Association News

We’re often contacted about a veteran who served on the ship, but this one takes the cake. (Or should we say fruit cake? or figgy pudding?)

We received an email recently from an aircraft carrier enthusiast with an eye for details that others miss. “What few people know,” Mickeen Hogan wrote, “is that Yorktown CV-10 has a cameo in one of the most famous and classic Christmas movies – Its A Wonderful Life. In the movie, Jimmy Stewart’s character George has a brother named Harry Bailey who receives the Medal Of Honor as a Naval Pilot. They clearly used footage from The Fighting Lady filmed aboard Yorktown and edited Harry into the footage.”

We checked, and sure enough about an hour into each film we found the matching footage (see photo above). The Christmas classic was originally released in black and white, but the colorized version makes it even easier to spot the similarities. This makes Harry Bailey a VF-5 and USS Yorktown veteran.

In the film, Harry Bailey receives the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of servicemen on a troop transport by shooting down Japanese aircraft. Those men would have died if Harry’s older brother George Bailey had not saved him from drowning as a kid.

The message of the film is why we’re proud to say the Yorktown is a small part of it. The triumph of hope, compassion, and connection. Though we may not be aware of it, we each of us (like George and Harry) have an impact on the lives of others. A small gesture of kindness means more than we may know. As George’s guardian angel Clarence said, “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

Merry Christmas.

Saturday, October 12th
9am to 12pm

The veterans of the USS Yorktown will reunite on their beloved aircraft carrier “The Fighting Lady” to share stories of their service from World War II through the Vietnam War. And this year, they will be joined by USS Bennington (CV-20) veterans celebrating their 80th anniversary. Visitors to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum will have the opportunity to participate in a Meet and Greet with these veterans. Posters will be given to those who would like to get autographs from the veterans while learning about life on board an aircraft carrier.

The Meet and Greet is included in the admission to Patriots Point. Get your tickets in advance HERE.

North of Asakusa, where the Sumida River makes a hairpin turn before flowing south to Tokyo Bay was Tokyo POW Camp 10-B. This is where VT-5 pilot James Willoughby “Pop” Condit found out the war had ended. Pop, radioman Gordon H. Marshal, and gunner Kenneth O. Kalberg had been shot down and captured during the attack on Marcus Island in 1943. Until the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, they labored in camps with fellow POWs from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Holland, and other allied nations. Throughout the war, the main thing they wanted from new POWs coming into camp was news of what was happening in the war. Meanwhile, for two years their families had hoped and prayed for any news that their loved ones were still alive.
News was the first thing Condit and the other POWs asked for from Yorktown pilots dropping barrels of supplies at the end of the war. One POW camp posted a sign on the roof, “Enough, thanks. Any news?” The photo above shows the building Condit climbed onto to paint his sign.
At 1045 on August 30, 1945 Admiral William F. Halsey hoisted his 4-star flag at his headquarters in Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan (the location of the first POW camp Condit, Marshall and Kalberg were taken to). On September 2nd, USS Yorktown launched 79 aircraft as part of the force that paraded over the USS Missouri (BB-63) following the signing of the peace treaty. A horrific and brutal war had finally ended. After two years of no one knowing for sure what had happened to them or if they were alive, Condit, Marshal and Kalberg came home at last.
For more information on POW camps in Japan, click here.

Dear Shipmates:
We are well underway planning our 2024 Reunion. This one will be exciting and a little different than our past reunions. First, we are very pleased to announce the USS Bennington CV-20, CVA 20, CVS-20 Association Members will be joining us – so it will be a reunion of “The Lady & Big Benn”. Their Association visited the Yorktown on their 50th Anniversary and will now be celebrating their 80th with us.

This year we are utilizing the services of Armed Forces Reunions. They are a national company devoted to planning and executing military reunions. Their services will streamline our process and ease the workload on our reunion organizing team. I mention this because you will be seeing their name, or AFR, on various documents we will be mailing to you, as well as making some of your reunion reservation online thru them if you choose. You will receive a Reunion Registration packet in the mail the beginning of May to complete and return to AFR. You can also register online by going to our reunion page (see link below).

Our reunion plans include: 2 optional tours, our one of a kind “Visitor Meet & Greet”, three meals on the ship and of course our very moving Memorial Service. We are planning as many activities as possible to be celebrated with our Bennington shipmates.

We look forward to seeing you at our 76th Reunion.

Best wishes,
Ron Meacham
Reunion Coordinator

Yes we just completed our 2023 Reunion and a mini recap is in this issue. And, yes we are talking about “2024”. As you’ve probably seen in your everyday life, things are moving faster – it seems; and planning events takes longer. So here’s a snapshot.
October 9 – 12, 2024. Write the dates on the calendar. Tell all your shipmates, your family, the VFW, the American Legion, and the clerk at the supermarket. We’re starting the planning and will keep you posted on the details. But I can tell you it will be a very special reunion – the USS Bennington CVS-20 has asked to join us for their 80th Commissioning Reunion. We think it will be a great time seeing crew from another Essex Carrier. We’ll plan some events together and of course have our own. More to come.
Ron Meacham – Reunion Coordinator