments on Remembering World War Two Airmen: F6F Hellcat Carrier Story and Videor morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12147514874434254047noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324176019881275668.post-27148202665436871552020-04-24T17:52:10.369-07:002020-04-24T17:52:10.369-07:00Thanks Barrett. I had no idea. Thanks Barrett. I had no idea. r morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12147514874434254047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324176019881275668.post-84114900656954405202020-04-24T17:31:55.525-07:002020-04-24T17:31:55.525-07:00Coming all these years later, it's high time t...Coming all these years later, it's high time to note that Andy Cowan was a phony. <br /><br />The only Andrew Cowan appearing on wartime Naval Registers was born in 1896. You can do the math...<br /><br />No US Navy fighter pilot of that name scored any aerial victories in WW II (see Dr. Frank Olynyk's encyclopedic compilation), and as former secretary of the American Fighter Aces Assn I can say that no genuine aviators ever heard of him. His claim of 4.5 victories was intended to skate under the "ace radar," not realizing that it's called The Information Age for a reason. <br /><br />I knew Jimmy Thach (not "Thatch") and Dave McCampbell well. Neither ever mentioned a Cowan.<br /><br />Additionally, it was impossible to have four carriers sunk beneath anyone (and which were they?) because there was no time or opportunity to transfer among them. (The record was two.) Interesting that the ships are not identified, nor are any of Cowan's purported squadrons.<br /><br />Cowan lifted photos of "himself" from John Lundstrom's "First Team" series by placing his name upon genuine aviators for school presentations. <br /><br />The pilot of Hellcat no. 30 was Ensign Alden Mortimer of Fighting Squadron One aboard the second Yorktown (CV-10) in June 1944. I have the serial number in the notes for my 2005 book "Clash of Carriers: The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot." Mortimer died in Oregon in 2001; Cowan stole his valor.<br /><br />Furthermore, Cowan was not "the longest serving navy fighter pilot of WW II." That distinction belonged to Lt. Cdr. Cleo Dobson who survived the USS Enterprise flight into Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941 and shot down one of the last Japanese planes of the war on VJ Day, August 15, 1945. Another Pearl survivor was Lt Cdr Jim Daniels who led a Hellcat squadron at the same time as Dobson.<br /><br />Every aviator in the Pacific Fleet served under Nimitz and most of them under Halsey--Cowan's claimed record is in no way remarkable in that regard.<br /><br />When the aces assn. made the facts known around 2007, some of Cowan's fans were livid, refusing to believe that they had been sandbagged by a complete phony. But it's happened before and it's happened since, largely because of naive or lazy newspaper reporters and editors.<br /><br />You might want to consider removing the Cowan portion of the blog in order to honor the sacrifices and the service of genuine WW II heroes.Barrett Tillmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03425564115230375081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324176019881275668.post-42201415720746542132008-02-28T21:17:00.000-08:002008-02-28T21:17:00.000-08:00Hi Jams.You know, i am going to be in England in J...Hi Jams.<BR/>You know, i am going to be in England in June this year, researching a book on the 95th Bomb Group. I look forward to seeing some of the bases in East Anglia.<BR/>Robr morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12147514874434254047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6324176019881275668.post-54230750610403846222008-02-28T08:02:00.000-08:002008-02-28T08:02:00.000-08:00A remarkable man indeed. Thanks for posting the fi...A remarkable man indeed. Thanks for posting the film footage. A different air force but I would guess you would enjoy the Pathfinder Day at RAF Wyton in England. I've gone with my dad on a number of occasions . It's always a great day. I am so impressed at the way young RAF personnel hold the WWII vets in such high regard.jams o donnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17315325008175184363noreply@blogger.com