Philip M. Rasmussen (May 11, 1918 – April 30, 2005) was a

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

second lieutenant assigned to the 46th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field on the island of

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

during the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

on December 7, 1941. He was one of the few American pilots to get into the air that day. Rasmussen was awarded a

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

for his actions. He flew many later combat missions, including a bombing mission over Japan that earned him an

oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...

to his Silver Star. He stayed in the military after the war and retired from the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

as a lieutenant colonel in 1965. He died in 2005 of complications from cancer and is buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Pearl Harbor attack

On the morning of December 7, Lt. Rasmussen had awakened in his barracks when a group of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese airplanes dropped bombs on the field. He strapped his .45 caliber

pistol A pistol is a type of handgun, characterised by a gun barrel, barrel with an integral chamber (firearms), chamber. The word "pistol" derives from the Middle French ''pistolet'' (), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the Englis ...

to the outside of his purple pajamas and ran to get an airplane. Most of the planes were destroyed, but Lt. Rasmussen found an unscathed

P-36 Hawk The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...

and taxied it to a revetment where he had it loaded with ammunition. During a lull in the bombing, he took off with three other pilots. They received orders by radio to fly to Kaneohe Bay on the north-east side of the island. The American pilots subsequently engaged 11

ese aircraft. Despite having a jammed .30 caliber gun and only limited capability with his .50 caliber gun, Lt. Rasmussen managed to shoot down a

Mitsubishi A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-capable fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 1940 to 1945. The ...

. Several other

ese pilots attacked, including one who apparently tried to ram him. (The

ese pilot, , returned to the

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

, ''Sōryū'', and survived the war.) Rasmussen's plane was badly damaged and fell into an uncontrolled plunge into the clouds over the mountainous terrain. After passing through the clouds at about 5,000 feet he regained control of the aircraft and returned to Wheeler Field, where he landed with no brakes,

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...

, or tailwheel. Oral accounts of the number of bullet holes in the plane vary, but most give a figure of about 500.Personal recollection from Rasmussen is "over 500". Newspaper and other accounts range from 300 to 600. The opening exhibit of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

exhibit in the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is ...

at Wright-Patterson AFB near

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

features a mannequin of a pajama-clad pilot climbing into a

. The exhibit details Lt. Rasmussen's exploits that day and is informally titled "The Pajama Pilot."

Later life

Rasmussen remained in the service where he had several assignments in the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Lieutenant Colonel Rasmussen retired in 1965 as Chief of Operations, Eglin AFB. He retired to Florida where he died in 2005. He is buried in

Images

File:Flight_school.jpg, In flight school File:Newguinea.jpg, In New Guinea with P-400 Airacobra-Ia of 7th Fighter Command (Rasmussen on wing; others unidentified) File:Curtiss P-36A Hawk LSideFront Airpower NMUSAF.jpg, Curtiss P-36A Hawk in the markings of the aircraft flown by Rasmussen during the Pearl Harbor attack

Notes

External links

National Museum of the United States Air Force
- Fact sheet on Lt. Phillip (sic) Rasmussen and his P-36A. *
Arlington National Cemetery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasmussen, Phil United States Air Force officers United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Airman's Medal Aviators from Massachusetts Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Deaths from cancer in Florida Attack on Pearl Harbor 1918 births 2005 deaths