Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Russ MacNeil's Corner
Not too many Americans remembered the United States Navy had a birthday this month. Our armed services, and the men and women who fight to preserve our freedom around the globe and at home are often taken for granted. As this birthday passes and the Marine Corps birthday and Veterans Day approaches, we should all stop to think about not only our military, but all our protectors; those who have put aside some or all of their lives so that others can be safe and free, whether in the military, law enforcement, firefighting or nursing.
Our Navy was created prior to America’s War Of Independence, although it didn’t really stay afloat, pun intended, until around 1800 when the country was forced to defend American shipping interests against pirates off the North African coast. Sound familiar? Later on Theodore Roosevelt would show the United States’ Great White Fleet to the rest of the world only to be somewhat disappointed during the First World War, which was more of a land battle. Even though America would emerge as a world power at the conclusion of World War I, the U.S. Navy didn’t get to flex her muscle until World War II when the aircraft carrier first appeared and the Navy and Marine Corps worked together to utilize their air and sea capabilities.
The United States Marine Corps is just about the same age as the Navy and although a completely separate branch of the military, it is actually a component of the Department Of The Navy. The Marines have historically worked hand in hand with naval operations and are responsible for most, if not all, of the amphibious war tactics used in the world today.
Russ MacNeil never forgot the Navy. He was a navy man in World War II serving aboard the U.S.S. Belleau Wood, an aircraft carrier. Ironically, the Belleau Wood derived its name from the Battle Of Belleau Wood of the First World War when on June 6, 1918 the U.S. Marines suffered the heaviest single day losses in its history to that point. Marines would not suffer casualties like that again until November of 1943 during the Battle Of Tarawa, and CVL-24, the Belleau Wood was there too.
Russ was an aviation machinist mate, which means he took care of the engines in the fighter planes that the Marine Corps pilots took into battle; and there were lots of battles. The Belleau Wood was involved in some of the heaviest fighting of the war, in places like the Marshall Islands, Saipan and the Battle Of The Philippine Sea where his fighters sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiyo. Being a machinist mate didn’t mean never seeing any direct action. While patrolling the Leyte Gulf, his shipmates shot down a Japanese bomber that ended up on the flight deck. The resulting fires killed 92 men. Russ was in the war from beginning to end, 1942 until 1946, watching out for his brother Marines and those planes. He was there when the last Japanese aircraft to be brought down in the war was shot by one of the Hellcats he worked on. The Navy gave him some awards for his time spent on the Belleau Wood, but he never made much of it. He probably figured those guys that died deserved the awards more than him.
Gruman Hellcats chasing Japanese fighters over the Leyte Gulf
Russ was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts and never really left the neighborhood along East Street where he grew up, except for that period during the war. Weymouth is where he worked, where he was married, where he raised his family and that’s where he died. A few years after the war, Russ was able to get a job on the Weymouth Fire Department. As you might expect, not much of what happened on the Fire Department could compare with Russ’ war experience; even the worst of the fires, and deaths, paled in comparison to that day in the Leyte Gulf.
As a lieutenant and shift commander, he was always able to keep the mood light, often playing practical jokes. His favorite targets were the Weymouth policeman that would stop by the fire house as part of their daily rounds. Russ was an easy guy to like so nobody ever got too upset over the joking around and most looked up to him. Not many knew about those days on the Belleau Wood. Some of his firefighting brethren say if it weren’t for Russ they probably wouldn’t have stayed in such a dangerous occupation. Maybe that’s why he was elected to serve as the firefighters’ first union president, looking after the best interests of his brother firefighters.
Like always, he took it all in stride, always knowing when it was time to get serious. One time, during a blizzard, Russ and his crew got a call about some young kids stranded in a vehicle up on Great Hill in North Weymouth. It was cold and the wind whipping up off the Fore River tossed the snow sideways making it almost impossible to see. Some of the guys didn’t think they could make it through the waist deep snow, but Russ kept them going and sure enough they found those kids, cold and scared and alive. They gave Russ an award for that too, but he was a little embarrassed to get it, figuring it was all part of the job.
Russ retired in 1982 but stayed busy with the local American Legion and VFW Posts until his vision and some other health problems made it too hard. He died on Father's Day in 2003. When they buried Russ up at the Fairmount Cemetery, in Weymouth of course, not many folks realized he had been a veteran of World War II or had gotten those awards. Russ never thought there was anything special about his life, but there were allot of people whose lives might have been different if not for him. That’s why it’s good that the corner of Lee Street, where he spent most of his life, will be named in his honor. He probably would have been a bit embarrassed by it all but those awards, memorials, birthdays and holidays serve to remind us that there are people, like Russ, working to keep us free and safe.
This article was posted by Keith Stanley Spain on October 26, 2010
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