Putting the pieces together

     Chronicling our family's war history has been both fascinating and frustrating. As a perfectionist, I want evidence for every story, proof for every claim. Some stories that my father told were so fantastical, I didn’t know what to believe. Certainly, my Dad wouldn’t lie, but memory can be embellished by time and often stories get combined and applied to the wrong persons. One such "family legend" is as follows:

     Uncle Larry was five years older than my father and, before the war began, ran a bird hospital in the basement of their Brockton home on 52 Augustine Street. Dad said that guys in the neighborhood joked that “Larry Flynn will be the first to hide behind a rock” when he was sent overseas with the Marine Raiders, a “special-operations” commando outfit created exclusively for the Second World War. Their older brother, Ray, was in the First Marines, and made the initial landing at Guadalcanal in August of 1942. After the First Marines reclaimed Guadalcanal's now infamous airstrip, and the Marine Raiders secured the neighboring island of Tulagi, the Raiders were ordered to joined their fellow Marines--unbeknownst to both brothers. During an air raid, as the sirens wailed and all lights were extinguished, each serviceman took cover in the nearest foxhole. After the “all-clear” siren sounded, but before the lights were switched back on, two soldiers relaxed and resumed conversation. “Got a light, buddy?” Ray Flynn asked his fellow. When the match was struck, it revealed the face of his brother.

     Such a story surely could be validated through a letter to Mama and Papa Flynn, or Ginny, Larry’s favorite sister, but where was it? A visit to Ginny’s Westwood home in 2003 proved fruitless when her encroaching Alzheimer’s prevented her from locating the letters from her beloved brother. Five years later, Dad's youngest brother Dick weighed in--he said Ray and Larry sighted one another when their warships passed in the waters of the South Pacific. One brother was on deck, and the other was under deck waving from a window. Equally remarkable, but which was true?

     On October 9, 2010, the morning of Dick's memorial service, I was gathering some "Fighting Flynns" memorabilia to show my cousin, Danny Flynn, and found the following article. --C.E.F.

Flynn Boys Participate

In Attack on Solomons

________________

Lieut. R. C. Flynn and Corp. L. H. Flynn 

Meet for First Time Since April on

Eve of E [illegible] Attack

_____________________________

     The war has brought about many odd coincidences, including the one told in a series of letters by two brothers, Lieut. Raymond C. Flynn and Corp. Lawrence H. Flynn, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Edmund P. Flynn of 52 Augustine street [sic], Montello. Both boys are members of the U. S. Marine Corps and met for the first time since April in the southwest Pacific war area to participate in the battle of the Solomon Islands.

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     Both were stationed on warships which approached each other to exchange official mail on July 28 [1942]. Lieut. Flynn was officer of the day aboard his vessel. When the other ship, one of the type on which Corp. Flynn was stationed, dropped anchor, Lieut. Flynn ran to his quarters and obtained his binoculars. He then scanned the other warship in hopes that he might sight his brother. His hopes were not in vain as Lawrence loomed up in the glasses and as Raymond says, "I was all pins and needles when I spotted him and just sounded off." [sic] My brother could not hear me but he spotted me soon after and pointed and waved to me. It was quite a thrill to see him and we will be a lot closer in this game than I ever expected to be."
     He mentioned that he hopes to see his brother once again before the big event, and in his last letter, dated August 7, Raymond tells of his brother's ship again approaching and the preparation of the marines for the attack on the Solomon Islands. He says, "We are proud to be a part of the first to retaliate for the setback of Dec. 7 and thereafter. In a few days the situation will be well in hand so don't worry about either Larry or me."
     In typical marine spirit, Lieut. Flynn writes in his last letter, "In not too many hours we will be giving the slant-eyed devils our answer for Dec 7. To-morrow is Aug. 8, just eight months after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Due to the confinement and congested quarters that the men have been living in aboard ship they have much to gripe about and are raring to take it out on someone.
     Lieut. Flynn wrote that long before the letters reach his parents, news of what they have done will be released in this country by official communiques and that they will then know his whereabouts.
     Th [sic] country well knows by the communiques issued this month by the Navy department that the marines upheld their long-standing tradition and they proved themselves to be among the world's greatest fighters when [illegible] they took the Solomon Islands from the Japs.
     Lieut. Flynn says that although he missed home there are numerous Boston boys with him, which makes it seem more pleasant. He says, "My new platoon is made up of a bunch of rough, tough, helter-skelter, devil-may-care lads, who'll be poison to the enemy. Most of them are from Boston, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia. I picked a couple of Irishmen for my messengers and they can really carry the mail.
     "Larry and I are in the game together and prepared for whatever comes. Confidence is high and we have every reason to have it."
     Brockton can well be proud of the "Fighting Flynn Brothers," and all her other native sons who have fought bravely and not in vain in the southwest Pacific area.
     Mr. and Mrs. Flynn have not heard from either son since the attack began, but they feel confident that God has taken care of them and will continue to do so.

Lieut. Flynn's Sketch

     Lieut. Raymond Flynn is a graduate of Brockton High school with the class of 1937. At High school he was prominent is school activities, being treasurer of his class. He attended Boston College, from which he graduated in 1941 with the bachelor of arts degree. He majored in accounting and economics.
     Lieut. Flynn enlisted in the marines as a charter member of the Boston College platoon. During his summer vacations he underwent officers' training at platoon leaders' classes at the marine base at Quantico, Va. After successfully passing the officers' courses and upon receipt of his degree from Boston College he was commissioned a second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve July 1, 1941. He left this country in April for service in the southwest Pacific area.

Lawrence a Corporal

     Corp. Flynn is a graduate of Brockton High school with the class of 1939, being president of his class and active in school societies. He is well known in this city as he operated for years a hospital for birds, being one of the youngest bird doctors in the country. He enlisted in the marines in November, 1940, and was promoted to corporal on Feb. 14, 1942. At present he is a member of the Marine Raider Battalion and sailed from the west coast in June.
     Mr. and Mrs. Flynn have two other sons in the armed services. They are Capt. E. Paul Flynn, who is stationed with the U. S. Army in England and has been in active service since June, 1941, and Lieut. A. Joseph Flynn, U. S. Army, who is stationed in Washington. He received his commission in May, 1942.