My Father-in-Law’s Heroism in Japan

Last night I was searching through old newspapers found at Ancestry.com (in partnership with NewspaperArchive.com) for information on Jamison ancestors whom I’ve been studying. Last year I did a lot of research on NewspaperArchive.com but was not able to find newspapers from my husband’s hometown in Greene County, Pennsylvania. So on a whim I typed in my father-in-law’s name for a search. This article pictured above appeared in the search results. As I read it to my husband, who was watching TV near me, I got teary-eyed. I’ve heard Larry relay this story many times but neither of us has ever seen it reported in a news article.

Larry told me the rest of the story that happened that day. As the plane crashed, it plowed through a fence and into homes occupied by the Japanese. Capt. L. R. Jamison (pictured above and below at right) was the Officer on Duty at the Air Base that day. After he pulled the Navigator from the wreckage, he found that a Japanese woman was also trapped under the plane. As he crawled toward her through the wreckage, he noticed that airplane fuel was leaking onto her face. He was afraid the highly volatile fuel would explode, or at the least, burn her eyes, so he found a scrap of tin and laid it over her face to shield her eyes.  He remained there with her until more rescuers arrived to pull her free.

If another Air Force Officer had not come to the house to notify Mrs. Irene Jamison and her sons Dick and Larry that day of the heroism of Capt. Jamison, they would not have known of his selfless service, for in his humility he was hesitant to give the details of his valiant actions. He was a highly decorated pilot who flew in three wars. Those who knew him understood that he was the type of man who would not hesitate to risk his life to save another’s.

We’re proud of Lt. Col. L. R. Jamison, the heroism, integrity and character he displayed as a man, husband, father, Officer, Pilot and Civil Engineer in the United States Air Force.