1st Lt. D. O. White
47th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group
1st Lt. D.O. White joined the 47th Fighter Squadron in May of 1944. Flying the P-47 from Bellows Field, Hawaii, White first piloted the P-51 in mid-November, 1944. After arrival on Iwo Jima in March, 1944, his first mission was on the 9th of the month, in which he dropped two 500 pound bombs and strafed Japanese positions on the northwestern tip of Iwo Jima. He noted blowing a top off a pillbox during that attack and taking small arms fire from the Japanese soldiers below. His first VLR mission on April 16th lasted 7 hours and 45 minutes, which was a fighter sweep on Kanoya Airfield in Japan. Tragically, White took part in the June 1st ‘Black Friday’ mission as it would later be called. The mission was set as a B-29 escort to Osaka, Japan. Assigned that day as a backup in the reserve flight, after several P-51’s aborted, White joined the 78th FS as part of Red flight. He flew the wing of Lt. Col. Thomas in the flight. About 150 miles south of the target, the navigating B-29s and P-51’s ran into an immense weather front. As chaos ensued with the aircraft entering the heavy front, some aircraft tried to climb, while others tried turning around. White was never heard from or seen again. Thomas thought that one of the 506th FG P-51’s, which spun right through their flight, might have hit White and taken him down. Along with White, twenty-four other pilots were lost that day.
Included below are original photographs, documents, pages from his flight logbook, as well as some items from during his stateside training.
A proud pilot
Letter congratulating White's parents on being selected to flight school.
White and his mother. She was very vocal about not knowing for so long what happened to her son, writing the Army and even the president about the issue.
White and his father.
Cover of White's graduating yearbook from Luke Field in 1944.
Flight card from training
Official USAAF photo.
White sitting in a P-47, presumably on Hawaii.
The 47th FS pilots who participated in the June 1st mission. White is standing 2nd from the left on the back row.
Inside cover of White's log book.
Entries of White's logbook. Interestingly enough, a normal entry is missing but these 'notes' for missions are included.
Another entry from White's logbook, showing him participating in the first ever mission from Iwo Jima, which actually was an attack on Japanese held areas of the Island.
A 47th FS mission report from May 25, 1945. White was on this mission in Yellow Flight. (page 2)
A 47th FS mission report from May 25, 1945. White was on this mission in Yellow Flight. (page 1)
A letter home confirming White's passing.
Letter and envelope detailing White's award of the Purple Heart.
Award of the Air Medal, posthumously.