Senate Resolution 47 - Introduced PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY KREIMAN 1 3 A Resolution to recognize and honor Johnny 1 4 Talbot of Centerville for his service as a navy 1 5 fighter pilot in the Battle of Midway. 1 6 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot, a native of Centerville, 1 7 served in the United States Navy from 1939 through the 1 8 end of World War II; and 1 9 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot was a navy fighter pilot and 1 10 at 22 years of age flew an F4F=4 Wildcat in the Battle 1 11 of Midway; and 1 12 WHEREAS, on June 4, 1942, Johnny Talbot departed in 1 13 his Wildcat knowing he did not have enough fuel to 1 14 make it back to his carrier, the USS Hornet; and 1 15 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot's part in the engagement 1 16 ended after four hours of flight time when his Wildcat 1 17 ran out of fuel; and 1 18 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot had only 25 to 30 seconds to 1 19 exit his cramped cockpit and reach into a back 1 20 compartment to retrieve his life raft before the 1 21 Wildcat sank; and 1 22 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot almost went down with the 1 23 plane when his foot became snagged on an antenna; and 1 24 WHEREAS, once in the water, Johnny Talbot found 1 25 that his life raft would not automatically inflate and 1 26 his air pump would not work, so he used his breath to 1 27 inflate the raft; and 1 28 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot spent six days lost at sea, 1 29 scorched by the sun and chilled by the night, with 1 30 only a half canteen of water and a bottle of malt 2 1 tablets for survival, without knowledge of whether 2 2 American forces were left after the engagement to 2 3 mount rescue operations; and 2 4 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot saw several planes fly 2 5 overhead before a PBY Catalina patrol plane finally 2 6 spotted him and landed; and 2 7 WHEREAS, soon after being released from the 2 8 hospital, Johnny Talbot taught Army Air Corps pilots 2 9 about flying in combat; and 2 10 WHEREAS, for the rest of the war, Johnny Talbot was 2 11 transferred between actual combat assignments and the 2 12 teaching of new pilots; and 2 13 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot, having had many experiences 2 14 throughout his navy service, also escorted the famous 2 15 Jimmy Doolittle raid halfway to Tokyo, in which 16 B= 2 16 25 twin=engine bombers left the deck of the USS Hornet 2 17 to complete a surprise bombing on the Japanese 2 18 mainland; and 2 19 WHEREAS, Johnny Talbot is among the last of 2 20 surviving U.S. Navy aviators that so courageously 2 21 served in the Battle of Midway, making the personal 2 22 sacrifice required to succeed against Japan in World 2 23 War II; NOW THEREFORE, 2 24 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate 2 25 honors Johnny Talbot of Centerville for his service to 2 26 our nation, especially his service as a navy fighter 2 27 pilot in the Battle of Midway; and 2 28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That, upon passage, a copy 2 29 of this Resolution be prepared for and transmitted to 2 30 Johnny Talbot. 3 1 LSB 3552SS 81 3 2 eg:rj/sh/8 1