1941 to 1945
Places and Faces Photo Album - Page 9
Eugene J. Link
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1941 to 1945
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Memories of a Pilot WWII CBI Theater
- Eugene J. Link
By Millie Link
One of the lesser-known battle arenas of WWII was the China-Burma-India (CBI)
theater. Sometimes called the forgotten theater it received little publicity during the war or since. History shows
that the general plan was for Generals Chenault and Stillwell to do what they could with minimum supplies and equipment
to stop the Japanese troops from going north into China, Burma and India.
Some will remember the movie "Bridge Over the River Kwai" that was produced
some time ago. Recently the History Channel did a documentary called "The true story of the bridge on the
river Kwai." It was the story of the Burma-Siam Railroad located in Thailand (also known as Siam) built during
WWII. The Japanese using Allied prisoners of war and native labor built the railway. The conditions of forced labor
were so harsh that thousands died, earning it the epithet the "railroad of death." While watching the
show, my husband Gene recognized the B-24's that were bombing the bridges. They were from the 7th Bomb Group that
he was a part of and a flood of memories of that era washed over him. We decided to preserve some of those memories
for future generations.
Eugene "Gene" grew up on a farm north of Ridgeland, WI and was attending the
University at Madison when WWII broke out. He took a test for the Army aviation cadet program and passed the test
as well as his physical. He'll never forget the words of the officer who swore him in on October 23rd, 1942- "You're
in the Army now-if you don't show up when called, you might be shot!"
On January 25th he received a post card notifying him that he had been called to
active duty and ordered him to be in Eau Claire the very next day. By chance he and Lester Anderson of Prairie
Farm boarded the same train in Eau Claire and he was glad to have the company of a fellow ballplayer. Although
they both ended up as B-24 pilots, their paths didn't cross again until after the war. They were sent to Fort Sheridan,
IL where hundreds of men gathered to be sent to Miami Beach, FL. There they had about a month of basic training
and physical training along with army indoctrination. Later a troop train took Gene to Cincinnati, OH for college
refresher courses. There he received his first taste of flying-a few hours in a Piper Cub. The blistering months
of June, July and August were spent in San Antonio, TX for more training and schooling.
East St. Louis, IL was where the aspiring pilots received 65 hours primary flight
training in PT 19's at Parks Air College. November of 1943 found the cadets at Strothers Field in Winfield, KS
for basic pilot training (74 hours) on B.T. 19's. Driving through Winfield in 1999 Gene found an active Strother
Field Airport and Industrial Park but the once bustling barracks where he stayed were now unpainted bleak structures
used for storage.
His first Christmas away from home was a lonely time spent in the barracks. Gene
was in the group that had 2 days off over New Years. A group if them went to Ponca City, OK for over night and
attended a party at the Service Club. Shortly after New Years a Kansas blizzard hit the area and there were no
flying classes for two days. With nothing else to do, the fellows stayed in their quarters and played cards. This
was the start of his training to be a proficient poker player.
Later in January when the cadets went to Blackland Air Force Base in Waco, Texas
they went from frigid winter to hot summer in one day. They received 70 hours training on twin engine A.T. (Advanced
Trainer)17's. The proud cadets graduated from flight school on March 12th, receiving pilot wings and a 2nd Lt.
Commission. The same day Gene got a flight home from Dallas, TX to Minneapolis for a 12-day leave.
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