Talk:Jack Newkirk/GA1

GA Review
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Reviewer: Peacemaker67 (talk · contribs) 11:32, 21 October 2014 (UTC)

Comments
The only real hurdle left to overcome appears to be whether or not "the Bergin ebook" can be used. If not, then the following will need to be checked to see which elements came from Bergin and the content either re-sourced, re-edited or deleted:


 * Newkirk was born in New York City on 15 October 1913. One year later his family moved to Scarsdale, New York where his father, Louis Hasbrouck Newkirk, worked as an attorney. Newkirk was known within the extended family as "Scarsdale Jack," to distinguish him from a younger cousin with the same name. At age ten, Newkirk was awarded a vocal scholarship to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine where he sang in the boys choir and attended the Cathedral School until age 14. Thereafter, Newkirk attended Scarsdale High School from which he graduated in 1932. During this time he was also active in the Boy Scouts of America and received his Eagle Scout medal from Admiral Richard E. Byrd at a ceremony in White Plains, NY. In the fall of 1932, Newkirk entered Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York to study aeronautical engineering. However, he was unable to afford tuition during the height of the Great Depression and dropped out after only one year. Newkirk subsequently worked odd jobs in New York City and served a brief stint in the New York National Guard until the fall of 1937, when he returned to Rensselaer to continue his studies.


 * Newkirk learned to fly whilst a student at Rennselaer, eventually accumulating two years of study which gave him the qualifications to become a cadet aviator in the US Navy. He joined the Navy in 1938 and after initial screening at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, he was transferred to Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida where his classmates included David Lee "Tex" Hill and Bert Christman. Newkirk earned his wings in 1939 and was assigned to the USS Yorktown at Naval Station Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, where he remained on active duty until the summer of 1941.


 * Although naval aviators were, at that time, prohibited from marriage within two years of getting their wings, having left the navy, the marriage could go ahead. John and Jane were married on 5 July 1941 at the First Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas. After a two day honeymoon in a Houston hotel, they flew to San Francisco to meet up with other AVG recruits and their wives. They parted company on 10 July 1942 at the docks, where Newkirk boarded the M.V. Jagersfontein, with some of the AVG recruits on their way to Singapore, whilst Janie stayed in Los Angeles.


 * On the morning of 3 January 1942, Newkirk led Christman, Hill, and Jim Howard across Burma's Dawna Mountain Range in an attack against the Japanese-held Tak airfield near Raheng, Thailand. Christman's aircraft developed engine trouble, forcing him to return to base and leave Newkirk without a wingman. Upon arrival at the Raheng Aerodrome, the three pilots observed numerous Japanese aircraft parked by the runway but did not immediately notice the Japanese Ki-27 "Nate" fighters already in the air. Howard began to strafe the airfield, apparently unaware that an enemy aircraft was on his tail. Hill shot down the Nate pursuing Howard, then took on an additional one. Newkirk, who had engaged and destroyed one airborne Nate by then, was also credited with the third that Hill had also been engaging. Howard destroyed four Nates on the ground. With multiple enemy aircraft destroyed and the Raheng airfield in flames, Newkirk, Howard, and Hill all returned safely to base.


 * Newkirk left Rangoon on 10 February but, to get to the AVG base in Kunming, he had to go via India.


 * The AVG continued some of its operations from Magwe, which was heavily bombed by the Japanese. Chennault ordered retaliatory raids against Chiang Mai and Lampang on 23 March 1942. Because these bases were out of range of the P-40s, from their main base at Kunming, it was decided to go via Loi Wing (Leiyun), in China, then launch the raid from the RAF airstrip at Nam Sang, Burma.


 * On 24 March 1942, the aircraft took off in darkness from Nam Sang and by 06:30 all were en route to Chiang Mai. Newkirk's part of the mission was to lead his flight past Chiang Mai to Lampang and, if no targets could be found there, return to help with the main raid on Chiang Mai. Arriving ahead of the main force over Chiain Mai, Newkirk's flight of four aircraft strafed the main railway depot in passing and then continued towards Lampang, approximately 45 miles to the southeast.


 * Newkirk's aircraft crashed in a ball of flame and he was killed instantly close to Lamphun. It was believed at the time that Newkirk's aircraft was hit by ground fire. Later investigations, including discussions with eyewitnesses, raised the possibility that Newkirk may have inadvertently hit a tree. His body was thrown clear of the wreckage and landed in a paddy field. He was buried locally by the Japanese.

Quite a to-do list --Bye for now (PTT) 19:25, 23 October 2014 (UTC)
 * See my comments on Bergin above. He may not get over the line at Milhist ACR, but he's adequate for our purposes here. Well done on the improvements that have been made to this article. Not only has it been saved from AfD, but it is now GA! Regards, Peacemaker67 (crack... thump) 02:12, 24 October 2014 (UTC)
 * OK, thanks for your guidance and patience, Have done the Move to Jack Newkirk --Bye for now (PTT) 09:18, 24 October 2014 (UTC)