Following the same route that Sgt. Henry Blackwell took, Cpl. Clyde Brown learned to fly in his spare time under the instruction of Bob Tyce, through the Civilian Pilot Training Program. On December 7, 1941, he and Sgt. Blackwell rented a pair of Piper Cub J-3’s to fly some friends around on their day off. Brown piloted Cub NC-26950, and about two miles offshore, was shot down by as many as seven Japanese planes. The Cub plummeted straight down into the ocean and sank. An Army crash-rescue boat searched the area, but found no trace of the Cubs or occupants, making them the first reported military casualties.
