| Show We Fight Our Country's Battles Baffles Sing Marines Combat Correspondents Tell How They Do It I Leatherneck Scribe l Dodges Ack-Ack Ack C c Mans fans Waist Waist Gun Gun GunThe The following ng story tory was teas written by Technical Sergt Harry RaIser Bolser Louis Louis- rub dUc Ky a marine corps combat cor cor- respondent I admit now that I wiped beads of perspiration from my brow a few seconds after I was told that I would fly that night in a United States i Army Liberator bomber on a mission mission mis mise sion deep into Japanese territory A trifle nervous I quit my typewriter typewriter type type- writer and gathered up my flight gear Two hours before the designated designated designated take off time I was walking restlessly from one wall map to another another another an- an an an- other in the opera operations hut but of the squadron on Guadalcanal to which I had bad been assigned It was near midnight when a corporal corporal corporal cor cor- called across the room Lieutenant Lieu Lieutenant Lieutenant tenant heres here's the marine sergeant who's going with you The slender army officer slightly grayed at the temples crossed the room and extended his hand Im Jerry he said in an informal informal mal coal matter fact manner Glad to have you with us You'll work the starboard waist gun I gulped once and felt a lump Jump form formIn In my throat My fingers squeezed tightly on a lighted cigarette I turned in a circle and picked out a comfortable chair in front of a desk The corporal who had Introduced meto me meto meto to the pilot apparently had detected the sudden change in the color of my complexion because he chuckled and shoved a map under my nose Here he said You can compose compose compose com com- pose yourself by studying tonight's target I said nothing but I certainly didn't appreciate his humor Thirty minutes later I was shaking shaking shak shak- ing jog hands with the crew members of our big motored four bomber There were the pilot co bombardier navigator an and four other gunners From Old Kentucky One of the gunners inquired Where you from Sarge When I replied Kentucky the diminutIve diminutive tive wiry bombardier shoved his hand out and said Boy give me five That's where Im I'm from too Louisville's my home And so again I was shaking the hand of the bombardier Second Jesse W W. Crume Grume U. U S. S Army from Louisville We eased away from the group sat on the steps of the operations hut but and talked of mutual mutual mutual mu mu- acquaintances back in Louisville until we boarded the truck for the field As we rumbled along th the bumpy road toward Henderson Field where our plane awaited us us Lieutenant Crume Grume assured me Jerry was an excellent excellent excellent ex ex- pilot and that he would bring bringus us back safely But what about bout the Jap ack- ack ack I asked Well Wel shot back Lieutenant Crume Grume Theres not much Jerry can do about that We can only hope the Japs dont don't get us in their searchlights searchlights search search- lights tonight In 45 minutes we were to takeoff take off Speaking to me Lieutenant Crume said Bolser we have a fine group of boys in our outfit They're regular regular regu regu- lar guys And you can see how they feel about this thing There are only two things they give a damn about now One is bombing hell out out of ot the Japs and and the other is getting the war over as ns quickly as possible Jerry addressed the group it be this morning he asked Will we bail out or sta stay together and make a water landing land land- landing ing Lieutenant Crume explained to me that the crew decides before each bombing hop whether they will godown go godown godown down in their parachutes or make a forced landing Will Land In Water The decision that night was that if we get hit we would try to make a water landing I concurred In n the decision Jerry said he felt we would have havea haven a n better chance to survive if we made a water landing and remained together In the rubber boat with which our bomber was equipped He explained that the jungle surrounding surrounding surround surround- surrounding ing the target was practically im Im- penetrable We would stand little chance to survive if it we parachuted into the wilderness I listened intently to the discussion discussion discus discus- sion but all the time I was saying to myself These guys think of the most pleasant topics Suddenly the chatter was smothered smothered ered by the crack of one plane motor backfiring as it was started In afew a afew afew few minutes we were deafened by bythe bythe bythe the noise of ot all aU four motors Lieutenant Crume poked me me and shouted in my ear All aboard I followed the crew as they crawled through the belly door I Iwas Iwas Iwas was the last aboard The others crowded forward I found myself standing on the catwalk between the bomb racks They were loaded to e yr t tw w r a t w x b 44 j 2 r r 1 II IT l n a a aA A M ff In this jungle cemetery under blue tropical skies these marines wh who o made the supreme sacrifice find peace Comrades in arms bow their heads I while the chaplain reads the Mineral meral rite Official Marine Corps photo capacity with their lethal charges Jerry raced the motors for the usual test In a few minutes we were rumbling down the strip on the takeoff take I felt I was in a precarious spot I could only hope that the giant Liberator Liberator Lib Lib- cleared the cocoanut trees at atthe atthe atthe the end of the field I was relieved as I felt the wheels leave the metal strips on the field and rise into the darkness over Henderson Field We gained altitude Soon we were heading heading head head- ing toward our target Out over the water I was told to togo togo togo go aft to my station I examined my machine gun The marine corps public relations section of which Iam I Iam Iam am a member was trained in aerial gunnery before leaving the States Then I fixed the communications set seton seton seton on my head and plugged in for a test Jerry at the controls was sin singing ing I looked at my watch We still sUll had a lot of flying ahead of us Turn on Oxygen I At feet Jerry called over the phone suggesting that we start using using us us- I ing oxygen I welcomed the word for I was beginning to feel groggy from lack of ot heavy air I also felt the bite of the cold at that height and wriggled into the lined fleece lined leather suit Bolser Balser Lieutenant Crume called over the phone just wanted to let Jet you know that when I say bombs away you might take a look down and see sec how my eye Is tonight Jerry I will bank just after I let em cm go and you should get a pretty good look Thirty minutes away from the target target target tar tar- get Jerry called back to prepare the waist guns The other waist gunner and I opened the windows I fe fethe fed the ammunition belt into the gun and I charged It It was WilS ready for action I as I poked it through the window I j I 1 The temperature at our height was wasso so cold that my fingers forgers were stiff I by the time I had adjusted my gun A few seconds later I got the scare care j i of my life To the right of ot the II plane a ball of fire burst At the same time time came Jerrys Jerry's voice Were just about the over target I 1 caught myself shying away as a aI second burst of fire came nearer our I plane Jerry didn't have to tell me we were nearing the target The Japs were spewing anti aircraft shells shells' up at us 1 Tw Two lights split the sky and crossed We were caught between two Jap searchlights The pilot co-pilot yelled got us in the lights I looked out the window just as another shell burst to our starboard side The Jap searchlights bl blinded blinded blind blind- ed me and I jumped back certain that I 1 had been seen A second later laterI I felt silly Enemy anti aircraft fire was burstIng bursting bursting burst burst- ing all aU around us It was my first trip aboard a heavy bomber on a night mission Yes I was a little scared Bombs away Lieutenant Crume yelled I leaned out the window and looked down as Jerry banked the plane The sky was illuminated by the searchlights searchlights search search- lights and the anti-aircraft anti fire It seemed only seconds before the first cluster of bombs landed squarely ina inn in ina a n Jap bivouac area The Louisville bombardiers bombardier's eye was keen that night Bomb after bomb landed on the target Perfect Pasting Tasting I was unmindful of the shells bursting around our plane as I poked my head out of the window The temptation to watch those b bombs as they hit was too great A feeling of pride engulfed me as each cluster found its mark Here I was in theair the theair theair air watching a Louisville boy pasting the Japs And he was doing a perfect perfect perfect per per- job As Lieutenant Crume cut loose with the last clusters I could see huge fires burning below We didn't lose any time leaving the target after our bombs had been spent Several miles away from the scene the Japs were still sending up anti aircraft fire But we Vie had escaped Later I learned from the rear gunner that two anti-aircraft anti shells burst just under the tail of our B B 24 Most of the crew slept on the return return return re re- turn trip When we landed long Jong after aft aft- I er en dawn that morning I gave Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant Crume a lusty pat on the back and said You can bomb for m my y money I j And as we walked Into the medical med mad ical dispensary near the squadrons squadron's I operations hut I said Lieutenant i I I 1 dont don't suppose a marine has ever eve r I adm admitted the army is hot but I wan wanto want t to fay tp y you boys have plenty on the th e ballI ball I left Lieutenant Crume a few sec seconds seconds later I know he and his crew v are still giving the Japs hell in th the e midst of the new Allied offensive inthe in inthe the Solomon Islands |
