Vol. 3—No. 30
U. S. NAVY PRE-FLIGHT SCHOOL, CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
Friday, April 13, 1945
Youthful Former Cloudbuster
Captures Honors In Pacific
For distinguishing himself by
heroism and skill in furious bat
tles near the Philippines last
September, Lt. (jg) Evald. Holm-
gaard, of Lynbrook, N. Y., and
a cadet in the 17th Batt here two
years ago, has been awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross and
a Gold Star in lieu of a second
Air Medal.
The 20-year-old flier chalked
up his air victories while serving
With a carrier-based squadron
Which played a major support
ing role in helping to pave the
Way for the Philippine invasion.
His initial encounter came on
Sept. 13 when he was attacked
by a strong interceptor force
While strafing enemy shore in
stallations. In the split-second
action that followed, Lt. (jg)
Holmgaard caught one single
engine Jap fighter in his sights
and sent it down in flames.
Also Has Unit Citation
A week later another hectic
aerial battle developed while he
Was escorting torpedo and
bomber planes on a strike
against Nipponese shipping.
When the battle was over, 10
enemy aircraft had been shot
down and five others listed as
Probably destroyed. The ex-
Cloudbuster was credited with
One interceptor destroyed and
two probables.
He was awarded the Gold Star
|n lieu of a second Air Medal for
his part in the Sept. 13 engage-
hient, and the DFC for his
achievements in the other bat
tle.
In addition to the Philippines,
A^t. (jg) Holmgaard has seen ac
tion in the Marianas, Bonins,
^ew Guinea, and at Truk and
^^alau. He also holds a Presiden
tial Unit Citation.
Corsair
The F4U Corsair, designed and
built by Chance Vought, has a
Maximum speed of over 400
^ph., service ceiling of over 35,-
OOO feet, and maximum range of
^ver 1,500 miles. It can carry
tWo 1,000-lb. bombs, and has six
•50 calibre guns.
^ew Party In Japan
, Washington. (CNS)—Japan
has met the crisis of repeated
haval and military reverses at
the hands of U. S. forces by
torming a new “sure victory”
^arty, the Political Association
Greater Japan.
Lt. (jg) Holmgaard
355 Aviation Cadets
And Student Pilots
New Arrivals Here
Three hundred and fifty-five
aviation cadets and student avia
tion pilots reported aboard at
this Pre-Flight School last week
to fprm a new battalion, the 69th,
or to resume training as re
freshers.
Also during the week a total
of 60 trainees
departed for
primary air
training at the
Naval Air Sta
tion at Bunker
Hill, Ind.
One hundred
and sixty of the
new arrivals
form the 69th
Batt. Of the
remainder, 87 are four-week
refreshers, 82 are 12-week re
freshers, and 26 are 26-week re
freshers.
Open House Scheduled
An “open house” for the 64th
battalion and 11-R-C and 4-R-C
cadets will be held Sunday,
April 15, by girls of Alderman
dormitory.
The party will get under way
at 1500 and continue until 1745.
Dance F or French
Slated Tomorrow
Cadets of the French Units
will dance tomorrow in the
Pine Room, Lenoir Hall, to
the music of the Cloudbuster
swing band.
The All-French hop will
start at 2100 and wind up at
2345. Refreshments will be
served.
An extension of liberty for
those invited has been grant
ed, with taps at 0030 and
lights out at 0045.
Girls’ dress may be formal
or informal.
Story Of Navy Nurses
Shown In Movie Film
“Navy Nurse,” a two-reel fea-
turette produced by the Navy
Department, will be shown to
night and tomorrow at the Caro
lina Theatre as part of the regu
lar program.
The film, which stars Andrea
King, is a behind-the-scenes
story of the Nurse Corps.
Surp
rise:
Western Front. (CNS)—Two
8th Division pfcs found a heavy
iron safe in a pile of rubble in
western Germany. They suc
ceeded in opening it after at
tacking it for an hour with ham
mers, axes and crowbars. In
side, they found 12 packages of
K rations.
Cmdr. Boyd Heads
Medical Dept. As
Capt. Vance Leaves
Capt. Deane H. Vance, (MC)
USN Ret., senior medical officer
here since December, 1942, was
detached during the past week
for duty in Washington, D. C.
He has been succeeded by
Comdr. Greydon G. Boyd, (MC)
USNR, recently senior medical
officer of the USS Langley.
A native of Ridgeway, Colo.,
Capt. Vance is a veteran of the
Navy Medical Corps with serv
ice dating back more than 27
years to 1917. He was one of the
Navy’s first flight surgeons and
is qualified as a pilot. He has had
more than seven years of sea
duty and has served in the Phil
ippines and at other overseas
stations.
Studied At Harvard
Comdr. Boyd, from Perry,
Mo., has served as assistant sur
geon at the Naval Hospital,
Portsmouth, N. H., as senior
medical officer for l^e Aviation
Cadet Selection Board, 12th
Naval District, and as senior
medical officer at the Marine Air
Station, El Toro, Cal.
Capt. Vance is a graduate of
the University of Colorado
School of Medicine, while
Comdr. Boyd received his medi-
cal training at Harvard.
NEW SMO TAKES OVER—Comdr. Greydon G. Boyd (MC)
USNR, left, during the past week succeeded Capt. Deane H.’ Vance
(MC) USN Ret., as senior medical officer at the Navy dispensary!