Carrier Aircraft Service Unit Eleven (CASU-11) Book

[Oio]

I have just completed a book about my Father's service during World War II. He was assigned to CASU-11 and spent 17 months on Guadalcanal. It took me five years to assemble the story of CASU-11 as there is very little published information out there. My daughter suggested I write some blogs as a means of finding other interested parties - worked perfectly as emails rolled in with pictures and stories. Then one email linked me up with a CASU-11 survivor. I flew to Orlando and spent a wonderful weekend interviewing Patrick O'Flynn. This interview resulted in 40 typed pages of stories. Shortly after this another email arrived that led to the sharing of a personal diary with entries for everyday of CASU-11's time on Guadalcanal. Finally, a trip to the San Francisco Regional Office of the National Archives completed the CASU-11 story. This story, from the beginning to the end of CASU-11, is now in a book available on Amazon. The book is 391 pages with over 100 pictures.

Simple Google "CASU-11" and about mid page you will see the Amazon page advertising "Mechanic on the Wing - The Untold Story of Carrier Aircraft Service Unit Eleven (CASU-11) 1943 - 1946."

Enjoy!!

Regards,

William Little
US Navy (Retired)

 

[JSEIS]

William,

I read your book with interest as my father Clyde S. Sayce served with CASU 11 on Guadalcanal. Of note is I believe I've identified his image in the photo in the pic of the Radio Gang. He distinctly recalled the trip over and back on the troop ship.

He said "on the most beautiful evening as we steamed across the Pacific to calm seas and the setting sun, we were all (as many as could get up there) on the foredeck to escape the heat below, a man was playing a harmonica and he pause and take requests, a voice would ring out "do you know this song?" The harmonica player would respond no, but hum a few bars' and there'd be this humming and the harmonica player would say "oh I know that", and start playing again.

Of course Dad was a radioman, and trained in radar theory and tech. His route to CASU 11 was through College Station Texas where a 100 men? where sent through a year's long course on radio and radar theory-Technology by Sperry Rand. Then they joined CASU 11 in California, San Diego I believe.

Jim