In memory, Euguene Salternik passed away October 9, 2005. He was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego on October 24th with military honors.
Awarded the Silver Star he earned for his role rescuing P-40N 42-104986 pilot Nelson Flack.
The rescue of Nelson Flack was our first mission of the war. We in the 25th Liaison Squadron had just arrived at Gusap, when we got the call that a P-40 pilot was down, and to go find him and rescue him. My L-5 flipped over on landing, and I wasn't able to find Flack until later, he had left the crash site and was wandering around. Another L-5 flown by my friend James Nichols also crashed trying to assist the rescue. Finally, an Australian commando was parachuted down and we walked back to friendly lines. It took us several weeks to go thru the jungle and get back to safety They later gave me the Silver Star for this mission. Since you asked, I will find the medal and show it to you if you like. I heard that Flack was forced down again, I was very sad to hear about that.
Salternik's first L-5 was and lost during the rescue of Nelson Flack and still exists today, undisturbed from where the war left it.
I assembled L-5 42-98066 myself at Port Moresby and flown it over the Owen Stanley mountains up to Gusap. After I spotted Flack's P-40 I went in for a landing in a nearby kunai grass field. The grass was much higher than it appeared from the air, and in the landing, the plane flipped upside down, breaking the propeller.
I was unhurt and I dutifully removed the battery, so that it would not drain and loose its charge. I was sad to have to abandon the plane, I remember, aside from the broken propeller, I could have easily repaired it and flown it again. Later they told me one of our planes strafed my L-5, but I guess that wasn't the case. I was sure surprised to the photos John Douglas took of my L-5, its still there!
He was also involved in the rescue of another pilot, Australian Colin Harvey:
This Australian P-40 pilot had to bail out behind Hollandia in some very rough terrain I took responsibility of keeping him resupplied and directing him from the air towards a river for him to paddle down. Each day I dropped him notes, and later lead the RAAF Walrus up to the area to pick him up. Harvey was from Perth. We visited with him in Australia and he visited me here in the USA. He gave me this plaque with his flying wings, and a pouch in the back has some of the notes I dropped to him. He was very grateful for the work I had done and we became good friends. I was sad to hear that he passed away.
Salternik's role in other important actions in the Pacific
Flying in New Guinea, Dutch New Guinea and the Philippines. He shares some of his photos and recollections:
Flying In New Guinea
Since our L-5s could land many places that larger planes could not, we were briefed on many smaller strips around New Guinea, like Mt. Hagen, Goroka Wabag and other smaller strip. Often, the local people would come out to see us. Rarely had they seen planes or outsiders until the war.Dirinimour River
I flew an officer over the battlefield and landed nearby so he could survey the area. I snapped a photo of the area from my L-5, you could see stacks of bodies from the air, it was a massacre. Our troops were on one side of the river, and the Japanese on the other. When they tried to cross they were mowed down by our defenses. Even from the air you could see all the carnage.
Wakde
June 6, 1944, after a Japanese air raid that destroyed six planes and damaged 80. As soon as it was clear, I took off and flew over the strip to survey the damage. They really got us good that time. I was good at taking photos with my camera while i flew.Manila
I had the chance to fly a General over the city of Manila on many occasions. There were battles and fires all over the city. One time, we flew over Grace Park and I landed there. We got out, parked the plane and he went to do his inspection. We heard a 'whoomp' sound and some mortars hit nearby. I ran back to the plane, fearing that they would have destroyed it but luckily it was not hit.
We took off and got out of there quickly! This mortar crew must have been watching us when we landed, luckily their round missed. Another time, while we were flying over the city, a machine gunner started firing at us, I veered away, out over the Bay. The General didn't say anything about that but was happy about my decision. The damage to the city was a horrible thing, all those buildings burning.
