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Ford Island Research Paper

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On August 8, 1943, after a 7 day voyage from San Diego, the U.S.S Long Island (CVE-1) arrived at Ford Island , Pearl Harbor. LONG ISLAND was the U.S. Navy’s first escort carrier and carried on board the aircraft and crews of the U.S. Marine Corps first night fighter squadron (VMF(n) -531). Once docked at Ford Island the squadron’s six PV-1, twin-engine night fighters were unloaded, and the crews disembarked to fly their fighters onto the Marine Corps Air Station at Ewa, located on the nearby island of Oahu. On August 19, VMF(N)-531 took off from Ewa, and after a 3000 mile island-hopping trip, arrived at Espiritu Santo in the New Herbrides islands on August 25. On September 11, the squadron flew to its final destination at Banika in the RusselL …show more content…

Carey describes in his book “ PV Ventura/Harpoon Units of WW II”, “Night fighting was a complicated undertaking which involved not only the aircraft and crew, but a ground controller (Ground Control Intercept (GCI), using a mobile scr-527A radar) whose task it was to guide the aeroplane to the interception point, where the PV-1 radar operator took over locating the “bogey” (enemy aircraft)”. Staff Sgt. Ralph W. Emerson of Minot, Maine was one of the first marines to be trained and assigned as a PV-1 radar operator. Ssgt. Emerson joined the Marine Corps in September, 1941, and after basic training at Parris Island, he was sent to aviation and radar school. He was eventually assigned to VMF(N)-531, and made the journey with the squadron to Banika. On September 16, 1943 two PV-1’s took off from Banika on a training flight to test the Ground Control Intercept radar. After the two planes were in the air, an enemy threat caused the training to be postponed. Piloting one of the PV-1’s was the squadron commander Major Schwable, after being notified of the enemy threat he took a course back to the base at Banika and radioed the other pilot Lt. John E. Mason. Shortly after, all radio and radar communication ceased from Lt. Mason. A search was conducted the next day, but no trace of the plane was ever found. Missing along with Lt. Mason was his radar man Ssgt. Ralph Emerson , and gunner Cpl.

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