Page 26 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine
P. 26
Roger Ragain
A Lone Survivor
by Sam Ayers, Ed. D.
Ragain completed basic on August 13, Roger was then
training at Sheppard Sergeant Ragain, serving as the
Airfield, Wichita Falls, aircraft’s Flight Engineer; at age
and received additional 20, he was the youngest member
training at Naval Gunnery of the crew.
and Aerial Engineers
School in Pensacola, Tokyo Bay was the locale that
Florida. On September the crew of Kalamity Kat and two
1, 1944, he reported to carrier-based fighters flew into on
the Emergency Rescue their mission to rescue reported
Squadron at Keesler Field, survivors of downed American
near Biloxi, Mississippi. aircraft in the water. The Corsair
There the airman learned fighters flew ahead to search
to be the Flight (Aerial) for the downed pilots. With no
Engineer on an AO-10A. support, the crew of Kalamity Kat
was vulnerable and was soon
The AO-10A was a Patrol spotted by the Japanese fighters.
Bomber Consolidated-PBY, Two fighters attacked the PBY
often called the Catalina. head on. Their first approach
The hybrid PBY was part inflicted serious damage, but the
ieutenant Yutaka Morioko aircraft and part boat. As plane was too low for the crew
had an iron hook in place aircraft, it could fly level and to bail out. The Japanese fighters
Lof a left hand after an steady for a very long time, made another pass, inflicting
aerial dogfight with an American but it could also land on, then more damage and causing the
plane. He was back on duty, take-off from, the ocean. This Kalamity Kat to go down.
commanding a squadron of eight made her the ideal aircraft for
planes in the final months of air-sea-rescue missions. The 4th Sergeant Ragain was knocked
World War II. His mission: to Emergency Rescue Squadron unconscious during the attack
protect Japan from the onslaught (ERS) was activated on April 22, and recovered to find his plane
of American bombers. On 1944. Kobler Field, Saipan was on fire and sinking. Abandoning
August 13, 1945, he ordered two headquarters for the 4th ERS at the aircraft, he dove into the oil-
planes from his squadron to Iwo Jima. and fire-covered ocean surface.
attack an American Emergency He swam under the water that
Rescue Squadron AO-10A. Only On July 30, was on
one from the downed aircraft 1945, Ragain fire from
survived… Sergeant Roger was part of a burning
Ragain. replacement fuel,
crew resurfacing
Roger Elton Ragain was 5’8” and transferred three
a student at Mount Pleasant High to Iwo Jima. times. The
School where he played tennis They named sergeant
and basketball. In 1942, Ragain their aircraft called
left school to work for an oil the Kalamity out for
company in Athens, Texas. After Kat. When members
nine months, Roger decided to they lined of the crew,
enlist in the Army Air Corps on up to take- but no one
May 21, 1943. off from answered.
Iwo Jima He
26 Senior Link
