Guardian Angel - A True Story

Three weeks after Pearl Harbor, nine crewmen floundered helplessly on two rafts adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Sharks, forty foot waves, 20 knot winds.

Men who fought for our country. Men who fought for us. They must be remembered.

How Did They Get There?
...........................................................

 
Chapter One  

Chapter Two  

Chapter Three

 

Chapter Four

 

Chapter Five



Guardian Angel - A True Story

Guardian Angel
A True Story


You can get the entire story in booklet form (signed by author) with a gift donation of $75 to the PBY Catalina Foundation.

Check it out in our Gift Shop here...


How Did They Get There -- A True Story

 

Chapter Three


This December 28, 2013...

Seventy-two years ago today, 1st Lt. Earl J. Cooper and his B-17C (40-2054) crew spent the night in calm seas, two leaking rafts and a long way from base…Guardian Angel - The Movie


At 6:00 am they had their sip of coffee, bailed out their rafts, and worked to inflate their rafts as best they could. The seas remained moderately calm and the sun was still hot. About 11:00 am, they sighted an airplane in the distance but it was too far away to see their signal flares. At noon, they divided the apple into nine pieces for Sunday dinner – a special treat. About 1:30 pm, they saw a plane returning home; still too far away to see them. Someone said “He is returning to base.” Another said, “I wish we were.”


The day continued sunny and hot. Faces, arms, and feet began to sunburn. They had removed their shoes and socks when they went into the water after the ditching. They were beginning to get stiff and sore from sitting in their cramped positions hour after hour. About 6:00 pm, they bailed the rafts and again attempted to inflate them to counter the slow leaks. Afterwards, they had their sip of coffee and settled in for the night. As they gazed into the night sky looking for the North Star, they wondered if they would be rescued, and what the next dawn would bring. Depression began to set in…