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| Lt. Francis Register became an ace in the skies over Guadalcanal. http://acesofww2.com/USA/aces/register/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F4F-4_Wildcat_of_VF-5_near_Guadalcanal_1942.jpg https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35340152&ref=acom |
UPDATE May 16, 2018
Seventy-five years ago today newspapers across the country ran headlines like 900 Planes Blast Axis Cities and Churchill Invites Italy to Make Separate Peace. At home the favorite song was I've Heard That Song Before by Harry James and his Orchestra with Helen Forrest. It would hold the top spot for 12 weeks. Folks were going to the movies to watch Humphrey Bogart in Action in the North Atlantic or Anne Baxter in Five Graves to Cairo. That Sunday night, families could tune into their radios and listen to The Great Gildersleave on NBC and Chip Davis, Commando on CBS.
May 16, 1943 was also the end of life for scores of Americans who died serving their country that day. One of them was Francis "Cash" Register who's 100th birthday was last year.
He was born on November 15, 1917 in North Dakota. His father was also born in North Dakota while his mother was born in Wisconsin. His father worked as a post office clerk. Francis had two younger brothers (the youngest served in the Navy near the end of WW2) and a younger sister. He spent part of his youth living with his father's mother. By 1940 Francis had completed two years of college and was living with his grandmother while working as a civil engineer. He learned to fly before the war started as part of the Aviation Cadet Program.
Francis married Ruth Christianson on February 7, 1942. Sadly, they perhaps drew apart as reflected in Francis's diary of June 20, 1942: Seems odd Ruth doesn't write more often. Have been gone three weeks and have received only one letter. My friends have received as many as ten. It kind of hurts not hearing from her.
He enlisted in the Navy on March 17, 1941. He became a lieutenant, junior grade and fighter pilot. He became an ace flying F4F Wildcats. From 1942 to 1943 he saw duty on the USS Saratoga until it was torpedoed. He was then sent to Guadalcanal. Later he served on the USS Enterprise, and the USS Nassau. Lt. Register was credited with 8 enemy kills and twice earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.
He was serving on Guadalcanal during the crucial September-October weeks when the Japanese were close to defeating the Americans.
A sample from Lt. Register's diary from September 13:
I have never seen, and I don't think this has occurred any other place, the terrific courageous fight the men are making here at Guadalcanal. We have the worst jungle conditions here with the Marines striking out into it hunting out Japs. We only hold a 10 mile radius from the beach. The island is 80 miles long and 30 miles wide and the rest of it is full of Japs. Over 5,000 and more coming in every day and night. They shoot at us on takeoff and landing. Our strategy and leadership has been very poor on this whole invasion. It has been very disheartening and has discouraged the men terribly. So many mistakes have been made. They have sent us no equipment or reinforcements. For two weeks they ate Jap rice on the island. If the people back home only knew the truth instead of what is put out to them. Don't know how much longer I can last.
Flew over 4 hours and most of the time at 26,000 feet. Zero's came over this morning with us losing many pilots. Two very good friends were killed, one on the field. This afternoon we intercepted 26 VB and 20 VF. I got 1 VB, ran out of gas and just made the fie1d. Two were killed like this yesterday. God, I never knew life could be like this; we are like rats in a trap fighting every minute for our lives and knowing it's just a matter of time before we will all go. Very few of my friends I started with are left. We are taking a terrible toll on the Japs, but can't stop them.
You can read Lt. Register's fascinating war diary here.
On May 16, 1943 Lt. Register was flying with Composite Squadron Eleven (VC-11) from the escort carrier USS Nassau. He was attacking Japanese positions near Holtz Bay on the Island of Attu, Alaska when his plane was shot down and he was killed.
His grave is at St Mary's Cemetery in Bismarck, North Dakota. His widow remarried in 1946 and died in 2011.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
The above profile has been update. Thanks to Kevin McEwen from the Facebook world war 2 group who provided me with additional details about Lt. Register's wife that I was not able to find on my own.
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