Clark builds memorial for American war hero

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — Officials have laid the groundwork for a memorial for the US military’s first hero in the second world war here. The memorial will be located past two Japanese war shrines.

The life size statue of US Air force Capt. Colin Kelly Jr. was installed this week on the grounds of a former theatre and cafeteria complex in the former US military that was named after him.

US military retirees from the Veterans of War office, officials from the 600th air base wing of the Philippine Air Force and the neighboring Municipality of Mabalacat, which initiated the memorial project, led the groundbreaking ceremonies.

US military history records Kelly as "America’s first hero of World War II." Soon after the Japanese imperial forces attacked Pearl Harbor and bombed Clark, Kelly, flying on his B-17 aircraft, bombed the Japanese battleship Ashigara off the coast of Aparri on Dec. 10, 1941.

Kelly had radioed Clark for permission to attack a Japanese landing force, which was supported by several destroyers and a large cruiser, which was bombarding the coast of Aparri from several miles offshore. Eventually, Kelly told the crew to go ahead with the attack.

Guy Hilbero, Mabalacat tourism officer who was one among those who initiated the memorial project, said that on his way back to Clark which was already heavily destroyed by the Japanese, Kelly was pursued by Japanese fighter aircraft, setting his bomber on fire.

Hilbero said Kelly asked members of his crew to bail out, although one of his gunners was already fatally hit. His bomber crashed in Barangay Mabiga in Mabalacat on the same day.

Details of Kelly’s heroism was later recounted by Robert Altman, one of the members of his crew whom Kelly had asked to bail out, who testified that Kelly gave up his life to save his crew. Altman was captured by the Japanese after he landed with his parachute at Clark and was held prisoner of war in Japan for 40 months.

US President Franklin Roosevelt posthumously conferred the Distinguished Service Cross upon Kelly for his sacrifice. Kelly, a 1937 graduate of the US Military Academy and a former B-17 instructor, was one of the most experienced and respected pilots of the 19th Bomb Group of the US Air Force.