Going Home on Angel’s Wings
SSgt. Otto W. Hutchinson was one of the vast numbers of China veterans who were heading home. After the formal surrender was signed and the Chinese-American Composite Wing was disbanded in early September 1945, men of the 3rd Bomb Squadron were officially assigned to other units in preparation for their return to the Zone of the Interior. Hutchinson was transferred to the 26th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, 69th Composite Wing stationed at Kunming. Along with others attached to the same unit, he was sent to Barrackpore Field near Calcutta before moving to Replacement Depot No. 3 (also known as Camp Kanchrapara), one of the processing centers for troops heading home. Then they spent a few days at Camp Hialeah, a staging for troops awaiting departure, before boarding SS Marine Angel on November 16. A Thanksgiving feast, overflowing scuppers, and collision with a whale were events noted in the ship’s newsletter. Arriving on December 12 in Tacoma, Washington, ship records indicate that 2,511 returning troops were disembarked, allowing them to be back home with their families for Christmas.