These US Navy carrier-based fliers, shown May 20, 1944, were among the 22 rescued from the Truk Lagoon by the American submarine Tang during the American attack of the Japanese stronghold on April 29-30.
The submarine, under the command of Comm. Richard H. OíKane of San Rafael, Calif., braved the fire from shore batteries to make the rescues.
Shown left to right are (bottom row): Harry B. Gemmell, aviation radioman 2nd/C of Philadelphia, Pa.; Joseph Hranek, aviation radioman, 2nd/C. of Endicott, N.Y.; James L. Livingston, aviation radioman, 1st/C.of Los Angeles; Joseph Daniel Gendron, aviation machinistís mate, 2nd/C., of Oakland, R.I. Shown in second row, left to right, are Robert William Gruebel, aviation machinistís mate, 1st/C. of Memphis, Tenn.; Robert Edwin Hill, aviation radioman 2nd/C. of Houston, Tex.; Lt. Comm. Richard H. USN; H.A. Thompson, aviation ordnance man, 2nd/C. of San Bernardino, Calif.; Aubrey James Gill, aviation radioman, 2nd/C of Compton, Calif. In third row, left to right, are Ensign Carroll L. Farrell of Ada, Okla.; Lt. (J.G.) James G. Cole,of Killeen, Tex.; Lt. John Joseph Dowdle, Jr. of Wilmette, Ill.; Lt. (J.G.) J.A. Burns of Wynnewood, PA.; Lt. (J.G.) Robert T. Barbor of Rockville Center, L.I., N.Y.; Lt. Harry Edwin Hill of Virginia, Minn.; Lt. (J.G.) Scott Scammell 2nd, of Yardley, PA. In the top row, left to right are d/C., of Portland, Ore.; Lt. (J.G.) Robert F. Kanze, of Freehold, N.J.; Lt. Donald Kirkpatrick, Jr. of Evanston, Ill.; James J. Lenahan, aviation radioman, 2nd/C.of Westfield, N.J.; Comm. A.R. Matter, USN, of Butte, Mont.; Richard L. Bentley, aviation ordnance man, 2nd/C.of Los Angeles, Calif.; Lt. Robert S. Nelson of Great Falls, Mont.
