PATRIARCA-FRANK

 

A  DAY  TO  REMEMBER

PEARL  HARBOR,  12/7/1941

The carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) departed Pearl Harbor on November 28, 1941, to deliver Marine Fighter Squadron 211 (VMF-211) to Wake Island.  On the return voyage to Pearl Harbor the ship was delayed because of weather and on the morning of December 7, 1941, as was the usual custom, nine pairs of planes departed early in the morning to fly to Ford Island to await the ship’s arrival later that day.  The flight of SBD Dauntless dive-bombers from Scouting Squadron Six (VS-6), included SBD-2 number 6-S-16, Bureau Number 4521, piloted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Frank Anthony Patriarca who was accompanied in the rear gunner’s seat by RM1 Joseph Ferdinand DeLuca.  Their aircraft never made it.  As usual, the planes of VS-6 performed routine search patrols directly in front of the ship’s advance in an arc out to about 150 miles.

As the planes neared Oahu they were on the lookout for submarines and like everyone else, they did not expect an attack at home.  As they approached Oahu they thought the smoke they could see was from burning sugar cane fields and the shell fire was just a drill.  They saw aircraft over Pearl Harbor but thought the planes belonged to the Army.  Only when they were almost at their destination did the VS-6 pilots realize they were flying into the midst of Japanese aircraft which were in the initial phase of attacking the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor.

One of the first two-plane sections to arrive was 6-S-16 piloted by LTJG Patriarca.  As he and his wingman, 6-S-15, piloted by Ensign Walter Michael Willis passed Barbers Point, rounded Ewa Field, and were beginning their landing approach to Ford Island, both pilots became concerned with the antiaircraft fire ahead of them.  About this time a nearby plane was seen winging over and approaching them.  Only then did they see the Japanese rising sun insignia on the plane and fully realize that something was very wrong.  At the same instant, tracers began whizzing past their planes.  Immediately, Patriarca opened throttle, diving back toward the coast.  He decided to try and make it all the way back to Enterprise when he realize he was alone and no other American planes were in sight.  After searching for S-6-16 without success and realizing his fuel was low, he headed for Kauai where he reportedly landed in a cow pasture near Burns Field, an Army Air Corp facility.  Word of his landing did not get back to Enterprise, so his possessions were gathered to be shipped to his next of kin.  When Enterprise later arrived at Pearl Harbor, Patriarca was on the dock to greet the ship.

ENS Willis was not so fortunate.  He was shot down during the attack, and Willis and his gunner, Coxswain Fred John Ducolon, were unfortunately possibly the first naval airmen to die in World War Two.

Patriarca resumed his flying duties with Scouting Six and participated in the attacks at the Marshall Islands, Wake Island, and Marcus Island.  He also reportedly led Scouting Six on June 5-6, 1942, during the Battle of Midway.  After World War Two, Patriarca remained in the Navy, serving during Korea and Vietnam, until retiring in July 1967 with the rank of Captain.  He died on October 17, 1987, and is buried at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida.

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)