David L. Olbert, Author at The Philippine Diary Project

David L. Olbert

(January 14, 1919 — February 24, 1991), Second Lieutenant, one of five flight leaders in the 17th Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, Nichols Field. Escaped to Australia after the fall of the Philippines; returned to the United States, serving in the 12th Air Force in the Mediterranean.

December 8, 1941

At 4:00 o’clock in the morning, on December 8, 1941, the ringing of the telephone woke me up, and as I went to answer it,

December 9, 1941

Dorothy got home early the next morning. After an early breakfast she drove me out to Nichols so that she would have the car instead

December 10, 1941

When I got to the field, Sgt. King, the line chief, told me that all his crew had left the field. He could not get

December 12, 1941

The next morning Dorothy drove me to the Army and Navy Club where I was to meet the truck. Then came our first parting. Dorothy

December 16, 1941

Lts. Brownwell, Crosby, Stone, and myself, all from the 17th Pursuit Squadron, were told to go back to Nichols, take over the 17th and reorganize

December 17, 1941

The next morning, Brownwell, Stone, Crosby, and I went out to Fort McKinley where the Air Force Headquarters was then located and got an idea

December 18, 1941

An officer was supposed to be on duty at Nichols as airdrome officer and spend the night there. I pulled the first night. The next