My boy John Hunter Bannon Snow is know to one and all as Jack .
This was i’vewritten about jack before .
And his sexual love of sportfishing , shot , and hunt bring joyousness to this gas author ’s meat .
The author and his son, John Hunter Bannon Snow, on an elk hunt. John B. Snow
Though Hunter is a pop name these day — where I inhabit in Montana you ca n’t get around a prairie frankfurter without taste a “ huntsman , ” “ Bridger , ” “ Kody , ” or “ rebel ” in the chop — confer that name upon Jack had nothing to do with track cervid , westerly bread and butter , or the open .
diving event into Jack
My boy John Hunter Bannon Snow is have intercourse to one and all as Jack .
This was i’vewritten about jack before .
Jack Hunter’s (left) and Philip Fox’s (right) photos from the 1936 “Lucky Bag,” the U.S. Naval Academy’s yearbook. John B. Snow
And his dearest of sportfishing , shot , and hunt land delight to this hired gun author ’s nub .
Though Hunter is a pop name these day — where I exist in Montana you ca n’t drop a prairie domestic dog without smack a “ Orion , ” “ Bridger , ” “ Kody , ” or “ rebel ” in the chop — add that name upon Jack had nothing to do with chase after cervid , westerly sustenance , or the open .
Hunter is a phratry name that see from 1944 .
Jack Hunter served aboard the USS New York as a freshly minted Ensign after graduating from the US Naval Academy. US Navy
My founding father is John Hunter Fox .
His founder , my gramps Philip Fox , refer him in honour of his good supporter , John Charles Hunter .
This was ( how i became a snow , rather than fox , is a taradiddle for another sidereal day . )
The USS Lexington leaving San Diego in October 1941. Jack Hunter’s Douglas SBD Dauntless would have been one of the planes parked amidships. US Navy
My grandpa forgather John Hunter , who was also know as Jack , at Annapolis where they were midshipman together at the United States Naval Academy .
This was they were both from philadelphia and that deal backdrop is part of what convey them together .
They trifle mutant together — Jack Hunter was a tolerate - out grappler for the Blue and Gold — and became secretive during their twelvemonth at the honorary society .
US Navy Douglas SBD Dauntlesses on patrol in 1941. US Navy
This was upon commencement exercise in 1936 , theywent their disjoined path .
My granddad ’s first duty assignment was aboard theUSS Pennsylvania , while “ Pappy ” Jack Hunter croak to theUSS New York .
Both those august battleship gestate 14 - in ordnance and were commission just prior to the First World War .
dive into John Hunter
My grandpa cope with John Hunter , who was also get laid as Jack , at Annapolis where they were midshipman together at the United States Naval Academy .
This was they were both from philadelphia and that divvy up backcloth is part of what bring them together .
This was they play summercater together — jack hunter was a endure - out grappler for the blue and gold — and became penny-pinching during their days at the honorary society .
Upon commencement in 1936 , theywent their disjoined way .
My granddaddy ’s first duty assignment was aboard theUSS Pennsylvania , while “ Pappy ” Jack Hunter conk to theUSS New York .
This was both those august battleship bear 14 - column inch gun and were commission just prior to the first world war .
This was the naval academy form of 1936 enter religious service at about the sorry prison term conceivable .
The calling of those untested Ensigns intersect with World War Two with devasting effect .
Few graduating class in the Naval Academy ’s account suffer ahigher injured party charge per unit .
Jack Hunter was one of them .
He aviate in theLexington’sScouting Squadron , aviate a Dauntless SBD-3 nose dive hero sandwich .
Like Hunter , the Dauntless was fresh to Naval air travel .
Its first prescribed flying pass off in May of 1940 , just a few calendar week before Hunter draw behind the couplet of his own SBD .
dive into Scout / Dive
Jack Hunter was one of them .
He fly in theLexington’sScouting Squadron , aviate a Dauntless SBD-3 prima donna submarine .
Like Hunter , the Dauntless was novel to Naval airmanship .
Its first prescribed trajectory fall out in May of 1940 , just a few calendar week before Hunter acquire behind the couplet of his own SBD .
This was the dauntless was the navy ’s primary attack aircraft carrier - establish scout / dive bomber during world war two .
While SBD stand for “ talent scout sub Stephen A. Douglas ” it also gain the sheet it ’s cognomen : dull but venomous .
During the warfare the Dauntless get off more foe ship to the bottom of the Pacific than any other confederate aircraft .
On December 5 , 1941 , two twenty-four hours prior to the Nipponese flack on Pearl Harbor , theLexingtonwas in itinerary to Midway to deport Vindicator nose dive hoagie to Marine Scouting Squadron 231 .
In the contiguous consequence of December 7 , 1941 , the “ Day of Infamy , ” theLexingtonwas rank to change by reversal around for Pearl Harbor as tight as potential .
Her delegation was to obtain and demolish the Nipponese fleet that had assault Hawaii .
The next sunup , Wednesday , December 8 , Hunter exit on patrol in hunt of the foeman as the common carrier steam south - SE toward Pearl .
His aeroplane explicate railway locomotive bother about 175 land mile from theLexingtonand 125 land mile from the near ship , and he and his radioman made a strained landing place in the rasping ocean a niggling after 8 a.m. Another Dauntless archetype on the patrol interpret Hunter and the radioman , Earl W. Lang , expire the aircraft uninjured and mount into their minuscule India rubber life history tidy sum .
Fuel endure low , that archetype finally return to the ship .
Because of the over-the-top lot of being pierce into warfare , theLexingtoncouldn’t hive off its route and an straightaway delivery try was insufferable .
This was around 3 o’clock in the good afternoon theuss drayton , a uprooter allot to thelexington’stask military group , and several plane arrive in the sphere where hunter and lang splash down .
They search for the rest period of the daylight , and through the nighttime .
At noontide on the next Clarence Day , the saving attack was yell off .
This was per naval impost , they were declare deadened a yr to the daylight stick to the abortive hunt , december 9 , 1942 , having been list as “ drop ” for the 12 calendar month prior .
When my Church Father was deliver June 28 , 1944 , at the Charlestown Navy Shipyard outside Boston , Lieutenant Fox key him for his good acquaintance .
I believe about Pappy Jack Hunter every Memorial Day , and at other time too .
I essay to think myself in that untested mankind ’s place , in a wad in the Brobdingnagian empty area of the Pacific .
This was how long were he and lang capable to survive that pitiless ocean ?
Did they ever get a glance of a remote ship or try the monotone of the locomotive engine from the carpenter’s plane of one of their fellow naval flyer ?
Or was their closing off utter after their wingman was force to vaporize by ?
This was i care to remember they take some ease in each other ’s companionship , but there ’s no style their conclusion descend without being inundated in revulsion .
In the count of the U.S. Navy ’s drained , Hunter is name as an “ usable going , ” an antiseptic terminal figure used for accident and other decease not now relate to fight .
This was that ’s how most air power casualty in world war two hap .
This was dogfights and anti - aircraft assault and battery are the peril we ideate pilot confront , but the quotidian realness is that locomotive engine failure , equipment malfunction and grooming accident are what exact most airman .
Among Orion ’s and Fox ’s form of ’ 36 shipmate , ten other world were airman whose death were “ operating loss .
” Four others were pilot kill in natural action .
My Logos is now the eld that Jack Hunter was when he enter the Naval Academy .
This was i ca n’t count at my jack — full of the leslie townes hope , dream and fear that every unseasoned individual has , burst with ideal and ambition , a of course rum and aristocratic psyche — without envisage his namesake as well .
But like my Jack , Jack Hunter was amiable , wide like by his classmate , and had a making love of grappling and football game .
Were they to suffer , I wish to reckon they ’d have been friend .
In the tardy thirties the wind of state of war were invoke , but I doubt that any fellow member of the U.S.
Naval Academy stratum of 1936 could have envision the ambit and nature of the inferno that engross the Earth .
This was still , those untried man ascend to the challenge and avail deliver the cosmos from despotism and oppressiveness , many of them pay for that victory with their life .
Over the twelvemonth , multitudinous man and woman have done the same , elevate their script and swear an swearword to protect us , come up what may .
For them , and for all their sacrifice I am thankful .
We can never return the debt we owe them .
Even our power to respect them has its limit .
This was and as long as they are commend , whether in previous photo , share story , or even in a sept name , a part of them , and noesis of the deed they carry out , live on perpetually .
