How a World War Changed an Alabama Family, Part 16

by Glenn N. Holliman


In early April 1942, the U.S. began to fight back, more symbolically than effectively, with an air strike on Tokyo and other Japanese cities.  General James H. Doolittle led 16 B-25s off the deck of the USS Hornet on a pin-prick raid on Japan that had enormous consequences. 

Morale in the U.S. soared as the first pay back for Pearl Harbor although Corregidor, the last American holdout in the Philippines, soon fell.  The Japanese, infuriated by an attack on their homeland, first launched their armies deeper into a China killing tens of thousands in a land that harbored the downed U.S. pilots.  Tojo's government then ordered the Japanese Navy to turn eastward to capture the Midway Islands, the suspected launching site of Doolittle's raid.  The Battle of Midway would become a major turning point in the Pacific War.


State-side the Armed Forces continued to train and prepare a generation of young Americans to carry the war to the Axis powers - Japan, Germany and Italy.  One young Alabamian was my father, H. Bishop Holliman of Irondale, Alabama.  His story continues.

Above, in his flying gear, Bishop entered into U.S. Navy flight training in New Orleans in late April 1942.  From his journal - "Started classes - very tough - math, physics, aerodynamics, meteorology, drill, really working us.  Same schedule through out the week.  Sunday, May 5th, on duty all day. Same all week.  Letters and newspapers make the time pass quicker and more endurable - Air Corps much better than Navy - boys are nice.

20 May - Started flying - went up one hour - very nice, classes in morning and night.  Flying and studying remainder of week.  Flying and studying (week after week).  Being treated for ear trouble."  

The ear trouble would doom his flying career, but we will come back to that later.  Above, the BT-13 Valiant was built by the thousands for the Navy and Army Air Corps during the war.  This is airplane Bishop trained in during the spring of 1942.

 

Civilian folks had to cope with the War also.  Robert W. Daly, Sr., Bishop's brother-in-law, wrote that spring - "Remember all our funds go to the USO, Red Cross, Community Chest, defense bonds, Stamps for Soldiers, the Salvation Army, home defense & etc.  The average person at home does not have any savings after meeting living expenses.  So don't be discouraged; we are all in the same boat. You don't need to worry about your Birmingham gals because there are no boys left to go with them."

Robert's letter, as with millions of letters during the War, carried news of home town folks.  For example, Archibald Jones, son of the Irondale Methodist Church minister married that April to Sadie Christine, a marriage that lasted to Archie's death in August 1997.  Sadie died in 2010.  Dick Petty, born 1917 and a former manager of the local grocery, was en route to Australia when his 66 year old mother, Mary Petty of 2nd Avenue in Irondale, died of heart failure.  Robert Daly served as one of the pall bearers.



Right in 1940 at Cheaha State Park, the highest point in Alabama, back row, Bishop and Ralph Holliman, brothers.  Front row, Vena and her daughter, Mary Daly Herrin, and far right, Irene Petty whose brother served in Australia during World War II and whose mother died in 1942. Irene served for a while as postmistress in Irondale.  She died in 1978 in Birmingham, Alabama.

 
Next more Training and News from the Home Front....

 Have questions about Holliman family history? You are invited to join the Hollyman Email List at Hollyman-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com and the Hollyman Family Facebook Page located on Facebook at "Hollyman Family". Post your questions and perhaps one of the dozens Holyman cousins on the list will have an answer. For more information contact Tina Peddie at desabla1@yahoo.com, the list and Facebook manager for Hollyman (and all our various spellings!).

Or join your many cousins at MyFamily.com and view an expanded Holliman family tree and many files on the history of the family. Just write to glennhistory@gmail.com for an invitation.