From the Collections
Post from a Pilot: The Letters of Gerald Hennesy
Artist. Pilot. Devoted son. A gifted student at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, Gerald Hennesy was 20 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. A newspaper artist who played piano and drew patents for extra money, Hennesy dropped everything to join the Navy the next day.
Three years later, and now a fighter pilot with over 100 missions under his belt, Lt. Hennesy wrote the letters in this collection to pass the time between missions. His glee is evident when writing to his mother on August 24th, 1945, “On the 15th… we got the word we’d been waiting so long to hear. ‘Cease offensive action and return to ship.’ The whole formation waggled its wings with joy.”
His letters conveyed stories of life on board the Yorktown, seemingly in an effort to quell his mother’s worries. They tell little of his daring combat missions, but instead recount what he ate for dinner that night and how he was sick of his bunkmate’s record player selections. The letters highlight the end of the war in the Pacific and Hennesy’s plans for returning home. They offer an intimate glimpse into life at sea for a young aviator.
Three years later, and now a fighter pilot with over 100 missions under his belt, Lt. Hennesy wrote the letters in this collection to pass the time between missions. His glee is evident when writing to his mother on August 24th, 1945, “On the 15th… we got the word we’d been waiting so long to hear. ‘Cease offensive action and return to ship.’ The whole formation waggled its wings with joy.”
His letters conveyed stories of life on board the Yorktown, seemingly in an effort to quell his mother’s worries. They tell little of his daring combat missions, but instead recount what he ate for dinner that night and how he was sick of his bunkmate’s record player selections. The letters highlight the end of the war in the Pacific and Hennesy’s plans for returning home. They offer an intimate glimpse into life at sea for a young aviator.
