Tracing dad’s wartime steps

By ALPHONSE BARIASI
Somewhere in the jungles of New Britain or the waters of the Bismarck Sea, lie the remains of a beautiful American lass and her lover who vanished in 1943 at the height of WW2.
She was not human though, but a P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft cheekily christened Beautiful Lass. While her beauty may have been moot, her success in aerial combat is the stuff of wartime legend.
She had achieved quite a reputation under the command of one of America’s ace fighters in the war. An ace, by the way, is a pilot who shoots down at least five enemy aircraft.
The airman who achieved such status in the cockpit of the Beautiful Lass was John O’Neill, a friend of America’s top ace Richard Bong (Sept 24, 1920-Aug 6, 1945).
Bong was one of the most decorated American fighter pilots and the country’s top flying ace in the war, credited with shooting down 40 Japanese aircraft.
O’Neill brought down eight enemy fighters.
This week John O’Neill’s son and namesake Jon arrived in the country to mark the 75th anniversary of his father’s World War II service by undertaking the trip of a lifetime to fulfil his dream and honour his father – and mother.
Jon O’Neill, 57, of De Land, Florida, grew up hearing his father’s memories of the places he served in: Port Moresby, Dobuduru (in Northern) and Rabaul, East New Britain.
He is guided by Justin Taylan, founder of Pacific Wrecks, a non-profit charity in the United States and PNG.
In Port Moresby, O’Neill visited his father’s first airfield, at 14-Mile near the Laloki River.
In Northern he initiated a scholarship in his father’s name at Sangara Primary School.
He also laid a wreath at Oro Bay to commemorate his father’s second aerial victory claimed on his 22nd birthday against a Japanese Zero in a fierce dog fight.
Over in Rabaul he saw where his father claimed aerial victories and visited the crash sites of several Japanese fighters.
During the flight to Rabaul, he flew over the location where his father’s plane went missing in action (MIA) on Dec 28, 1943, piloted by 2nd Lt Ormond Powell who used the aircraft after O’Neill’s departure from Papua New Guinea.
After the war, the senior O’Neill returned home to upstate New York before resettling in Miami, Florida.
He combined his aborted agriculture training with his aviation knowledge to run a crop dusting enterprise for some time before he died of leukemia in 1966 when Jon was six years old and his sister Tracey a year younger.
The Beautiful Lass and her pilot are among many American soldiers and aircraft that are still missing in PNG and historians like Taylan are trying to piece together information to locate them.
Jon was only a child when his father died but he heard many stories about PNG and what he did during the war and growing up, Jon had always dreamed about visiting.
“I always wanted to come but I didn’t know enough about PNG and his story.”
Jon then met Justin Taylan online and Taylan, through his interest in history and research work, knew instantly who Jon was and apparently more about his father than Jon did himself.
It took them two years to plan their trip to PNG. March 28 is the 75th anniversary of the war in Oro Bay and in particular when the senior O’Neill shot down five Japanese fighters.
“I want to set up the scholarship in honour of dad and mum who was also a pilot but not a fighter pilot.
“It would be scholarship in science, aviation or technology. I have a special interest in science, math and technology and would like to help kids to learn new things.
“It would be in appreciation for what the locals had done for American soldiers during the war.
“They took good care of my father.”
Dobuduru is near the present-day Girua airport which in the war days was one of seven airfields used by the American forces.
Taylan says 75 years ago Port Moresby, Rabaul and Dobuduru were well-known places which made the daily news in America.
An estimated one million American troops fought in Papua New Guinea between 1942 and 1945, some of whom are still MIA.
Jon said his trip was an overwhelming experience even from the start of it.
Speaking to The National in Port Moresby last Friday, he said, “I’m proud of my dad and I’m proud of my country for what they did in PNG.
“Papua New Guineans are beautiful people. I’m glad we helped during the war.”
Jon is in the country for 12 days and will return home via Brisbane on April 4.