William Dyess
Encyclopedia
William Edwin "Ed" Dyess (August 9, 1916 – December 22, 1943) was an officer of the United States Army Air Forces
during World War II
. He was captured after the Allied
loss at the Battle of Bataan
and endured the subsequent Bataan Death March
. After a year in captivity, he escaped and spent three months on the run before being evacuated from the Philippines by a U.S. submarine. Once back in the U.S., he recounted the story of his capture and imprisonment, providing the first widely published eye-witness account of the brutality of the Death March. He returned to duty in the Army Air Forces but was killed in a training accident months later.
, Dyess attended Albany High School where he played football
and ran track and field
. He graduated from high school in 1934 and from John Tarleton College
in Stephenville, Texas
, in 1936. He was a distant cousin of fellow World War II veteran Aquilla J. Dyess
.
Dyess underwent flight training at Kelly
and Randolph Fields
in San Antonio, Texas
, and was commissioned second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps
. Promoted to first lieutenant and assigned to command the 21st Pursuit Squadron
at Hamilton Field, San Francisco, California
, Dyess led the squadron to Nichols Field
, Manila
, Philippines
, in October 1941.
which together with the 19th Bomb Group
suffered heavy casualties during the opening of the war with Japan in 1941. Flying P-40 Warhawks against superior Japanese types, Dyess maintained his unit's morale in the face of staggering losses during the Battle of Bataan
. When his squadron ran short of aircraft, Dyess transitioned to an infantry officer, serving in this capacity during the Battle of the Points.
When the Bataan Peninsula fell to the Japanese, Dyess, as commanding officer, refused to abandon those of his squadron who could not be evacuated. He gave his airplane ("Kibosh") to another fighter pilot, Lieutenant I.B. "Jack" Donalson, allowing Donalson to escape to Australia. Dyess also supervised the evacuation of Philippine Army Colonel Carlos Romulo, a close friend of General Douglas MacArthur
who would survive the war and would later serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly
.
Dyess was captured by the Japanese on April 9, 1942. Later that day, he and the others who surrendered at Bataan began the infamous Bataan Death March
. He was imprisoned at Camp O'Donnell
and from June to October at Cabanatuan Concentration Camp where he and his men were routinely denied the rights of prisoners of war. Dyess and others were transported by ship, the Erie Maru, to Davao
Penal Colony on Mindanao
, arriving November 7. After two months of planning and preparation, Dyess, along with nine other American POWs and two Filipino convicts escaped from Davao on April 4, 1943. It would be the only large-scale escape of Allied POWs from the Japanese in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Dyess and his group spent several weeks evading pursuit, then joined a group of guerrillas for several months. The group decided to split up, with seven joining organized guerrilla forces in northern Mindanao. Dyess and two others were evacuated by the U.S. Navy submarine Trout
to Australia in July 1943.
Upon reaching the United States in August, he was thoroughly debriefed on his experiences as a POW by high-ranking military brass and ordered to the military hospital at The Greenbrier
resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
. From his hospital bed, Dyess worked with Chicago Tribune
writer Charles Leavelle to tell the story of the atrocities and brutality he and his fellow POWs had experienced and witnessed while in Japanese captivity. The U.S. Government, however, refused to release Dyess' story for publication on the grounds that it would infuriate the Japanese and risk the cancellation of the delivery of Red Cross relief supplies to American POWs still under Japanese control. There was also added speculation that Dyess' story was in actuality suppressed by both a Pentagon
and White House
fearful that an infuriated American public would demand a greater prosecution of the Pacific War (the United States and its allies were operating under a "Europe First" strategic policy).
s in preparation for a return to combat. On 22 December 1943, his aircraft, P-38G-10-LO Lightning
, 42-13441, of the 337th Fighter Squadron
, 329d Fighter Group
, caught fire while on a training mission over the highly populated area of Burbank, California
. He remained with his burning aircraft despite ample opportunity to bail out in order to guide it to a vacant lot at 109 Myers St, Burbank, saving countless civilians on the ground. He is buried in http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Dyess&GSfn=William&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1943&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=15355077&df=all& Texas.
Almost one month after his death, the Chicago Tribune finally received permission from government censorship offices to release the deceased aviator's story on 28 January 1944. The story ran in serial form for several weeks and was picked up by over 100 American newspapers. According to Leavelle, it was the biggest story of the war since Pearl Harbor. Published in book form in late 1944, The Dyess Story (later retitled Bataan Death March) became a bestseller.
Among other commendations, Dyess received the Distinguished Flying Cross
and Distinguished Service Cross
. In 1957, Abilene Army Airfield was renamed Dyess Air Force Base
in his honor. His personal papers are archived at Maxwell Air Force Base
in Alabama and the special collections archive at Texas Tech University
in Lubbock, Texas
.
Dyess' story is recounted in the 2010 book Escape From Davao: The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War by writer/historian John D. Lukacs.
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was captured after the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
loss at the Battle of Bataan
Battle of Bataan
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. The capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast...
and endured the subsequent Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners.The march was characterized by...
. After a year in captivity, he escaped and spent three months on the run before being evacuated from the Philippines by a U.S. submarine. Once back in the U.S., he recounted the story of his capture and imprisonment, providing the first widely published eye-witness account of the brutality of the Death March. He returned to duty in the Army Air Forces but was killed in a training accident months later.
Early life and career
Born and raised in Albany, TexasAlbany, Texas
Albany is a city in Shackelford County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,034 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Shackelford County.-History:...
, Dyess attended Albany High School where he played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and ran track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He graduated from high school in 1934 and from John Tarleton College
Tarleton State University
Tarleton State University is a public, coeducational, state university located in Stephenville, Texas. It is the largest non-land-grant university primarily devoted to agriculture in the United States....
in Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville is a city in and the county seat of Erath County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,921 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1856, it is home to Tarleton State University. Stephenville is among several communities that calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the...
, in 1936. He was a distant cousin of fellow World War II veteran Aquilla J. Dyess
Aquilla J. Dyess
-References:...
.
Dyess underwent flight training at Kelly
Kelly Air Force Base
Kelly Field Annex and is a former United States Air Force facility located in San Antonio, Texas. In 2001, the runway and land west of the runway became "Kelly Field Annex" and control of it was transferred to the adjacent Lackland Air Force Base, part of Joint Base San Antonio...
and Randolph Fields
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, and was commissioned second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. Promoted to first lieutenant and assigned to command the 21st Pursuit Squadron
21st Pursuit Squadron
The 21st Pursuit Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was wiped out in the Battle of the Philippines . The survivors fought as infantry during Battle of Bataan and after their surrender, were subjected to the Bataan Death March, although some did escape to Australia...
at Hamilton Field, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Dyess led the squadron to Nichols Field
Nichols Field
Nichols Field was a U.S. military airfield located south of Manila in Pasay City and Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Luzon, the Philippines. During the World War II era, it was the location of the Far East Air Force's U.S. 20th Air Base Group. Also, based here was Troop F of the U.S. 26th Cavalry...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, in October 1941.
Bataan
The 21st Pursuit Squadron was assigned to the 24th Pursuit Group24th Pursuit Group
The 24th Pursuit Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was wiped out in the Battle of the Philippines . The survivors fought as infantry during Battle of Bataan and after their surrender, were subjected to the Bataan Death March, although some did escape to Australia. The unit was...
which together with the 19th Bomb Group
19th Air Refueling Group
The 19th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas...
suffered heavy casualties during the opening of the war with Japan in 1941. Flying P-40 Warhawks against superior Japanese types, Dyess maintained his unit's morale in the face of staggering losses during the Battle of Bataan
Battle of Bataan
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. The capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast...
. When his squadron ran short of aircraft, Dyess transitioned to an infantry officer, serving in this capacity during the Battle of the Points.
When the Bataan Peninsula fell to the Japanese, Dyess, as commanding officer, refused to abandon those of his squadron who could not be evacuated. He gave his airplane ("Kibosh") to another fighter pilot, Lieutenant I.B. "Jack" Donalson, allowing Donalson to escape to Australia. Dyess also supervised the evacuation of Philippine Army Colonel Carlos Romulo, a close friend of General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
who would survive the war and would later serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
.
Dyess was captured by the Japanese on April 9, 1942. Later that day, he and the others who surrendered at Bataan began the infamous Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners.The march was characterized by...
. He was imprisoned at Camp O'Donnell
Camp O'Donnell
Camp O'Donnell was a facility of the United States Air Force in Capas, Tarlac, The Philippines. Before the facility was transferred to the Air Force, it was first a Philippine Constabulary post then a United States Army facility....
and from June to October at Cabanatuan Concentration Camp where he and his men were routinely denied the rights of prisoners of war. Dyess and others were transported by ship, the Erie Maru, to Davao
Davao
Davao refers to several closely related places in Mindanao in the Philippines. The term is used most often to refer to the city.*Davao Region, an administrative region*Davao del Norte province*Davao del Sur province*Davao Oriental province...
Penal Colony on Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, arriving November 7. After two months of planning and preparation, Dyess, along with nine other American POWs and two Filipino convicts escaped from Davao on April 4, 1943. It would be the only large-scale escape of Allied POWs from the Japanese in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Dyess and his group spent several weeks evading pursuit, then joined a group of guerrillas for several months. The group decided to split up, with seven joining organized guerrilla forces in northern Mindanao. Dyess and two others were evacuated by the U.S. Navy submarine Trout
USS Trout (SS-202)
USS Trout was a United States Navy Tambor-class submarine, serving in the Pacific from 1941 to 1944. She received 11 battle stars for World War II service and three Presidential Unit Citations, for her second, third, and fifth patrols...
to Australia in July 1943.
Upon reaching the United States in August, he was thoroughly debriefed on his experiences as a POW by high-ranking military brass and ordered to the military hospital at The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier is a Forbes four-star and AAA Five Diamond Award winning luxury resort located just outside the town of White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States....
resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,444 at the 2010 census.-Geography:White Sulphur Springs is located at ....
. From his hospital bed, Dyess worked with Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
writer Charles Leavelle to tell the story of the atrocities and brutality he and his fellow POWs had experienced and witnessed while in Japanese captivity. The U.S. Government, however, refused to release Dyess' story for publication on the grounds that it would infuriate the Japanese and risk the cancellation of the delivery of Red Cross relief supplies to American POWs still under Japanese control. There was also added speculation that Dyess' story was in actuality suppressed by both a Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
and White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
fearful that an infuriated American public would demand a greater prosecution of the Pacific War (the United States and its allies were operating under a "Europe First" strategic policy).
Death and legacy
Promoted to lieutenant colonel, Dyess was assigned to fly P-38 LightningP-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s in preparation for a return to combat. On 22 December 1943, his aircraft, P-38G-10-LO Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 42-13441, of the 337th Fighter Squadron
337th Flight Test Squadron
The 337th Flight Test Squadron was most recently part of the 46th Test Wing and based at McClellan Air Force Base, California. It performed depot acceptance testing until being inactivated with the closure of McClellan AFB on 13 July 2001....
, 329d Fighter Group
329th Fighter-Interceptor Group
The 329th Fighter-Interceptor Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the Air Defense Command, being stationed at Stewart AFB, New York. The squadron was inactivated on 1 August 1959....
, caught fire while on a training mission over the highly populated area of Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. He remained with his burning aircraft despite ample opportunity to bail out in order to guide it to a vacant lot at 109 Myers St, Burbank, saving countless civilians on the ground. He is buried in http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Dyess&GSfn=William&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1943&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=15355077&df=all& Texas.
Almost one month after his death, the Chicago Tribune finally received permission from government censorship offices to release the deceased aviator's story on 28 January 1944. The story ran in serial form for several weeks and was picked up by over 100 American newspapers. According to Leavelle, it was the biggest story of the war since Pearl Harbor. Published in book form in late 1944, The Dyess Story (later retitled Bataan Death March) became a bestseller.
Among other commendations, Dyess received the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
and Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
. In 1957, Abilene Army Airfield was renamed Dyess Air Force Base
Dyess Air Force Base
Dyess Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately southwest of Abilene, Texas.The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force...
in his honor. His personal papers are archived at Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
in Alabama and the special collections archive at Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
.
Dyess' story is recounted in the 2010 book Escape From Davao: The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War by writer/historian John D. Lukacs.