Oct 9, 1942

On this date in 1942 this is some of what happened.

The country of Ethiopia joined the United Nations. Note - this United Nations was a pact by 26 countries to fight against the Axis powers and to not seek any separate peace. The United Nations of today was founded in 1945.

Major Joe Foss landed his F4F Wildcat on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. It was the start of his meteoric rise to ace and hero as he and his squadron mates fought to defend American forces from Japanese attack. On January 15th, 1943 Foss scored his 26th aerial victory to tie the record set by Eddie Rickenbacker in WWI. For his flying skills, leadership, and heroism Foss would be awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Meanwhile in Europe one of the most evil pieces of paper was signed by Hitler's number one henchmen, Martin Bormann. It was with this document the Nazis became officially committed to the pogrom of exterminating all the Jews in Europe. Which is cold comfort to the Jews who had already been murdered. As a side note, Oct 9, 1942 marked the end of one chapter in Anne Frank's diary.

In the Aleutians the USAAF carried out bombing missions against the Japanese entrenched on the Alaskan island of Kiska. B-25s struck at the Japanese stronghold of Lae on New Guinea and B-17s of the 5th AF struck at Rabaul.

Night of 8/9 October 1942 the RAF carries out mine-laying operations at Lorient, St. Nazaire, Brest, Ostend, Texel, and the Frisians. Two Wellington bombers were lost. Also five Mosquitos were dispatched to scattered targets in Germany, one was lost.

And on a river called Matanikau on Guadalcanal a Marine would lose his life repelling a Japanese attack to recapture Henderson Field. For his gallantry during desperate hand-to-hand combat Cpl Joseph Connolly was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously. DE-450 was commissioned as the USS Joseph E. Connolly. The ship would earn one battle star for service in WWII and was part of the US Pacific Fleet in Tokyo Bay to accept the surrender of Japan, thus ending WWII.