| Show We Fight Our Country's Battles Sing Marines Combat Correspondents Tell How They Do It o Leatherneck Scribe Dodges Ack Ack-Ack Ack c Ack c Mans Waist Waist Gun Gun GunThe The following story was written by Technical Sergt SergI Harry Bo Boller er LouL Louisville ville Ky a marine corps combat correspondent correspond correspond- ent 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 Army Liberator bomber on a mission mission mission mis mis- sion deep into Japanese territory A trifle nervous I quit my typewriter type type- wr writer ter and gathered up my flight gear Two hours before the designated designated designated take-off take time I was walking restlessly from one wall map to another another another an an- other in the operations hut but of t. t the squadron on Guadalcanal to which 1 had been assigned It was near midnight when a corporal corporal cor cor- Oral called across the room Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu tenant heres here's the marine sergeant i 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 informal mal of matter-of-fact manner Glad to have you with us You'll work the starboard waist gun I gulped once and felt a lump form formin in my throat My fingers squeezed In this jungle cemetery under blue tropical skies sIdes these marines who I Imade made the thc supreme sacrifice find peace Comrades in arms bow their heads while the chaplain reads the funeral rite Official Marine Corps photo i 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 me meto 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 shaking shak shak- ing hands with the crew members of our big motored four-motored bomber There were the pilot co-pilot bombardier navigator and four other gunners F 1 n. n Old K nt k rom v. v a uc y One of the gunners inquired Where you from Sarge When I replied replied Kentucky the diminutive 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 Ve 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 the bumpy road toward Henderson Field where our plane awaited us Lieutenant Crume Grume assur assured d me Jerry was an excellent excellent excellent ex ex- ex- ex pilot and that he would bring bringus us back safely But what about the Jap ack- ack 0 T ack Ct I J. J asked it Well 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 searchlights search search- lights tonight In 45 minutes we were to take oil oft Speaking to me Lieutenant Crume Grume said Bolser Boller we have a fine group of boys in our outfit They're regular 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 of i the J Japs aps and the other is getting the war over as quickly as possible Jerry addressed the group it be this morning he asked Will we bail out or stay together and make a water landing landing landing land land- ing Lieutenant Crume Grume explained to me that the crew decides before each bombing hop whether they will go godown godown godown down in their parachutes or make a forced landing Will Vill Land in hi Water Vater The decision that night was that i if we get hit we would try to make a water landing I concurred in the decision Jerry said he felt we would have havea a better chance to survive if we made a water landing and nd remained together in the rubber boat with which our bomber was equipped He explained that the jungle surround surround- surrounding ing the target was practically im im- im- im penetrable We would stand little chance to survive if we parachuted into the wilderness I listened intently to the discussion 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 smothered ered by the crack of one plane motor backfiring as it was started In a afew afew few minutes we were deafened by bythe bythe bythe the noise of all four motors Lieutenant Crume Grume poked me and shouted in my ear car All aboard I followed the crew as they crawled through the belly door I Iwas Iwas Iwas was the last n aboard board The others crowded forward I found myself standing on the catwalk between the bomb racks They were loaded to i vr aa J fl d se r a i i cap capacity city with their lethal charges Jerry raced the motors for the usual test In a few minutes we were rumbling down the strip on the take I felt I was in a precarious spot I could only hope that the giant Liberator 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 Ve gained altitude Soon we were heading 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 corps public relations section of which 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 singing I looked at my watch We Ve still had a lot of flying ahead of us Turn on Oxygen A At feet Jerry called over the phone suggesting that we start using using using us us- ing oxygen I welcomed the word for I was beginning to feel groggy from lack of heavy air I alsfelt also als felt the bite of the cold at that height and wriggled into the lined fleece-lined leather suit I Bolser Lieutenant Crume Grume called over the phone just lust wanted to let you know that when I say bombs away you might take a look down I and see how my eye is tonight Jerry I will bank just after I let em 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 fed the ammunition belt into the gun and charged it It was ready for action as I poked it through the window The temperature at our height was wasso wasso wasso so cold that my fingers were stiff by the time I had adjusted my gun A few seconds later I got the scare of my life To the right of the plane a ball of fire burst At the same time came Jerrys Jerry's voice Were just about over the target I c caught myself shying away as a second burst of fire came nearer our plane Jerry didn't have to tell me we were nearing the target The Japs were spewing anti-aircraft anti shells up at us Two lights split the sky and I crossed We were caught between two Jap searchlights The pilot co-pilot yelled got got us in the lights I II I looked out the window just as I another shell burst to our starboard side The Jap searchlights blinded blind blind- ed me and I jumped back certain I that I had been seen A second later I I felt silly I Enemy anti-aircraft anti fire was bursting bursting bursting burst burst- I ing all an around us It was my first j trip aboard a heavy bomber on a a night mission Yes I was a little scared Bombs away Lieutenant Crume Grume I yelled I leaned out the window and looked down as Jerry banked the plane The j sky was illuminated by the searchlights searchlights searchlights search search- lights and the anti-aircraft anti fire It It- seemed only seconds before the first cluster of bombs landed squarely ina ina in ina a Jap bivouac area The Louisville bombardiers bombardier's eye was keen that night Bomb after bomb landed on the target Perfect Pasting I was unmindful of the shells bursting around our plane as I poked my head out of the window The temptation to watch those bombs as they hit was too great A feeling of I pride engulfed me as each cluster found its mark Here I was in the theair theair theair air watching a Louisville boy pasting the Japs And he was doing a perfect perfect perfect per per- job As Lieutenant Crume Grume cut loose with the last clusters I could see huge fires burning below We Ve didn't lose any time leaving the target after our bombs had been spent Several miles away from the scene the J Japs aps were still sending up anti-aircraft anti fire But we had escaped Later I learned from the rear gunner that two anti-aircraft anti shells burst just under the tail of our B Most of the crew slept on the return return return re re- re- re turn trip When we landed long after after after aft aft- er dawn that morning I gave Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant Crume Grume a lusty pat on the back and said You can bomb for my money And as we walked into the medical medical medical med med- ical dispensary near the squadrons squadron's operations hut I said Lieutenant I dont don't suppose a marine has ever admitted the army is hot but I want to say you boys have plenty on the ball I left Lieutenant Crume Grume a few seconds seconds seconds sec sec- l later ter 1 I know he e an and his is crew are still giving the Japs hell in the midst of the new Allied offensive in inthe inthe inthe the Solomon Islands |
