In the Pacific war, the Japanese were forced to fight a delaying action in the Gilberts and Marshalls. Their most active air base was at Maloelap Atoll in the Marshalls, some 600 miles north of General Hale's B-25s at Tarawa. On Jan. 25, 1944, the 396th Bomb Squadron sent its B-25s against Maloelap. The copilot of one bomber was 21-year-old 2d Lt. Malcolm Knickerbocker, who had left Duke University to join the AAF and had earned his wings only six months earlier.
Lieutenant Knickerbocker was as close to Hollywood's concept of the all-American youth as one could have found. What happened that January day is one of the most poignant stories of heroism in World War II, told in a letter to Knickerbocker's parents from his squadron commander, Maj. Andrew McDavid, and in the citation for the lieutenant's posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.
The B-25s approached Maloelap at wave top level. Enemy fighters had time to get off the ground and hit the B-25s as they swept the base with machine-gun and cannon fire. A 20-mm explosive shell hit his right leg, exploding on contact and completely severing his leg at the hip socket. Crewmen could not remove Lieutenant Knickerbocker from the B-25's cramped cockpit.
Because of the location of his wound, it was impossible to apply a tourniquet. The best that could be done was to administer plasma and reduce the flow of blood with compresses. In a supreme exercise of will, Knickerbocker conquered the shock and pain of his horrible mutilation. He never lost consciousness. The enemy attack continued for 15 minutes while Knickerbocker helped the pilot handle the bomber in evasive maneuvers.
From time to time, he gave crew members a reassuring smile and the OK signal with his thumb and forefinger in an extraordinary display of self-control. He must have known that he could not survive, but he would fight to stave off death until the mission was completed.
The nearest friendly base was at Makin Atoll, an hour's flight from Maloelap. Approaching the landing strip at Makin, Lieutenant Knickerbocker, weakened by great loss of blood, completed the copilot's pre-landing duties.
As the B-25 turned on final approach, a safe landing assured, Malcolm Knickerbocker died. As the crew lifted his body from the plane, they sobbed.
(Sources for the above: Valor In Defiance of Death. Air Force Magazine, April, 1992, and Hale’s Handful: The forging of the Seventh Air Force. Major Peter Ellis, USAF, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.)
Immediately after his death, Malcolm was buried on the island of Makin.
Within a few months, Malcolm’s story was national news. For example, Malcolm was featured in a story in the Saturday Evening Post on July 15, 1944.
Malcolm’s name is listed on the war memorial at Duke University. (Malcolm's younger brother Don would later graduate from Duke.)
Lieutenant Knickerbocker was as close to Hollywood's concept of the all-American youth as one could have found. What happened that January day is one of the most poignant stories of heroism in World War II, told in a letter to Knickerbocker's parents from his squadron commander, Maj. Andrew McDavid, and in the citation for the lieutenant's posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.
The B-25s approached Maloelap at wave top level. Enemy fighters had time to get off the ground and hit the B-25s as they swept the base with machine-gun and cannon fire. A 20-mm explosive shell hit his right leg, exploding on contact and completely severing his leg at the hip socket. Crewmen could not remove Lieutenant Knickerbocker from the B-25's cramped cockpit.
Because of the location of his wound, it was impossible to apply a tourniquet. The best that could be done was to administer plasma and reduce the flow of blood with compresses. In a supreme exercise of will, Knickerbocker conquered the shock and pain of his horrible mutilation. He never lost consciousness. The enemy attack continued for 15 minutes while Knickerbocker helped the pilot handle the bomber in evasive maneuvers.
From time to time, he gave crew members a reassuring smile and the OK signal with his thumb and forefinger in an extraordinary display of self-control. He must have known that he could not survive, but he would fight to stave off death until the mission was completed.
The nearest friendly base was at Makin Atoll, an hour's flight from Maloelap. Approaching the landing strip at Makin, Lieutenant Knickerbocker, weakened by great loss of blood, completed the copilot's pre-landing duties.
As the B-25 turned on final approach, a safe landing assured, Malcolm Knickerbocker died. As the crew lifted his body from the plane, they sobbed.
(Sources for the above: Valor In Defiance of Death. Air Force Magazine, April, 1992, and Hale’s Handful: The forging of the Seventh Air Force. Major Peter Ellis, USAF, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.)
Immediately after his death, Malcolm was buried on the island of Makin.
Within a few months, Malcolm’s story was national news. For example, Malcolm was featured in a story in the Saturday Evening Post on July 15, 1944.
Malcolm’s name is listed on the war memorial at Duke University. (Malcolm's younger brother Don would later graduate from Duke.)
In the Pacific war, the Japanese were forced to fight a delaying action in the Gilberts and Marshalls. Their most active air base was at Maloelap Atoll in the Marshalls, some 600 miles north of General Hale's B-25s at Tarawa. On Jan. 25, 1944, the 396th Bomb Squadron sent its B-25s against Maloelap. The copilot of one bomber was 21-year-old 2d Lt. Malcolm Knickerbocker, who had left Duke University to join the AAF and had earned his wings only six months earlier.
Lieutenant Knickerbocker was as close to Hollywood's concept of the all-American youth as one could have found. What happened that January day is one of the most poignant stories of heroism in World War II, told in a letter to Knickerbocker's parents from his squadron commander, Maj. Andrew McDavid, and in the citation for the lieutenant's posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.
The B-25s approached Maloelap at wave top level. Enemy fighters had time to get off the ground and hit the B-25s as they swept the base with machine-gun and cannon fire. A 20-mm explosive shell hit his right leg, exploding on contact and completely severing his leg at the hip socket. Crewmen could not remove Lieutenant Knickerbocker from the B-25's cramped cockpit.
Because of the location of his wound, it was impossible to apply a tourniquet. The best that could be done was to administer plasma and reduce the flow of blood with compresses. In a supreme exercise of will, Knickerbocker conquered the shock and pain of his horrible mutilation. He never lost consciousness. The enemy attack continued for 15 minutes while Knickerbocker helped the pilot handle the bomber in evasive maneuvers.
From time to time, he gave crew members a reassuring smile and the OK signal with his thumb and forefinger in an extraordinary display of self-control. He must have known that he could not survive, but he would fight to stave off death until the mission was completed.
The nearest friendly base was at Makin Atoll, an hour's flight from Maloelap. Approaching the landing strip at Makin, Lieutenant Knickerbocker, weakened by great loss of blood, completed the copilot's pre-landing duties.
As the B-25 turned on final approach, a safe landing assured, Malcolm Knickerbocker died. As the crew lifted his body from the plane, they sobbed.
(Sources for the above: Valor In Defiance of Death. Air Force Magazine, April, 1992, and Hale’s Handful: The forging of the Seventh Air Force. Major Peter Ellis, USAF, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.)
Immediately after his death, Malcolm was buried on the island of Makin.
Within a few months, Malcolm’s story was national news. For example, Malcolm was featured in a story in the Saturday Evening Post on July 15, 1944.
Malcolm’s name is listed on the war memorial at Duke University. (Malcolm's younger brother Don would later graduate from Duke.)
Lieutenant Knickerbocker was as close to Hollywood's concept of the all-American youth as one could have found. What happened that January day is one of the most poignant stories of heroism in World War II, told in a letter to Knickerbocker's parents from his squadron commander, Maj. Andrew McDavid, and in the citation for the lieutenant's posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.
The B-25s approached Maloelap at wave top level. Enemy fighters had time to get off the ground and hit the B-25s as they swept the base with machine-gun and cannon fire. A 20-mm explosive shell hit his right leg, exploding on contact and completely severing his leg at the hip socket. Crewmen could not remove Lieutenant Knickerbocker from the B-25's cramped cockpit.
Because of the location of his wound, it was impossible to apply a tourniquet. The best that could be done was to administer plasma and reduce the flow of blood with compresses. In a supreme exercise of will, Knickerbocker conquered the shock and pain of his horrible mutilation. He never lost consciousness. The enemy attack continued for 15 minutes while Knickerbocker helped the pilot handle the bomber in evasive maneuvers.
From time to time, he gave crew members a reassuring smile and the OK signal with his thumb and forefinger in an extraordinary display of self-control. He must have known that he could not survive, but he would fight to stave off death until the mission was completed.
The nearest friendly base was at Makin Atoll, an hour's flight from Maloelap. Approaching the landing strip at Makin, Lieutenant Knickerbocker, weakened by great loss of blood, completed the copilot's pre-landing duties.
As the B-25 turned on final approach, a safe landing assured, Malcolm Knickerbocker died. As the crew lifted his body from the plane, they sobbed.
(Sources for the above: Valor In Defiance of Death. Air Force Magazine, April, 1992, and Hale’s Handful: The forging of the Seventh Air Force. Major Peter Ellis, USAF, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.)
Immediately after his death, Malcolm was buried on the island of Makin.
Within a few months, Malcolm’s story was national news. For example, Malcolm was featured in a story in the Saturday Evening Post on July 15, 1944.
Malcolm’s name is listed on the war memorial at Duke University. (Malcolm's younger brother Don would later graduate from Duke.)
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