RG-120 Papers of Corporal Thomas L. Sharp, USA, 79th Airdrome Squadron, SWPA, USAFPAC

RG-120 Papers of Corporal Thomas L. Sharp, USA, 79th Airdrome Squadron, SWPA, USAFPAC; 2 boxes (1 Shelf Foot) Sharp served with the 79th Airdrome Squadron from New Guinea to Japan. Contained herein are his letters home during the war and a phenomenal collection of photographs showing nose art of 5th and 13th Air Force planes.

Accession #8084.000

Thomas Sharp was a native of Richmond, VA. He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942 and went through training at Buckley Field, Colorado, and Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia. Assigned to the 79th Airdrome Squadron Sharp was shipped out to the Southwest Pacific and New Guinea in early 1944. He saw many duty stations with the 79th during the war and was based at Port Moresby, Nadzab, Hollandia, Morotai Island, the Philippines and Ie Shima in the Ryukyus.

Thomas Sharp poses next to the B-24, Old Hickory, which flew with the 530th Squadron, 380th Bomb Group. Sharp’s collection contains many images of World War II nose art, many of which can be seen in the nose art section of this website.

Nose Art of the Southwest Pacific Area

At left is a letter Sharp wrote home about being on Ie Shima island in the Ryukyus, where famous war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed in the last months of the war.   The image at left is of the Ernie Pyle Monument on Ie Shima.

At left is a letter Sharp wrote home to his sister about the Japanese surrender negotiation team that landed on Ie Shima en route to Manila, Philippines, on 19 August 1945. At right is a photo that Sharp took of the event.   The Japanese were informed by MacArthur’s headquarters that this plane was required to be white with green crosses