Personal Narrative: My First Pacific War

As I arose from my deep, comforting sleep, I was greeted by the bone chilling air of the Pacific. As I lay flat on my back staring at the moldy, white ceiling, I, heard a distant noise. As my ears slowly started to focus in, all I could hear was “This is not a drill! I repeat this is not a drill!” Scrambling to find my pants I suddenly realize, that i’m the only one left in my Barracks. It looks as if they had left for the raid without me, or maybe an early birthday surprise party? With all of these thoughts going through my head I ran up the final 3 stairs toward the flight deck, I was blinded by the rays of a beautiful sunrise. Still deafened by the sirens going off around me, I managed to read the lips of my longtime friend Jack, it looked
as if he were saying “We have been compromised,” We have to launch now!” but I wasn't sure, so I took my leisurely time getting over to him. As word finally got to me I was informed that a Japanese fishing boat had reported back to the Japanese capital that we were planning an air raid. We were initially supposed to launch 200 miles from the coast of Tokyo. Our distance now was over 500 Miles, and we were faced with the decision of launching now and risk not having enough fuel to make it from the boat, to our target destination and land safely at a local Chinese airport, or travel to the intended launch sight and risk blowing the whole operation.

Subsequently we decided to launch where we stood at over 500 miles out.
Following the orders to launch, we were put to the task of lightening the planes significantly. We did everything from replacing the mounted machine guns with painted broomsticks, throwing out all of the ammo and even removing some of the interior. We were finally ready. Before climbing into the cabin of the B-25s some of the men strapped previous Japanese peace medals to some of the bombs, they called it ‘Giving The Medals Back.’ All of us shared a chuckle at the idea, just to keep the fear from spilling out upon us. Following the sympathy laugh, we took a few pictures in front of the freshly painted noses of our planes, unknowingly that it would be slapped on the cover of tomorrow's newspaper. As we entered the rear of the B-25 everyone wished the best of luck and gave their final goodbyes, for they were anxious and uncertain at what was to
come.

With the ships captains, secretaries, and fellow Airmen waving us on, we set out of what was later to be called the first United States attack in World War II. As we rapidly approached the edge of the boat, I remember thinking to myself, “Today Is the day I will make a difference.”
When we felt the landing tires leave the rough surface of the carrier deck, all of the crew members let out a big cheer. For step one of this long process was complete. Flying amongst the clouds seemed endless, it felt for a minute as if there were no war, no fighting, as if all was calm. We felt on top of the world. For miles and miles all that was visible to us was the white, marshmallow like clouds.

Breaking the intercom silence, a young man probably no older than 23, stated with a southern accent that there appeared to be land up ahead. As colonel Doolittle dipped the nose of the plane down, we saw it. Following the sighting of the land mass, it hit us, we were less than 20 miles from the most triumphant moment of our lives. When we reached the border of Tokyo we were startled by the voice of colonel Doolittle, “Open the bombay doors,”I repeat,”Open your bombay doors,” and may God be with you all.”
With the bombay doors open and the bombs at the ready, I took a second to think of all the possible outcomes that could come from this raid, but before I could gather my thoughts we were over the drop site. With bombs in place we dropped them, one by one I watched them fall, almost like time slowed down, my ears were pierced with the whistling of the bombs slicing through the wind. Slowly it became a reality, one after another the bombs exploded, throwing flames and smoke high into the sky. We were in and out of Tokyo in less than a minute, leaving behind destroyed factories, homes and lives.

Being shot at from all sides I could hear the bullets ricocheting of the poorly constructed metal planes, we were being targeted by not only Military but some civilians. Approximately 10 minutes after we made history, the firing stopped, all the noise stopped. Once again there was silence, but that silence came to an end when colonel Doolittle asked, “Is everyone still in one piece?” His words rattled throughout my head, finally I managed to spit out the words, “Crew 7 is A ok.” No reply. After about 35 minutes of dead silence, we entered Japanese occupied China. There were tents all around, with a circle in the middle that looked as red as blood.

I was suddenly awakened by a strange beeping sound, I sat up, unknowingly that fallen asleep.
We searched the plane up and down,then our hopes suddenly dropped. The strange beeping sound was coming from the fuel monitor, we had less than 10 miles of fuel. Still in Japanese occupied territory, we devised a plan. We were to find the softest and greenest place, and we were going to land in that spot. This may not have been the smartest plan, but it was our only plan, no one would dare to come up with anything better. With 3 miles of fuel to go, we decided to land in a nearby rice field. No civilians, no Japanese, we were in the clear. That was until we peered over the last line of trees, 9 Japanese military tents all set up in a row. In groups of 10 the troops peared out of the tents to see what all the noise was, that's when they saw us. With the plane's altitude dropping rapidly, eventually we were forced to smash into the ground, sending shrapnel, flames, and smoke high into the
air.

Scrambling to make sure everyone was okay, that was when I found Jack, blood pouring from his nose, shrapnel in his stomach, I laid my head on his shoulder as I watched him take his last breath. Before we knew it we were surrounded, trying our best to hold them back with the handguns that were spread across the plane, finally all of the firing stopped. The Japanese were upon us, taking us one by one and putting us in shackles, this was until we heard a startling noise just beyond the treeline. For it was the Chinese military, waving their flag high and proud, they opened fire on the surrounding Soldiers. Killing off a large number of them, the rest fleeing back to the trees of which they came from, we were safe.

We were flown back to the island of Hawaii, where Jack's wife stand eager to see her husband. But as we carried his casket with his coat atop of it down the stairs, her grin lessened. As we lay the casket at her feet she broke out in tears, weeping at the idea that she would never see the love of her life again. I offered her my condolences, we said our goodbyes and I was off, off to see the family that I didn't have. To this day I send her a bouquet of flowers every month, keeping up with how she is doing and if anything is new. As I step off the train on the corner of 109th and 31st street. I looked at the nearby people, they showed no emotion, there were no conversations about what happened less than 24 hours ago. As I sit down in a local coffee shop I overhear to elderly men talking about how we caught the Japanese off guard, but before they finished their conversation the waitress appeared at the corner of my small booth, with little concern for me she asked “May I take your order?” “Why yes you may.” I replied “I'll have the pancake meal, the one with the sausage links.” She glared at me, then finally she stated, “That will be right out.” As she walked away I reached for a local newspaper., I flip open the paper, and on the first page it reads, ‘30 seconds over Tokyo, a day that changed the world’