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Edwin
Smith Wiley
1924 - 2003 |
He
was born on November 5, 1924 in Paterson, NJ to Edwin
Dodds Wiley and Florence Smith Wiley.
He was married to Nancy Orup.
He was the President of International Veiling Corporation
in Clifton, NJ, a Scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop #160
in Wyckoff, NJ. He served on the Wyckoff Planning Board
for 8 years. He was a member of Grace United Methodist
Church in Wyckoff, NJ and First United Methodist Church
in Winter Park, Florida. He was a member of the University
Club and the Regent Club in Winter Park.
Wiley had 2 son, Edwin Orup and David Paul Wiley and 6
grandchidlren - Julia, Emily, Jane, Carolyn, Edwin and
Tommy.
The
above personal information came from the obituary
of Edwin Wiley appearing in the Orlando Sentinel
25 June 2003. |
RECOLLECTIONS
My
recalling of those days is not exacting, however a brief
reminiscence follows:
One mission that I remember was supposed to be a "milk
run." We were to fly in over a long narrow body of water
in Japan, bomb a gasoline refinery, make a U-turn and
fly back. There was a slight miscalculation on the part
of the intelligence department. On the way in we flew
over what looked like the entire Japanese fleet and
then repeated the process on the way out. The ships
fired phosphorus shells, which looked like fleecy white
clouds exploding around us. Very dangerous clouds! We
were happy to leave with our hides intact.
Our
longest mission was a search mission. We were trying to
find a crew that was down at sea. We were in the air for
almost 19 hours and then we landed on Iwo Jima because
we were very low on gas. The airfield on Iwo Jima was
an emergency refueling base for damaged or distressed
aircraft only. The runway and taxiway was shaped like
a protractor. We stayed over night and returned to Guam.
That landing was the time we had to land at Iwo and the
most eventful part of the mission. Sadly we found nothing.
One
time the enlisted men went out digging a ditch on Guam
by the side of the road. The gunnery officer drove up
and told us to report and wait for orders. After about
an hour, an officer that I had never seen before or would
ever see again, came into the hut. He was most upset because
we were filthy and were in filthy fatigues. We were told
to go back to quarters, shower and get into our Class
A uniforms. Then we sat at least another hour in briefing.
A higher ranking officer appeared and was annoyed that
we were in our best uniforms and ordered us back to the
barracks to change into clean fatigues. We did so and
sat for another hour. Four Star General Spaatz walked
in and was disappointed to find us all in one room. He
simply wanted to chat with some enlisted men on a casual
basis. Tom "Red" Robertson was sitting on an aisle and
the General asked him what he thought of his policy that
was in force, of announcing to the Japanese, which targets
we were going to be bombed next. All I remember was Red
sitting there white faced with all his freckles showing.
Despite any true feeling about the policy he or the crew
might have had, Red, of course agreed with the General.
This
was our war, not always serious or dangerous, and for
those times when it was not serious or dangerous, I for
one, was extremely grateful. We made lasting friendships
and served our country. |