— from Uncle Harry Patton —
I have often been accidentally in strange places and in unusual situations. This is one of them. A moment in time. I was there.
The entire tale of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance will be shown Sunday night, tomorrow, on the History Channel, at 6 p.m. local.
In July, 1945 our Navy Carrier Group, CAG-21, was temporarily stationed on the famed Suicide Cliff on the Island of Saipan. It was Boondoxia, no fresh water, except from rusty Quonset Hut roofs. The Japanese were shooting down at us from Marpi Mountain, but the Marines had it under control.
The Officer’s Club was on the south end of the island next to the run-down Garapan Town and hard to get to. It was on Tanapag Harbor, which was loaded with carriers and ships ready to leave soonly to move north and invade Japan. It opened at 2:00 and closed at 6:00 only one day a week. Ya gotta BE there!
Al and I were sitting in the dirt smoking cigarettes when two young local women came up to us attempting to sell us beads and trinkets which they had made. It was difficult conversing with them as they only spoke in their ethnic Chimorrow language, and Japanese, and pidgin English.
The subject of Amelia Earhart came up. One woman, approximate age 22, described to us seeing Amelia in 1937, when she was at that time age 14, through the second-floor window of the nearby rotting hotel. She never saw her again. She heard the Japanese speak of her as “the flying lady.”
Al and I went over to the run-down hotel, carefully moving up the rickety stairs, and into the corner bedroom. Had Amelia actually been in this room? No one knows, it has never been proven.
But it’s kinda fun for me to think that I had actually been in the room which Amelia had been held in.
Much research has been carried on in this regard over these many years. But nothing has actually been proven. Be sure and watch tomorrow.
It seems that there are important historical memories and treasures on many islands – even on Orcas.
Thanks Harry for being part of bringing world history into our little island world.
Spectacular doecumentary. It made me sad to think Amelia may have survived there, only to have died, beheaded with so much potential.
Their research was thorough and their conclusions credible. Though not definitive, it led me to believe that she did survive only to be captured, Imprisoned, and finally murdered. Sad ending. However, our government abandoned her to rot in that Oregon hell. The government let her down, let the country down, by hiding the truth and distorting history. As a scenario, I believed it, thought it was very credible, and now it feels complete. We can finally close the book on this amazing woman’s story. Mystery Solved!
Dang! I meant “horrible hell”. Interesting error by my iPad.
Spectacular doecumentary. It made me sad to think Amelia may have survived there, only to have died, beheaded. She was so young with much potential.
Their research was thorough and their conclusions credible. Though not definitive, it led me to believe that she did survive only to be captured, Imprisoned, and finally murdered. Sad ending. However, our government abandoned her to rot in that horrible hell. The government let her down, let the country down, by hiding the truth and distorting history. As a scenario, I believed it, thought it was very credible, and now it feels complete. We can finally close the book on this amazing woman’s story. Mystery Solved!
Keep sharing your wonderful stories, CMDR Patton. We enjoy them all.