The dawn sky over Kyushu, southernmost island of the Japanese Home Islands, was clear on August 25, 1945, as Major Jack McClure of the 498th "Falcons" Bomb Squadron and Major Wendell Decker of the 499th "Bats Outta Hell" Bomb Squadron, who was flying in "Betty's Dream," orbited their B-25J Mitchell gunships.
That "end of the war" celebration is something current Americans haven't had the pleasure of. My Mom and Dad ended the war in Italy. There were no "tours of duty". You stayed until it was over. Or you took a bullet. Even then, like my Dad, you might have some hospital time and then be sent back into the fight. Kind of gives us a sense of how the nature of US wars changed after that. I wonder how much support there would have been to send GIs to Vietnam "until it was over"...
About 23 years after the end of W W II I was stationed at Atsugi flying Medevac at Camp Fuji and ash and trash around the Tokyo area. Amazing to me was the great friendship the Japanese showed all of us young Americans. The movie Tora Tora Tora was showing at a theater in the Ginza district!
Never heard this story. What’s worse, I never wondered how the f^<£ McArthur had a bound copy of a surrender treaty on the deck of the Missouri for the Japanese delegation to sign in the first place. Of course there had to have been some conversation before signing. So it happened in Manila? You got a book on that conference. Tom?
That "end of the war" celebration is something current Americans haven't had the pleasure of. My Mom and Dad ended the war in Italy. There were no "tours of duty". You stayed until it was over. Or you took a bullet. Even then, like my Dad, you might have some hospital time and then be sent back into the fight. Kind of gives us a sense of how the nature of US wars changed after that. I wonder how much support there would have been to send GIs to Vietnam "until it was over"...
About 23 years after the end of W W II I was stationed at Atsugi flying Medevac at Camp Fuji and ash and trash around the Tokyo area. Amazing to me was the great friendship the Japanese showed all of us young Americans. The movie Tora Tora Tora was showing at a theater in the Ginza district!
That was a story brought to amazing life, TC. I love the photographs.
Thank the stars for your sizzlin’ griddle.
🗽💜
More amazing history not included in the Social Studies curriculum as my teachers college alma mater. Thanks.
Here, you are at your best!! I just love these posts and the photos. The faces of those POW's are amazing. Thank you, TC.
Fascinating. Thank you.
Never heard this story. What’s worse, I never wondered how the f^<£ McArthur had a bound copy of a surrender treaty on the deck of the Missouri for the Japanese delegation to sign in the first place. Of course there had to have been some conversation before signing. So it happened in Manila? You got a book on that conference. Tom?
TC - was the pilot who crashed short of fuel, rescued or did that crew die because of their insistence on doing it "their way"?
Thanks for another brilliant narrative TC. Valiant men all; you make them live again. Thanks.