Bridges at "Toko-Ri", The

Flight Journal, Oct 2004 by Thompson, Warren E

"James Michener was present at the debriefings after that mission, and for 50 years, I always thought that he used that particular mission as the nucleus for his novel. But I am now convinced that he based his novel on several successful missions. We all got to know him pretty well while he was on the Essex, and he knew most of us by name. When he left our carrier, he went over to the Valley Forge, where he gathered more good information for the book. To this day, I remember clearly all of the details of that memorable mission!"

The success of these new tactics was quickly used by other carriers operating off North Korea's east coast. Using thousands of conscripted civilian laborers, the Chinese made a major effort to repair the bridges, but the rugged terrain made it almost impossible. In a matter of a few months, these targets were monitored only by photorecon aircraft, and if any progress was made repairing them, they were targeted for strikes again. Starting in the late spring of 1952, with rail traffic severely hindered, the enemy had to put thousands of trucks on the roads every night because that was the only way they could sustain their positions.

If the unlimited manpower of the Chinese military had been allowed to move supplies and equipment at will, the UN forces would have been pushed off the peninsula. Airpower gave the friendly ground forces the help that they needed to keep South Korea free. U.S. Naval aviators played a major role in that war, and James Michener helped the public glimpse what it was like for them.