Philip Field was born in Buffalo, New York on 24 March 1920. His parents, George and Elizabeth Field, divorced a few years later; Philip and his older brother Spencer grew up in their father’s home. George was an affluent businessman and attorney, and the Field boys grew up in a large house on Chapin Parkway waited on by a handful of servants.

Philip attended the prestigious Nichols School and studied abroad in Geneva; he was accepted to Harvard with the class of 1943, but left school in order to enter the Navy.

Philip joined the Navy reserve in August 1941, and was called up to active duty shortly after Pearl Harbor. He attended flight school at Jacksonville and earned his wings as a Navy ensign. Offered the chance to join the Marine Corps, he accepted his commission on 14 July 1942.

After a few months of stateside duty, Lieutenant Field was assigned to VMTB-232 – the “Red Devils” of Guadalcanal fame. The squadron traded in their Dauntless dive bombers for Avenger torpedo bombers, and Field learned to fly and fight this hefty bomber before deploying overseas with his comrades in the spring of 1943.

Lieutenant Field flew numerous missions as a Red Devil, usually with Sergeant Edward Dzama manning the turret guns and PFC Joseph Dale Miller on the radio.

On 26 October 1943, TBF-1 Avenger #06416 took off from Guadalcanal on a mission to bomb Kahili airfield on the island of Bougainville. Lieutenant Field, Sergeant Dzama, and PFC Miller were at their regular stations. A malarial attack had kept Field off the flight roster for a full week; he was likely still battling the aftereffects as he lifted off at 0728 hours and joined up with the squadron.

The American strike force met no Japanese fighters over the target, but faced “intense heavy, moderate light” antiaircraft fire as they dropped their bombs. Lieutenant Field’s Avenger took a hit in the engine which started a fire. The pilot managed to pull the bomber out of its gliding approach, but the engine failed and the flaming airplane dove into the water.

Two of the three-man crew managed to jump from the falling Avenger. Only one parachute opened and drifted slowly down over Bougainville. The other flyer fell into the water and disappeared from view.

Because nobody knew if the parachutist was Field, Dzama, or Miller, all were reported as missing in action. The two enlisted men were declared dead on 27 October 1944; Field followed on 11 January 1946.

George H. Field died in 1945 without knowing what happened to his son. The news of Philip’s death was conveyed to his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Dunham, who was then living in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

“First Lieutenant Philip Field, pilot, Sergeant Edward R. Dzama, turret gunner, and Private Joseph D. Miller, radio gunner, flying in Plane BuNo. 06414 were observed to pull out of glide at 1000 feet. The engine was on fire and, after making a turn to the left, the plane dove into the water at a 20 degree angle between the beach and Erventa Island. Two men were seen to jump; one chute opened, the other did not and the man was seen to go into the water. No other information was obtainable.”
– war diary of VMTB-232, 26 October 1943.

CENOTAPHS

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial