Tora! Tora! Tora!

The Tora! aircraft are recognized the world over. Anyone who has seen them perform will agree that they deserve the top billing they always receive. Probably their most famous performance was in the movie "TORA! TORA! TORA! The Gulf Coast Wing considers it a privilege to be associated with this fine group of men and women.

BRIEF HISTORY
(Reprinted from Jan/Feb 1996 issue "World Airshow News")

The Commemorative Air Force's (CAF) first involvement in "TORA! TORA! TORA!" activities dates back before the movie of the same name. Early in January, 1967, the CAF was contacted by Elmo Williams of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation about the availability of certain types of aircraft for the movie. Since there were no Japanese aircraft available (they had all been destroyed after WWII), the CAF helped locate the North American AT-6 and Vultee BT-13 aircraft that would be used to create the replica Japanese aircraft used in the movie.

The Zero fighters would be made by modifying AT-6 aircraft. The Val dive bombers would be created by modifying BT-13 aircraft. The Kate torpedo bombers would be created by modifying and joining AT-6 and BT-13 aircraft with lots of stretching and modifying of both types.

After the movie was completed, the replica Japanese aircraft were destroyed, placed in storage or put up for sale. In October, 1971, six of the replica Japanese aircraft were donated to the CAF by Gerald Weeks of Memphis, Tenn. (no relation to Kermit Weeks). My, what that started! Thank you Mr. Weeks!

In the spring of 1972, CAF members, of the Gulf Coast Wing requested assignment of these strange creatures" that resembled Japanese aircraft to their wing. This wing was determined to have the necessary flying and maintenance skills to be able to take the aircraft and do something positive with them.

Once the aircraft were in new paint, with bright red "meatballs" properly affixed, CAF Col. Ken Wynn suggested that an act be developed depicting the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He proposed using the CAF FM2 Wildcat and B17 to add realism to the act. .

Under the direction of CAF Col. Van Skiles, practice on the new act commenced. The pilots were Cols. Tom Reedy (squadron leader) along with Bob Garnett, Kent Ross and Bob Bunton volunteering as Zero pilots. The Val dive bomber pilot was Col. Fred Haise. The Kate torpedo bomber pilot was Col. C.A. Skiles, and the Wildcat pilots were Cols. Gerald Martin and Joe Engel (of later NASA and astronaut fame). The B-17 crew consisted of Cols. Van Skiles, Eddie Burke (whose son is still flying with TORA), and Raymond Perry acting as flight engineer.

The debut of this new act was the Galveston Air Show, June 25, 1972. The TORA! TORA! TORA! act was a smash hit! In order to add still more realism, smoke generators were added to the number three engine of the B-17 and to one of the Zeros.

The TORA! TORA! TORA! act continues today. There are currently 14 aircraft (seven Zeros, four Kates, and three Vals) in the group with another Zero currently being modified from an AT-6. Ten of these aircraft, are owned by the Commemorative Air Force with the remaining five being owned by CAF members that fly with the "TORA GANG."

There are 24 qualified pilots at this time, but this does not make up the entire group. The TORA GANG’s mailing list goes from Rich "Mumbles" Adams living in Iowa to Mike Zolman living in Florida, and totals approximately 90 people. Most spouses are also part of the TORA GANG, so it ends up being a good size group.

The TORA GANG consists of six different elements to make one total. First, there is the flying element with pilots form New Jersey to New Mexico. Second , there is the announcer element consisting of Ken Crites of Louisville, KY and Mike Reece of St. Louis, MO. Third, is the pyro element led by Bob West of Bellevue, Nebraska. The fourth element is the PX element consisting of Mel Reece and Tom Hardin, both of St. Louis, MO. The fifth element is the marshaling and ground crew headed by Tom Hill of Ft. Worth, TX. The sixth element, and certainly not the least important, is the maintenance crew. This crew does wonders to keep all of these old aircraft in flying condition and ready to make all the squadron’s commitments.

During this past summer, one of the Zeros had a ground accident, and when it was over, both landing gear had snapped and the wing was bent. A maintenance crew, headed by TORA pilot "Willy Bob" Bonefas, left the Houston area and arrived at the plane in Iowa on Sunday afternoon. Friday afternoon of the same week, this Zero went to the next airshow. During 1995, the TORA GANG performed at 16 airshows, not missing a commitment.

A typical TORA! TORA! TORA! show will involve eight Japanese aircraft flying a very intricate and tight set of patterns while 60 bombs go off in, 8 minutes or less, all while the announcing team is telling the "history lesson" that Tora is depicting in the air and on the ground. This is all done in a very patriotic manner to honor all who "volunteered" between 1939-45, so that we may enjoy the freedoms of this great country.