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David L. Olbert

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,

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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