CLARK, 2nd Lt. Arthur LeRoy
CLARK
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/14/2013 at 11:26:57
The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, August 29, 1942, Page 7They’re Waiting and Hoping
Japs Return to Pearl HarborA. L. Clark of Mason City on
First Convoy to Hawaii After Dec. 7Our forces at Pearl Harbor are expecting the Japs back again – and hoping they’ll come, according to A. L. Clark, 422 First street northeast, just back from seven months of instruction for the navy on the repair of aviation engines in Hawaii.
The Mason Cityan was on the first convoy to reach Honolulu after Dec. 7 and admits that Pearl Harbor was a terrible sight. But the shipping in the harbor bore the brunt of the attack, he asserted. “The Japs intended to take Pearl Harbor that day and they didn’t blow up any oil storage tanks, for example.”
Mr. Clark credited the soldiers and sailors with handling a considerable amount of fifth column activity in so efficient a manner that the danger was averted.
The Japs may take Pearl Harbor yet, he said, but he does not expect them to.
“But the Japs are fighting a total war and in modern warfare one doesn’t know what can happen. And the Japs have absolutely no regard for losses. If they decide to pay the price, they might take Pearl Harbor.”
“But knowing the type of boys we have there to do the job gives one a lot of confidence,” he added immediately. He paid high tribute to the American army and navy fliers. “They take up carrier based planes which have no business mixing with a Zero fighter and outmaneuver and outfly the Japs time after time.”
On the relative merits of the Japanese and American planes he had this to offer: The American P-40, a land-based plane, can outfly any Jap ship. But the Japs have strengthened the fuselage and showed the landing speed of the Zero fighter so that it can land on a carrier. The Zero can outperform American carrier based planes.
The marvelous success of the Flying Fortress he credited in large part to the gunners on the planes. He asserted that the cream of the gunners are assigned to the Fortresses and “when they press a trigger they’ve got something. They don’t miss.”
Half of a piston from the first Japanese plane shot down at Pearl Harbor was brought home by Mr. Clark in the shape of an ashtray. He made it himself after the plane was salvaged where it was shot down by a machinegun crew. On the piston are the words: “Made in U. S. A.”
Some of the prisoner brought from the Japanese ships sunk in the battle of Midway were brought to Pearl Harbor and he saw them there, Mr. Clark said. They were small in stature and literally skin and bones. When food was brought to one group on trays, he asserted, the prisoners ate the food on one of the trays and wanted to save the rest.
The incident was mentioned by Mr. Clark in connection with his emphasis on the “total war” attitude of the Japs. Much of the space devoted on American warships to crew quarters, he added, is used on Japanese ships for ammunition.
A regiment of Negro troops which arrived in Hawaii about two months ago was rated by the Mason Cityan as one of the finest fighting units he had ever seen. Army as well as navy concentrations on Hawaii have increased considerably, he admitted, since he arrived there in January.
In his seven months there he was in charge of a machine shop with 50 navy men as students. He not only was responsible for their instruction but in addition his shop during July tore down and completely rebuilt 146 airplane engines. The record for a month prior to this year was 40 engines.
His one objection to life at Pearl Harbor was poorly cooked food served in the civilian cantonments in which more than 4,000 are fed. The food has improved rapidly during the last two months, however, he said, but he already had trained another civilian to replace him and when given the chance to get out took it.
Monday he is on his way to an unknown destination to work for the army ordnance department teaching the repair of air cooled tank engines.
His family remains in Mason City – except his son, Arthur L. Clark, who is stationed in the army air corps in Mississippi. “I taught him how to fly a couple of years ago,” said his father, “but now he’s learning it all over again.”
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Thursday, October 23, 1942, Page 14Like Father, Like Son
Different branches of the service attracted Arthur L. Clark, who joined the navy last December, and his son, Arthur L. Clark, Jr., who entered the army in October, 1941.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Thursday, October 30, 1942, Page 24Reports For Pilot Training
MAXWELL FIELD, Ala. – Cadet Arthur LeRoy Clark from Mason City has reported to the army air forces pre-flight school for pilots at Maxwell field from the classification center at Nashville to begin the second phase of his training to become a pilot in the nation’s expanding air force.
Here he will receive nine weeks of intensive military, physical and academic instruction preparatory to his beginning actual flight training at one of the many primary flight schools located in the southeast army air forces training center.
Cadet Clark, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Clark, 412 First street southeast, Mason City, Iowa, is a graduate of Mason City high school and had 11 months service in the army before beginning appointed an aviation cadet in the army air forces at Camp Shelby, Miss.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Friday, April 09, 1943, Page 8Service News
Aviation Cadet Arthur Leroy Clark, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Clark, has completed the second phase of his flight training at the army air forces basic flying school, Guner army air field, Montgomery, Ala., it was announced Friday. Prior to his arrival in Alabama, he grained at Orangeburg, S. Car.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, October 16, 1943, Page 7Service News
Arthur LeRoy Clark, who is visiting here, has been commissioned a 2nd lieutenant. He is a bomber pilot.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, July 21, 1943, Page 16In Washington
Second Lt. Arthur L. Clark is now on active duty with the army air forces at Geiger field, Spokane, Wash. He was commissioned a pilot early in the spring at Moultrie, Ga. He is a graduate of the Mason City schools and was employed as a mechanic in civilian life. Lieutenant Clark is the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Clark, 422 First street northeast.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Tuesday, February 29, 1944, Page 7Lt. Arthur L. Clark, Pilot of Fort, Downed Over France
Missing in Action Since Feb. 6,
Says Word From WashingtonLt. Arthur LeRoy Clark, pilot of a flying fortress and son of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Clark, 307 20th S. E., has been missing in action over France since Feb. 6, according to word received from the war department.
The pilot of the bomber which followed Lt. Clark’s on the raid has written to the Mason City parents that they had already dumped their bomb loads on the target and were pulling away for home when he saw a direct hit by flak on Lt. Clark’s ship. They were flying above the clouds at the time, the officer wrote, so he did not see whether Lt. Clark’s fort crashed.
The Mason Cityan arrived in England late in November and has been on a number of missions, according to letters received by his parents. He wrote in his last letter that he did not mind the enemy fighter plane attacks but rather got a thrill out of them because his gunners took good care of them. He admitted, however, that he did not like the flak.
Lt. Clark was graduated from the Mason City schools and worked as a mechanic here before joining the air corps. He entered service in October, 1941, and received his wings as a fighter pilot from Spence field, Moultrie, Ga., in May, 1943.
From there he went to Tallahassee, Fla., where he qualified as a thunderbolt fighter pilot, but upon graduation was one of 26 chosen from his squadron for training as a flying fortress pilot. He completed his bomber pilot training at Kearney, Nebr., last November.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Tuesday, March 14, 1944, Page 16Lt. Arthur L. Clark Killed in Action Over France, Feb. 6
Was Previously Reported Missing on That Date;
Was Pilot of FortressLt. Arthur L. Clark, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Clark, 308 20th S. E., was killed in action in flight over France on Feb. 6, according to word received by his parents from the German government through the Red Cross Tuesday.
Lt. Clark, pilot of a flying fortress with the 8th army air force, was previously reported missing in action over France. At that time the pilot of the bomber following Lt. Clark on the raid had written his parents here that they had seen a direct hit by flak on Lt. Clark’s ship, but had been unable to see whether the fortress crashed.
Lt. Clark came to England in November. He joined the air corps in October, 1941, and received his commission as a fighter pilot at Spence field, Moultrie, Ga., in May, 1943. He later qualified as a thunberbolt pilot but upon graduation was one of 28 chosen from his squadron for training as a flying fortress pilot. He completed his bomber pilot training at Kearney, Nebr., last November.
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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Thursday, April 20, 1944, Page 12Purple Heart Is Awarded to Lt. Clark Posthumously
Killed in Action Over France Feb. 6;
Was Pilot of FortressLt. Arthur L. Clark, killed in action over France on Feb. 6, has been awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, according to word received from his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Clark, 308 20th S. E. The decoration was given for “military merit.”
Lt. Clark was [a] pilot of a flying fortress with the 8th army air force and was first reported missing in action over France on Feb. 6. At that time the pilot of a bomber following Lt. Clark’s ship reported having seen the fortress hit directly by flak but had been unable to see whether the ship had crashed. Later it was reported from the war department that word had been received through the Red Cross that Lt. Clark had been killed in action.
Lt. Clark joined the air corps in November, 1941, and had been commissioned as a fighter pilot at Spence field, Moultrie, Ga., in May, 1942. He received his silver wings May 28, 1943. He was later given training as a flying fortress pilot. He had arrived in England last November.
Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, March 2013
Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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