Mission accomplished: A World War II soldier's story

It was about 2 a.m. when we boarded our B-25 and got down to the business ahead. We were to bomb a German airfield near the Egyptian-Libyan border, about 10 miles to the south of the Mediterranean coast. British intelligence had spotted a larger-than-usual assembly of German aircraft at the base, and our mission was to destroy as many as possible on the ground.

The RAF (Royal Air Force) was to provide lighting for the strike. From their base on Malta, a single Fairey biplane was to come in from the sea, locate the German base and light it up with flares while cruising back and forth over the field at 1,000 fleet, dropping additional flares to replace those that had burned out. At a maximum speed of 100 mph, the mission sounded like something no one would care to volunteer for. Just the idea of this Royal Air Force chap throwing flares out his open cockpit biplane, while slowly cruising over the target, was enough to win our admiration.

However, when compared to the risk that we were taking, those of us with experience knew that the odds were with the biplane. Nevertheless, the whole thing sounded like something out of WWI, not the war we were fighting in 1942.

As we climbed aboard the B-25s, for some of my associates final mission that morning in September 1942, there was a feeling of uneasiness among many of the crewmen. Being a fatalist, my emotions were mixed. I just knew that a bunch of good men were going to die, and that we were going to lose some very scarce aircraft. There were reasons for the general concern.

Our aircraft were not equipped with flame diverters. Accordingly, the exhaust flames poured out halfway to the rudders. On a clear night, we looked like twin comets. This was at a time when most aircraft sightings were based on visual contact. We were too visible, too easily seen at night. I was also concerned about the physical health of some of the crewmen. Sand fly fever, diarrhea and poor rations were taking a toll. We were not getting replacements fast enough for men who had died or equipment that was damaged or destroyed. This was wearing on everyone and decreasing our effectiveness.

Taking off at one-minute intervals off the desert landing field, our 10-plane group proceeded toward the target area. About an hour after takeoff, a German night fighter raked our aircraft. He made only one pass, and simply flew away into the night. He was probably short on fuel, and maybe that saved us from serious damage and death or injuries. Shortly after 0400 hours, we saw the searchlights and then we saw the flares lighting up the target. We then dropped to our very dangerous bombing altitude of 7,000 feet. This was the best altitude for bombing efficiency, however, not for aircraft and crew survival.

Before we opened the Bombay doors and started the bomb run, we began to see the bright flashes of gunfire beneath us. As we started our run, we began to feel the typical air shock that hits the wings after a close miss. Then we got some strong turbulence. The enemy fire was on us; we were hit, and serious damage was resulting.

We made our run and turned away from the target, heading east toward El Alamein. We were limping badly and it appeared we might not make it. Should we bail out in the darkness or make a run for it? We knew that if another fighter his us, our aircraft would probably fail and some of the crew may not be capable of bailing out. For the moment, we decided to let time tell us what to do.

I wondered about the other aircraft that took off with us and how they were faring. We were the second aircraft to take off and there were eight behind us. We had seen no sign of those aircraft since takeoff. Finally, we made it back to the landing field after a very deadly mission. Two crewmen were injured, one seriously. No. 1 aircraft was shot down, and three of those behind us were shot down. Accordingly, four of the 10 aircraft that took off did not return. Intelligence later repeated that we had struck the target and that we had damaged enemy aircraft. This is a small chapter in the life and death of those who protect this country.

A few words to those who continue to fight our battles: Faith can unite us during the darkest hours. Let there be peace if possible. However, if necessary, we must risk our lives to save this great nation. We must pray for peace, but always in our hearts ring the ominous words of Plato, “Only the dead have seen the end of war.”

Those of us who fight know that if we lose, our nation will be destroyed. Accordingly, we are obsessed with the principles of duty, honor and loyalty.