WATER LANDING

1st Lt. Lynn W. Daker, 500th Bomb Squadron is forced to make a water landing off Cadiz, Negros Island, PT 21 January 1945 when the B-25 J-22 he was flying lost an engine and had insufficient power to remain airborne. Lt. Daker is seen in the water pulling injured creman Geo J. Wachtel toward an inflated life raft. Five of the six crewmembers survived the ditching, dorsal turret gunner S/Sgt. Desire W. Chatigny, Jr. went down with the aircraft. Lt. Herman Reheis orbits the scene in “Seabiscuit”, waiting for a PBY to arrive and pick up survivors. Lt. Daker received the soldier’s medal for saving Wachtel.