By Fred Caruso, aka “O’Caruso”
Fred Caruso 2012
I was there on September 23, 1962, a young paratrooper, headed for Germany and wishing I didn’t have to go. I wanted to stay in the states. I was barely 21. The crash of Flying Tiger 923 was a horror. It has affected my family and me far more, and for many years longer, than I could have ever imagined.
The drama of the crash stretched on for hours and then into days. I was taken from the rescue ship by helicopter three days later to Mercy Hospital in Cork, Ireland, where I claim to have been “born again as an Irishman.” It was my second chance at life, beginning with my rebirth at Mercy, even though I never got to see if there was a maternity ward at that hospital.
The notion of being “Born Again Irish” has driven me my entire life. It led to my ultimately becoming a legal Irishman, nicknamed “O’Caruso.” My wife and I have a home in Glengarriff, West County Cork. I wrote a book entitled “Born Again Irish”” about the experience and that book woke me up to the fact that I hardly knew anything about
Pvt. Caruso, fresh out of jump school.
the crash, other than what I believe I saw and experienced. I realized that I could hardly remember another person, no faces at all. I could remember very, very few of the details of the crash and aftermath with any degree of accuracy. And even worse, I realized that I couldn’t even expand my mind to accept the details by reading about others. I could read, but I could not see. Others hardly existed. When it came to Flying Tiger 923, it was MY plane crash and mine alone, at least inside my mind.
But after all of these years, I have been waking up. While gathering information for my book and this web site, I have become aware of how many people were involved and how many and who contributed to our survival and recovery. How could I not have known? Why has it taken so long? Was I asleep for the past half century? Maybe I have finally grown up and I am ready to learn all of the facts that I can, all of the little bits and pieces I didn’t see before.
As a result of a story about Flying Tiger 923, Caruso became a reporter and photographer, for the Army and Stars and Stripes
This site is intended to be a commemoration to all: the crew, the rescue teams, those who survived and those who didn’t, and all of the families and friends who prayed, rejoiced or grieved their loss. This is an interactive web site. Readers can comment and contribute photos and information. This is a way of gathering stories and experiences and sharing it with who ever might have an interest.
Book Cover
Please be aware that some of the posts may contradict details in others. This is because people’s recollection of events do not always comprise the whole story. It is human nature. Even newspaper reports contain major inaccuracies. By piecing together as much as possible, we may have a comprehensive view of the event which is much larger than any one of the participant’s view.
Please add your comments. Tell us of your experiences, your memories and your questions. What is on your mind? A fifty-year anniversary is a good reason for taking a new look at this tragic and historic event which, for many, was the most significant event in their lives.
If you have not yet done so, read my book and consider how this event might affect others compared to the way it affected me. This book describes how I was driven to become Irish, which was a lifelong journey, however, the first half of the book delves into the details of the horror of the crash and its immediate aftermath.
Flying Tiger 923 
Fred O’Caruso is my uncle and I remember hearing his story when I was a small child. I am so proud of Fred for pursuing his memories and writing a comprehensive book for the 50th anniversary. Hopefully others will remember and add to the story.
Fred is a good friend for many years and we have known about FT923 since the first we met in Ireland. (We live in the Netherlands). He send us his book about this tragedy as a gift. It is a great idea to make a film of it.
Greetings Corry and Leo Rijken. The Netherlands.
Fred contacted me about a week ago and told me about his web page Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the ditching of flight 923. Several years ago I met a lady ( much younger then myself) that was a Flight attendant for Flying Tiger lines, she told me that during her training the company used the ditching of flight 923 as part of that training. Through her connections I was able to communicate with Carol Gould by email. I also have talked to Peter Foley, I think Peter did the piece in the Saturday Evening Post. I have tried for years to find Fred Gazelle, I want to thank him for saving my life. When I made it to the raft I found myself on my back with someone sitting on my chest. Every time we would get to the bottom of a wave the water in the raft would go over my head and I had to hold my breath until we started up another wave. I tried to get the guy to move , but he was in shock and just sat there. One of the times we were at the top of a wave I saw Fred in the moon light and started to yell at him. The last thing I heard before going under was Fred saying where are you? I could only raise my arm and start waving. I felt the weight leave my chest and I was able to sit up with my head out of the water. Thanks Fred. I was also one of the four sent to the Bonnaventure (sp?) so I never got the chance to see Fred and thank him.
I’m sure everyone noticed, but incase you didn’t Flight # 923 went down on Sept (9) 23! I don’t even get close to a plane that has the same flight number as the date.
Thanks Fred (Caruso) for putting this this page together. I hope to hear from you soon. Since you were a reporter and a writer you can clean up my spelling errors! Art
Email: agilbreth@sunriverrealty.com
Website: http://www.sunriver-crosswater.com
Living in: Sunriver Oregon
Just turned 71years old – I feel very lucky and blessed to say that , it could have ended at 21.
Go Fred! You are unsinkable and this project like the rest will float.
I have just discovered this site and am extremely moved. Our father Robert C. Eldred and our mother were on that plane. For about 8 hours on that terrible day in 1962, my brother Bob and I thought we were orphans. I was 17, he was 19. No one knew anything, only that our parents’ plane had ditched and that they were still searching. Sometime in the late evening (Massachusetts time) we had word that my father had been rescued and was on a ship. As I discovered in reading here on the web site (and I thank you for that) he was then airlifted to Cork. Although Willie Smith’s story says he didn’t seem to be injured, indeed he was and landed in the hospital for some weeks with severe burns (he told us that it was the combination of salt water and aviation fuel that burned the skin).
I will take my time now to read through the site over the next days and then I will try to tell the story as our father told it to us. Perhaps there is something I can add to the story as a whole.There are also several errors in details concerning my parents that I will try to correct.
I am so terribly sorry that I didn’t know about the ceremony last year. I live in Germany now and very likely could have made it over to Ireland. But who knew about where the children might be.
Once more, I thank you Fred for this site. I will be writing to my brother so he can read it as well.
Karen Eldred-Stephan
hello Fred, I’ve just found your site; very good; at the time I was on HMCS Bonaventure. Here are a few notes from my diary. “Sept 17, 1962 HMCS Bonaventure leaves Halifax, Nova Scotia with destroyer escorts Athabasca, Cayuga, Micmac, Nooka, and Crescent enroute Rotterdam
Sept 24 2154Z received report of Flying Tiger Constellation ditching 320 miles NW;
76 passengers, Bonnie heading there at full speed with Athabasca,
Sept 25 0330Z Swiss ship Celerina sights rafts, “many survivors”
0400Z Bonnie launched Tracker aircraft; MV Anadina rescued some;
1330Z planes search area, Bonnie has 12 bodies aboard, 3 from Celerina, and
9 from Anadina, also 3 injured survivors , rest are on Celerina
16 missing, 48 survived, 12 dead
Sept 27 at Shannon, Ireland; bodies flown ashore by helicopters;
Hi Fred,
My name is Ken Stellon. I contacted you last year about Frank Ruffalo. I am sitting at a restaurant in Chicago with him right now. Frank and his wife will be visiting us in Fountain Hills, AZ probably May 1st through May 6th. Frank was wondering if you will be able to meet in Arizona. If so we will pick you up at Sky Harbor. You can also stay at our house. Please let me know what you think.
Hi Fred,
Two survivors, Frank Ruffalo and Sam Vasquez, reunited at my home in Arizona today. Would you like a photo of them?
Ken Stellon
I would very much like this photo. I would also like to hear from Sam Vasquez and Frank Ruffalo. It has been so many years.
Hey Fred,
Just informed about the site today, and maybe we can start exchange a few e-mails and catch up on the last 50 plus years – reply to paulrstewart@att.net
Hi Fred,
My name is Rachel Healy, I am a researcher and was hoping to have a chat with you about a TV series I am currently working on. If you could email me back on the address supplied I can get back to you with all the details. I also wondered if you are currently in Ireland?
Thank you.
Hello Fred and what a great site you have created here. I am doing some research on the accident, was unable to download the CAB report but was wondering if you know the regulations under which the flight actually operated. 14 CFR for sure but I’m not sure if the flight had operated under FAR Part 121 or 121 Supplemental rules. Its more a question for some Flying Tiger Line experts but am guessing it was 121 Supplemental. Anyway if you can point me toward something or someone, much appreciated. I just reviewed “Tiger in the Sea” and will put your book on my reading list for sure. A truely awesome story of human triumph amidst tragedy.
Very Interesting site, after having read so much about Capt Richard Ogg’s ditching of a PanAm Boeing 377 in the Pacific under ideal conditions….(I am a pilot for Atlas Air)
I grew up in Hawaii, and upon reading the passenger list, I noted three Oahu Island (State of Hawaii) residents among the deceased passengers, a woman and (presumably) two daughters (I assume travelling to Europe to a military posting of her husband.)
The name HOOPII is actually Ho’opi’i, a Hawaiian name, the apostrophes standing in for the glottal stop letter(an upside down apostrophe) in Hawaiian.
The deceased Ho’opi’i child listed as “Ullani is almost certainly mispelled. The common name Uilani is FAR more likely, and one can see how easily an “i” and an “l” can be confused in printing or copying. In Hawaiian words and names, two consonants are NEVER side-by-side.