. . . . "60"^^ . . . . . . . . . . . "700"^^ . . . . "United States of America"@en . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "60"^^ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "VH-3 (Rescue Squadron 3) was one of six dedicated VH rescue squadrons of the U.S. Navy during WW II. Prior to their creation, the rescue function was performed as an additional \"spur of the moment\" duty by regularly operating patrol squadrons. The Fleet Commanders made clear \"that the men who risked their lives to rocket, bomb, and strafe the enemy wherever and whenever possible, should under no circumstances, be left to fend for themselves when disaster struck them.\" After the war the Japanese related that they could not understand why so much was risked to save airmen. This was a tremendous morale builder for the flyers, but there was a cold calculated logic behind this as well. It meant that very expensively trained and experienced aviators could be rescued from a watery grave or brutal captivity and put back into the fight. American aircrews captured after being shot down over the Japanese home islands faced a grim fate. VH-3 squadron members related \"how intense, intense every crew member became .. over this business of saving lives\" , \"the marvelous feeling of reward when saving a downed pilot's life\", and \"nose-thumbing at the Japanese military .. when we swiped near-prisoners under their eye\"."@en . "August 1944 - April 1946"@en . . "45087"^^ . . . "Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal"@en . "Rescue Squadron 3"@en . "*Iwo Jima Operation\n*Okinawa Gunto Operation\n*3rd Fleet Operations against Japan"@en . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Dumbo (air-sea rescue)" . . . "1946"^^ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "30"^^ . . . . . . . "VH-3 (Rescue Squadron 3) was one of six dedicated VH rescue squadrons of the U.S. Navy during WW II. Prior to their creation, the rescue function was performed as an additional \"spur of the moment\" duty by regularly operating patrol squadrons. The Fleet Commanders made clear \"that the men who risked their lives to rocket, bomb, and strafe the enemy wherever and whenever possible, should under no circumstances, be left to fend for themselves when disaster struck them.\" After the war the Japanese related that they could not understand why so much was risked to save airmen. This was a tremendous morale builder for the flyers, but there was a cold calculated logic behind this as well. It meant that very expensively trained and experienced aviators could be rescued from a watery grave or brutal"@en . . . . . . "1944"^^ . . . "VH-3 Rescue Locations in the Ryukyus."@en . . . . . . . . . "VH-3 (Rescue squadron)"@en . ""@en . . . . . . . "none"@en . . . "1031440188"^^ . . . "52539773"^^ . . "Rescue Squadron 3 (VH-3)"@en . . . . .