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During the Leyte invasion, Rear Admiral Sample "desired a better view of operations" and decided to hitch a ride in a torpedo bomber. He lay in the "tunnel gun" position and observed through the window below the tail. The plane was hit by antiaircraft fire. Sample was severely cut on the head and shoulders. James C. Edinger, ARM3c, USNR, of Foxburg, Pennsylvania, came down from the "blister" where he was manning a .50 in (13 mm) machine gun, and applied first aid. Edinger said that it took them more than an hour to return to Marcus Island, during which he kept kicking Sample in the face with his foot to keep the Admiral from passing out. Sample was a big man: Edinger was afraid that if they ended up in the water, he wouldn't be able to get him out of the plane. Each time Sample would warn Edinger to make sure the .30 cal machine gun in the tail was empty. He was afraid that when they landed the gun would go off. Later, Sample explained to Edinger that he could see the headlines in the paper, "Admiral lands upon carrier: shoots hole in deck". According to the ship's surgeon, Commander Lee, "the excellence of Edinger's treatment helped prevent infection". Admiral Sample was awarded the Purple Heart, and at Sample's request, Edinger was promoted to Aviation Radio Man, Second Class.
On 2 October 1945, shortly after the war ended, Sample was listed as missing after his Martin PBM Mariner aircraft failed to return from a familiarization flight near Wakayama, Japan. Rear Admiral Sample was officially declared dead on 3 October 1946.
The remains of Sample, Capt. Charles C. McDonald of Suwannee (CVE-27), and the seven members of the flight crew were discovered in the wreckage of the aircraft on 19 November 1948, recovered, and returned to the United States to be interred together at Arlington National Cemetery on 17 May 1949.
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Rear Admiral (RADM) William Dodge Sample, United States Navy, Service Number: O-34596
Early Life
William Dodge Sample was born on 9 March 1898 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York. His nickname was “Bill”. His father, William Roderick Sample, born 29 June 1866 in Memphis, Tennessee, died 12 September 1956 in Fort McPherson, Georgia, was a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army. His mother, Bettie M. Saunders was born on 16 August 1869 in Georgia and died on 22 April 1920 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. William’s parents were married on 27 May 1891 in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama. William was the younger of two sons in the family; he had a younger sister. After his mother died, his father married Carolyn (surname unknown) (1873-1949).
On 18 April 1928, in Florida, he married Mary Lee Lamar, born 5 November 1906 in Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, died 30 Oct 2006 (aged 99) in Washington, District of Columbia. They had one daughter. After his death, in 1948, Mary Lee married George Whelan Anderson Jr. (1906-1992) who was the Chief of Naval Operations from 1961-1963 and U.S. Ambassador to Portugal 1963-1966.
Military
William Dodge Sample attended the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1919, although his class graduated one year early in 1918, due to the outbreak of World War I. He was designated as a Naval Aviator in 1923. At the time of his death, he was the Commander of Carrier Division 22.
During World War I, Sample served aboard the transport Henderson. For meritorious service during a fire onboard Henderson, he received a letter of commendation from the Secretary of the Navy. Detached in August 1918, he served on several destroyers based at Queenstown, Ireland. He remained in the European Waters Detachment after the end of World War I.
In December 1921, Sample was transferred to the gunboat Pampanga in the Asiatic Fleet.
Sample attended flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida and was designated a Naval Aviator on June 23, 1923. Shortly thereafter, he served as Commanding Officer of Scouting Squadron VS-1. In the 1920s, he successively served in the Aviation Departments of the light cruisers Raleigh and Richmond, and battleships Arizona and New York.
Sample served on board the aircraft carriers Saratoga and Lexington, commanding Fighter Squadron VF-5 on the latter from 1932-1934. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander, Sample saw duty at the Bureau of Aeronautics from 1935-1937 followed by duty as Navigator on Ranger in 1938. In 1939, Sample was assigned as Air Operations Officer on Yorktown. His last duty before World War II was as Supervisor of Aviation Training at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.
World War II
At the outbreak of World War II, he assisted in the conversion of the oil tanker Santee into an escort carrier. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Commander. Assuming command of Santee on her commissioning, he was awarded a letter of commendation for service during Operation Torch; the invasion of North Africa.
Captain Sample assumed command of Intrepid on April 19, 1944. In May 1944, he was transferred to serve as Commanding Officer of Hornet and in the ensuing months participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and a strike against the Volcano Islands.
In late summer 1944, Sample was promoted to rear admiral, planting his flag aboard the escort carrier Marcus Island as Commander, Carrier Division 27 (CarDiv 27), for the invasion of Palau. In October 1944, at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, his CarDiv 27 was part of Task Unit 77.4.2 (TU 77.4.2, otherwise known as Taffy II) at the Battle off Samar under Rear Admiral Felix B. Stump. In early 1945, Commander, CarDiv 27, and Marcus Island supported the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, Philippines. For the Invasion of Okinawa, Sample moved his flag to CarDiv 22 and Suwannee.
During the Leyte invasion, Rear Admiral Sample "desired a better view of operations" and decided to hitch a ride in a torpedo bomber. He lay in the "tunnel gun" position and observed through the window below the tail. The plane was hit by antiaircraft. Sample was severely cut on the head and shoulders. James C. Edinger, ARM3c, USNR, of Foxburg, Pennsylvania), came down from the "blister" where he was manning a .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun, and applied first aid. Edinger said that it took them more than an hour to return to Marcus Island, during which he kept kicking Sample in the face with his foot to keep the Admiral from passing out. Sample was a big man: Edinger was afraid that if they ended up in the water, he would be unable to get him out of the plane. Each time Sample would warn Edinger to make sure the .30 in (7.6 mm) machine gun in the tail was empty. He was afraid that when they landed the gun would go off. Later, in the state room Sample explained to Edinger that he could see the headlines in the paper, "Admiral lands upon carrier: shoots hole in deck". According to the ship's surgeon, Commander Lee, “the excellence of Edinger's treatment helped prevent infection". Admiral Sample was awarded the Purple Heart, and at Sample's request, Edinger was promoted to Aviation Radio Man, Second Class.
The frigate USS Sample (FF-1048) was commissioned on March 23, 1968 in his honor.
VP-45 was initially established as Patrol Squadron 205 (VP-205) on 1 November 1942, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 205 (VPB-205) on 1 October 1944.
Operational history:
1 November 1942: VP-205 was established at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, as a seaplane squadron flying the PBM-3 Mariner. During the first phase of training at NAS Norfolk, the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-5.
26 January – June 1943: Upon completion of the first phase of training, VP-205 was relocated to NS San Juan, Puerto Rico, with tender support provided by USS Albemarle. On 1 February 1943, the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-11. Training in advanced base operations continued along with regular operational patrol duties until June 1943. The squadron complement of aircraft was brought up to 13.
2–10 June 1943: VP-205 was relocated to NAS Trinidad, British West Indies. Duties consisted of antishipping and Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) patrols. New PBM-3S aircraft with improved radar replaced the older PBM-3C versions. On 10 June 1943, one of the new PBM-3S' was lost at sea during a patrol, possibly due to enemy action.
3 August 1943: A PBM piloted by Lieutenant (jg) C. C. Cox attacked a U-boat located on the surface and was shot down during the bomb run with the loss of all hands. Lieutenant Cox's attack resulted in the sinking of the submarine, later identified as U-572.
6 August 1943: A Mariner piloted by Lieutenant Anthony Matuski attacked a U-boat on the surface and was shot down with the loss of all hands. The heavily damaged submarine, U-615, was later sunk by other aircraft.
7 July 1944: VP-205 was relocated to NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Duties consisted of long-range ASW patrols and convoy coverage.
19 September 1944: VP-205 was relieved for return to NAS Norfolk. Personnel were given rehabilitation leave upon arrival and the PBM-3S aircraft were turned in for replacement with the PBM-5 version.
17 October 1944: Squadron personnel began returning from leave and check out in the new PBM-5 aircraft began. Reforming of the squadron and its assets was completed by the end of the month, and VPB-205 received orders to relocate to NAAS Harvey Point, North Carolina, for training.
29 November 1944 – 30 January 1945: Upon completion of training the squadron's area of operation was changed from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The cross-country flights from NAS Harvey Point to NAS San Diego, California, and then on to NAS Alameda, California, commenced with all aircraft arriving safely by 1 December. Upon arrival, aircrews began preparing their aircraft for the imminent trans-Pacific flight to NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. During this period the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-8. The first elements of the squadron began their transPac to NAS Kaneohe Bay on 21 December, with all aircraft arriving safely two days later. Operational training began immediately after the crews had settled into quarters. While at NAS Kaneohe Bay the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-2. From 23 to 30 January 1945, the squadron made several ferry flights between NAS Kaneohe Bay and NAS Alameda.
25 March 1945: VPB-205 relocated to the Mariana Islands operating under FAW-1. On 1 April 1945, the squadron moved temporarily ashore at NAB Tanapag, Saipan. From this location the squadron flew anti-shipping patrols, occasional Dumbo (air-sea rescue) missions and sector searches.
18 May 1945: VPB-205 was placed under the operational control of FAW-18 (TU 94.1.2). The squadron mission was changed from daytime to nighttime anti-shipping patrols.
25 August 1945: VPB-205 was relocated from Saipan to Chimu Wan, Okinawa, under the operational control of FAW-1. Tender support was provided by USS St. George. Duties consisted of anti-shipping patrols and long-range searches.
23 September 1945: VPB-205 was relocated to Wakayama, Japan, to provide surveillance support during the military disarmament of Japan and courier/passenger services for the occupation forces. During this period the squadron came under the operational control of FAW-17.
21 November 1945: VPB-205 was relieved for return to NAS Norfolk, for a period of training and overhaul.
Death and Burial
William Dodge Sample was a passenger on a PBM-5 aircraft from VPB-205, (#34596) that crashed near Wakayama airbase in Honshu, Japan on 2 October 1945. The wreckage of the plane was not located until 19 November 1948. Initially buried in the Pacific theater, he was reinterred on 17 May 1949 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, Section: 15A, Site: 78SH in a common grave with the others who perished in the crash.
Buried in the common grave are:
Rear Admiral William Dodge Sample, USN
Aviation Radioman Third Class Donald Harry Hawthorne, USNR
Seaman First Class Robert H. Johnson, USNR
Aviation Radioman Second Class Herbert Andrew Kilgour, USNR
Aviation Machinist’s Mate Second Class Frank Frederick Kissinger, USNR
Captain Charles C. McDonald, USN
Lieutenant Gilbert D. Lizer, USNR
Ensign Kazimer Olenski, USNR
Aviation Machinist’s Mate Third Class Jack C. Mallory, USNR
Aviation Machinist’s Mate Third Class Albert J. Schale Jr., USNR
Sources
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45438217/william-dodge-sample
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60787491/donald-h-hawthorne
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/WILLIAM_D._SAMPLE,_RADM,_USN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VP-45
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97825111/pensacola-news-journal/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97825223/st-louis-post-dispatch/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sample
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/45228:3030?tid=&pid=&queryId=c9d3a1022a6bb97257e41bf170cabab2&_phsrc=5ru-801125&_phstart=successSource
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2590/images/40479_1521003240_0526-01652?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.25085306.1360058510.1647471737-2121615292.1643516369&pId=1571779
This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.
If you noticed anything missing in this profile, you may contact the author by clicking on this link: (Mulvanny, Robert (Red) (SBTS Historian), CDR) at redandbon@outlook.com
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