05 NOVEMBER 1944
First Lieutenant Denzil L. Kathman, pilot of "Daylight Two One,"  departed Morotai with instructions to search for a B-24 crew and P-38 pilot reported to have gone down in Guimaras Strait, just South of Guimaras Island, West of San Enrique on Negros Island. They proceeded to the rendezvous point where they sighted their P-38 escorts ten miles to the West. The P-38's circled them and escorted them Northeast to a point ten miles off San Enrique. Two P-38's covered the Jap airstrip at Le Carlota while the other two searched the area between Guimaras Island and La Carlota on Negros. The P-38's located their lost pilot just off a small unnamed island, six miles off the shore of Negros Island, (10°25'N, 122°50'E) near the town of San Enrique. The rescue ship was directed to the survivor, landed in a smooth sea and took him aboard at 1115. During their stay on the water, the P-38 pilots admonished them repeatedly to hurry. They had some difficulty in starting the starboard engine causing them to remain on the water longer than they had expected. However, in 15 minutes both engines started up and they took off. The two P-38's covering the strip gave it a final burst of machine gun fire and then headed for the rescue ship, which they closely escorted until they were well South of Mindanao Gulf where the P-38's dipped their wings and left them. They proceeded homeward arriving arriving at their base at on Morotai at 1710. The mission requiring 12 hours and 40 minutes. The B-24 crew was not sighted. During their search and rescue in the gulf, they observed large fires on the Southeast coast of Panay. No enemy ships intercepted them during this mission. The rescued pilot, 2nd Lt. Gerald Lowrey, 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, stated that while on a strafing mission, 5 November 1944, his ship was severely damaged near La Carlota and he was forced to bail out of his plane ten miles South of Guimaras Island at 1100. He did not inflate his life raft as the Japs saw him leave the ship and sent boats out to search for him. However, he paddled around avoiding them until darkness. He was near a small unnamed island and swam around it three times during the night, not daring to go ashore. When picked up he was 10 to 15 miles Northeast of his ditching position and was indeed happy to see the PBY coming to him. The crew of the rescue ship and their P-38 escort deserve the highest praise for their daring rescue deep in enemy territory. The cooperation of the P-38 escort was excellent.

0430:	Takeoff
0740:	Rescued P-38 pilot, 2nd Lt. Gerald B. Lowrey, 8th Fighter Group, 36th Fighter Sq. (Pilot P-38) was rescued at 10°25'N, 122°50'E. When rescued the pilot was extremely fatigued but was in good physical condition. The photographer took several pictures [see photo] of the rescued pilot. The weather was good with scattered clouds and the state of the sea was calm to moderately choppy.eang Island.

RESCUED P-38 PILOT: 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group - 2nd Lt. Gerald B. Lowrey

AIRCRAFT TYPE: OA-10A* 
USAAF SERNO: 44-33875  (CV-325)**   ("Axle Ass Annie")
CALLSIGN:  "Daylight 21" 
CREW: (Pilot) 1st Lt. Denzil L. Kathman, (Co-Pilot) 1st Lt. Larry E. Bormann; (Navigator) 2nd Lt. John M. Reeves, (Engineer) Corporal Kenneth M. Paris; (Radar) Sergeant Collins; (Radio) Staff Sergeant Zewert; (Asst. Engineer) Private Lawrence E. Clark; (Photo) Sergeant Baughman