W45AUTH\BJ28N-JS.DOC

Capt Joe L. Simmons Crew #31 City of Dallas #42-24883 M-7 Crew Chief S/Sgt Kenneth Poole

Crew as of Feb 28 1945

Loc	Duty	Rank	Name	ASN	MOS	Home, 1945
S1	Sqd CO	L/Col	Chadwell
S2	AC	Capt*	Simmons, Joe L.	0-665353	1093	1605 Bond St Denison TX
S5	P	2nd Lt	Christensen Wayne A.	0-777113	1091	911 N Jefferson St Lexingon NB
S4	N	Capt *	Brasfield, Joseph D.	0-366513	1038	507 S Commerce St Nachez MI
S6	B	1st Lt *	Bishop, Kenneth L.	0-682043	1035	3612 Troost Ave Kansas City MO
S7	RO	2nd Lt *	Brocktrup, Leo A.	0-268583	0138	365 11th St David City NB
S3	FE	2nd Lt *	Turkisher, Robert	0-867791	1028	301 W 108th St New York NY
K5	R	Cpl	Burns, Thomas J.	11117659	2756	76 Lakeshore Rd Natick MA
K1	CFC	Cpl	Kern, John H.	13144268	580	21 E. Cross St Baltimore MD
K3	RG	Cpl	McCluskey, Harry D.	42091558	611	639 17th St Niagara Falls NY
K4	LG	Cpl	McNeill, William R.	36786086	611	209 W SheenSt E. Peoria IL
K2	TG	Cpl	Doole, Joseph A.	12221332	611	Purdy's NY

S8				Grd Crew
S9				Grd Crew
S10				Grd Crew
K6				Grd Crew
K7	CC	M/Sgt	Pool	Grd Crew
K8				Grd Crew
K9			Doty	Grd Crew
K10				Grd Crew
K11				Grd Crew
K12				Grd Crew

Joe Simmons had already completed 25 missions against Germany.

After (10) missions some of the crew, (*) those known, were sent to the states to start a lead crew school. [LeMay expressed a firm belief in such special training.]

Wayne Christenson replaced J Stevens on Crew 12.

Gen Powers, CO of 314^th Wing, had all names changed to Cities; Joes Junk became City of Dallas

M#039; 03-04-45; Wings 73-313-314; Night; General Purpose bombs; 25-28,000 ft Altitude; Tokyo; Nakajima Aircraft Factory at Musashino; "Enkindle#5".

20th AF Airborne=192; Abort=14; Loss=1(unk cause); Bomb load=5646 lb; Fuel Reserve=947 gal;

EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(9): VChandler#1, CWells#1, JSimmons#1, FMaupin#0, ESeitz#1,

JSimmons#1 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7 flight time 15:35] SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 1945. In the afternoon, we were informed that the object of our first raid was to be Tokyo; the target to be the Nakajima-Mushishino Aircraft plant and our primary goal to get good radar scope pictures as well as drop a few "calling cards". We all had. a big discussion with a Dr. Gould, a Bell Telephone civilian radar expert, as to the best SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) in getting those important scope pictures. I got the data as to the prescribed route and worked madly preparing a flight plan based on the predicted winds. The trip covers 2850 Nautical Miles and should take approximately 14 hours and 45 minutes. Our landfall point on the coast of Japan is to be the city of Hammamatsu and the IP (Initial Point of the Bomb Run) is to be Korfu. We are to carry seven 500# G.P. (General Purpose) bombs. Just a reminder for the Nips that we called upon them. Later, we got our personal equipment in order.

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 1945: In the morning, I finished making up my flight plan. However, I took time out to go to Chapel Services. Before lunch, I loaded my personal equipment on board "Joe's Junk". Quite a load. of stuff that a navigator needs to take. Won't use all of it, but it has to go--just in case. Briefing was held at 1300. The whole story was given to us. Ten of our planes were to go singly to bomb the Nakajima Aircraft engine factory in the western suburbs of Tokyo. Altitude -- 25,000 feet. Primary object -- to take radar scope pictures. We are in the #4 Takeoff position at 1515.----We flew at 1,000 feet until we reached a point to start a climb so that we would reach 25,000 feet just 15 miles from the Jap coast. We were instructed to come no closer than 50 miles to Iwo Jima. Out of my window, I could see, on the horizon, dull flashes of light from the artillery being fired on that bloody little island.

We hit our landfall about 10 miles east of Hammamatsu, turned just south of Korfu, and headed for Tokyo. With a tail wind of 120 knots helping us, we were making about 400 mph on the first bomb run. But we missed the target in the radar scope; we circled and headed. west to find. it. No luck! We expected. flak--maybe fighters. Nothing came. We made a third run. Turk, our engineer, called out over interphone that the oil pressure in #1 engine showed zero. My heart pounded! My throat became very dry. But the engine continued to operate. Just a gage failure.

The radar camera man and Brocktrup, our radar officer, were getting into each other's way. Troubles! Troubles! Finally, Bishop, our bombardier, identified fires just south of the Imperial Palace. he dropped our eggs on the docks, where the river enters Tokyo Bay.

We were over Japan a total of one hour and twenty minutes. No one was hurt. No damage to us. No trouble ever developed in #1 engine. We truly "Got the Hell out of Japan" once those bombs were gone. We glided' all of the way home at reduced power settings to conserve gasoline. We landed at 0840 with 800 gallons still in the tanks.

They gave us a shot of straight whiskey before interrogation, fried eggs after it. And then to bed. What a good. "sack" it was after flying 15 hours and 35 minutes.

Our first trip to Tokyo was history and we were happy!

JSimmons#1 [RTurkisher story] Three Flares (?) at Three O'Clock Over Tokyo

We were on our first mission in our B-29 flying from North Field on Guam. A night single aircraft raid at high altitude preparing to strike target 157, the Mitsubishi aircraft factory in Tokyo.

After a most uneventful trip to Japan, we were finally over Tokyo. We could not find the target in the darkness. Radar could not locate anything of value and our Aircraft Commander, Major Joe L. Simmons a veteran of 25 missions over Germany was stern in his comment that we had to find the target. All of us on the crew were extremely nervous and wished to leave as soon as possible.

After about ten minutes over the Japanese capitol, I saw two flares at 25,000 feet and in my most professional voice announced "two flares at 3 o'clock". A few seconds later I made the same announcement and again a few seconds later the fact that there were now three flares off our right wing.

Joe asked me to describe the flares and I told him and of course the rest of the crew that the flares were reddish brown and seemed to last about five seconds.

Joe then said, "Flares Hell, that's flak!"

We innocents had been fired on for the first time.

M#040; 03-09-45; Wings 73-313-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 5-9,000 ft Altitude; Tokyo Urban area; "Meetinghouse#2"

20th AF Airborne=325; Abort=12; Lost=14(1 to AA; 5 ditched; 7 unk; 1 to survey); Bomb load=9673 lb.; Fuel Reserve=1044 gal.; EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=40

28th Airborne=(7): VChandler#2, ESeitz#2, CWells#2, JSimmons#2, JHancock#2, RAuer#2, ?__

RAuer#2 Lt Robert Auer lost at target, the first 28th Sqd loss [in 42-63569]

JSimmons#2 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, flight time 15:30] THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1945. Ground school all day and some more at night. The plan unfurls. They gave us quite a bit of information on Tokyo, Nagasaki, Kobe and Osaka. They are mighty important cities to the little Japs.

So we are going back to Tokyo again tomorrow night! Our payload is to be tremendous for this area and the altitude will be low--too low to suit me. Honestly, I think our losses are going to be great. I hope not. May God be with us in "Joe's Junk". We'll need it.

I checked my Loran--checked. my compass swing. May everything work well tomorrow night. Wrote Jane a letter--just in case--.

FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1945. This day was one to make history. It was a busy one in making preparations. Takeoff was at 1815. We were loaded with five tons of incendiaries and only one bomb bay tank of gas. In the vicinity of Iwo Jima, our radar went dead.. That landfall had. to be made with one Loran LOP and DR. Celestial was out as we were at 5000 feet in turbulent air. I worked like a demon, using Loran LOP to enter the Empire and hoped the scanners would see the coast.

The sky over Tokyo was clear. Fires were already started. We started our bomb run with Bishop bringing us in visually. Joe Simmons, our A/C, advanced his throttles to indicate 240. But we were not on the briefed course and we were 15 minutes early. Bombs from planes above us fell all around us. But God was with us. None struck us. A searchlight picked up "Joe's Junk". The flak that followed was behind us. With bombs away, "J.J." lurched forward. On the breakaway, we were doing 265 indicated and climbing slightly.

After we safely passed the coast line, I went back do see a city truly in flames. Flak, searchlights, and bombs were making a display that I will never forget. One flak battery seemed to be a mass of Roman candles. A few fighters came up, but none got near us. God was answering our prayers. All four engines were running- smoothly. We left the Jap coast at 0205 after bombs away at 0155.

SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1945. Our trip home was uneventful. It was still seven hours of navigating however. And that is a real job. But the tension was off and I eased up. Loran saved me much work. First, I put Joe on a heading, southerly; after two hours, I combined Loran and celestial shots to determine a position and then navigated from there.

After landing at North Field, there was interrogation by Intelligence and critique by Huffman (Group Navigator). The whiskey ration seemed to help loosen tongues. Our losses were heavier than expected.. Out of twenty-nine planes, three are unaccounted for and four are wrecks which limped back to Iwo Jima. Praise God, that we got nary a scratch one, not a flak hole in the ship. But we hear that we are now going to Nagoya Sunday night. May our blessings continue!

M#041; 03-11-45; Wings 73-313-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 5-8,000 ft Altitude; Nagoya Urban area "Microscope #2"

20th AF Airborne=310; Abort=18; Lost=1(ditched after takeoff); Bomb load=9827 lb.; Fuel Reserve=920 gal.;

EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=47

28th Airborne=(6): JO'Neil#_,VChandlerd#3, ESeitz#3, CWells#3, JSimmons#3, VParker#1,

JSimmond#3 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, Pathfinder, flt time 15:05] Sun March 11, 1945 "Joe's Junk" was given the job of being the #2 Pathfinder plane over Nagoya. Lt. Col. Chadwell, our squadron commander, is going with us as Command Pilot and observer. The first six planes are to light fires for the other planes to use to aim their bombs. Getting ready to get off the ground was a problem.

My equipment was not in the best shape. I was frantic. But we finally took off at 1717. The trip was uneventful until we reached the vicinity of Iwo Jima. My Loran fixes were haywire. We were flying at only 1,000 feet. Nearby Kito (North) Iwo, with its mountain going up to 2,600 feet. Finally we used radar to get an accurate position. We made landfall on a Loran LOP one came in right on the beam. We had a long run from the IP to the AP, all of it right over the bay. Searchlights met us. O'Neill, in the first ship, had put his bombs in the north end of the town. We put ours at the south end of town. Those lights held. us-- it was bright as day inside of the plane. About fifty lights were on us--at least ten or twelve at all times. A big burst of flak hit under the right wing. Flak was all around the plane. After bombs away, Simmons put the "Junk" into evasive action. He dove, rolled, climbed. From four to eight thousand feet of altitude--from 200 to 295 mph indicated airspeed. The lights remained on us regardless. They were good from the Jap standpoint. But the flak bursts always stayed behind us. The dirty Japanese just couldn't crank their guns fast enough. We had some ammunition in the lower rear turret and. the boys were firing at those damn lights.

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1945. We finally got back to the Jap coastline safely. Col. Chadwell wanted to go back and watch the show. But he didn't get far with that idea. At last we were on the way home! We could see the main effort on the way into the city. What a parade! And those fires were springing up all over that doomed city.

Halfway home, we had to be careful to miss Chichi and.' Haba Jima, small Jap held islands north of Iwo Jima. That was simple with radar. The flak batteries over those islands could be dangerous. I was awfully tired. Tried some celestial shots. The solutions were too hard to solve. We finally came home on radio compass. Loran was out--something had gone haywire. After landing, there was Interrogation by Intelligence and Navigation Sections.

After we had gone to sleep, we were awakened. to be interviewed by Norman Page, BLUE NETWORK and TIME war correspondent. Maybe the folks back home will hear him tomorrow morning. At least, they will know that I am safe tonight. Tomorrow is another day!

JSimmons#3 [RTurkisher story] Stinking Can Forced us onto Oxygen During Takeoff

The first low-level fire raid had been conducted on Japan on March 9, 1945. We were in the follow-up raid, an attack on Nagoya during which we were assigned as a "pathfinder." This meant that we were to precede the main bomber stream and drop our incendiaries on the targets to mark them for the B-29s that followed.

Lt. Col. George Chadwell, our squadron commander, accompanied us on this mission. He had stowed an air mattress on board and intended to sleep next to my position on the flight deck.

The mission started off badly from the first. As we were taxiing out for the takeoff, I discovered that whoever was supposed to have emptied the "crap can" after the previous mission hadn't done so. Since we could not leave our position in the taxi line, I went back to the radio/navigators compartment and picked up the heavy, smelly can which was overflowing with crap, urine and coffee dredges. I shouted for the bombardier to open the bomb bay doors and began pouring the contents out the bomb bay opening and onto the concrete below. Just then the pilot revved up the engines to move us up in the line and the prop blast blew all six-gallons of this disgusting concoction back into my face, over my body, and spewed it all over the inside of the bomb bay.

Immediately, everyone in the plane grabbed their oxygen masks because the stench was simply intolerable. Since he was riding as a passenger, Colonel Chadwell wasn't manning a crew position and didn't have an oxygen mask handy. Making an emergency command decision in the face of the overwhelming odor attack, the Colonel told co-pilot Wayne Christensen to get up and give him his seat. Poor old Christensen had to endure the smell until we got airborne and pressurized, at which time the Colonel gave him back his seat and sacked out on his air mattress.

As we approached Nagoya, we were suddenly engulfed in the glare of searchlights and the flak came up like a storm. After we endured the seven minute run in and unloaded our bombs, we thought the worst was over. But the Colonel decided we should circle around for awhile and "watch the fun." It may have been fun for him, but no one else in the crew shared his delight.

A few minutes before we landed back at the base, the Colonel announced that he was going to land the plane.......As we approached our hardstand we saw our ground crew and most of the Group staff standing there. As we pulled up they all grabbed their noses and backed away, coughing and strangling. "Godalmighty!" one of them gasped, "What the hell are the Japanese putting in their flak these days?"

But we were so happy just to get back home alive, that we just smiled at their remarks. But we later agreed that it had been the crappiest mission we had ever flown...in more ways than one.

M#042; 03-13-45; Wings 73-313-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 5-9,000 ft Altitude; Osaka Urban area "Peachblow #1"

20th AF Airborne=298; Abort=17; Lost=2(1 unk; 1 to survey); Bomb load=13739 lb; Fuel Reserve=1049 gal.;

EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=40

28th Airborne=(9): JO'Neill#_,VChandler#4,FMaupin#1,CWells#4, JSimmons#4 , EHammond#_, JCarroll#_, HGammel#_, VParker#2,

JSimmond#4 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, flt time14:35] TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 1945. No rest for the weary! We are on the list to go to Osaka tonight. According to the schedule, we are the third to the last ship in the entire bomber command to take off.

Later .................

We actually got off the ground at 1804 and climbed to 7,600 feet. It was nice flying--smooth, cool, and bright stars. Quite a contrast to the hot, bumpy rides we have been making at low altitudes right "on the deck". Used Loran and Radar sparingly in order to conserve the life of the sets. We began to encounter heavy clouds near the Jap coast. The good Lord was certainly with us again.

We hit the landfall point as required and flew up the bay on a routine radar run. Searchlights and flak tried. to find us but no luck for them. This time everything was in our favor--no more Nagoya experiences for me, please. Bishop and Brochtrup really worked as a team and laid our bombs in the heart of the city. They said that over the target, the heat of the ground fires has dissipated the clouds and that the city was clearly visible. No evasive action was necessary on the breakaway. It is a pleasure to have no trouble on a bomb run. The weather was an answer to our prayers. May it always be on our side.

The return trip was uneventful. I did some celestial work from our altitude of 10,000 feet. We' made the entire round trip in only 14' hours and 34' minutes with the aid of favorable winds.

I used Benzedrine tablets on the trip to keep awake. After Interrogation upon landing, I tried to go to sleep. But I only dozed off for a couple of hours. Seems as though those tablets were still having some effect on me.

M#043; 03-16-45; Wings 73-313-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 4-9,000 ft Altitude; Kobe Urban area "Middleman #2"

20th AF Airborne=330; Abort=16; Lost=3 (3 to unk); Bomb load=14931 lb; Fuel Reserve=889 gal;

EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=96

28th Airborne=(8): VChandler#5, ESeitz#4, CWells#5, JSimmons#5 , JHancock#3, VParker#3, ?__,?__

[RFitzgerald#_ Maj R. Fitzgerald 73rd Wing crew lost, Lt RNelson taken prisoner-- later beheaded]

JSimmond#5 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, Pathfinder, flt time 15:25] THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1945. Tonight's raid has been postponed for 24 hours. Bad weather at Kobe. Tokyo Rose broadcast that we would hit Kobe next. I reckon that they will be waiting for us. I hope that we are as fortunate as we were at Osaka. Those clouds certainly helped out. Rest is what I need. I spent a couple of hours reading intelligence bulletins, maps, and photos of Kobe. They have only seventeen guns to bear on us while we are on the bomb run. Maybe they won't hit us. Let us hope so.

We heard a native Guamanian Protestant preacher lecture for an hour about conditions here during the Jap occupation. It was terrible with much rape, looting, and beheading. Japs told the natives that the American Navy was sunk and had but one ship left. But the natives had a radio in the hills and. received the true news until they were put into a concentration camp just 28 days before the U.S. Marines landed.

We listened to a U.S. short-wave broadcast about Osaka, claiming that the 150 acre arsenal had exploded.. What an explosion that must have been. Maybe these raids will shorten the war. We hope so. It is our prayer that we may be permitted to see the end and return to the good old U.S.A.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1945 Off to Kobe! Our takeoff was late--after 1900. That means Bombs Away will be shortly before dawn. We flew all the way up at only 1,000 feet. That makes me sweat as we go between Kita Iwo Jima and Hama Jima. Each has elevations 1,000 feet above our assigned altitude. Our winds were more favorable than were predicted, but we went through a couple of weather fronts. We had a very short bomb run on Kobe. We hit the west side of the city, headed north. Bishop and Brochtrup did a jam-up good job after I got them to the landfall point on the Japanese coast.

A Jap interceptor plane got on us right after bombs away. He got in a couple of bursts at us on a single attack. Simmons put "Joe's Junk" into evasive action and that was the last that we saw of him.

Kobe burned like tinder. When we were thirty miles south of the coast, I saw a flash explosion that extended about ten to fifteen miles, east to west. My guess--that Gas Plant had exploded. We were the target for all seventeen guns on our bomb run. There were plenty of searchlights. Their lights were good, their marksmanship poor. That is why we are alive to tell this story.

The return trip was long and tiresome, but the tension was over. We landed at 1105 at North Field (Saturday).

I am so tired that a few hours of sleep does not snap me back. We need a rest badly, but we hear that we must go back to Nagoya tomorrow night. (Later-- Our crew was cancelled from that mission). They must let up on us soon. Five raids in thirteen days is a fast pace! Too fast for me--if anyone asked me!

That means 75 combat hours of flying and 15,000 miles covered.

JSimmond#5 [RTurkisher story] Our Auto-Pilot Flew True Course while the Entire Crew Slept

This was the last of the first four fire bombing raids on Japan. Starting on March 9, 1945, we had hit Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, and here it was March 15th and we were on our way to Kobe.

With three hours of preflight and briefing, plus fifteen hours of actual flying time, then an additional two hours for debriefing and eating, a single mission required us to stay awake for over twenty hours. Although we all looked forward to the steak and eggs they gave us after we came home, we would have preferred to eat that good food before we left, but someone in upper level command must have figured the government could save some money on food because there would be fewer of us to feed after the mission.

The flight to the target and the bombing of Kobe was relatively uneventful. There was little antiaircraft fire and we saw no fighters.

We had been instructed to climb to 25,000 feet for our return home and to make a slow, coasting descent to conserve fuel, which was always a critical factor. So our pilot, Joe Simmons put the plane on auto-pilot and set it so we descended at the rate of about 25 feet per minute,.

As flight engineer, I was required to make an entry in my log every thirty minutes. At 0300 I checked my instruments and made my log entry, then dozed off.

At 0350 I woke up with a start and looked around. Joe Simmons and our co-pilot, Wayne Christensen, both had their heads back and were sound asleep. Bombardier Ken Bishop was slumped over his bomb sight and Joe Brasfield our navigator had his head down on his table, snoring away. I called over the intercom, but there was no reply. Tom Burns, the radio operator; Leo Brochtrup, radar operator; and gunners Kem, Doole, McCluskey, and McNeil were also asleep.

I left my seat and shook Joe and Chris. We roused the crew and checked out the situation. The entire crew had been asleep for about 45 minutes but we were on course, our airspeed was good, and our descent rate was almost perfect.

Needless to say, someone up there had been looking out for us.

M#045; 03-24-45; Wings 73-313-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 6-10,000 ft Altitude; Nagoya; Mitsubishi AC "Eradicate #5"

20th AF Airborne=248; Abort=17; Lost=5(1 ditched enroute; 1 to AA; 3 unk); Bomb load=13690 lb.; Fuel Reserve=1021 gal.; EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(7) JO'Neill#_, CWells#6, JHancock#4, JSimmons#6 , ___, ___, ___

JSimmons#6 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, Pathfinder, flt time 15:30] SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1945 Our target was #193, the Nakajima engine plant in the northern part of Nagoya. What a bombing arrangement to get at that plant was planned. Ten of us are to go in on the bomb run at one minute intervals and drop flare bombs, then circle in a pattern to drop two more loads--yes, three passes at the target! Wow! All the rest of the planes had 500 pound General Purpose bombs. We got off the ground at 1700. Despite all that I could do to slow down our ground speed, we arrived at the Jap coast 25 minutes earlier than our assigned time. Therefore we had to circle and. wait for our turn to go in on the bomb run. We made the usual radar approach up Flak Alley (Nagoya Bay), but we were at 9,600 feet and no one paid much attention to us. Of course, we were hitting 280 mph for a part of the bomb run. We dropped our flares as directed on each of the three individual runs, each run seeming like eternity in length. Somebody was hitting something below us. Fire and explosions were all around. There was plenty of flak, but we saw no fighters. We got out without a scratch. Bob Forbes, our squadron navigator, was aboard our ship and helped me a lot in navigating enroute to the target.

After landing, there was the usual Interrogation. Afterwards, I went to Church Services. Again, I was most thankful for a safe return, and then to bed for a few hours of rest and sleep.

M#046; 03-27-45; Wings 73-314; Day; General Purpose bombs; 14-18,000 ft Altitude; Kyushu; Tachiari & Oita AF and Omura Aircraft Factory "Fearless #1"

20th AF Airborne=161; Abort=6; Lost=0; Bomb load=6907 lb.; Fuel Reserve =788 gal;

EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=18

28th Airborne=(7) CWells#7, VChandler#6, 3ESeitz#6, CWells#7, JSimmons#7 , FMaupin#3, VParker#5, __

JSimmons#7 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, Lead airplane, flt time 16:20] MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1945 Another raid is in the making. No rest for us it seems. This one is to be a daylight affair at Kanoya on the island of Kyushu. The secondary target will be an aircraft plant at Omura. Takeoff is to be early Tuesday morning, so there was plenty of work to be done today. At 1300, there was General Briefing to get the "big picture". Next, we went to the planes to check our equipment. After that, there were briefings at 1530, 1600 and 1630. After eating supper, I worked on my Flight Plan until 2000 and slept until 2300. We had midnight supper at 2330 and another last minute briefing at 0030, Tuesday.

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1945 Stations time was 0200 for a 0300 takeoff. What a schedule! We are going to be physical wrecks if we keep this pace for long. We are to be the high squadron of the 19th Group and our plane designated as Deputy Leader -- in #13 position. Our rendezvous point was Minami (South) Iwo Jima, at 0715, just after daybreak. Just an added attraction -- Major Huffman, Group Naviqator, was riding with us as our guest, better known as "Dead-wood".

What formation flying from Minami to Kanoya! We hit a weather front south of Kyushu that scattered the planes as we penetrated it. The attack of Kanoya was scrubbed due to clouds. We went to our secondary or radar target of Omura. The clouds broke and the Japanese coast became visible. What rocky land with little hamlets along the coast! O'Neill's radar went out and we took over the lead. Over Kumamoto, they sent up some accurate heavy flak. Next came fighters. At Omuta, our I.P., the flak was so heavy that we went around the town. More fighters. We went right down the bomb run in tight formation. their fighters pecked at us, but hesitated to close in. We hit that poor damn aircraft factory on the button. More flak -- and accurate -- We were ploughing through their bursts. A twin-engine fighter flew under the formation. Then a "Tojo" came up to intercept us. When four of our 4-gun turrets from four ships concentrated on him, he turned away -- quick!

Highlight of the return trip--we flew directly over Iwo Jima, now safely in the hands of U.S. Marines, at altitude of 10,000 feet. We got a good look at that all-important hunk of land. Mt. Surabachi at it's southern tip seemed peaceful. An explosion occurred on the ground that seemed small to us. Later, we heard that a Jap exploded an American ammo dump, killing or wounding about a hundred Marines. What an expensive piece of real estate!

M#055; 04-03-45; Wing 314; Night; General Purpose bombs; 7-9,000 ft Altitude; Shizuoka Aircraft Factory at Shizuoka "Upcast #1"

20th AF Airborne=49; Abort=1; Lost=0; Bomb load=9300 lb.; Fuel Reserve=1126 gal.;

EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=0

28th Airborne=(10) VChandler#7, ESeitz#8, JSimmons#8 , VParker#7, ______________

JSimmons#8 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, Pathfinder, flt time 14:15] MONDAY, APRIL 2, 1945 We are going to Japan tomorrow night. We got the preliminary data tonight. It will probably be Nagoya again. That city is catching it plenty!

TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1945 The target for tonight was changed. Now it is SHIZUOKA, a city about 70 miles southwest of Tokyo. We are organized in bomb teams containing both "demolition" and "flare" ships. We are the #1 ship on the first team of the 19th Bomb Group. We must make the exact prescribed time for both the I.P. and the target. We are carrying 12 flare bombs--each generating one million candlepower.

Later --------We briefed several times during the day. It seemed like they would never get through data. Finally, we got off at 2100. Lt. Col. Chadwell was our "guest", acting as command pilot and observer. We ran into foul weather about 19 degrees North Latitude and it lasted to about 25 degrees North. It was heavy rain in a warm weather front. The winds were not as predicted. Above 25 degrees, we broke out into the clear.

To do my navigation, I crossed Polaris LOP's with Loran lines and got good fixes. We approached the Jap coast too early and had to kill ten minutes in a 360 degree turn, then hit the I.P. exactly 15 seconds early. We made a radar run up the coast to the city. Our flares were dropped exactly as we had been ordered -- we were plenty lucky.

We pulled up from our 8,000 feet to 12,000 feet just under a stratus layer of cloud's. For 50 minutes, we just circled the city and watched the show. What a display! Flak, flares, and bombs lighted up the darkness! We went over to the nearby town of Shimizu where somebody goofed off and dropped a load of demolition bombs. They must have hit something that was then burning brightly. The Japs set a huge false fire to try to mislead our boys. It looked. like a huge frame building burning briskly, but when I pinpointed its exact position, I found that actually it was located out in a marsh area. I don't believe we hit our real target., but it was all very pretty. Planes were silhouetted against flares near the ground. We were out of range of the flak, Thank Goodness No fighters! Good stuff!

After the last "bomb team" had dropped it's eggs, we climbed to 15,000 feet and headed home. I used Polaris, Loran, and the radio compass on the way home. Nothing exciting happened enroute except a long dreary ride.

When we got back to the base, the food that they gave us was rotten, and the second meal was also repulsive. I talked to Huffman about my troubles and he promised he would take it up with the Flight Surgeon.

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1945 I had to plot up a Track Chart for the SHIZUOKA raid for a permanent record to go to Bomber Command. I was given an excellent on the navigation for that mission. I was awfully lucky--that timing was too good.

I was called in for an interview by the Flight Surgeon concerning the food situation. It seems as though the complaints are rather general. They promise some changes. Let's hope that we get them.

M#065; 04-12-45; Wing 314; Day; General Purpose bombs; 7-9,000 ft Altitude; Koriyama Chemical Plant at Koriyama "Lunchroom #1"

20th AF Airborne=85; Abort=7; Lost=2(1 ditched on return; 1 crashed at Agana, Guam); Bomb load=5342 lb.; Fuel Reserve=927 gal.; EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=2 (dest=0, prob=0; dam=0)

28th Airborne=(11) JSimmons#9 , 2VChandler#9, ESeitz#10, JHancock#6, HGammel#__, RSpencer#_, JCarroll#__, FMaupin#7, BKordus#__, TReadheimer#_, GO'Leary#__

JSimmons#9 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, Lead airplane, flt time 18:05] WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1945 They started our infernal briefing for our trip tonight. This raid. is to be a long one--about 17 or 18 hours round trip. Our ship, now "City of Dallas",. has been chosen to lead. the 19th Bomb Group. That means Col. Roberts, the Group C.O., will be our passenger. The pressure will truly be on Yours Truly as I have to navigate for the entire formation.

Regular briefing came at 1300--finished my preflight work--several hours of sleep after supper--despite the fact that a new replacement crew was moving into our hut. We are badly crowded for living space, but I guess that it is necessary.

We got up a little before midnight in order to get those fresh eggs. Might as well start out on the longest bombing raid in history with a full stomach. One never knows what one will experience before one gets home again. The last minute briefing came just after midnight.

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1945 Our takeoff was at 0245 for KORIYAMA, a small town about 125 miles north of Tokyo. Our target was a new tetraethyl lead plant just north of the city. Actually, we were "decoys" going in to this town. The 73rd Wing ships were going to Target #357 in a daylight strike in western Tokyo. They planned that our formation would draw off the Jap fighters to the east and north of Tokyo while the 73rd came in from the south and. west. That was the possibility set up for us.

Aoga Shima, a hunk of rock jutting out of the Pacific about 100 miles south of Tokyo Bay, was assigned as our Group Assembly joint. Our trip that far was flown right on the "deck", i.e. 800 feet. We were given a controlled time to arrive there as the other planes were to form on our wing. Stars and Loran made navigation easy until we passed. Iwo Jima and daylight came upon us. For a couple of hours, I could do only DR. I can truly say that I was thankful and relieved to pick up Aoga Shima on the radar scope only five miles off our course. We flew a box course until all our planes assembled.

We had to dogleg around the island of Hachijo Jima--too many Jap guns--

as we climbed to 8,000 feet. Then we changed to a northerly heading to pass east of Chosi Point. Weather was rotten. There had been a weather front around Iwo Jima. Then there was a heavy haze on the Jap coast. Thanks to radar, we kept our position accurately as we passed almost parallel to the coastline to go to our I.P..

Once we got on the bomb run, the haze cleared. Bishop spotted our target and took over. He put those bombs, 500 lb. "demos" this time, right down their smoke stacks. The plant literally blew up. We could hear the explosions and see smoke columns come up as high as 5,000 feet. We got no flak and no fighters. We wondered what the boys were finding over at Tokyo. The Colonel watched our bombs strike the target squarely. Was he happy! He was acting almost like a little kid, bubbling over. He complimented Bishop; later, he came back and complimented me on a very good navigation job.

It was a long trip home. How those hours dragged by. But everyone was in a good humor. As we neared the Marianas, it got dark. We now had seen the sun rise and set while we were flying this mission. As luck would have it, some bad little rain squalls had set in at our base on North Field. We had to go around the pattern three times before we got on the ground. Joe Simmons was sweating plenty. Planes, all desperate to land, were cutting in and out of those cumulus clouds. We finally were on good. old terra firma exactly 18 hours and 05 minutes after takeoff, having flown about 3,800 miles on this single mission.

They gave us a steak dinner for a job well done!

M#068; 04-15-45; Wings 313-314; Night; Incendiary bombs; 6-10,000 ft Altitude; Kawasaki Urban area "Brisket #1"

20th AF Airborne=219; Abort=8; Lost=12 (4 probably to EA or AA; 8 unk cause); Bomb load=9659 lb.; Fuel reserve=1060 gal.; EA Sighted=?; EA Attacks=53 (dest=?, prob=?, dam=?)

28th Airborne=(13) JO'Neill#_, VChandler#10, ESeitz#12, JSimmons#10 , CWells#11, TReadheimer#_, EHammond#__, JCarroll#__, FMaupin#8, VParker#9, GO'Leary#__, JRobinson#_, MFloyd#__

JSimmons#10 [JBrasfield missions diary] [M-7, flt time 13:45] SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 1945 I went to church services to start this day, which was later to prove most eventful. These services are held in the same tent where a few hours later we were briefed on the mission we were to fly. Strange to hear such different stories while sitting on the self-same boards, but the Chaplain is good and the fellows fill up the tent every time, and that is voluntary!

After lunch, they briefed us for tonight's incendiary raid on KAWASAKI, located on Tokyo Bay. We are going in at just 7,600 feet. It should be quite a fiery place as they say that there are many industrial plants in our target area. Merrily the fires will burn!

We took off at 1812 local time. The trip to the target was most uneventful. I had found a relatively new TIME magazine and read it enroute. Everything was happening so smoothly that I read long parts of it over the interphone to the crew. The people back in the States are at last being told about our war over here. Night navigation is becoming so simple that I don't work half as hard to get the necessary information any more.

MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1945 We came in on our landfall point, the peninsula of land just to the west of Sagama Bay, exactly as prescribed. It was shortly after midnight, but Brochtrup was having trouble with his "pinball machine", i.e. his radar set. The bays and inlets were not showing up clearly in the scope. Actually, we overshot our turning, point, but we set a collision course with the target after we got ourselves positively located but our new course was about five miles west of the course as briefed. The Japs had depressed their heavy AA guns and started picking up the B-29's well out over Sagama Bay. We, being off course, sailed in without having a shot fired. at us, but some of the boys were catching Hell, very likely being hit.

The town of KAWASAKI was red hot when we got there. It seemed like that whole town was a mass of flames. Bishop took over and. dropped our bombs visually. I watched terrific flames from the fires out of my window. What a Hell on Earth it was down there! One Jap AA crew, completely surrounded by flames, kept firing their gun until completely devoured in flames. You hate them but you still admire them for that kind of courage in the face of sure death. The AA was very heavy, but for some reason it just was not directed at us. B-29s seemed to be everywhere, to the right and to the left of us.

After our bombs were away, Bishop called over interphone to say that we were going to hit a column of smoke. About ten seconds later, we came the closest in all our experiences to meeting our end. This thermal, a column of hot air and smoke, that was rising above the fires had more force than any stream of compressed air ever could. It tossed us around like a cork in a creek. I did not have my safety belt fastened so I was thrown up against the roof of the navigator's compartment. All of my papers, maps, and instruments went in different directions. We gained 2,500 feet in 15 seconds. Those wings must have flexed their maximum of 12 feet, but they held. together. That was all that mattered just then.

Joe Simmons later told us that he lost all control of the ship while we were caught in that thermal. He had everything set to dive the ship, but we still ascended at a rate of better than 3,000 feet per minute. He said that all he could do was to try to hold the wings level and hope that the ship would hold together. The fact that I am now writing this account proves that it did just that.

The Japs are getting fanatic in the defense of their cities. Our crew spotted several "Balls of Fire". They are small Jap suicide flying bombs. Several of them disintegrated plainly in sight. Lights and guns were giving some of the unfortunate fellows plain Hell, but we got through without a scratch to a single crew member.

Chris, our copilot, was sick with ear trouble. Lt. Dillard, the A/C of the replacement crew who has just moved into our Quonset hut, flew as our copilot. The trip was to give him some experience and knowledge as to what to expect when he took his own crew. He got it!

The trip home was dull. I read. a bit while I kept up with the course and position of the "City of Dallas". Interrogation was boring as usual--- just a necessary evil, I guess. After a few hours of sleep, I found out the bad news. We lost three good crews from our outfit--Miller, McDonald, and Scofield. That is plenty rough. Brauer, Miller's navigator, was a darn good man. It was his second combat tour, having done one against the Germans.

But a man's luck runs out eventually if he tries to run it too long!

[Ten days after this mission, the Airplane Commander, Navigator, Bombardier, Radar Officer and Aerial Engineer were transferred. to instructor duty at a new Lead Crew Training School at Muroc AAB near Lancaster, California.]

JSimmons#10 [RTurkisher story]

The Heat Thermal G-Force & The "Ball of Fire" Almost Did Us In

On April 15, 1945, our unit took part in a low-level raid on Kawasaki. Our crew was pleased when we learned that we would fly as the last of ten "pathfinders." Our load consisted of 14,000 pounds of incendiaries and 1,000 pounds of delayed action anti-personnel bombs.

Our takeoff from Guam's North Field was normal, as was our climb to our cruising altitude of 6,000 feet. And nothing unusual occurred on our long flight in darkness to our initial point where we would commence our bomb run. We had been briefed to be on the lookout for "balls of fire" that the Japanese were reportedly putting in the air. No one knew exactly what they were, but on the previous night crews from Saipan and Tinian had reported that these fire balls seemed to be trying to ram our aircraft and might be a new type of enemy plane.

As we started our bomb run I, as flight engineer, had little to do except watch my instruments and occasionally look out of my little window located on the right side of the aircraft

By the time we were about half-way down our bomb run, I looked out the window and saw a ball of fire in the distance. I promptly reported, in a calm voice, "Ball of fire at three o'clock." Our gunners could do nothing but watch, since we carried no ammunition. Several seconds later I keyed the inter-com and said, "Ball of Fire at three o'clock and closing fast" Then added in a more agitated and concerned voice, "Ball of fire! Ball of Fire! Ball of Fire!"

With my last "Ball of fire," we dropped our bomb load, and as we did, another B-29 pulled abreast of us and exploded, apparently hit by the fire ball. At the same time, our aircraft was hurled straight up into the air and went from 6,000 feet to 25,000 feet in a matter of seconds. Both Joe Simmons, our pilot, and Jesse Dillard, our co-pilot, wrestled with the controls just to keep the wings level. As soon as we topped out at 25,000 feet, our plane--"The City of Dallas"--plunged rapidly toward the earth, seemingly out of control. With a tremendous jar that almost pulled the wings off the plane, we stopped our descent at 3,000 feet.

As soon as we left the target area I climbed into the bomb bay to see if there was any visible damage. I could not see any, but I was certain that the bolts holding the wings to the fuselage were stripped. We then climbed to 25,000 feet and set our course for home.

Back on the ground we inspected the plane with our crew chief, S/Sgt. Poole and could find nothing wrong with it. We were impressed at what a strong and airworthy plane the Boeing B-29 was.

We did not know then that this was our last mission as a crew. The pilot, navigator, engineer, radio operator, bombardier, and radar operator were all sent back to the States to teach lead crew school at Muroc. Of those we left behind, only our co-pilot, Wayne Christensen, survived. The rest died in combat.

***** O *****

Oct 3, 1992

Dear Darrell,

These are copies of the letters which Capt. Joe Brasfield, Navigator of Capt. Joe Simmons' crew wrote home for circulation in his family.

The contents and thinking are exceptionally good in reflecting the thoughts of combat crews as they face appreciable odds of iminent personal extinction. It is too much for inclusion in a Squadron History, but you might want to consider some extracts to fit with your other material.

Vern

Vern Chandler

5100 John D. Ryan Blvd #528

San Antonio, TX, 78247

These letters were requested by Vern and provided to him my Jane Brasfield, Joes widow, for use as part of a 28th Squadron History during the 1945 period, a non-profit endeavor.

Jane gave Vern permision for their use saying she knew Joe would be pleased to share his letters with persons who were part of the B-29 operations. Her letter of Sept 24, 1992 quite understandably included the following condition --

"If this book was to be a commercial venture with profits derived from it's sale, I want a portion of the profits to go to The American Cancer Society in Joe's memory."

Jane Brasfield, PO box 59325, Birmingham, Alabama, 35259

In Feb 1945 then Capt (later Col) Vern Chandler was an Airplane Commander with a companion flight crew to that of Joe Simmons crew for which Joe Brasfield was Navigator. They were often on the same missions in the same flight. Vern and others of the 28th Squadron are helping gather information of that time period for a Squadron History.

This history, now being compiled, includes available information grouped under each flight crew, etc. The contents of Joe's Mission Diaries are included as as part of Joe Simmons Crew's story, merged with others on the crew. This document of Joe's Letters Home will be made part of the 28th Squadrons History file and available to 19th Bomb Group Association members at cost of printing.

An epilogue has been added following the letters. Nov 17, 1992 DL

Date From Subject Page

01-09-1945 Batista Field, Havana, Cuba Training 5

01-14-1945 Great Bend,AAB Ks Training 6

01-17-1945 Great Bend AAB, Ks Training 7

01-23-1945 Great Bend AAB, Ks Training 8

01-27-1945 Great Bend AAB, Ks Training 9

02-04-1945 Kearney AAB, Nb Departure 10

02-09-1945 Grand Island, Nb Departure 10

02-11-1945 A.P.O. San Francisco, Ca. Departure 11

02-14-1945 A.P.O. San Francisco, Ca. Departure 12

02-20-1945 A.P.O. San Francisco, Ca. Departure 13

02-28-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Getting Set 13

03-02-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Training 14

03-06-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #1, Tokyo 15

03-10-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #2, Tokyo 16

03-12-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #3, Nagoya 17

03-14-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #4, Osaka 18

03-17-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #5, Kobe 19

03-18-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Recuperate 19

03-19-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Meet Natives 21

03-23-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #6, Nagoya 21

03-26-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Recuperate 23

03-28-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" # 7, Omura, Kyushu 24

04-02-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Recuperate 26

04-05-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #8, Shizuoka (Tokyo) 27

04-07-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Recuperate 28

04-13-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #9, Koriyama Chemical 29

04-14-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Recuperate 29

04-16-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" #10, Kawasaki, (Tokyo) 30

04-17-1945 "Somewhere in the Marianas" Awarded medals 31

04-24-1945 Muroc AAB, California Lead Crew School 32

Epilog 34

Forward

This booklet contains the letters written during the four month period, January -- April, 1945. They give a description of the activities immediately preceding our overseas shipment and the Air Blitz of the Industrial areas of Japan. The writer was the navigator of the B-29 "City of Dallas", based on Guam, when it made ten trips to the Japanese mainland during the period March 2, 1945 and April 15, 1945. These letters, written to my family, were primarily designed to keep them informed as to what I was doing, and secondarily, to give them a check that I was still alive. If, at any time the letters had stopped, they would have known that our plane had failed to come back. Actually, the plane did fail to come back -- two weeks after the final letter in this group was written -- but it was being flown by a replacement crew who had taken our place upon our return to the United States.

If the reader will bear in mind the conditions under which the B-29 crewmen lived, he will clearly see how it affected the mental attitude of the writer. We had seen so much death and destruction that we felt that it was only a matter of time before we, too, would be destroyed. One will note how we humans, when confronted with conditions that might drastically curtail our stay on Mother Earth, seek something beyond the limits of our reach. We strongly felt the Hand of God in our everyday life and realized our dependency upon Him in order to live from day to day.

One factor affecting us could not be mentioned in any letter. A "Super Suicide" raid was being planned to strike a particular target in the city of Tokyo with delayed action bombs from the extremely low altitude of 200 feet. We had been selected as one to participate and had practiced the technique in hurling a sixty ton Giant of the skies at tree top level to skip bomb the volcanic island of Uracas. Had the target not been destroyed with customary tactics on April 12, 1945 by Saipan-bases planes, we would have drawn the assignment as planned. Naturally, our morale was at an all-time low. The letters tell of other conditions, far from ideal, that had been affecting us.

As the reader can well appreciate, these letters could have been written only under the actual conditions depicted therein. Now that the writer had returned safely to the peace and quiet of civilian life, he could no longer duplicate them. It was a period of our lives that we will long remember, that we are glad to have experienced, but which we would not repeat for any amount of material wealth.

These letters are passed on to the reader with but one hope -- that he will always remember what it took to bring the little "Yellow Rats" to their knees, begging for peace, and the necessary American sacrifices to win the Battle of the Pacific. Please do not become duped by the prevalent propaganda to gain sympathy for Japan, to have a short occupation of their country by our troops, and in the end create a situation whereby their Japanese leaders will be able to create a second fanatical war machine to strike these United States. Joseph D. Brasfield February 1, 1946

Batista Field Havana, Cuba January 9, 1945

Dear Charles,

I am beginning a letter which won't be finished today. Today is Tuesday, January 9 and I am lying in bed in Batista Cuba. The finish must come after we return to the States. As you have been doing in the past, file this letter for future reference, please.

The story begins when I returned to Great Bend after Xmas and found that they were dead serious in making me a Radar man and replacing me with this new navigator. Honestly, I didn't realize exactly what that meant until I made my first flight operating the set. Simmons kept saying something about "Co-Navigators", trying to smooth the situation. And I had hopes.

On the 30th of December we made a short flight and I came down, as blue and disgusted as one could be. I didn't like the position aboard the plane the conditions of it (completely blacked out cabin) the work of constantly changing the dials to keep it in tune in comparison to the Navigator's job. But l realized for the first effective time that I didn't know how to operate the set for the maximum efficiency.

They told us we were to go to Puerto Rico for some work. I made up my mind right there, on the 30th, that I would stick it out in my new post until the Puerto Rico deal was finished, If everyone still wanted the new man as Navigator, I was going to do everything possible to be transferred to another crew or a new outfit. Meantime I was going to work hard to master the operation of the set for my own satisfaction. However, I was miserable, unhappy, and in doubt. I showed it. It could not be helped. It was like training a race horse to the Nth degree and putting him next to a track where he could see and hear yet not run with the rest of the horses. But I purposely did not have "words" with Simmons though he knew how I felt.

"On January 2nd, we took off to radar bomb a target off the coast of Galveston, Texas, and for our new navigator's first whirl at his job. True, he was a victim of circumstances. He had not been trained to handle this particular ship and yet he was expected to be perfect over a route of 2000 miles. He "butchered" it badly. Had he known anything about Radar Interpretation it would have been simple. We were over the clouds. By then I had the set working fine. But he didn't and wouldn't use the Scope. Honestly, I tried to help him (maybe not too enthusiastically) but he seemed suspicious of me.

By the time we reached Galveston, we had accumulated enough mechanical troubles plus bad weather to justify landing instead of doing the prescribed bombing. (Twas a good thing we did as #4 engine would have been on fire for lack of engine oil within another hour.)

On the 3rd, we flew back to Great Bend with the Navigator not improving much. But I was still in that black hole! Yes, working in the dark, wanting to be at the other job. After all, once you have mastered the art of tuning a radar set, it gets dull. Actually, it is no more of a job than tuning your Super Duper radio.

When we got back to Great Bend, I was mad, tired, and disgusted. The next day, we were to leave for Puerto Rico. The Squadron Navigator told me that it was out of his hands as his advice on our crew situation had been refused cold. I thanked him and told him that they'd hear more from me later.

On Thursday, the 4th, we were rushing around for a mid-afternoon take off. We had a different ship and I couldn't get the damn set calibrated in it. It was so cold that one's hands and feet got perfectly numb in a matter of minutes. After a day of mad preparations we were loading the ship. (It was to have a gross weight of almost 70 tons.) When I couldn't get any light in my compartment, I was rushing to find the Engineer (Turkisher). Enroute down a ladder, a rubber heel hit an oily ladder rung and I spilled head first to the concrete ramp. Luckily, I fell into a stack of luggage and instinctively broke the fall with my arms. But my right arm felt like it, in turn, had been broken. It hurt--yes--in the elbow, the one that was shattered some 22 years ago and neatly repaired by Dr. Sessions in Natchez.

It was only an hour and half until Takeoff. If I went to the Hospital, they'd want to X-Ray, probably ground me, not let me make the trip, ruin my chances to carry out my plans when other people failed in the pinches. But I decided to go and report it and take a chance. They took X-Rays, but I rushed back to the plane before they were developed, telling them at the hospital to stop the plane from taking off if my arm was broken. Otherwise, I'd go on. They didn't stop us.

We flew a dog leg on Iowa and turned direct to Miami. Sounds silly but there was a reason. And most fortunately, (as we have agreed, God does work things out best for all concerned), Lt. Col. Maney, the Group Operations Officer was aboard our ship for the trip. He saw there were two Captain Navigators aboard and asked Simmons the situation. Simmons told it to him straight and cold! I operated the set until we got to Jefferson City, Mo. At that point, we were 45 miles off course. I was disgusted. I lay on the bunk from there to the Florida Coast, sleeping spasmodically, suffering continually. I was cold, terribly cold, yet my right arm was hot and flush. I couldn't move it. I tried to see if I could reach the parachute rip cord ring. I could not! It was a miserable feeling. There we were 9000 feet up in the black of night and I didn't know how I'd pull a rip cord in case of an emergency. I PRAYED. This is serious, mister. I prayed plenty that night. I tried using my left hand, but it was awkward. But it would have to do, in case. At night over land, there are no forced landings if an emergency arises. The crew merely bails out. And there I was. He must have heard my prayers because those engines sang the sweetest song all night long.

I put the set in operation when we hit the Gulf Coast and got excellent results until we passed Tampa. Then -- Blotto -- the set went dead. I checked everything I knew. No results. So what the hell, I went to bed. I slept off and on until we were near Puerto Rico. I tried the set once again. No result! We landed shortly after dawn, Friday, 5th of January.

We didn't like the facilities at this field. It was a Pre-War job with many fine buildings. But the Permanent Officers used them. We transients lived in the typical ramshackle barracks, had no facilities for storing our flying equipment. On the Flight Line, transportation was bad, the Post scattered. We were restricted to the post, no nice gifts to be bought, everything priced sky high. We were not favorably impressed.

But we were fortunate. We flew ten hours Saturday and completed all of our required air work. I dropped a dozen bombs by Radar and hit the target with each of them (target was an uninhabited rock island about 1500 ft. by 2500 ft.) We took a beautiful trip south, so they told me over inter phone, but I was in the "hole" most of the time and couldn't enjoy it. I did crawl out to see Martinique and one other island as we passed

My arm was still terribly sore, but it was getting to be of some use to me. Doing every thing left-handed is a terrific handicap at times.

Sunday we were filling out reports. I told Simmons that I wanted to talk to him. When he said "shoot the works", I did. He told me of his talk with Col. Maney on the way down and didn't know what else to do. I said that I'd like to talk with the Colonel, either with or without him (Simmons). Simmons agreed. I went to the Colonel and asked to talk to him at his convenience about a problem. His answer took me by surprise -- "I think that I know your problem. You may have a point there. I'll talk to Simmons and whatever he wants we'll fix up". Immediately I felt 1000% better. The world had a new color. Even my arm and my digestion improved.

Sunday afternoon, the Colonel, Simmons, and the Group Navigator had it out. Simmons insisted that he was the man who was going to fly the plane over the enemy target and that the new navigator, however, rather calling him a victim of circumstances -- being put in a job, very highly specialized navigator's job, for which he was not adequately trained. To make a long story short, (don't laugh too much looking at these numerous sheets), the decision was given to Simmons and I was reinstated as Navigator. Further training for Porter is in store as it should be. This set-up was not fair to him either.

It was decided that we would bring a B-17 back to the states. Our planned route was via Nassau and Miami. But the weather was terrible in that region. Consequently, we cleared for Batista instead, a distance of roughly 1000 miles. Our course took us over the island of Hispanola (Haiti), and then the entire length of Cuba. And it is plenty long! When only 150 miles from Batista, we passed a nasty weather front and was it rough! That plane bobbed and tossed as we went though those clouds. It was turbulent, but we made it. We are now here for mechanical repairs to that "beat-up" old B-17!

Later: Great Bend, Kansas

January 14, 1945.

It is now. Sunday, January 14th, and I am sitting in Operations Office in Great Bend. Our trip is over, but maybe you'd be interested in the last half. So may I pick up the story where I left off last Tuesday in Batista.

Upon close examination, it was decided that a new engine should be installed in the #2 nacelle. That pleased us as we wanted a couple of days vacation in Havana. I rushed over to Headquarters to get permission for the crew to go to the city. I was swamped with red tape. Finally, about 3 pm, we were on our way -- six officers and eight enlisted men. As we were fairly familiar with the city, we got around a bit better. We all did much shopping. Anything can be bought in Havana -- at a price. We contacted the Valdes brothers. Unfortunately, "Little Val" was leaving the city on business at 8 PM. "Big Val" had a dinner engagement for the evening but met us at the Pan American Club for drinks. We arranged through him for a banquet at the El Presidente Hotel. He gave many special instructions to the Head Waiter and I assure you the meal was fit for royalty. As were also the drinks. They got us an English speaking Jaimacan cab driver and we proceeded to "see the city". Yes, we saw a bit of everything that was to be seen! Meanwhile, the enlisted men went their own way so they would not be encumbered by having officers around. Finally after midnight, all fourteen of us weaved back to the Pan American Club, where there were toasts offered to Crew 31 and a new name was born for our ship -- it is to be "Joe's Junk". Simmons name is also Joe. Finally, we got everyone "poured" into three chartered taxis for the thirty mile trip back to the Air Base.

Wednesday, we again got passes and headed for the city. This time , we took a civilian bus and had quite an experience riding with the jabbering natives and drinking beer in the dirty little restaurants where the bus stopped.

Again the boys (officers only this trip) went shopping. Funds were getting low. We pooled our resources and I acted as treasurer -- paying all large joint bills and apportioning the amounts to each particular person. What a set of books to keep under such circumstances! Meantime, some of the fellows had met the owner of the Pan American Club (at one of the "Sporting Clubs") who gave us a card that all drinks at his bar were "on the house". The officers met Big Val and his beautiful wife Magda for drinks at seven and then went to the La Florida for dinner. "Our guests" this time. Food and drink was again plentious. The very best that could be had. We as a crew adopted Magda as our sponsor, our "pin-up girl", and she is to furnish us with a large picture which is to become part of the standard equipment on "Joe's Junk". The other fellows went to Club Marina for their festivities while Val and Magda drove me about the city. They showed me the principal landmarks and historic points. Also, we had an opportunity to talk. They are a lovely couple. Never have I had the privilege of knowing folks like them! Again, we finally got back to the Air Base in the early morning hours, tired, happy, and BROKE.

Our ship was ready about Thursday Noon so we test-hopped it for a couple of hours. We flew over the city at 2000 feet and truly got a good look at it this time. Simmons took it over the Gulf and did a few buzz jobs on small fishing craft just playing. Seems funny to be buzzing waves at fifty feet elevation.

Friday morning, we got our Clearance to the States. I flew a Celestial Landfall to Galveston as we had a cloud undercast most of the way. The Customs Officials were nice, taking our word without inspection as to our baggage. The trip from Galveston to Great Bend was uneventful -- at 3000 feet (above sea level). There is no problem to navigation in the States. We found Kansas weather mild -- much warmer than we had expected.

All in all, the trip was a good one. The crisis, which I expected, came, and the outcome was favorable. Once again I am happy about the whole affair.

Our days here are very limited. We are to get a new shiny big plane in a few days. Our training is now virtually complete. A new phase of our lives is just ahead. We have a big job to do. It is an important job as we are but a small cog in a big wheel. But we must do that job to the best of our ability -- regardless of what becomes of us. Our way of life must be preserved at all cost. I have FAITH, faith that all will happen for the best. He will watch over us, and He has in the past. And if any misfortune overtake us, I am thankful that I have a Christian Faith that he will take care of me and that you, all of the Brasfields, will look after Jane and Ted as we discussed in Natchez. Your Brother

Great Bend AAF, Kansas January 17, 1945

Dear Charles:

Since the situation has calmed down a bit here, I have accomplished several little items. First, I got a couple of dry cells, 1.5 V., and hooked up the buzzer. It works perfectly. And I notice that the blinker light is a La Brasfield modification. A million thanks to you, mister, it will be a great help to me and the others.

There have been several interesting developments here. Reliable rumor has it that the 28th Sqn (us) will be the last to receive it's flyaways and will be the last to depart from Great Bend. That means we will probably be around here until Feb. 1st or maybe longer. Of course, that suits us. Who are we to kick!

Next, we have seen the new flyaways already received. Our training ships had had 250 factory modifications made since the original model. Our flyaways have had more than 650 so that means more than 400 changes, some minor, some major, between the two models. One outstanding one is the sacrificing of certain armor plating to save weight and the increasing of the number of guns. That nose is truly deadly now! My humble opinion is that they plan not only to kill those bastard suicide pilots who try to ram head on but also so riddle his ship so as to cause it to disintegrate before he can ram us. This is my guess only! NOT FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION!

We are taking it relatively easy at the moment. Not much flying. We do a good deal of synthetic training. We have a bunch of POM (Preparation for Overseas Movement) inspectors in here. They are checking the records and asking us a bunch of questions. The Navigation Inspector is a Major who was on the Doolittle original Tokyo raid. He knew his stuff!

Our outfit had an unfortunate accident in Puerto Rico the other day. On take-off, an engine caught fire. The plane got into the air, but it could not climb. The A/C tried to crash land on the water but couldn't control it. One wing dropped, hit the water, and caused it to cartwheel. The wings ripped off, the plane caught fire. Four fellows were thrown clear and lived. But we don't yet know who they were. These ships are wonderful until something goes wrong. Then things happen terribly fast. And I do mean FAST!

Ted & Jane are doing fine. How that boy is eating and growing! Everyday seems to bring changes in him. Since he takes vegetables, he has cut out his 10 PM bottle and sleeps all night. Last night about ten he woke up, raised up on his elbows, and looked around. Jane changed his pants, gave him a drink of water. He promptly lay down and went back to sleep without ever giving out a squawk!

I have not found an air mattress or pillow though I have been looking far and wide. So please keep your eyes open. Your brother.

Great Bend AAF, Kansas January 23, 1945

Dear Charles:

We received your letter written in Columbus, Ga. What kind of gas system do they have at Phoenix City? I didn't know that your were in that phase of the utility business also. Keep your eyes open, mister, you may have a "war veteran" needing some good contacts in a year or two when he starts planning a civilian career again.

Here I start planning postwar days when In a few weeks I will be hearing what war truly means. They are bringing in flyaways fast now. Today, a half dozen arrived. ATC brings them here from Wichita factory. That means we'll get one in the next few days.

We are one of the ten crews flying their own ship, in our squadron, to our overseas destination. The remaining five are going over via ATC. Rumor has it that our crew is destined to lead the squadron on our first mission against the Japs. Rumor also has it that we will ultimately be based at Clark Field (Philippines), the 1941 home of the 19th Bomb Group. Until it is ready for occupation, we'll stop at Guam. No fact -- only rumor and wishful thinking on my part.

We are to be "processed" here on the 28th & 29th. That means we leave here on the 30th or 31st for staging -- at Kearney, Nebraska, thence to Sacramento to Honolulu to--to---to Guam. No fact -- only guess. So keep it to yourself.

We have been piddling around these days. Capt Porter, our "second" navigator on our crew, has been transferred and we have a new 2nd Lt. as Radar Bombardier. (Yours Truly is Navigator again.) Maybe our crew is settled once again -- we hope so. These changes have not helped much as a combat crew is [a] rather high strung group that can't be jostled about with out ruining it's spirit. Everyone must believe that theirs is the best in anybody's Air Force.

We went to the big Farewell Party at the Officer's Club last Saturday night. About 5 PM, it started a heavy wet snow. But that didn't slow the Brasfields as it was our first social function at GBAAF. We had quite a time. It was Jane's first opportunity to meet the officer's of our crew and other fellows with whom I work.

The weather made a good excuse to imbibe, ala. Seagram's V.O., fresh from Cuba, flowed in rivulets! And it is smooth! The first 3 or 4 are so smooth that one hardly notices them. Then, it hits like a ton of brick! Before we started home, we walked around the block in the snow to clear away any cobwebs. It took us an hour to drive less than 25 miles, but we negotiated the distance home without incident. Guess we had about 4 inches of snow. Last night, the clouds dissipated and the temperature dropped to about five degrees above zero. But the air was very dry. Twas good flying weather today.

My right arm is still sore where I strained the muscles almost three weeks ago. Tomorrow, they start treating it with a Heat Lamp at the hospital. The elbow muscles seem OK but the main muscle in the forearm is still intensively sore. I have little strength in the arm. Glad when it is back to normal.

Ted is doing fine. Tonight Jane was playing with him sans clothes. His little body is as firm as a wrestler. And he is now taking vegetables daily. Gosh, I am going to miss that little fellow. He'll be quite a big boy when I get back.

Keep on writing. Anything that will arrive after the 29th, send to me at the Base so it will be forwarded to me if I have left. I'll let you know when things happen. Your brother,

Great Bend AAF, Kansas January 27, 1945

Dear Charles:

"Joe's Junk" arrived last night and where should it come from -- the Birmingham Modification Plant. Here are some statistics -- it is Model B-29-56-BW, AAF Serial No. 42-24883. Was manufactured in Boeing's Wichita plant and sent to Bham the last week in November, 1944, modified there and test flow there in December. It found it's way here and we took over today.

At the moment, we have troubles. If you have friends there, you can tell them that some one went screwy on that job. Ask them what the hell do they think -- do we want to commit suicide or what! When my Gyro Flux Gate Compass would not operate, I could not solve the problem. After getting the so called "civilian experts" and working all afternoon, we are still baffled. Their conclusion was "somebody has really messed up the wiring". Fortunately, it seems to only involve the radar and navigator's instruments. An A-C inverter supplies the power because the Pilots panel instruments work. But mine don't. And there are no fuses nor circuit breakers in between. From where we are and during the tests, some inspector was asleep. After all, it was not their necks that might get dunked in the Pacific miles from land! That makes my blood boil! A dagger in a man's back can be no more fatal.

We are still planning to leave here on Wednesday, the 31st. Just how it will be done seems vague to me. If they don't get our problem solved here, maybe they can in Nebraska. There is to be quite a "conference" tomorrow of the "experts" to solve the difficulty.

You have never seen such a maze of wiring and instruments as are on board. I have both LORAN and API (Air Position Indicator), plus a good gyro driftmeter. But I have not checked any of those yet. Judging from the first check, I shudder to think what we might find in them! Maybe they will be better. I hope so.

It has been snowing again today. A fine snow plus a biting wind has made it a bit disagreeable. Despite the weather, one squadron took off for Nebraska. Though it is only a two hour hop, I did not envy them in the least. Icing conditions should have been bad.

Everyone still seems to think we are going to Guam. We are hoping to go on to Clark Field. Only time will tell. Frankly, I'll be glad when that trip across the Pacific is behind us. That is a lot of water over which to navigate.

As the time draws near to leave, one begins to think deeper and deeper. It is not a pleasant thought to leave one's wife and baby to go on an assignment like ours. But hurry the day that we can come home to stay. There is no glamour -- only a dirty, distasteful job hat must be done so our kids will be brought up in a world of common decency. Quality always brings a high price!

Don't mention any of the facts in this letter in any of your future letters. We soon go under strict censorship. I'll write what I can when I can. Please write often. Your brother,

Kearney AAF, Nebraska February 4, 1945

Dear Charles:

Things are dull here at the moment as weather has caused all local flights to be cancelled. So I will take this opportunity to write. Your swell letter came just before we left G.B. As always, it was greatly appreciated.

Things were in a terrible mess those last few days in G.B. Working on "Joe's Junk", packing, and a million little things had us in quite a stir. Jane and I are not good on these "good-byes", particularly one like this. Therefore, we went about our work without any mention or discussion of it. But when the time did arrive, as inevitably it must, it was not easy. There was much too much permanence about the whole affair.

After the take off, we got in formation and circled the Airfield and Larned. It gave me a weak feeling as I picked out that little white house in Larned and said to myself "Under that roof is something that means more than life itself". Leaving one's loved ones under these circumstances affects one deeply.

For those two and a half years, Jane has been a wonderful wife for me. I thank God for our love, confidence in one another, and congeniality. It has been the happiest period of my life. And now that we have Ted, our family is complete. She has been and is a wonderful mother to him.

Since we arrived here, we have been getting the straight dope. Of course, I can't say when we leave, how many, or where we are going. But here we have found everything to be "on the ball". My Goodness, it is time somebody was. They practically overhauled "J.J." We have been issued the newest and finest of everything. I only wish I could show it or describe it to you. Uncle Sam is a good provider.

But our dear Uncle Sam had quite a job set out for us. Again, they have not pulled their punches. Now it is the straight dope. And prospects for the future do have certain discouraging angles. We are pitted against a cunning desperate enemy. If we ever fall into his hands, not much hopes for the future can be promised.

After listening to such lectures, I am more glad than ever that we discussed in Natchez, the details as to what should be done in case something should happen to me. This talk may sound a bit too morbid to you, but cold facts must be faced. When this mess is over, I want to tell you some of the things that do and have occurred. But you know what Military Security means now.

This weather has been bitter cold. The natives can certainly have my share of the country. The one surprise that I have had was how warm, yet how light in weight, our new equipment is. It is nothing short of miraculous. QM did some good designing! Only today have we seen the sun after these several days and then only for short times. But maybe better days lie ahead.

Your comments about the G_____ and his civilian problems amused me. It must be tough to be settling down in nice, secure, civilian job with only the problems of rearing a family ahead of you. To talk, now, in such terms seems as to be a myth or a fairy story. Of course, he can tell himself that he has done his "share". But he is lucky to be able to get back and settled in a job for Post War years. I must not think much along those lines now -- the job at the moment is much too great and important to have any distraction. But I do want to enjoy the privilege of watching Ted grow up and being a Father to him!

You will get a card with my APO Number on it as soon as we leave here. Please write often and in detail. Letters will mean so very, very much. Your brother,

We hear that "Tokyo Rose" has announced that the 19th Group was finishing their Training at Great Bend and would receive a "warm welcome" from the Japs! Ain't dat something!

Kearney AAF, Nebraska February 9, 1945

Dear Charles:

Little did I anticipate the opportunity of writing you again from this part of the country. I honestly thought my last letter was truly the last. But screwy things started to happening -- things least likely to develop. And here we are -- still in Nebraska -- the city of Grand Island to be exact.

According to schedules we should be looking upon bonnie blue waves. But first it was bad weather that delayed us. Next is was mechanical troubles. And now believe it or not, the POE is so crowded that they can not handle us for a couple of days.

After all I'm not complaining, but I do have one regret. I could have had Jane come up to Kearney from Larned and had these last few days with her. Yes, had I known then what I know now. I did anticipate a delay -- but my guess was that it would be at Great Bend. Consequently she made plans to stay there until Feb. 8th -- yesterday. Things at Kearney moved so swiftly at first that it hardly seemed worthwhile for her to follow me there. When things slowed down -- it was to late! Old Brasfield had erred again.

We came over to Grand Island yesterday afternoon -- Simmons, Bishop, and I. We met one of Simmons' buddies, stationed here (Dick was in Simmon's outfit in England -- now a B-29 instructor).

We proceeded to "hang one on" after finding some pretty good bonded bourbon. After a few sessions of playing "Cardinal Puff" and consequent "Chug-a-lugs", we were "off". As per my speed, about 2 AM, I became terribly sleepy -- found my way to my hotel room and caused no one any further trouble. The other fellows proceeded -- one has not shown up yet --probably was "invited" to spend the night out. Another is still in bed. The third and myself got up and have been out to breakfast. Ho hum -- guess it does a fellow a bit of good to blow his top once in a while and let off excess steam. Our routine will get a fellow down if he is not careful!

The other day I saw my coldest temperature when we had to go to 26,500 ft. to get above the clouds. The thermometers showed -35 degrees C. (Approx. -35 degrees F. also if you remember the conversion). Icing was so bad that the de-icers (defrosters) utterly failed. My astrodome was frozen solid. The system consequently had to be modified.

Jane left Larned yesterday and should arrive in Memphis tonight. Fortunately, the weather has turned fair and warm so everything should be in their favor enroute. However, I'll be glad when I talk to her tonight and find that she and Ted are safely at home. Glad she has Harold Davison to do the driving for her.

Did I tell you that the Parker Pen Co. lost (at least, the U.S. Mail did) my "51" Pen & Pencil? Anyway, the company were very nice when I wrote them and they sent me a brand new set exactly like the original. Pretty nice, I think.

I hope Martha & the kids are all fine. Maybe you folks did not catch all the bitter cold that we had during the past couple of weeks. Gosh, I nearly froze to death. How this cold wind literally goes thru your body!

I'll be looking forward to hearing from you once you get my new address. So long for now.

Your brother,

28th Bomb Sqd. 19th Bomb Gp. A.P.O. 18179-CZ-8 c/o PM San Francisco, Calif. February 11, 1945

Dear Charles:

Seems as though I am becoming a better correspondent than usual. But each time something happens, I hurry to write about it while the opportunity still exists.

While processing today, I discovered something new. In the Personal Affairs Section they issued us some "poop" sheets, a copy of which I am enclosing. There are several changes in benefits that I didn't realize. "Just in case" I want you to be familiar with them. (1) A widow's pension is now $50 per month, until she remarries, plus $15 for one child. (2) The Gratuity Pay is computed on Base Pay, Flight Pay, Longevity, Overseas Pay for six months. I my case, it will be 6 x($200 base pay plus $110 flight pay plus $35 overseas pay) or 6 x $363 equaling $2178. I had originally thought it to be 6 x $220 base pay equaling $1320. (3) Jane will have a choice of two options in settling that $10,000 insurance policy. Either she can take $55.10 per month for 20 years or $39.70 per month for life. This choice will be hers and will be independent of the pension. It would be wise for her to figure what she will absolutely need and, if possible or wise, accept the "for life" settlement. Your advice to her will be a big help depending on her immediate situation at that time (if it ever comes.) (4) There is a bill (George Bill) now before Congress that will have the Gov't maintain our Social Security account while we are in the Army. If it passes as they predict it will, a widow and child will get about $30 or $35 a month benefits. So, with Pension plus Life Insurance plus Social Security, it will give Jane a pretty good permanent monthly income. My gosh, I hope the occasion never arises that all this data is necessary, but I do want you to be familiar.

As you know, I cannot say exactly where I now am but we can say "Somewhere in California". What a relief to be in a country that is warm, the grass is green, and the sun shines. I have never been so cold for so long as I was in Kansas and Nebraska. If I thought we were headed for Polar Regions, I believe that I would just turn over over and die in anticipation and would avoid the suffering. Our trip here was beautiful. Never have I seen such beautiful scenery. The weather was ideal and those snow caps rose up in all their majestic glory. We have truly a wonderful country!

We have quite an experience ahead of us. Just what we do not know. But it should be interesting when the day comes that we are free to talk. Already things are shaping up that would make you realize more so than ever that America is truly mobilized for war.

We are at a "Crossroads of the Air". Today, I ran into Lt. Scott Smitherman, of Shreve port, who is headed west, in command of a bomber. When we left the Gatehouse in Shreveport, Scott was just a college kid, irresponsible, fun seeking, son of a rich man. Now at the ripe old age of 24, he is married (Charleston, S.C. girl). been a pilot almost a year, a mature man. We had quite a time reminiscing. Each of us was interested in the other's type of ship. So we looked each one over. Maybe our paths will again cross on the other side of the world. Time will tell. The Smitherman's four sons are all in it -- the oldest, 29, a lawyer is in Adjutant General's Dept., Robert, about 25 or 26, is flying P-47's in France, and Gene, 21 is in the Navy. You can guess where their parents thoughts and hearts are these days!

We got quite a laugh today out of one of our officers.

C E N S O R E D

I just talked to Jane. She tells me that Ted is getting quite a big boy. Her trip to Memphis from Larned was without incident -- they drove the 700 miles in 1 1/2 days. "Bessie" again did herself proud. that old Buick does tick off the miles smoothly. She says Ted took the trip nicely.

Please note my temporary APO number. Use it until I forward you my permanent one. I'll be looking forward to your letters. And that includes you too, Martha. Your brother,

A.P.O. 18179-CZ-8 c/o PM San Francisco, Calif. February 14, 1945

Dear Charles:

By now you are probably wondering why we are still in the States. Justifiably so. We too, expected to be on a Pacific Island by this time. Last night we tried hard to be on our way. But too many factors entered into the situation. Maybe our luck will be better next time.

After eating a good breakfast, we went to bed. How good it did feel after being up all night. About 2 pm, I got up, showered, and shaved. After another good meal, I felt like a million. We are literally stuffing ourselves with both food and water daily in order that our systems have a reserve to fall back on in case of an "enforced diet".

I am definitely taking the radio. For a few minutes at Kearney, there was some doubt. But it is aboard now. Joe Simmons is carrying a Victrola so between us we will have music of one kind or another. At Kearney, they convinced us of shipping a case of "V.O." whiskey by boat. Now we know that it could have been aboard "J.J.".

I talked to Jane yesterday for the last time. It was best not to call her today as it would mean more worry for her tonight as she probably did last night. She said that Ted got an O.K. by his doctor Monday, an increase of food, and now his weight is 19 lb. 1 oz. Gosh, how that kid is growing! Maybe we'll finally have a "BIG" Brasfield in the family. I am very thankful that they are now safely settled in Memphis.

I have not received any mail from anyone in two weeks due to lack of an address. Here's hoping that you folks will; "double up and catch up" on your writing and bring me up to date on the family developments. I thought about you and the Power Co. properties as I read about that storm hitting Montgomery and Alabama. Wonder how it affected Meridian and Uncle Luther?

Better close. May God be with us from here on out. There's a lot of water from where we are to where we are going. Too far to swim to be sure!

A big hug for the girls. Your brother,

28th Bomb Sqd. 19th Bomb Group Unit 2. A.P.O. 246. c/o PM San Francisco, Calif. February 20, 1945.

"Somewhere in the Marianas"

Dear Charles:

Well, here we are on opposite sides of the world. Let's see -- it is now 4 PM Tuesday here -- it is 9 hours earlier in Birmingham, or 7 AM Tuesday. You are probably just shaving, and you, Martha, you must be getting breakfast ready. That is your world. We have a different one. We are located in a dense vegetation area, the clearing from which we are not allowed to leave (court martial). We are quartered in tents, with prospects of eventually getting something more permanent. Our food is better than we expected and they promise us electricity tomorrow (110 V. AC -- thank goodness). With that, we can get news and music from San Francisco. At the moment, we do not know what is going on in the world, save for rumors and scattered news broadcasts over the P.A. system. They do have a couple of stations on the island that broadcast records so it won't be bad once we get the electricity.

Our trip over was uneventful. We can say that we came by way of Honolulu. Spent a couple of days there and was sadly disappointed in everything, including Waikiki Beach. Havana is so much prettier, better beach, more to enjoy. But I am glad that we have "seen" Hawaii. We did see some of the permanent marks left there by the Japs on that December 7th. May we repay them in kind with interest!

We will find out more definite tomorrow as to what, when, and how we will get down to work. It seems as though we will be a part of the "First Team". Should be most interesting from now on. They say the General wants results!

Guess you are still having winter. We have gone from one extreme in Nebraska to the other extreme here. Fortunately, we do have a breeze from the ocean. But that sun bears down but hot! Another good point -- we do not have to worry about malaria here -- only dengue fever. At least , no Atabrine tablets.

To my surprise, we were issued air mattresses. No wonder we could not find one in the States -- the Army must be taking them all.

I have received no mail from, anyone in three weeks. Only news was from Jane via telephone before we left California. I hope there is mail now enroute. Please note my permanent APO address. Don't leave any of it out as it all means something.

I'll be looking forward to your letters and sweating it out until we can get our job done and get back to the States. One never fully appreciates the good old U.S.A. until he has to leave it. Such common things as plenty of water, ice, lights, mean little until you do without. We get rationed one bottle of warm beer per day -- no Coca Cola. Enjoy what you have, brother, because I am already looking forward to the day I can again do so. Your brother,

"Somewhere in the Marianas" February 28, 1945

Dear Charles:

I received your letter of Feb. 16th today and really appreciated hearing from you. I know that your are terrible busy, but those notes which you get off are truly welcomed. Also got letters from Jane and Mother & Dad so I felt very good over the mail situation.

Yes sir, Charles, that promotion you received sounded mighty good. Mother & Dad are certainly proud of you. And justly so! Thank Goodness, you stayed out of the Army and continued in the ordinary way of life. I am afraid that my "imitation of a clay pigeon" over here will cause the folks a few extra gray hairs. It will probably give me a head full!

I was interested in you having repairs done to the place. Do Sam and Katherine still have the upstairs apartment? They were a nice couple to have around, weren't they. Speaking of repairs, what about those gutter leaks where those rains from the north east used to give us so much trouble. With the Spring rains coming on, I suppose that you got it all fixed at once.

(Note -- later -- "Sam & Katherine" were code words giving the approximate latitude and longitude of our air base. "Rains from the north east" disclosed that we were in the NE corner of a block bounded by the aforementioned latitude and longitude. Hence, they then knew that we were based on the island of Guam.)

For the first time in my life, I find a place where there is little or no use for money. Sound queer? Well, here it is. Of course, I do not particularly recommend that your rush over here. A couple of dollars a week is all one can spend it he splurges on cigarettes (5 cents a pack), beer (one can per day @ 10 cents). Postage stamps are our biggest expense. Movies are free. Laundry is ala G.I. or done yourself. No place to go . Nothing to buy. Here all livelihood goes back to the simple things of life. I am subscribing to magazines, especially where I can get Air Mail editions.

We are planning to save some money these days. Jane's allotment is ample for her to save some. and I should be able to save a couple of hundred a month out of what is left. We decided that we had better accumulate it while we can because the inevitable readjustment period is going to be an expensive one for our family. A thousand or two would certainly be handy to have around. Being out here makes it rather easy for my part. Being my business agent, you'll probably be interested in that.

Guess what -- we went swimming today down at a nearby beach, and we saw some white women! Yes, nurses from a local Army hospital. But they were women and they were white. Believe it or not, we could not help but stare a bit. They were not beauties. But they were the first we'd seen since Hawaii! The beach and the swim were swell -- the first we'd had since our arrival. Furthermore we came home an took an honest to goodness bath. True, it was out of a bucket, under a tree. But until now we had been getting a shower, i.e., a tank truck with a hose and power pump sprays about a dozen at the time. But since we have moved to Quonset huts, we have not had even that. Today, we hauled water over to our place and went to work. I feel clean tonight for the first time since we hit this island.

I have written to Jane about some things we need. No need to duplicate so write her before sending any of these, but here are items that we could use (1) can openers, (2) bottle openers, (3) "male" electrical plugs, (4) triple sockets with one socket suitable for light bulb, (5) light bulbs, (6) small screw drivers with plastic handle, (7) small claw hammer, (8) any good books, (9)soap chips (LUX, etc) used as "packing material" -- no food or candy however as it would spoil enroute. Everything here comes in hermetically sealed cans or else.

Our hopes of electricity were too optimistic. We do not have power in our huts, but we are hoping. As I write this , I am listening to the Mess Hall radio. It was playing beautifully until a news report about Sunday's Tokyo raid started. All Hell broke loose in queer noises. The Nips are evidently jamming it. Now music has started -- the noises stopped. Those little bastards! I suggest that you listen to radio reports, read Earnie Pyles' columns, and you'll know more about us and where we are than we do ourselves.

Your brother,

"Somewhere in the Marianas" Friday, March 2, 1945

Dear Charles:

I have just received your letter of 2-21-45. As always, it was most welcomed. I didn't realize that you have my letters as far back as 1927 filed. What an accumulation that will be! I guess that my letters do carry about as complete story of my life as could be determined. I am sorry that censorship keeps me from writing as complete letters as they used to be in the past.

So your short wave is red hot these days. I'll bet it is. I'll be so glad to be able to listen to my radio again. It seems that we'll get power finally today or tomorrow. Did I write you about a neat piece of Jamming the other night? I was listening to a radio in the mess hall tuned to an area OWI station. The music was playing nicely. They cut in for a news report on the latest raid on Japan. Then the damnedest conglomeration of squealing, cat calls, and queer noises came in on that frequency. As soon as the news ended, the noises stopped and the music continued nicely!

You spoke of Iwo Jima. We are forbidden to discuss tactics and "developments". However, I think you know how interested we are in that hunk of rock. It is more than "personal", it is a new lease on life itself for us. I look upon those Marines' losses as though each one was made as a sacrifice that "others" might live to do a better job. You know what it means when the time comes that we can carry "little friends" with us.

(Later -- "little friends" meant fighter planes.)

We have been flying a good deal lately, but it is mostly "2nd Team" stuff. However, our promotion to the Varsity Squad is soon to come. Guess you can compare us to a Football Team just before the first game of the season. We have trained, drilled, and practiced. Now we will have to learn what it is to operate under pressure. I am wondering what my reactions will be. Sure, we will all be scared. That is expected. But the main thing is to score, and score effectively. If we get through the initial game without too many injuries, we'll profit by our mistakes for the next game. But our seasons will be rather lengthy -- more that any 10 or 11 game football season. Also, the stakes are higher -- more than a mere championship of some school district. Also, we must keep in mind the price of a "defeat" over here. Don't many come backs occur.

Realizing the situation makes one stop and think. Much can pass thru a fellow's mind. Thank Goodness, we look upon our job as a specialist, or technician. We don't see the effects from a close up view. I don't particularly care to do so. Maybe later when the hatred gets down in the marrow of the bone, I might enjoy such a mess from the sordid angle. But as yet it is a challenge to do a specialized job to accomplish a specific mission. When I see all that is necessary to fight this war, to successfully carry it to the enemies' homes, I am amazed. Truly America is giving an All Out effort. No other nation could carry on in such a manner on both sides of the world. Yet all of this is necessary in order that we may again settle down to a quiet, normal life in a world where we are safe to go, do, and say as we please. We have a wonderful country. Just because you are in the midst of it and things become common place, don't fail to thank God that your are an American. I do! And appreciate those things which we are so accustomed to enjoy. You know what I mean -- that light bulb, refrigerator, newspaper, food on the table, radio bringing you a variety of everything, an ice cream cone, or a Coca Cola. Especially appreciate the sense of security that you know where you will be and approximately what you will be doing a week from you![now]. Some of us can't say the same. I am not preaching -- just reminding you.

Do try to visit Jane or have them come to Bham, which ever is best. She is swell about writing me what is developing. Of course, her letters are 10 days old but what is that this day and time! She certainly thinks the world and all of you and Martha. She has since that initial visit back in October, 1941.

Keep your fingers crossed for us. We are going to need it most any day now. Your brother,

"Somewhere in the Marianas" Tuesday, March 6, 1945

Dear Charles:

I start this letter only with a set of censorship rules staring me in the face and after checking with the Intelligence Officer about eligible things I can say. Yes, our ambitions have been finally realized in part anyway. Yes, we have paid Nippon a visit and left appropriate calling cards. Much to our complete satisfaction, his reception was marked by their coolness and lack of activity. They even tried to leave us in the dark. Crude, wasn't it. In ordinary times, we might have gotten our feelings hurt. But not this time. Of course , it might have lengthened our visit a bit, but what the Hell we all got back without a scratch.

All in all, the experience for me was what I needed. It is a long way there and we must reach the Empire exactly where we are told. And there are no check points on the waves to locate ourselves enroute. Now I realize why they gave us that special navigational training before we left. One "head-up" mistake here and you try swimming. The pilot and co-pilot can relieve one another, but the Navigator must stay alert all of [the] time. Back in the States, we could vary our altitudes and flight plan to get best navigational conditions. Here, we must do as directed irregardless of the navigational conditions. Yet your answers must be right. Sweat -- you darn right we sweat. When we arrived as planned, I heaved a terrific sigh of relief.

I am fast becoming a close student of Japanese geography. One must do so to stay in this game. Rivers, cities, mountains, bays which meant nothing to me previously become so real that I can close my eyes and see a complete map. Never did I realize so much that Japan proper has so many mountains and mountainous terrain. And they result in many bays and harbors.

I wonder what they think and do while we pay then a visit. No doubt they curse us and wonder on whose door step a calling card might fall. To think back three years ago, when our Coastal Cities were in danger and the numerous preparations which were necessary! Having been in the Ground Forces, I believe that I can picture the situation both ways. Yes, Nippon is drawing his just reward for the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. I am very glad that I saw the bullet holes on the barracks of Hickam Field (Honolulu) from the Jap strafers before I got here.

On our return, we were given a warm reception by our fellows. Before questioning, the medics spared us a good straight shot of whiskey. What a boost at a critical time! Afterwards, they fed us with all the fresh fried eggs we wanted. And then to bed. And what a good "sack" it proved to be. A feather bed or inner spring mattress never felt as good in days gone by!

Last night, I tried my radio. A couple of queer things resulted. First, at about 1200kc, about 9:15 PM here, I got some 'farmer's "get-up" in the morning' program. At the station break, it was KRLD, Dallas, Texas. It was 6:15 AM, and the announcer was giving farm briefs and hill billy music. I switch over and, low and behold, KNX, Los Angeles was picked up. How can you explain that? Do you suppose that we are in a "skip" area where the "Heavyside" layer gave us just the right conditions. It baffled me! Second, the reception of the OWI station here is raspy and sounds like some filter is not functioning. We can understand what they say but the quality of tone is bad. I am wondering if the voltage or cycles variation in our local "line " might cause that trouble. Yet the U.S. stations sound much better. I do not understand at all the trouble.

Mail has been scarce around here for the past three days. Hope that the jam breaks up today and a slug of it comes in. I know that Jane writes daily so when one does not arrive, there must be delays enroute. Then, three of four will come in at once.

I am taking it easy this morning. Had a specialized critique early this morning and a general critique this afternoon. Meantime, I am catching up on my correspondence.

Please forward this letter to Mother and Dad. I am going to write them, but it will not be in as much detail. Also let me know if the censors object to anything. According to Wing Orders, issued Feb. 19th I have said nothing objectionable. So let me know if the censors differ.

Write often. Your brother,

Somewhere in the Marianas Saturday, March 10, 1945

Dear Mother & Dad and Charles & Martha,

This letter is a joint one as I do not have time to write separate letters. So please forward it on to Birmingham after it has been read in Natchez.

The big news here at the moment is what you are now reading in your morning paper. Tokyo is in flames! That is no propaganda. I know it is afire because I saw it. It was a scene which I will never forget. If God's promises for "fire and brimstone" are any worse, one should certainly take heed to avoid any chance of experiencing it. Our ship was among the first to reach the target. But the job was already begun. I was much too busy to "sight see" until we were safely beyond the coastline on the way home. At that time I went back and watched the affair as the main strength hit the target. What a holocaust! Fires here -- fires there. More popping up everywhere.

Nor were the Japs quiet. Searchlights, flack , and what not were in action. It was like a thousand "4th of July" celebrations rolled into one. We had been briefed as to what to expect, but I must admit that the scene came to me as a shock. It was America's might at it's peak! The Japs are reaping a thousand fold from the seeds they sowed at Pearl Harbor.

I am not ashamed to admit I prayed. We prayed plenty and I am sure that our prayers were not alone. This game is risky! But He controls it all. We now give thanks that our crew came home without a scratch! There was not a flak hole in the ship. True, a searchlight once picked us up, but it was only for a few seconds and there was no after effects.

Simmons and Chris did a wonderful job handling the ship. Bishop, our bombardier, laid our "eggs" right in the heart of the city. And Turkisher, our engineer, kept those four fans turning when we needed them most. What wonderful engines they are!

The same goes for the entire crew. We all had a job to do, and we did it. And we can't forget the ground crew. All night previous to our take off, they worked to have that baby in perfect shape. And it performed admirably.

As I write, a news broadcast from San Francisco tells of the results of this raid. It was tremendous! But I can't help but think of the death and destruction which was created in order to teach a nation that they cannot violate our nation without suffering the consequences. Many innocent suffer. Again I am thankful that we as a people can never be accused of starting this war. But along with that, I am glad that we were able to absorb the Nip's blows and come back with punches to him and his cities from which he cannot recover.

America is a great country. We are blessed with so much that we often take too much for granted. Out here we are learning what the price is to maintain those ideals on which our country is based. It is not a cheap one. If He permits us to return safely, I am sure that I will be able to lead a better and more useful life. Things which were once vague are now quite clear. It is my earnest wish that we will never be forced to fight another war after this one is completed.

Such a strike as that last night carries its price. Censorship absolutely prohibits us from discussing our losses. But I assure you that the Tokyo reports as to our planes lost are absurd. However, from the other angle, it was not a breeze. We have empty bunks tonight. And that hurts. We are hoping that those fellows are safe somewhere. If not I hope that they were ready to meet their Maker.

By now, we are considered on the FIRST TEAM around here. We will get assignments from time to time. May all of our missions be as successful as the first two. It seems we got into a theater where there will be plenty of action. There is a terrific job to be done. The sooner it is completed, the sooner we get home to live like any ordinary, self respecting civilian. May that day soon arrive!

Your letters are certainly welcomed. And all of you have been mighty good about writing. Mother, your letter of March 1st arrived today, being in transit only eight days. The incoming mail is not censored. However, my mail is censored above my own signature censorship. When I start a letter such as this, I lay the sheet of regulations in front of me accordingly.

Jane is doing a swell job of writing. She keeps me well informed as to how she and Ted are doing. We are certainly blessed to have a son as is Ted. And I am so glad that she has him while I am away. After all, he is a part of both of us.

It is late now. And there is much work to be done tomorrow. Everyday has its problems. May we overcome them all.

I think of you often and look forward to that day when we can be together again.

Monday, March 12, 1945

Dear Martha & Charles and Mother & Dad,

Again I write a joint letter as I do not have the time for separate letters. We are busy -- so busy that we seem hardly to have time except to fly, eat, and sleep. The radio is telling you what we have been doing. First it was Tokyo -- next it was Nagoya. You know what we carried and at what altitude it was carried. Daring -- yes, smart tactics the commentators say. But I must not discuss that angle less I tangle with some scrupulous censor.

Last night our plane led the entire show. The responsibility lay mighty heavy on all of us -- we were carrying our C.O. (Lt. Col.) and had to do a perfect job or else. I assure you that the Japs had quite a reception awaiting us!. Our chaplain advised us to pray when we could not do anything more -- that God would help us. And we prayed and He literally snatched us out of danger. At one time, I thought our chances were nil. Yet, we came out of the area without a scratch to our crew. There can be no explanation except that the Almighty reached down to help us. As we were leaving the coastline I looked back to see more planes arrive. Sodom and Gormarro must have been about as bad. I glanced at my watch. Though it was 0200 AM here, it was 11:00 AM Sunday at home. You, Mother & Dad, were in church. Surely your prayers had helped us out of that jam.

Today, we were interviewed by Norman Page, Blue Network and TIME Magazine. He took the facts from several of us and should be interesting to you. If you miss it, write the network for a copy. I made the above statements about Mother and Dad at church got us out of those flak bursts. He made a note of that.

That made our third raid in eight days. That is rushing things a bit. For almost four years I had seen no combat. But now it is coming fast. I never dreamed that I would have a small part in such an effort. We do not glory in it. I look upon it as a regrettable necessity. I want to look upon it as a means to bringing an end to this war sooner and thus saving lives on both sides though it means lives expended now. But win we must! We must teach those little Japs that they can't sneak attack on us and get away with it. I only hope that we are so blessed that we be spared to see the post war world.

They speak of decorations and citations around here. Maybe so. No doubt, they are deserved. But I don't get excited about that. They can keep all their ribbons and medals so far as I am concerned . All I want to do is to do my job and come home. To heck with this hero stuff.

They tell us that we might have to rename "Joe's Junk". We might copy the Navy idea and name our planes for American cities. Don't know what ours will be -- probably be either for Dallas or Kansas City. They must be planning some publicity stuff and War Bond propaganda. But to us we are still "Joe's Junk".

Since we were the first plane to land today after returning, they took our picture beside the plane. They included both the flying and ground crews. We all work together to accomplish our purpose. They tell us that we will each receive a copy which I will forward to you.

How time flies. Only one month ago, we were in the States. And look what has happened in one short month! May the months to come pass quickly and bring us safely back home.

I am tired tonight. Those four hours sleep today didn't bring me back to normal. And I want to get off another letter.

Good-bye for now. I love you and hope to be back with you before too long.

Wednesday, March 14, 1945

Dear Folks,

Another joint letter. I can write more often that way. Another day is passed and again we have been to the Japanese mainland. Before we were able to get back to our base, we heard a news commentator on the radio describe the raid on the San Francisco station. So it is no secret that the target was OSAKA, if you read your papers you know the total tonnage and type of bombs. As we were among the last ships in the target area, I assure you that the city was burning merrily, The Japs are receiving compensation for their many unscrupulous deeds in the past.

Dad, your son never dreamed that he would become a small part in this Pacific war so quickly. That was our fourth raid in eleven days. And remember the mileage and time necessary for each round trip. I will welcome a rest when ever it comes. I know I am losing weight. My appetite is off. My sleep is restless. I don't want to make it sound bad, but this life tires one quickly.

But I do have a certain sense of satisfaction. It is simply that I have already done a part in bringing this war to a conclusion. Naturally, the sooner that happens the happier all of us will be. I suppose every crew dreads the possibility of misfortune on its original mission or two. So do we. But we are over that hump. May we always stay on top! And we gladly give God Almighty credit, for without His help things might have been different.

I enjoyed you letters of March 4th . All of you have been swell abut writing. Please keep it up as we need letters from home! I hope Bob writes me when he has a chance. I wonder if he ever received my letter from here. Tell him for me to stay where it is safe as long as he can. It may get dull where he is at times. But he is sure of surviving this war. And that is important. One gets a "fill" of this excitement mighty quickly. I have no desire to be a hero. All I want to do is perform my job to the best of my ability and come home safely. I hope you are reading Ernie Pyle's newspaper columns. Jane is sending them to me. They give an excellent picture of the situation out here without worrying about censorship on our letters if we were to try to write it.

I appreciate you sending the box with mirror, soap chips, etc. It is mighty nice of you to send them. They'll get here in about six weeks by boat. Our needs are so basic and simple around here. But the life might grow monotonous as time goes by. We'll take care of that later as now we live only from day to day. Why should one plan any further in advance!

Jane is certainly swell about writing. She has quite a job taking care of Ted. I am most thankful that she is the Mother of our child. She says that Ted is growing so rapidly. He'll be a big boy when I see him again.

Why don't you put Uncle Luther on my letters "circulation list". I wrote him once but do not have time to write many individual letters. I am awfully tired tonight and must get some rest.

By the way, have you heard from Sam and Katherine lately? I am wondering how they are doing. I also wrote Jane about them so maybe among you, you can get some news of them.

Best of luck to all of you,

Saturday, March 17, 1945

Dear Folks,

For us, it has been work, work, work. There are here no hour limitations or union rules. Last night we went to Kobe, the Japanese principal seaport. Today, the radio tells us that it is in ruins. You have read the papers and listened to the commentators. You know as much about it as we do -- almost. It was our fifth mission in thirteen days -- Tokyo twice, Nagoya, Kobe & Osaka. Last night we were again a "pathfinder" plane. That is, light the original fires. It is a ticklish job that we do not exactly relish. For some reason, one feels safer when one has lots of company. I can mention that the Jap opposition was a bit more and that we were attacked by our first interceptor. Fortunately, we returned safely without a scratch to a single crew member. God is certainly good to us. And we don't hesitate to give Him credit for that.

I am enclosing a small souvenir -- a pin from one of our bombs, later dropped on Kobe. These pins keep a bomb "SAFE" until the time to be otherwise. Naturally it is important until removed from the bomb and then it of no further value. Dad, you might show it to your Rotarian friends. They might be interested.

I have been listening to San Francisco via short wave to commentators. Everyone seems excited about these raids and about the capture of Iwo Jima. All I can say is that we hope that the war is being shortened by these moves. I don't believe our efforts are in vain. We do think that they are carrying our particular crew pretty fast. It stretches us to the limit of physical endurance. Each time when we return, we hope for a rest. But then we would learn of a new job. So the job had to be done. I have no desire to be a "hero" type. We merely do what is assigned to us. But as far as I am concerned, I am willing, when permitted, to rest up and regain some of the weight I have lost.

Mail delivery here has been bad the past several days. No letters for Yours Truly,. How one misses them! I know that Jane is writing daily and others of you are writing often. When nothing arrives, I know that it is being blocked enroute. Maybe tomorrow will bring several to make up for the days missed.

Several days ago, I received a much appreciated letter from Orrick Metcalfe. He tells me that Beverly Hale's husband had been killed it Europe. That is a shame. And he was a West Pointer -- Lt. Col. -- in the infantry, wasn't it? This game of war is not safe regardless of rank if you are within gun range of the enemy. Have you ever heard any more about Bill Hale's whereabouts?

I have been writing you frequently these days because things are actually occurring so quickly. So it has been best to write it to you before something else happens and clouds the original topic. Some one is keeping these letters I do hope.

Our first month is almost over. Yes, we will have been here four weeks next Monday. And we can hardly realize that so much has happened. We knew we were joining the FIRST TEAM, but did not understand just what that meant. Now we do. The Almighty has been good to us -- answered our prayers. May He so continue.

I think of you all so much. One is so lucky to have such a fine family to back him up in all that he does. As ever,

In the Marianas Sunday Night March 18,1945.

Dear Charles,

What a week this one has been! It has been one of hard work, long hours, and risks. But today was the Sabbath, a day of rest for our crew. And a glorious day it was. A fitting climax it was to the most intensive week of my life. May I go back and summarize a bit, even though it may be a bit of repetition of my previous letters.

Just a week ago, at this moment, we were in the sky enroute to Nagoya. We had two missions to our credit, both on the capital city of Tokyo. Our destination was then Nagoya. It was to be our first pathfinder job. We had our C.O. aboard to observe. The Japs were ready for us and gave us a reception we'll never forget. For six minutes we were in the "cone" of their searchlights while their AA had a perfect target. By American standards, we were a "lost" ship. By the Grace of God, we were spared! Our bombs were well placed for which we were commended though the total area destroyed was not as great as had been hoped. Two days later again we headed north. This time it was Osaka. We were the third to the last ship to leave the Base. We were a bit nervous after the previous raid. We prayed for clouds. And He answered those prayers. Over the target, they searched for us with their lights but to no success. The city was ablaze when we reached the target. The heat was so intense that the clouds immediately above the target at our altitude had been "burned off". We added our bit and came home with no particular excitement. Three days later, "Joe's Junk" again turned towards the Big Dipper. This time the target was the city of Kobe, a principal seaport. Again, our job was pathfinding. Someday, maybe I can tell you more about what that job means. It has many advantages but also many disadvantages. Remember one feels that there is "Safety in Numbers". Again, a reception committee was on hand. Even a fighter pilot was there to add his bit. But he was a poor marksman. So we are here to tell the story. The radio can tell you the results of each raid. Please note that the areas destroyed are measured in square miles of the most concentrated industrial limits of the Japanese Empire. We feel that we have done something that will actually shorten this bloody war. As far as I am concerned, that is what I want to accomplish. I hate to see the death and destruction, but we well realize that it is necessary to bring about the peace which we want. We realize that our efforts are saving American lives that would otherwise be lost to bring about a Jap defeat. Iwo Jima is an example of the cost of ground fighting where the Jap is well supplied. We are reducing their ability to supply their ground forces. We are told that some American editors are screaming about the bombing of the Jap cities. It sounds like some of the same who said that, in 1940-41, we should isolate ourselves as we were immune from foreign attack! Let them remember the hundreds lost at Pearl Harbor and the thousands lost at Iwo! This is total war!

They tell us that decorations are to come soon. We have been generously commended by our high ranking officers. Every one seems pleased. But we were sent here to do a job. That is all that we have done! Everyone, both the flying personnel and ground crews, have worked hard. They deserve credit.

Today was our day of rest. To begin it, all of our officers of "Joe's Junk" went to church services. We truly had something for which to be thankful. We owe Him much. Yes, we bowed our heads in all sincerity. After lunch, five of us headed to the other end of the island. We hitch hiked, as it seems that only certain ground officers and certain enlisted men can rate transportation for "personal use". Of course, that makes the Combat Crews feel just "swell"! Our term for the these ground officers is "Gravel Crunchers". At times, they become a bit obnoxious. But we were fortunate in getting rides. First, we went down to a beach where the Marines hit the island. There we spent a couple of hours rummaging thru burned out Jap and American tanks. Each one sat there silently, mute evidence to a story that is behind it. We examined Jap guns, caves, and equipment and just imagined why it was as it was. We picked up souvenirs and wandered about. A little native boy came up and I started taking to him. The conversation ran about like this -----

Q. Can you speak English?

A. Yes sir.

Q. What is your name?

A. In your language -- Edward.

Q. How old are you ?

A. Eleven years old.

Q. Do you go to school?

A. Yes.

Q. What do you study in school?

A. Reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Q. How did the Japs treat you?

A. They slapped me.

Q. Why did they slap you?

A. Because I wouldn't go to their school.

Q. Why didn't you go to their school?

A. My mother would not let me.

Q. I see you wear a crucifix. Do you go to church?

A. Yes sir.

Q. Did you go to church while the Japs were here?

A. Yes sir. (Evidently the Catholics were allowed to continue services but all sermons

were Jap censored.)

Q. Can you speak any Japanese?

no answer. Question was repeated.

A. My mother does not want me to speak anything in Japanese.

Q. What are you doing down here this afternoon?

He held out a bucket of shells.

A. I am picking up shells for my Mother to sell.

He was a cute kid -- very friendly. He spoke good English, in a quiet manner.

Next we went up to an Officer's Club at one of the higher units. We were told that we were not allowed to enter. A membership card was necessary and we were not eligible for same. That hurts a Combat Crew!

We went to another Officer's Club. This time we were allowed to enter, but were told in a nice way not to come back again. But today we were interested only in the present. We were allowed two bourbon and cokes and a meal. It was lovely! After one drink, we sat down to a meal that we'll long remember. We started out with corn on the cob, steak, potatoes, Coca-Cola, ice water, bread, and butter. Afterwards came ice cream and cake! Then our second drink and the trip home. Again, we "used our thumb". We rode in everything from jeeps, weapons carriers, to water trucks. But we got home. Yes, it was a great day to end a great week. We were happy about the whole affair.

March 19, 1945 Monday Morning

They cut the lights on me last night so I had to stop.

On rereading this letter, it seems that I have been selfish, discussing only things over here. Forgive me this time, please. Your letter tells me of a bang up job you are doing. I got quite a kick out of the mining story. Never did I realize that you would become so involved in a coal mine affair. But you produced results -- and that is what they want. It seems that your mine situation is truly unique -- the miners are satisfied, the union is content, and the company gets more production with fewer employees! Unique -- hell, a miracle!

And all the work you are doing around the house. The place will look like new, won't it? But like a good pair of shoes, it is more comfortable being "well broken in".

I received Martha's V-Mail letter, but she forgot to date it. So I can't tell how long it took to arrive. However, we advise not to use V-Mail -- the letters are always short, seem impersonal, and usually take longer to arrive. The Gov't may advise using it, but we say use Air Mail! Nevertheless, Martha, it was appreciated.

We are sweating it out this morning about "Joe's Junk". She went on a trip last night for the first time without us aboard. They are on the way home now, I hope! The crew with which we share our Quonset Hut has it now. A good bunch of boys!

I have rambled on and on. I hope that the censors see fit to leave it as it is. I do not think I have disclosed anything that hasn't been broadcast over and over again. They even discuss altitudes, tactics, etc., which is TABU for us. But always let me know when my letters have anything deleted.

Your brother,

"Somewhere in the Marianas" Sunday, March 23, 1945,

Dear Family,

I guess I can be accused of "cheating" a bit with this letter as I am going to use it to answer four letters which I have received from you and each of which I enjoyed to the utmost. Yes, all four of you, Charles, Sister, Mother & Dad wrote on the 15th & 16th; thus the letters arrived together giving me an equivalent of a little family gathering. You can not imagine just what that means to a fellow out here under our conditions. Due to a shortage of time (and stationery), I am going to write one long letter and trust that you pass it around pronto.

For a bit of news as to my doings that may interest you. We now have raid # 6 under our belts. Last night, we again went to Nagoya, and, enroute home this morning, listened to a radio broadcast (while in the air) from San Francisco giving all the gory details as to the raid. We always listen for that broadcast, because once the news is broadcast, we can tell of it in our letters. We again went up as "pathfinders", i.e., in the lead of the show. Thanks to the numerous ships over the target, the Japs never singled ours out for attack. A stray piece of flak did knock a hole in the plane's skin, but was of relatively little damage. It was an answer to our prayers, for we well remember our first visit to that city. May that never be repeated!

Sister, your remarks about the invulnerability of a B-29 were interesting. It is a great ship; we are "sold" on it; and are willing to gamble our lives in it. But don't think they are invincible. Some or our best friends have been lost, but I hasten to add that our losses have been very, very light considering our raids. A direct flak burst or a heavy fighter attack can easily prove fatal. It is amazing how some crippled ones hobble home. One's heart goes out to a plane radioing his troubles, but there is so little that can be done. Yet everything possible is done. Ernie Pyle best described that in one of his articles several weeks ago.

I wonder if many of you realize in terms of Western Hemisphere Geography, what the raids mean. We in the Marianas are equivalent to Central America -- Nicaragua and Guatemala. Thus imagine leaving a base in that area, flying north over the western tip of Cuba (equivalent to passing over Iwo Jima here) on to New Orleans, and then bombing areas of Memphis only to make the return trip to Central America. Maybe that will better help you understand what distances out here mean. And remember all of that distance here is WATER! Charles, your comments about Iwo were well put. We thank God that it is now in American hands. It was costly, but it daily saves lives. No, Mother, Iwo Jima is not in the South Pacific, rather in the North Pacific -- lying about as far north as Key West, Florida. It is a worthless piece of volcanic ash, shaped like a pork chop. From a military standpoint, its value is tremendous.

After we landed this morning, I finished my interrogations in time to go to chapel services. (I even forwent the usual whiskey ration.) Though I was tired, sleepy, and unshaven, I enjoyed the service. The Chaplain (a Methodist) is excellent . His sermon this morning was on Palm Sunday parade in Jerusalem with Christ's entry into the city. Next Sunday, it will be a Special Easter service. He has ideas with which I fully agree. One of which is that force, important though it be, will not rule the world alone. They keep telling us that our work is abnormal, that through our efforts a better world will be evolved, etc. We certainly hope so.

Last night, we witnessed a scene that I will long remember as we were headed north. The sun was setting in the west and was coloring a layer of stratus clouds above us a brilliant red and orange. Beneath us was a solid layer of cumulus clouds resembling a huge cotton field. To our left, towards the sun, and high above, another of our planes was silhouetted against that background, flying steadily northward as were we. All was calm and peaceful then. But what a potential "Hell" was inside each aircraft. Yes, we must evolve x some method to prevent such a war as this ever being repeated. The world civilization can't again stand such a strain!

Sis, you asked about those Red Cross kits, and their use. Yes, we were each issued one just before leaving the States. In addition to the sewing kit, there were a deck of cards, pack of cigarettes, bar of candy, writing paper, etc. Yes, it was appreciated and has been of much use. Out here, we do our own "tailoring" as well as a major portion of our laundry. All items that can be so used are very important.

Seemingly you all heard of the much mentioned news broadcast by Norman Page, but no one actually heard it. Well neither did we! We tried but failed to get it. I hope that some one has written the Blue Network as I suggested and got a copy of the manuscript. I'm curious myself.

I appreciate your folks' kind offers to send things. Actually, I hardly know what to say after sending such a long list of things in one of my first letters. One thing I want badly is a subscription to the Pony Edition of TIME that will come Air Mail. I have written the magazine but have heard nothing. Charles, how about writing them for me again. Price is immaterial; a new copy of TIME would be worth a dollar -- five dollars, a copy out here -- where we get nothing but editions months old. If you can get together some small boxes of reading material; writing stationery, etc., it would help as there is a helluva shortage of each!

Charles the radio has been good company, but does play tricks on us. These metal huts seem to cause interference in the clarity of reception. Seems the hut grounds out the set easily. We thought it to be bad filters at first. Then we found it to be in the aerial being grounded by touching the wall. I have picked up Radio Moscow, Radio Tokyo, Shanghai, Philippines, London, Australia, and of course our dear friends, San Francisco. One S.F. station beamed on the Philippines comes in like a ton of brick. We get most of our news from them. We laughed at Radio Tokyo's commentary on why Iwo was lost. The announcer took pains in speaking but stumbled badly in his English. What idiotic excuses he gave. Of course, he went on with his promises of more and more fierce resistance as we approach the Japanese Homeland. They also said there was an acute shortage of firemen and fire fighting equipment in Japanese cities. I wonder why!

Charles, I seal all of my letters before mailing. If they are not cut open and marked censored, they have not been further censored. Seems as though they are censoring about one out of four letters. All officers first sign as censoring their own letters. Any further censoring is done at Island Command.

I hope that my letters have reached you concerning the first five raids. If you will send us news clipping of activities here, we'd appreciate it as we are curious as to what is being printed in the newspapers. Of course, we are interested in articles from here, but also about other things in general.

Gosh, how I have rambled. I hope you are still with me. Your kind remarks and words of encouragement are appreciated. We know that the folks back home are with us. That means everything. But please do not let them build up "hero" stuff. No thanks, we are just a bunch of guys with a job to do. We don't know how long we must stay here or how many missions will be required So we just keep going, God permitting, doing our best.

Do all of you write often. How your letters are appreciated. Your,

Monday Morning March 26, 1945

Dear Charles,

I mailed to you yesterday a "Family Circulation" letter. Now for a letter more specifically to you. First about the radio. It is a God send. Its value cannot be measured in dollars and cents. A $100 bill would not buy it! We have been plagued with horrible hum in its reception. We tried an outside aerial, tested filters, and Lt. DeFrates, an ex-radio mechanic who lives in the hut with us, tinkered and tinkered. He adjusted the generators giving us our electricity. Finally, he found nothing wrong in the set but it was in this metal hut. In the wooden mess hall it played perfectly. With more tinkering, it would be found that the hum disappeared when the set chassis was grounded. The outside aerial does not help materially. So now we have a ground wire running out the window to a buried metal strip. The music is clear as a bell. And the short wave from the States comes in like a ton of brick! There is an OWI station in the Islands, stronger than WLW, beamed on Japan. They play records by the tons. But they are good. They too, tie into the Pacific Ocean Network, i.e., San Francisco for news broadcasts. Therefore, we can get S.F. direct on four stations and one station rebroadcast.

Now for something we need our here. Seems like I am always begging or asking. There is an acute shortage of writing materials -- namely, paper. Will you go to some stationer or paper company and get a ream of the best quality light weight paper available. I have in mind a weight just above that onion skin but tough -- maybe Hammermill Bond -- regular 7x11. Business letter size is OK. Envelopes are needed but would probably be stuck up by the time they got here by boat due to the humidity. We can get stamped envelopes from the P.O. boys here. I am bumming second grade G.I. onion skin stuff from the supply but the ink runs badly and is hard to write upon it. If I could put in a standing order of a ream of good stuff every 60 days, it would be wonderful. Another thing, I don't mean to be a deadbeat on you, always asking. Please keep a record of what you spend on me and let me repay you someday. I am dead serious. A rumor has it that boxes up to 11 lbs. can be shipped our here. Please check with your P.O. officials to see if it is true. Our needs are few but surprising how a few ordinary things can become so important.

Charles, it is surprising how we live only from day to day. I wonder now what will be the situation when the paper asked for arrives in June! To think ahead that far seems almost into infinity. It seems that we have been here forever. Our memories of home and the States are already becoming blurred. All that matters here is that we accomplish our assignments and that we come back safely. We get scared every time we go down a bomb run. Any man who denies it is a damn liar or is a fool. I have talked to many who deny it at first and then will admit it. There is so little one can do but just keep working at his job and have Faith. In my case, my throat gets dry -- worse than a desert. That flak suit is heavy and troublesome until one is over the target. Then it feels better than a new Hart Schaffer & Marx suit would and about as light in weight. One of the fellows in another plane has had flak bounce off his back and lived to laugh it off.

We listen to world news intently. We glory in every victory of the Marines and the Navy. We are all on the same team. When Nimitz announced the Navy knocked out 700 Jap fighters, we knew that those were 700 fighters that wouldn't get on our tail. When the Marines took Iwo, it was like someone throwing out a life preserver in case we are in trouble sometime. Yes, then when we destroy factories and plants in their cities that means they have fewer supplies to fight all of us. Yes, though we get a bit peeved when the Navy boys get better food and more supplies (personal items) than we do we hold no enmity. We are all here to accomplish one job alone. We can do it better together than scrapping among ourselves. If only the labor unions and workers at home could appreciate what that means! But they don't have that flak whistling around their ears and they can go home to their families at night, wear clean clothes, and do much as they want to do. Yes, half the world doesn't know how the other half lives!

Have I mentioned that all ground officers are required to ride on our missions. True, we lost one but they better appreciate what the combat crews must go through. The Colonel has something in that rule! Of course, we call it "hauling deadwood" and they do get in the way at times. But it is working out as a good thing.

Rumors have it that Germany is surrendering today. But no confirmation. We are, at this moment listening to a news broadcast and they say nothing of it. So we spike the rumor and hope that Germany falls in a few weeks. The beating that country is taking is colossal. They deserve every bit of it. What a mess their cities will be when they finally decide to throw in the towel. We will certainly welcome those European air forces when they are transferred over here. We are not jealous of them -- there is plenty of work here for us all. It amazes me how we drop thousands of tons on a target and go back, and back and back! We refer you to the newspaper for specific instances!

We are resting today. "J.J." is getting a working over to be ready when the calls comes again. A stray piece of flak hit us the other night and knocked a "fist size" hole in her skin. We didn't know about it until day light. Listen, I know you have never been a religious type of fellow -- but believe me there is a GOD ABOVE who looks over us. Contrary to what any "professor may say, His is the most important ONE in this game. Too much cannot be explained except that it is GOD's WILL. I will never hesitate to bluntly state my Faith in Him. This game is teaching me much and that heads the list!

But here I have gone to rambling again. That is a signal that I had better sign off. I have tried to keep you folks informed as to what I was doing -- yet not disclose any "secrets". When it is all over, I want to have a long talk and fill in between the lines. You'll be most interested I am sure.

Best regards to all the family. Hope we can all be together again before too long. A million thanks for all you favors and kindnesses. Your brother,

Wednesday Afternoon March 28, 1945

Dear Folks,

Your letters which were waiting for us last night upon our return were truly appreciated. And Dad, that one sheet from Time made a real hit. We have been trying to get some edition mailed to us. But as yet, no luck. Sometimes we can get old copies from the Navy -- but they are 3 to 4 weeks old. Your clipping gave me an idea. Will you buy an extra copy and clip all the pages on WORLD BATTLE FRONTS, U.S. at WAR, and other items of interest that can be crammed into an envelope. In that way, we'll get it in a week. Our entire hut has read every word of that single sheet. Surprising how a little thing can mean so much. Except for radio broadcasts we do not know what the rest of the world's doing.

The article on "Firebird's Flight" was amazingly accurate. I had wanted to tell you our altitude and details but could not. They printed it for you. I assure you that going over the enemy's capital at only a mile of altitude was SOMETHING! I'll never forget that. We couldn't miss the target. And how it did burn! There was only one misstatement -- our losses. Why do they lie to the American public like that? Let 'em know the truth! Our Group alone had more losses than the article credited for the whole effort. At that, it was cheap price -- except to those who lost loved ones.

But those raids seem so long ago. Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe! Actually, it has been only a couple of weeks. As you have read or heard, we have been varying our work. We went back to Nagoya, but this time it was after an aircraft factory -- at night.

Then, yesterday, we got our first daylight raid. Since we have heard it described from San Francisco, I guess I can discuss it slightly. We went from here up to a little town of which I had never heard before. But they had an aircraft factory. That aircraft factory meant planes to fight us. Now they have no aircraft factory. Sound simple? No, not quite like that. It was in the little city of OMURA, north of Nagasaki, on the island of Kyushu. I got my first good look at the Jap mainland as the clouds broke and there it lay before us. Though it was as it had been previously described, it came as a shock to see so much mountainous, barren land. They have many rivers, bays, seas, etc. , but the cities are along the coast, usually where a river meets the ocean. There it was -- pretty in one sense. But baffling how a little nation with that type of homeland had the audacity to challenge a power such as the United States! Yes, they knew we were coming. No surprise this time. And we waited for something to happen. It did! Flak -- black puffs -- came up from a city which was near our path. We continued on our way. Fighters were seen coming up. A city ahead began pumping up flak. our ship, having been Deputy Lead, moved into #1 position as the Leader faltered. We detoured around the second city and headed for the target. More fighters! More flak! We were on the bomb run. Nothing could be done. Occasional machine gun bursts discouraged the fighters from closing in. Bombs away! Flak was getting closer. Our wing was cutting through the black smoke that hung momentarily in mid-air. We were over water. Flak decreased. An new type Jap fighter was coming up to greet us. As he turned in to make a head-on attack, a shower of steel met him. The tracers were easily seen . He became discouraged quickly, never closing for the attack.

We headed for home -- still as far as from Winnepeg, Canada to New Orleans, La. That meant hours of work for me. We did have one bright spot. I got my first glimpse of Iwo in the day light. What a barren piece of real estate! It is what the newspapers call "a volcanic rock". As we looked down upon it, I could not help but say a prayer of thanks to those Marines -- 4000 killed and 15,000 wounded -- that had "bought" that rock. It was a high price for a valuable piece of land. It may save our lives some day as it has already saved so many of our crews. We are definitely moving closer to Japan itself!

We can hardly realize how much has happened so quickly. We have begun to summarize -- in 23 days of March, we have put in 121 hours of "combat time" -- 110 hours in trips to the Jap Main Empire, in 7 missions. Not a crew man had been scratched but the "Junk" has acquired a few holes. We have much for which to be thankful. God had been good to us. We have little spare time -- for the Navigator, one can estimate 1 hour of preparatory and completion reports work for every 2 hours of flying. So add 50% to the above and see what I've been doing in March! We are earning our money over here. There is no "overtime" over here. I have been losing weight -- 8# to be exact. But if the food quality will get a bit better, I hope to stop the losing and gain a bit.

All of you have been swell about writing. How we haunt that mailman. When letters come, all's right with the world. I got a nice letter form Uncle Luther today. Please be sure and send him my letters while they circulate about the family. I would rather write one long descriptive letter to all of you than try to write each of you short individual ones. And let Charles finally file these letters. Ten years from now I'd like to reread them. I keep a diary, but I can't go into some things in it because the pages are small.

Mother what did you mean by Miniature TIME? It is the PONY Edition. If you can send it AIRMAIL by all means send it. I have tried to get it -- by writing their offices and then have asked Charles to try and arrange it. Don't duplicate but some-one please try to get us copies.

Thanks to all of you for your favors. You are most generous. Everything is appreciated. We are just so far away from everything that we are helpless to help ourselves.

Dad, Ernie Pyle worded it nicely that the B-29 would not alone defeat Japan. She is a long way from being whipped. Our raids are hurting her -- sure. But it will take the Infantry man -- the man on the ground with a gun to bring Final Victory. And they fight fanatically. They die fighting. No, this war has some time yet to run. May God be with us as we try to hurry to a normal peaceful life, I won't complain if I fail to gain material successes. No, my ambitions to be a BIG SHOT or tycoon have been deflated. All I want is Peace and a reasonable amount of security. Material possessions and wealth mean so little in the final analysis.

Write often and remember us in your prayers. Your son,

Monday Night April 2, 1945.

Dear Charles & Family,

All of your letters have been appreciated. Yes, the V-Mail letters arrived, but they take from 4 to 7 days longer to get here than regular Air Mail. Really it is not the best to use V-Mail. Your letters of 3/25/45 came yesterday. Charles, your comments were most interesting. Yes, our ideas have been radically changed in these eventful 45 days! It is entirely natural as we are living in a different world. I recall the many petty things about which I formerly worried. No longer are they important. Two major items are constantly in our minds. -- 1) to do well the job assigned to us, and 2) to get back safely. Then there are secondary items of importance -- 1) food, and 2) plenty of "sack" time. Other items such as Mail Call, a package from home, etc., are important but must come after the aforementioned. The usual worries in the States such as 1) money, 2) women, 3) drink, 4)clothes, 5) autos, etc. play no part in our lives our here. As I said before, that is another world.

I have tried, and will continue to do so, to give you a picture of our life out here. We do revert to basic fundamentals in a big way. On second thought, the experiences might prove to be valuable. At least, there are no walk-outs, strikes, overtime pay, wage & hour laws, grumbling due to shortages of luxury items, etc. No, we are very much back to earth!

We don't like to think of our work except from a technical nature. For instance, time and time again we hit and completely destroyed areas by the square mile where the population density ranges from 60,000 to 100,000 per sq. mi. To accomplish our mission, thousands of them must have been killed. If we let our minds dwell on that angle, we would soon go nerts. We let the statisticians figure out the value of this and that. A target remains a target -- an impersonal object to us though they do tell us how it plays a part of the Jap war effort against us.

The Navy had hit in the Ryukus Islands. You probably know more of the details than do we. But we listen for radio reports and are following the action closely. Of course, as you may well understand, it came as no surprise to us. Nor did it surprise the Japs, I think. But there was not much which they could do about it. But that battle is going to be a hard one, I think.

In our hut bull sessions, we have brought up several questions. We assume that there must be some smart leaders in Japan. They must see the handwriting on the wall for their country. They see what had happened in and to Germany. Our raids over their cities, the Navy task forces in their bays, and their island fortresses falling like shambles, what can they expect but ultimate destruction of their homeland. How can they, in their right mind, continue the slaughter? If they want "fire and thunder", brother, they'll get it -- and plenty!

When the war in Europe is completed and the Air Power there is moved to these newly acquired islands, brother , Japan will feel this x war as no nation on earth has ever experienced. But the day will come when the Infantry man will teach them additional lessons -- on the ground. No , I do not believe that Japan will ever again be a major power.

We had a wonderful Easter yesterday. First, we all went to church services. And they were excellent though in rough surroundings. After lunch, we "managed" a 2 1/2 T. Truck and took off on a picnic with numerous cans of "acquired" rations. We went down to our beach where the derelict tanks stand as mute evidence to the invasion of the island. As it is near a native village, little kids would be walking along the road. We got to talking to several of the kids. It is most interesting to hear them tell of the Jap occupation. The spokesman for this crowd was 14 years old. The youngest seemed to 4 or 5 years old. They all went to public school and all attended Catholic Church services. One Pedro, volunteered that he had some Jap money when we asked them for some. He went running off and came back with a 10 YEN note. When I tried to pay him for it or give him some extra stuff, he flatly refused saying, "I want to 'Geeve' this to you". We had already given the crowd of them a bunch of candy, cookies, and various cans of stuff. They seem to be most grateful to the Americans for returning to the island.

There has been a bull session going on for two hours; topics have included marriage, babies, missions, and now it is "when we get home next Fall". We live either in the past or the future. I hope we are not too optimistic.

But I must get down to earth and bear with the present. I must get a good night's sleep tonight! There is much work to be done tomorrow. Nothing can fix you up better than a good night's rest nor lack of one to tear you down.

I am mailing to Jane some clippings from a magazine BRIEF published in Hawaii. She is to forward them to x of you. Read them carefully as I am sure they will prove to be interesting.

Your brother,

P.S. KGEX San Francisco is coming in like a ton of bricks just now. It is now 1000 -- Greenwich -- April 2, 1945 or 0500 CWT April 2, 1945.

Tuesday night April 5, 1945

Dear Charles,

This is not a family letter -- it is to you.

Your letter started 3/27/45 and finished 3/29/45 has just arrived. I appreciate more than I can put into works your letters. As in the past, I look upon you in a way stronger than even that of a brother. It is hard to even describe, but I assure you that it is heart felt. For that reason, I like to discuss things with you that won't be mentioned otherwise.

Your have asked several times about my feelings and reactions. Also your questions in general show that you are doing a bit of thinking. The vast majority of people do only "shallow" thinking, tending to pay attention to only the sensational angles. But there is much more!

First, I am one among many who are to be awarded the Air Medal for participating in the four night incendiary raids on Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe and Osaka. There were relatively few crews who made all four raids, as the total elapsed time was only seven days! Considering that the time to prepare, fly and "conclude" a mission is 30 hours, you can see how much time we had between missions to eat and sleep. Many crews made two or three of the four but only a few made all four. Then too, we had the privilege of "pathfinding" two of the four. It is no secret that in one week we hurt Japan more than all the raids on her by twenty-nines up to that time! It was terrific!

But the Air Corps is still the Pilot's Heaven. All the rest of us are mere necessary "baggage". My Airplane Commander, along with several others, are receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross, a much higher award. In their citations it is recorded "for participating in flights ---- involving long over water distances and exceedingly difficult navigation". I don't begrudge Joe Simmons the honor of getting the DFC (he got it once in the European Theater). Heavens, no! But it was the Navigator's responsibility over those Pacific wastes to see that the Plane's position was always on course. The Navigators here feel that we deserved equal recognition. But medals don't mean much. All I want is to come home safely!

The other day, a friend (Navigator) made a mistake. True, it was a mistake that was bad. The brass hats here claimed "bad judgment". But plane and crew came home safely. The Navigator was given PLAIN HELL, severely criticized, and fined $150, under the 104th Article of War. The common saying cropped up "Navigator flys a good mission, pilot gets DFC. Navigator f---s up, he gets fined plenty cash". What do you think happened to the general morale among us?

Your questions were not too involved to answer, I believe. We have no choice in "which" crew goes on certain raids. Operations Office posts a list of crews to "participate in tactical mission #__". At that time, no one knows the target, type of raid except by means of "scuttle-but". In many cases, there are more than one crew flying the same airplane. Consequently, the alternate. However, we are a "LEAD" crew. Therefore we have our own ship exclusively. We consider it to be our own personal property and "baby" it accordingly. In one case, when a maximum effort was called for, we had just come back and were terribly fatigued. With Simmon's agreement, another crew took our plane. They are our hut mates and their A/C flew with Simmons in Europe. So he (Simmons) knew he (Kordus) was a capable commander. Usually we expect three or four days of rest between jobs, but, when conditions are urgent, we may go as often as is humanly possible. As in the case of those fire raids, we had surprised the Japanese and wanted to get as much accomplished in the least elapsed time.

We were the lead ship on the last mission to SHIZUOKA. Timing was a terrific factor and weighed heavily on the Navigator. The predicted winds varied in actuality. That meant that I had to control the speed of the plane to maintain specific ground speeds as well as stay on exactly on course and thus fly no "extra miles."

I was extremely lucky --or maybe I had best say God was my co-navigator". I was given credit for a perfect navigation problem. Bragging? Heavens no! Next time, I may not be so fortunate. But we flew 1350 nautical miles and hit a specific spot on the Jap coast exactly 15 seconds sooner that our required time. And that is a lot of water!! Today I had to turn in a chart showing my track flown, my positions and time (at those positions) enroute. That is to go to Bomber Command. I have been promised a photostatic copy as a souvenir. Do you see what I mean in saying that this is a "Navigator's Theater". No where in the world are flights made under similar conditions. Our group is credited with the best navigation (as a group) in the Marianas. It is nice to have that reputation.

The first few raids my conscience was affected when I thought of fate of the average Japanese below us. No longer do I feel that way. One hardens in this work. To us, each worker in a war factory means more shells or planes to hit us. If they are unfortunate as to be near our targets when we arrive, that is just too bad for them. And many of their "factories" are in the homes, doing piece work. The only way to eliminate them is to blot out that area. Their way of doing things is quite different from that in America.

The surprise to us here is the sorry food that has been given us. The Navy in the same area eats "well" so the food can be had. So help me, if our mess hall were to lose their can openers, we'd starve! Yesterday, after our mission the two meals were so bad we couldn't eat it. Out of about 15 fellows, I found that they have lost between 4 to 12 pounds. They entrust us with a million dollar plane send us out to face Jap gunfire, and yet weaken our strength on the "Food Front". I stirred up the hornet's nest by telling my sad story to the group Navigator who took it up with the Flight Surgeon. Today, I was called in for an interview. Again I repeated my story. Already the Mess Officer has been relieved and they promise a New Deal! We sincerely hope so.

Right now we have a deal "on the fire" that is (To the Censor -- it is not a raid so don't get excited and start clipping) hot. I don't want to get my hopes up yet. We are to learn more about it tomorrow morning and whether our crew will be selected. Therefore, I will not close this letter until we know more. I may be able to tell you some REAL news. But the odds are High against our selection. Therefore we are remaining calm and not letting our hopes run riot.

Saturday Morning April 7, 1945

May I continue. Yesterday brought more than I had anticipated. At the moment, I am confused, so confused that I hardly know what to say. But I do know this -- you must not mention this to any of the family -- including Martha, until something more definite is known.

Roughly, the situation involves being brought back to the states in the very near future, for a short length of time, to do some very specialized work, and then return here. There are two sets of conditions under which one may be selected. But we (our crew) cannot decide whether we are better off (in the long run) as we now are or would be in either of the two above conditions. It gets very involved -- which I cannot explain. But we are a bit superstitious. Changes frighten us. At present we are about 30% completed our tour; if we are selected for this other deal, we may never get through!

But thank goodness, we have no choice in the matter. Yesterday, several crews were "screened". They gave us one helluva written exam, and interviewed twice, etc. I did not ask for either condition nor volunteer for anything. Rather I said I'd do whatever they decided I could best do. My one idea was to get this war over and go home for good! Take me -- leave me -- it was up to them.

It is terrific "bait" to throw at someone here to start talking of going back to the States. But usually an attractive piece of bait has a sharp hook hidden somewhere. Once one is involved in this program, the responsibility will be terrible. Thousands of lives will be effected and monetary values are inestimable. If a success, some "bigshot" will be generously decorated. If not, the little fellow will catch unshirted Hell! And the Finance Dept. does not recognize in the least the additional responsibilities or gray hairs! So I don't know. As I said before, I am glad that I have no choice.

If we did come back, it would be my luck to be stuck in some desert which would be worse than this island. And lots of things could be worse than this island! It is being improved at a remarkable rate.

World events are happening quickly now. Russia renouncing her treaty with Japan. Okinawa falling steadily into American hands. Germany crumbling like a soda cracker. Yes, it all looks good. But there are yet some bitter bloody encounters to go. Our boys are up there right now, and we "pick a fight". But we must go back again and again until our targets are destroyed. That is our game. I suppose that you have now doped it out why we went up to OMURA, on Kyushu, on March 27th. It is all one big encounter, Army, Navy and Air Forces.

Enough for now. I have "beat my gums" and "blown my top" too much already. But I just had to talk to someone back home. Just remember this dope is not to go to any other member of the family -- not even Jane. They wouldn't understand. Your brother,

Friday Night April 13, 1945.

Dear Charles & Family,

Yesterday was quite a day of superlatives for us. Our ninth mission to Japan took place without incident. But maybe you would be a bit interested in what took place. Our target was a chemical plant about 100 miles north of Tokyo at KORIYAMA. We were to hit it in the daylight hours.

Our ship was chosen to lead our Group formation. That put much more responsibility on me as lead navigator as we not only had to stay on the prescribed course but also be at the right place at exactly prescribed times. It is hard enough when your responsibility covers one plane -- so imagine how one feels about a large formation following you. And we had our Group Commanding Officer riding in our Ship as Command Pilot to see that everything went off as directed. Yet, it is quite and experience.

As luck would have it, we had some foul weather enroute. Winds were not as predicted. We were behind schedule at the half way point. We "goosed" up the airspeed. Any distance off course meant just that many more miles to fly and more time consumed. But to make a long story short, we got to the positions at the right time. Enroute home, the Colonel came back in my compartment and complimented me on a very good job. (Please pardon any resemblance to our dear cousin Fritz).

As predicted, the weather cleared at the Jap coast and our bombardier spotted the plant in question. We all feel easier when he gives us the signal that it is definitely identified. But those minutes approaching it seem like years. It is a relief to hear the bomb racks click and the bombs are away. This time we heard sharp explosions which I thought at first were our own turrets firing. Actually, it was the plant exploding thousands of feet below us! They say our bombs truly covered the target. No more Jap planes will refuel with gasoline from that plant!

But something was lacking. Yes, there was no flak nor Jap fighters. We couldn't know when all Hell would break loose. But it never did. Our attack must have caught them absolutely flat footed! To us, it was merely a "milk run". But those smoke columns rising a couple of thousand of feet into the air meant "results -- excellent".

We had taken off hours before dawn. We had watched the sun rise in the east, across the heavens, and set in the west. And we had a couple of hours yet to get back to our base. Yes, the time exceeded eighteen hours. No wage and hour law over here.

Couple of superlatives -- this bombing mission has been accredited to be the longest on record for the Superforts. And I know of no other plane in the world that can be compared with it. We took off with the greatest load (gross), including naturally much bombs and gasoline, in local operations. But Joe Simmons had that crate in the air in just nothing flat. He is a wonderful pilot.

But lets go back to the target. Each time, I look at the Japanese country, how mountainous and infertile the land must be, I wonder at the damn stupidity of their leaders to challenge the might of the United States. Plainly we could see the hills, rivers, and valleys. They are ingenious at building terraces to raise their rice. At certain points, those terraces were so thick they resembled overlapping pancakes.

I wonder what the average Jap farmer thought while working in his field to look up and see our formation approaching. Just a few of our planes make quite a sight. But a large group is truly thrilling -- when they are friendly. But to them, we're enemy. It must make chills run down their spines. None of their concocted propaganda could prevent that. They have quite a few scattered villages -- but their roads seem very narrow and winding. Not at all like our broad concrete highways.

Saturday Morning April 14, 1945.

Sorry I didn't get to finish this letter last night but some guys were gathering for a "session" and I had to quit. There were only a few fellows in camp as most everyone was "on the road to Tokyo". I was actually sorry to miss that show. It must have been another for the history books. As I write this, the planes are coming in -- circling for landings after a weary night's work. Our losses so far have been so light that we may be getting over-confident, but I hope none of our fellows were lost. I did hear of two ships being lost (not in our group) on Thursday's show, one from absolute gross negligence on the navigator's part, another on the pilot's part. The entire crew suffered. That is the way it goes.

I had best close and get dressed. Things will be happening for us again soon, I guess. So we must catch up on odds and ends in between time!

All of your letters are truly appreciated. Keep 'em coming. As ever,

Note: Added in Birmingham

The raid he "missed" -- thank God -- was the tremendous 400 ship raid on Tokyo on 4/14 in which 6 of the B-29's were lost and the Japs used jet propelled suicide fighters. The B-29's were accompanied by P-51 Mustangs from Iwo Jima tho, otherwise our B-29 losses would have been even more. Charles 4/20/45.

Monday afternoon April 16, 1945

Dear Family,

Yesterday just before take off, the mailman truly did right by me. Letters from B'ham, Natchez and Memphis PLUS a wonderful envelope containing the April 9 TIME Pony Edition mailed from Hawaii. Yes, they put me in an excellent frame of mind. It was so good to hear from you, particularly at that instant for we were soon enroute to Tokyo. I am so pleased that some way, somehow I have a TIME subscription coming. You have no idea how valuable and jealously guarded a recent issue of that magazine is here. They cannot be valued in dollars and cents! Since I have been trying to get this subscription started in several ways, I don't know exactly whom to thank. So I just say thanks to you all. Today after I had gotten a few hours sleep, I found the mail man was my friend again. This time they were from Belma, Meridian and Memphis. So I think you are about the nicest family a fellow ever had.

Last night, we went to Japan for our tenth time. As the radio has said, the Greater Tokyo area was hit with those hot burning incendiary bombs. Before I say more, we came through without a scratch -- though we had a new, more harrowing experience -- but some of our best friends were not so fortunate. Our plane was assigned to the Kawasaki area along the Bay. As we were among the last to hit the target, we could see damage which was accumulating on the ground. It was terrific -- you cannot imagine the intensity of the fires set by these bombs. Our narrow escape came not from enemy action but indirectly from our own work. When we were a mile and a half above the target, the heat of the fires on the ground created such up drafts of air that it tossed our plane an additional half mile straight up in about ten seconds though Joe Simmons had it headed straight down on it's nose. Personally I had not fastened my safety belt and was bounced off the roof of the compartment. But I did have on a flak helmet (a metal helmet designed like a football helmet) and it took the shock. All my navigation equipment was scattered all over the floor. But I assure you that those wings are wonderful -- anything less and they would have buckled and collapsed.

The Japanese are evidently quite mad that we continue to hit her cities and destroy her industrial power. They are trying everything imaginable to defend themselves. Tokyo is becoming an area we "respect". We never go there without paying a price. Don't let the newspapers fool you with their glowing descriptions of accomplishments and then minimize our costs. Imagine how fanatically we would defend New York, Washington, Los Angeles or San Francisco. And they are a more fanatically minded people than we!

These raids are peculiar in that the Jap defenses concentrate on a few planes knowing they can't get us all. Last night we were not selected. But several of our best crews were on their list. They will be sorely missed by the rest of us. That is where Faith in God plays a terrific part. At Nagoya on our third raid, we went through their Hail of Hell and lived to tell the story. We know what it means! Again, at Kobe, we experienced it. Yes, though we are not to discuss it now, the Japanese are becoming a desperate people!

Tomorrow has been set aside for Awards and Decorations in our outfit. There were several crews who made all the raids in the "Fire Blitz" early in March. Our crew was one of those. Our Airplane Commanders are to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. The rest of us are to receive the Air Medal for the part we played in what Washington reported to be "the most destructive series of raids in that short a period of time in the history of warfare". Unfortunately two of the crews won't be here to be decorated. May God have mercy on their souls! They gave their lives for a CAUSE!

Charles, I think this paper is fine. Thanks a million. I'll be mighty glad when the package arrives containing the pack of it. Funny how we are so short of such common place items! Yet we have plenty of cigarettes, etc. which are so short in the States.

All of the clippings, papers, etc. which you have sent are enjoyed. I am terribly sorry to hear of the flood waters in the Lower Mississippi. Floods are so devastating. There is only one thing worse -- war in your home land.

Charles, the situation of which I wrote you that had me so confused has had no further developments -- we heard nothing more. So we are pleased just to forget the whole affair. It is just as well.

I am very glad Jane & Ted are going visiting both in Natchez and B'Ham. I know they will enjoy being with you. My mind goes back to 1941 when I first went into the Army. with ideas that I would stay single and assume no "family" responsibilities until Peace returned. You know when and how those ideas were changed. Now as I look back, how thankful I am that those ideas were changed. Only after we were married did the full realization of the real ;meaning of LIVING come to me. Now, as we live here only from one day to the next, I am thankful that I have those memories. We have been superbly happy. Yes, God was good to me when he gave me Jane. Then He further blessed us with Ted. Though I am aware, in the strongest fashion, of the risk that he might lose his Dad, I am still glad we have him for two reasons; (1) he is a part of me who will remain with you regardless of what happens to us out here, and (2) I am proud to have a son to carry on the name of BRASFIELD in the next generation. It makes me even more proud that he bears the name of his grandfather and uncle. Yes, CTBIII is a blessing to us all.

Really, I didn't mean to get in a morbid state of mind. Right now, we are sad and it would reflect in my thoughts and writing. This game is a dead serious one -- the stakes high. As we came so close to disaster ourselves, It brought us safely back to fight another day to hasten that glorious day of Peace when we won't go out to destroy our fellow man.

Tuesday Night April 17, 1945

Dear Charles,

Your letter of April 11th came this morning. I enjoyed it very much, particularly that part concerning your coal mine. Say, you truly got into something on that deal, didn't you. I can see why it fascinates you so much. I was mighty glad to hear that your miners did not walk out on you. that speaks for itself as to how they felt. And that coal breaker will certainly prove valuable, even in that 30 tons a day saved plus the manpower saved. You know, ever since I worked in Orrick's coal yard, I have always been interested in coal mines. How about getting me a trip down in one some day? I'd like to see one "down under".

Say, you are truly keeping a chart on the raids pulled off over here. It is amazing (particularly to the Japs) that so many raids occur so frequently. Our strength here grows daily. To look at our base today and think back only two months ago when we arrived, the difference is almost unbelievable. I never dreamed to see what is absolutely common place now. It is a case of American strength that will finally blast the Japs into the necessary Unconditional Surrender. it must and will end that way.

Lest you have failed to get some of my letters and you wish to bring your charts up to date from March 26th as you mentioned -- these are our raids since that date --

Raid 7. March 27. Omura, Kyushu.

Raid 8. April 3. Shizuoka (Greater Tokyo Area).

Raid 9. April 12. Koriyama

Raid 10. April 15. Kawasaki (Greater Tokyo).

Of course, one crew can not make them all. Our outfit does not necessarily participate in them all. But you have no way of telling whether or not we do x from the newspaper reports. I try to be most diligent in writing as soon as a raid is over so you need not unnecessarily worry.

Today, we were awarded our medals for the Fire Blitz raids last March. Remember we flew four missions from March 9 to March 16th, hitting Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe. For that our Airplane Commanders got the DFC -- the rest of us the Air Medal. General Power made the presentation. it was quite an affair, band, parade, etc. Got my picture made shaking hands with the General. Then our crew was photographed lined up with the medals dangling off the shirts. and lastly we got them to "shoot" us with the "City of Dallas" as a background. I hope that they come out and I can get some copies.

By the way, this publicity hullaboo about the ships named after cities is to be released on April 25th. We refused to send the "stock" letter to the Mayor of Dallas so we wrote our own. It gave more details about the ship and what it has accomplished. If you want some of the news paper clippings that will come out, and surely they will play it up, I'd suggest you contacting their Chamber of Commerce or the Dallas Morning News, or the Times-Herald.

There is to be a "City of Birmingham" which you will hear more about in your papers. Some captain in another squadron (he has an Italian name which I can't remember) is the Plane Commander and hails form Bham. I do not know him. I am curious as to how the cities will take to the whole affair.

Uncle Luther has mailed to me the front page of the Star for several days which was an excellent idea. I got quite a bang out of reading them -- only a week old. How about trying that on some Bham papers -- if it is not too much trouble, Maybe the girls would cut them out and save them. Two or three can come on a 6 cent stamp. Is our younger brother becoming too much trouble? I'm sorry!

Is Jack Yauger out of the Army? How did he do it! Give him my best regards. Your brother,

Lead Crew School Muroc AAF, California Tuesday, April 24, 1945

Dear Charles & Martha,

You have no idea how much I enjoyed talking to you from San Francisco, but I was ashamed to let it drag out so long at your expense. But we were a happy bunch to see that Golden Gate. Maybe I had best back up and tell you how it came about so suddenly. Last Wednesday, we were on schedule to lead the next mission. Joe Simmons went up to Operations and came back smiling. When I asked him the take off time, he said "we are going back to the States tomorrow". We left our base late Thursday, actually took off from Guam Friday morning, had Friday supper at Kwajalein, crossed the international Date Line, had Friday breakfast at Johnson Island, late Friday lunch at Honolulu and landed in S.F. Saturday morning. We were passengers in an ATC Douglas DC-4 (Skymaster), traveling in a plush seat model. Some style, eh. We had many interesting fellow passengers, some of whom were Boeing's technical staff who had been making flight tests in the Marianas, the Filipino delegation to the San Francisco conference, various military personnel from privates to a Brigadier General, and one woman war correspondent photographer.

We left S.F. Late Sunday on an ATC cargo plane and flew to Los Angeles. We spent quite a hectic night there, but that is the subject of another letter -- at a later date. The worst leg of our journey was from L.A. to Muroc. First we got a bus to Lancaster, taking 4 hours to travel 70 miles! After waiting 3 hours, we got transportation from the base to haul us the final 30 miles out in the desert. And brother, we are in the middle of nowhere. Had we been sent here before we went over seas, we would have yelled our heads off in disgust. Now we welcome it with it's good food, clean sheets, and some resemblance to civilization. And to know those damn slant eyes won't be shooting at you about midnight as you pass over the target. And that is a whole lot!

We were not gone quite three months. But in that time we had quite a few experiences. During those ten missions, I learned things that I'd never learn otherwise. I tried to give you some idea of what we did in my letters. But I could not get into any details. Someday I want to tell you more. Our problems and experiences over there are peculiar to that area. I'll never forget as long as I live how I felt when they announced at briefing "Tonight your target will be Tokyo. The planes will be staggered at 200 feet difference of elevations beginning at 5000 feet!" My goodness, over the enemies capital at altitude of one mile. I was sure that it was a suicide affair. So was everyone else. We actually began to "will" our various property to fellows not assigned to that raid. It was only our second raid. I was sure that their AA would be accurate to that height. We lost 13 planes out of 300 more or less! Then Nagoya came and we were pathfinder. We caught Hell there but came home with no injuries. Then it was Osaka and then Kobe. The Jap fighter almost got us there. Raids came fast and even now are blurring in our memory as to details. But I am glad I kept a diary for details. things happened fast until Kawasaki and those terrible heat currents from our burning target. It almost tore our wings off the fuselage. We lost 17 planes that night. We used to get very mad to read the losses as announced in the papers and compare their figures with the actual. Usually the actual was twice or more than the announced! Why I don't know. The low announced losses seem to us to make it sound that there was nothing to our job. We knew differently. In Tokyo alone, we completely destroyed through burning 33.6 sq. miles of the city's 64 sq. miles of important area. How it continues to operate baffles us. Maybe it doesn't!

We did good jobs at Osaka and Kobe and never had to go, back. But Nagoya was a problem. We gave it the same treatment time and time again. But the damn thing wouldn't burn! Oh, maybe two to eight sq. miles to each raid, but that is not much. One factory there produced 39% of Japan's aircraft engines. We couldn't hit it. Finally in plain daylight at medium altitude they went in and blasted 60% of it into ruins. We heard that massive bucket brigades working during the raids themselves kept the city's burning to a minimum. Gosh only knows how many people were killed because fragmentation bombs were mixed with the incendiaries! The area had a population of about 60,000 per sq. mi.

But Japanese targets offer peculiar problems -- because of the terrific weather and clouds. So we are here to work on just that. Crews are to get special training to "get" particular type of target with our so called "precision instruments". That is our job here. We are here for 120 days on temporary duty. Our first crews are being brought back from the Marianas for a month's training. Then they will go back. I imagine we'll also get a few select crews even before they go over.

Today we took a three hour flight over L.A. picking out camera targets. Tomorrow they will make radar scope pictures of targets north of here. This experience is truly unique. To predict that bombing technique would come to this would have sounded foolish only a few months ago. But radar is becoming a fine science!

I started this letter while waiting for a call to go thru to Jane. It took two hours to get it thru to Natchez. She is frantic trying to figure out how to get out here. Lord only knows what kind of shanty I can find for her. But we will manage somehow. Right now the most important thing is to be together regardless of inconvenience and expense. Three months away from one's wife is long enough though thousands are being separated for longer times. Both parties can become dangerously "starved" during separations.

We are in the middle of a desert, 30 miles to the nearest town (Lancaster -- pop. 2,000) The wind and the sand blows badly but it is still good old USA!. The base is being converted to B-29's so much of the personnel is being transferred. But they seem friendly and personnel of the 20th Air Force enjoys a high reputation here. B-29's are still a novelty around here with everybody wanting to get a ride in one of them. To us it seems odd as it is merely just another day's work for us. We are working under well experienced, young, high ranking officers. It will be most interesting and instructive.

Write when you get a chance. We have much to catch up on since our letters have been subject to censorship. Your brother,

Epilogue

These letters, originally written in long hand with a pen, were collected and saved for Joe by his brother Charles. It's my impression, due to 04-20-45 note added by Charles, that the letters were typed shortly after they were received. They have been retyped by me as a means of entering them on disk. I've taken care to reproduce their content as written.

Joe made a considerable effort to write a Diary of the missions covering topics that a Censor would remove -- I'm sure as he wrote these very personal & informative letters to his family he was also thinking of telling a future reader; he was aware he was writing of history making events. Few were as painstaking and dedicated to this task. It is hoped that Joe's Diaries and Letters will be preserved and last via the archives of the 19th BG and 20th AF Association.

Jane's letter to Vern told of she and Joe's family. In Joe's Letters Home you meet their son Ted. In Janes Letter of 92' .you meet; ".....Daughter Susan & Bob live in Sidell, La. with daughters 12 & 14. Ted's boy is now 16...." Jane included, "Our company continues to grow [Brasfield Sales, Inc], with son Ted as president, and yours truly as comptroller and office manager. ....... we put all of my accounting on computer -- quite a challenge for my 70 year old mind! ....... I'm having a ball. No way could I possibly go back to the old ledgers."

***** O *****

Part 2

02-11-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: 28th Bomb Sqd. 19th Bomb Gp. A.P.O. 18179-CZ-8 c/o PM San Francisco, Calif. February 11, 1945

Dear Charles:

Seems as though I am becoming a better correspondent than usual. But each time something happens, I hurry to write about it while the opportunity still exists.

While processing today, I discovered something new. In the Personal Affairs Section they issued us some "poop" sheets, a copy of which I am enclosing. There are several changes in benefits that I didn't realize. "Just in case" I want you to be familiar with them. (1) A widow's pension is now $50 per month, until she remarries, plus $15 for one child. (2) The Gratuity Pay is computed on Base Pay, Flight Pay, Longevity, Overseas Pay for six months. I my case, it will be 6 x($200 base pay plus $110 flight pay plus $35 overseas pay) or 6 x $363 equaling $2178. I had originally thought it to be 6 x $220 base pay equaling $1320. (3) Jane will have a choice of two options in settling that $10,000 insurance policy. Either she can take $55.10 per month for 20 years or $39.70 per month for life. This choice will be hers and will be independent of the pension. It would be wise for her to figure what she will absolutely need and, if possible or wise, accept the "for life" settlement. Your advice to her will be a big help depending on her immediate situation at that time (if it ever comes.) (4) There is a bill (George Bill) now before Congress that will have the Gov't maintain our Social Security account while we are in the Army. If it passes as they predict it will, a widow and child will get about $30 or $35 a month benefits. So, with Pension plus Life Insurance plus Social Security, it will give Jane a pretty good permanent monthly income. My gosh, I hope the occasion never arises that all this data is necessary, but I do want you to be familiar.

As you know, I cannot say exactly where I now am but we can say "Somewhere in California". What a relief to be in a country that is warm, the grass is green, and the sun shines. I have never been so cold for so long as I was in Kansas and Nebraska. If I thought we were headed for Polar Regions, I believe that I would just turn over over and die in anticipation and would avoid the suffering. Our trip here was beautiful. Never have I seen such beautiful scenery. The weather was ideal and those snow caps rose up in all their majestic glory. We have truly a wonderful country!

We have quite an experience ahead of us. Just what we do not know. But it should be interesting when the day comes that we are free to talk. Already things are shaping up that would make you realize more so than ever that America is truly mobilized for war.

We are at a "Crossroads of the Air". Today, I ran into Lt. Scott Smitherman, of Shreve port, who is headed west, in command of a bomber. When we left the Gatehouse in Shreveport, Scott was just a college kid, irresponsible, fun seeking, son of a rich man. Now at the ripe old age of 24, he is married (Charleston, S.C. girl). been a pilot almost a year, a mature man. We had quite a time reminiscing. Each of us was interested in the other's type of ship. So we looked each one over. Maybe our paths will again cross on the other side of the world. Time will tell. The Smitherman's four sons are all in it -- the oldest, 29, a lawyer is in Adjutant General's Dept., Robert, about 25 or 26, is flying P-47's in France, and Gene, 21 is in the Navy. You can guess where their parents thoughts and hearts are these days!

We got quite a laugh today out of one of our officers.

C E N S O R E D

I just talked to Jane. She tells me that Ted is getting quite a big boy. Her trip to Memphis from Larned was without incident -- they drove the 700 miles in 1 1/2 days. "Bessie" again did herself proud. that old Buick does tick off the miles smoothly. She says Ted took the trip nicely.

Please note my temporary APO number. Use it until I forward you my permanent one. I'll be looking forward to your letters. And that includes you too, Martha. Your brother,

02-14-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: A.P.O. 18179-CZ-8 c/o PM San Francisco, Calif. February 14, 1945

Dear Charles:

By now you are probably wondering why we are still in the States. Justifiably so. We too, expected to be on a Pacific Island by this time. Last night we tried hard to be on our way. But too many factors entered into the situation. Maybe our luck will be better next time.

After eating a good breakfast, we went to bed. How good it did feel after being up all night. About 2 pm, I got up, showered, and shaved. After another good meal, I felt like a million. We are literally stuffing ourselves with both food and water daily in order that our systems have a reserve to fall back on in case of an "enforced diet".

I am definitely taking the radio. For a few minutes at Kearney, there was some doubt. But it is aboard now. Joe Simmons is carrying a Victrola so between us we will have music of one kind or another. At Kearney, they convinced us of shipping a case of "V.O." whiskey by boat. Now we know that it could have been aboard "J.J.".

I talked to Jane yesterday for the last time. It was best not to call her today as it would mean more worry for her tonight as she probably did last night. She said that Ted got an O.K. by his doctor Monday, an increase of food, and now his weight is 19 lb. 1 oz. Gosh, how that kid is growing! Maybe we'll finally have a "BIG" Brasfield in the family. I am very thankful that they are now safely settled in Memphis.

I have not received any mail from anyone in two weeks due to lack of an address. Here's hoping that you folks will; "double up and catch up" on your writing and bring me up to date on the family developments. I thought about you and the Power Co. properties as I read about that storm hitting Montgomery and Alabama. Wonder how it affected Meridian and Uncle Luther?

Better close. May God be with us from here on out. There's a lot of water from where we are to where we are going. Too far to swim to be sure!

A big hug for the girls. Your brother,

02-20-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: 28th Bomb Sqd. 19th Bomb Group Unit 2. A.P.O. 246. c/o PM San Francisco, Calif. February 20, 1945. "Somewhere in the Marianas"

Dear Charles:

Well, here we are on opposite sides of the world. Let's see -- it is now 4 PM Tuesday here -- it is 9 hours earlier in Birmingham, or 7 AM Tuesday. You are probably just shaving, and you, Martha, you must be getting breakfast ready. That is your world. We have a different one. We are located in a dense vegetation area, the clearing from which we are not allowed to leave (court martial). We are quartered in tents, with prospects of eventually getting something more permanent. Our food is better than we expected and they promise us electricity tomorrow (110 V. AC -- thank goodness). With that, we can get news and music from San Francisco. At the moment, we do not know what is going on in the world, save for rumors and scattered news broadcasts over the P.A. system. They do have a couple of stations on the island that broadcast records so it won't be bad once we get the electricity.

Our trip over was uneventful. We can say that we came by way of Honolulu. Spent a couple of days there and was sadly disappointed in everything, including Waikiki Beach. Havana is so much prettier, better beach, more to enjoy. But I am glad that we have "seen" Hawaii. We did see some of the permanent marks left there by the Japs on that December 7th. May we repay them in kind with interest!

We will find out more definite tomorrow as to what, when, and how we will get down to work. It seems as though we will be a part of the "First Team". Should be most interesting from now on. They say the General wants results!

Guess you are still having winter. We have gone from one extreme in Nebraska to the other extreme here. Fortunately, we do have a breeze from the ocean. But that sun bears down but hot! Another good point -- we do not have to worry about malaria here -- only dengue fever. At least , no Atabrine tablets.

To my surprise, we were issued air mattresses. No wonder we could not find one in the States -- the Army must be taking them all.

I have received no mail from, anyone in three weeks. Only news was from Jane via telephone before we left California. I hope there is mail now enroute. Please note my permanent APO address. Don't leave any of it out as it all means something.

I'll be looking forward to your letters and sweating it out until we can get our job done and get back to the States. One never fully appreciates the good old U.S.A. until he has to leave it. Such common things as plenty of water, ice, lights, mean little until you do without. We get rationed one bottle of warm beer per day -- no Coca Cola. Enjoy what you have, brother, because I am already looking forward to the day I can again do so. Your brother,

02-28-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: "Somewhere in the Marianas" February 28, 1945

Dear Charles:

I received your letter of Feb. 16th today and really appreciated hearing from you. I know that your are terrible busy, but those notes which you get off are truly welcomed. Also got letters from Jane and Mother & Dad so I felt very good over the mail situation.

Yes sir, Charles, that promotion you received sounded mighty good. Mother & Dad are certainly proud of you. And justly so! Thank Goodness, you stayed out of the Army and continued in the ordinary way of life. I am afraid that my "imitation of a clay pigeon" over here will cause the folks a few extra gray hairs. It will probably give me a head full!

I was interested in you having repairs done to the place. Do Sam and Katherine still have the upstairs apartment? They were a nice couple to have around, weren't they. Speaking of repairs, what about those gutter leaks where those rains from the north east used to give us so much trouble. With the Spring rains coming on, I suppose that you got it all fixed at once.

(Note -- later -- "Sam & Katherine" were code words giving the approximate latitude and longitude of our air base. "Rains from the north east" disclosed that we were in the NE corner of a block bounded by the aforementioned latitude and longitude. Hence, they then knew that we were based on the island of Guam.)

For the first time in my life, I find a place where there is little or no use for money. Sound queer? Well, here it is. Of course, I do not particularly recommend that your rush over here. A couple of dollars a week is all one can spend it he splurges on cigarettes (5 cents a pack), beer (one can per day @ 10 cents). Postage stamps are our biggest expense. Movies are free. Laundry is ala G.I. or done yourself. No place to go . Nothing to buy. Here all livelihood goes back to the simple things of life. I am subscribing to magazines, especially where I can get Air Mail editions.

We are planning to save some money these days. Jane's allotment is ample for her to save some. and I should be able to save a couple of hundred a month out of what is left. We decided that we had better accumulate it while we can because the inevitable readjustment period is going to be an expensive one for our family. A thousand or two would certainly be handy to have around. Being out here makes it rather easy for my part. Being my business agent, you'll probably be interested in that.

Guess what -- we went swimming today down at a nearby beach, and we saw some white women! Yes, nurses from a local Army hospital. But they were women and they were white. Believe it or not, we could not help but stare a bit. They were not beauties. But they were the first we'd seen since Hawaii! The beach and the swim were swell -- the first we'd had since our arrival. Furthermore we came home an took an honest to goodness bath. True, it was out of a bucket, under a tree. But until now we had been getting a shower, i.e., a tank truck with a hose and power pump sprays about a dozen at the time. But since we have moved to Quonset huts, we have not had even that. Today, we hauled water over to our place and went to work. I feel clean tonight for the first time since we hit this island.

I have written to Jane about some things we need. No need to duplicate so write her before sending any of these, but here are items that we could use (1) can openers, (2) bottle openers, (3) "male" electrical plugs, (4) triple sockets with one socket suitable for light bulb, (5) light bulbs, (6) small screw drivers with plastic handle, (7) small claw hammer, (8) any good books, (9)soap chips (LUX, etc) used as "packing material" -- no food or candy however as it would spoil enroute. Everything here comes in hermetically sealed cans or else.

Our hopes of electricity were too optimistic. We do not have power in our huts, but we are hoping. As I write this , I am listening to the Mess Hall radio. It was playing beautifully until a news report about Sunday's Tokyo raid started. All Hell broke loose in queer noises. The Nips are evidently jamming it. Now music has started -- the noises stopped. Those little bastards! I suggest that you listen to radio reports, read Earnie Pyles' columns, and you'll know more about us and where we are than we do ourselves.

Your brother,

03-02-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: "Somewhere in the Marianas" ;Friday, March 2, 1945

Dear Charles:

I have just received your letter of 2-21-45. As always, it was most welcomed. I didn't realize that you have my letters as far back as 1927 filed. What an accumulation that will be! I guess that my letters do carry about as complete story of my life as could be determined. I am sorry that censorship keeps me from writing as complete letters as they used to be in the past.

So your short wave is red hot these days. I'll bet it is. I'll be so glad to be able to listen to my radio again. It seems that we'll get power finally today or tomorrow. Did I write you about a neat piece of Jamming the other night? I was listening to a radio in the mess hall tuned to an area OWI station. The music was playing nicely. They cut in for a news report on the latest raid on Japan. Then the damnedest conglomeration of squealing, cat calls, and queer noises came in on that frequency. As soon as the news ended, the noises stopped and the music continued nicely!

You spoke of Iwo Jima. We are forbidden to discuss tactics and "developments". However, I think you know how interested we are in that hunk of rock. It is more than "personal", it is a new lease on life itself for us. I look upon those Marines' losses as though each one was made as a sacrifice that "others" might live to do a better job. You know what it means when the time comes that we can carry "little friends" with us.

(Later -- "little friends" meant fighter planes.)

We have been flying a good deal lately, but it is mostly "2nd Team" stuff. However, our promotion to the Varsity Squad is soon to come. Guess you can compare us to a Football Team just before the first game of the season. We have trained, drilled, and practiced. Now we will have to learn what it is to operate under pressure. I am wondering what my reactions will be. Sure, we will all be scared. That is expected. But the main thing is to score, and score effectively. If we get through the initial game without too many injuries, we'll profit by our mistakes for the next game. But our seasons will be rather lengthy -- more that any 10 or 11 game football season. Also, the stakes are higher -- more than a mere championship of some school district. Also, we must keep in mind the price of a "defeat" over here. Don't many come backs occur.

Realizing the situation makes one stop and think. Much can pass thru a fellow's mind. Thank Goodness, we look upon our job as a specialist, or technician. We don't see the effects from a close up view. I don't particularly care to do so. Maybe later when the hatred gets down in the marrow of the bone, I might enjoy such a mess from the sordid angle. But as yet it is a challenge to do a specialized job to accomplish a specific mission. When I see all that is necessary to fight this war, to successfully carry it to the enemies' homes, I am amazed. Truly America is giving an All Out effort. No other nation could carry on in such a manner on both sides of the world. Yet all of this is necessary in order that we may again settle down to a quiet, normal life in a world where we are safe to go, do, and say as we please. We have a wonderful country. Just because you are in the midst of it and things become common place, don't fail to thank God that your are an American. I do! And appreciate those things which we are so accustomed to enjoy. You know what I mean -- that light bulb, refrigerator, newspaper, food on the table, radio bringing you a variety of everything, an ice cream cone, or a Coca Cola. Especially appreciate the sense of security that you know where you will be and approximately what you will be doing a week from you![now]. Some of us can't say the same. I am not preaching -- just reminding you.

Do try to visit Jane or have them come to Bham, which ever is best. She is swell about writing me what is developing. Of course, her letters are 10 days old but what is that this day and time! She certainly thinks the world and all of you and Martha. She has since that initial visit back in October, 1941.

Keep your fingers crossed for us. We are going to need it most any day now. Your brother,

03-06-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: "Somewhere in the Marianas" ;Tuesday, March 6, 1945

Dear Charles:

I start this letter only with a set of censorship rules staring me in the face and after checking with the Intelligence Officer about eligible things I can say. Yes, our ambitions have been finally realized in part anyway. Yes, we have paid Nippon a visit and left appropriate calling cards. Much to our complete satisfaction, his reception was marked by their coolness and lack of activity. They even tried to leave us in the dark. Crude, wasn't it. In ordinary times, we might have gotten our feelings hurt. But not this time. Of course , it might have lengthened our visit a bit, but what the Hell we all got back without a scratch.

All in all, the experience for me was what I needed. It is a long way there and we must reach the Empire exactly where we are told. And there are no check points on the waves to locate ourselves enroute. Now I realize why they gave us that special navigational training before we left. One "head-up" mistake here and you try swimming. The pilot and co-pilot can relieve one another, but the Navigator must stay alert all of [the] time. Back in the States, we could vary our altitudes and flight plan to get best navigational conditions. Here, we must do as directed irregardless of the navigational conditions. Yet your answers must be right. Sweat -- you darn right we sweat. When we arrived as planned, I heaved a terrific sigh of relief.

I am fast becoming a close student of Japanese geography. One must do so to stay in this game. Rivers, cities, mountains, bays which meant nothing to me previously become so real that I can close my eyes and see a complete map. Never did I realize so much that Japan proper has so many mountains and mountainous terrain. And they result in many bays and harbors.

I wonder what they think and do while we pay then a visit. No doubt they curse us and wonder on whose door step a calling card might fall. To think back three years ago, when our Coastal Cities were in danger and the numerous preparations which were necessary! Having been in the Ground Forces, I believe that I can picture the situation both ways. Yes, Nippon is drawing his just reward for the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. I am very glad that I saw the bullet holes on the barracks of Hickam Field (Honolulu) from the Jap strafers before I got here.

On our return, we were given a warm reception by our fellows. Before questioning, the medics spared us a good straight shot of whiskey. What a boost at a critical time! Afterwards, they fed us with all the fresh fried eggs we wanted. And then to bed. And what a good "sack" it proved to be. A feather bed or inner spring mattress never felt as good in days gone by!

Last night, I tried my radio. A couple of queer things resulted. First, at about 1200kc, about 9:15 PM here, I got some 'farmer's "get-up" in the morning' program. At the station break, it was KRLD, Dallas, Texas. It was 6:15 AM, and the announcer was giving farm briefs and hill billy music. I switch over and, low and behold, KNX, Los Angeles was picked up. How can you explain that? Do you suppose that we are in a "skip" area where the "Heavyside" layer gave us just the right conditions. It baffled me! Second, the reception of the OWI station here is raspy and sounds like some filter is not functioning. We can understand what they say but the quality of tone is bad. I am wondering if the voltage or cycles variation in our local "line " might cause that trouble. Yet the U.S. stations sound much better. I do not understand at all the trouble.

Mail has been scarce around here for the past three days. Hope that the jam breaks up today and a slug of it comes in. I know that Jane writes daily so when one does not arrive, there must be delays enroute. Then, three of four will come in at once.

I am taking it easy this morning. Had a specialized critique early this morning and a general critique this afternoon. Meantime, I am catching up on my correspondence.

Please forward this letter to Mother and Dad. I am going to write them, but it will not be in as much detail. Also let me know if the censors object to anything. According to Wing Orders, issued Feb. 19th I have said nothing objectionable. So let me know if the censors differ.

Write often. Your brother,

03-10-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Somewhere in the Marianas ;Saturday, March 10, 1945

Dear Mother & Dad and Charles & Martha,

This letter is a joint one as I do not have time to write separate letters. So please forward it on to Birmingham after it has been read in Natchez.

The big news here at the moment is what you are now reading in your morning paper. Tokyo is in flames! That is no propaganda. I know it is afire because I saw it. It was a scene which I will never forget. If God's promises for "fire and brimstone" are any worse, one should certainly take heed to avoid any chance of experiencing it. Our ship was among the first to reach the target. But the job was already begun. I was much too busy to "sight see" until we were safely beyond the coastline on the way home. At that time I went back and watched the affair as the main strength hit the target. What a holocaust! Fires here -- fires there. More popping up everywhere.

Nor were the Japs quiet. Searchlights, flack , and what not were in action. It was like a thousand "4th of July" celebrations rolled into one. We had been briefed as to what to expect, but I must admit that the scene came to me as a shock. It was America's might at it's peak! The Japs are reaping a thousand fold from the seeds they sowed at Pearl Harbor.

I am not ashamed to admit I prayed. We prayed plenty and I am sure that our prayers were not alone. This game is risky! But He controls it all. We now give thanks that our crew came home without a scratch! There was not a flak hole in the ship. True, a searchlight once picked us up, but it was only for a few seconds and there was no after effects.

Simmons and Chris did a wonderful job handling the ship. Bishop, our bombardier, laid our "eggs" right in the heart of the city. And Turkisher, our engineer, kept those four fans turning when we needed them most. What wonderful engines they are!

The same goes for the entire crew. We all had a job to do, and we did it. And we can't forget the ground crew. All night previous to our take off, they worked to have that baby in perfect shape. And it performed admirably.

As I write, a news broadcast from San Francisco tells of the results of this raid. It was tremendous! But I can't help but think of the death and destruction which was created in order to teach a nation that they cannot violate our nation without suffering the consequences. Many innocent suffer. Again I am thankful that we as a people can never be accused of starting this war. But along with that, I am glad that we were able to absorb the Nip's blows and come back with punches to him and his cities from which he cannot recover.

America is a great country. We are blessed with so much that we often take too much for granted. Out here we are learning what the price is to maintain those ideals on which our country is based. It is not a cheap one. If He permits us to return safely, I am sure that I will be able to lead a better and more useful life. Things which were once vague are now quite clear. It is my earnest wish that we will never be forced to fight another war after this one is completed.

Such a strike as that last night carries its price. Censorship absolutely prohibits us from discussing our losses. But I assure you that the Tokyo reports as to our planes lost are absurd. However, from the other angle, it was not a breeze. We have empty bunks tonight. And that hurts. We are hoping that those fellows are safe somewhere. If not I hope that they were ready to meet their Maker.

By now, we are considered on the FIRST TEAM around here. We will get assignments from time to time. May all of our missions be as successful as the first two. It seems we got into a theater where there will be plenty of action. There is a terrific job to be done. The sooner it is completed, the sooner we get home to live like any ordinary, self respecting civilian. May that day soon arrive!

Your letters are certainly welcomed. And all of you have been mighty good about writing. Mother, your letter of March 1st arrived today, being in transit only eight days. The incoming mail is not censored. However, my mail is censored above my own signature censorship. When I start a letter such as this, I lay the sheet of regulations in front of me accordingly.

Jane is doing a swell job of writing. She keeps me well informed as to how she and Ted are doing. We are certainly blessed to have a son as is Ted. And I am so glad that she has him while I am away. After all, he is a part of both of us.

It is late now. And there is much work to be done tomorrow. Everyday has its problems. May we overcome them all.

I think of you often and look forward to that day when we can be together again.

03-12-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Monday, March 12, 1945

Dear Martha & Charles and Mother & Dad,

Again I write a joint letter as I do not have the time for separate letters. We are busy -- so busy that we seem hardly to have time except to fly, eat, and sleep. The radio is telling you what we have been doing. First it was Tokyo -- next it was Nagoya. You know what we carried and at what altitude it was carried. Daring -- yes, smart tactics the commentators say. But I must not discuss that angle less I tangle with some scrupulous censor.

Last night our plane led the entire show. The responsibility lay mighty heavy on all of us -- we were carrying our C.O. (Lt. Col.) and had to do a perfect job or else. I assure you that the Japs had quite a reception awaiting us!. Our chaplain advised us to pray when we could not do anything more -- that God would help us. And we prayed and He literally snatched us out of danger. At one time, I thought our chances were nil. Yet, we came out of the area without a scratch to our crew. There can be no explanation except that the Almighty reached down to help us. As we were leaving the coastline I looked back to see more planes arrive. Sodom and Gormarro must have been about as bad. I glanced at my watch. Though it was 0200 AM here, it was 11:00 AM Sunday at home. You, Mother & Dad, were in church. Surely your prayers had helped us out of that jam.

Today, we were interviewed by Norman Page, Blue Network and TIME Magazine. He took the facts from several of us and should be interesting to you. If you miss it, write the network for a copy. I made the above statements about Mother and Dad at church got us out of those flak bursts. He made a note of that.

That made our third raid in eight days. That is rushing things a bit. For almost four years I had seen no combat. But now it is coming fast. I never dreamed that I would have a small part in such an effort. We do not glory in it. I look upon it as a regrettable necessity. I want to look upon it as a means to bringing an end to this war sooner and thus saving lives on both sides though it means lives expended now. But win we must! We must teach those little Japs that they can't sneak attack on us and get away with it. I only hope that we are so blessed that we be spared to see the post war world.

They speak of decorations and citations around here. Maybe so. No doubt, they are deserved. But I don't get excited about that. They can keep all their ribbons and medals so far as I am concerned . All I want to do is to do my job and come home. To heck with this hero stuff.

They tell us that we might have to rename "Joe's Junk". We might copy the Navy idea and name our planes for American cities. Don't know what ours will be -- probably be either for Dallas or Kansas City. They must be planning some publicity stuff and War Bond propaganda. But to us we are still "Joe's Junk".

Since we were the first plane to land today after returning, they took our picture beside the plane. They included both the flying and ground crews. We all work together to accomplish our purpose. They tell us that we will each receive a copy which I will forward to you.

How time flies. Only one month ago, we were in the States. And look what has happened in one short month! May the months to come pass quickly and bring us safely back home.

I am tired tonight. Those four hours sleep today didn't bring me back to normal. And I want to get off another letter.

Good-bye for now. I love you and hope to be back with you before too long.

03-14-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Wednesday, March 14, 1945

Dear Folks,

Another joint letter. I can write more often that way. Another day is passed and again we have been to the Japanese mainland. Before we were able to get back to our base, we heard a news commentator on the radio describe the raid on the San Francisco station. So it is no secret that the target was OSAKA, if you read your papers you know the total tonnage and type of bombs. As we were among the last ships in the target area, I assure you that the city was burning merrily, The Japs are receiving compensation for their many unscrupulous deeds in the past.

Dad, your son never dreamed that he would become a small part in this Pacific war so quickly. That was our fourth raid in eleven days. And remember the mileage and time necessary for each round trip. I will welcome a rest when ever it comes. I know I am losing weight. My appetite is off. My sleep is restless. I don't want to make it sound bad, but this life tires one quickly.

But I do have a certain sense of satisfaction. It is simply that I have already done a part in bringing this war to a conclusion. Naturally, the sooner that happens the happier all of us will be. I suppose every crew dreads the possibility of misfortune on its original mission or two. So do we. But we are over that hump. May we always stay on top! And we gladly give God Almighty credit, for without His help things might have been different.

I enjoyed you letters of March 4th . All of you have been swell abut writing. Please keep it up as we need letters from home! I hope Bob writes me when he has a chance. I wonder if he ever received my letter from here. Tell him for me to stay where it is safe as long as he can. It may get dull where he is at times. But he is sure of surviving this war. And that is important. One gets a "fill" of this excitement mighty quickly. I have no desire to be a hero. All I want to do is perform my job to the best of my ability and come home safely. I hope you are reading Ernie Pyle's newspaper columns. Jane is sending them to me. They give an excellent picture of the situation out here without worrying about censorship on our letters if we were to try to write it.

I appreciate you sending the box with mirror, soap chips, etc. It is mighty nice of you to send them. They'll get here in about six weeks by boat. Our needs are so basic and simple around here. But the life might grow monotonous as time goes by. We'll take care of that later as now we live only from day to day. Why should one plan any further in advance!

Jane is certainly swell about writing. She has quite a job taking care of Ted. I am most thankful that she is the Mother of our child. She says that Ted is growing so rapidly. He'll be a big boy when I see him again.

Why don't you put Uncle Luther on my letters "circulation list". I wrote him once but do not have time to write many individual letters. I am awfully tired tonight and must get some rest.

By the way, have you heard from Sam and Katherine lately? I am wondering how they are doing. I also wrote Jane about them so maybe among you, you can get some news of them.

Best of luck to all of you,

03-17-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Saturday, March 17, 1945

Dear Folks,

For us, it has been work, work, work. There are here no hour limitations or union rules. Last night we went to Kobe, the Japanese principal seaport. Today, the radio tells us that it is in ruins. You have read the papers and listened to the commentators. You know as much about it as we do -- almost. It was our fifth mission in thirteen days -- Tokyo twice, Nagoya, Kobe & Osaka. Last night we were again a "pathfinder" plane. That is, light the original fires. It is a ticklish job that we do not exactly relish. For some reason, one feels safer when one has lots of company. I can mention that the Jap opposition was a bit more and that we were attacked by our first interceptor. Fortunately, we returned safely without a scratch to a single crew member. God is certainly good to us. And we don't hesitate to give Him credit for that.

I am enclosing a small souvenir -- a pin from one of our bombs, later dropped on Kobe. These pins keep a bomb "SAFE" until the time to be otherwise. Naturally it is important until removed from the bomb and then it of no further value. Dad, you might show it to your Rotarian friends. They might be interested.

I have been listening to San Francisco via short wave to commentators. Everyone seems excited about these raids and about the capture of Iwo Jima. All I can say is that we hope that the war is being shortened by these moves. I don't believe our efforts are in vain. We do think that they are carrying our particular crew pretty fast. It stretches us to the limit of physical endurance. Each time when we return, we hope for a rest. But then we would learn of a new job. So the job had to be done. I have no desire to be a "hero" type. We merely do what is assigned to us. But as far as I am concerned, I am willing, when permitted, to rest up and regain some of the weight I have lost.

Mail delivery here has been bad the past several days. No letters for Yours Truly,. How one misses them! I know that Jane is writing daily and others of you are writing often. When nothing arrives, I know that it is being blocked enroute. Maybe tomorrow will bring several to make up for the days missed.

Several days ago, I received a much appreciated letter from Orrick Metcalfe. He tells me that Beverly Hale's husband had been killed it Europe. That is a shame. And he was a West Pointer -- Lt. Col. -- in the infantry, wasn't it? This game of war is not safe regardless of rank if you are within gun range of the enemy. Have you ever heard any more about Bill Hale's whereabouts?

I have been writing you frequently these days because things are actually occurring so quickly. So it has been best to write it to you before something else happens and clouds the original topic. Some one is keeping these letters I do hope.

Our first month is almost over. Yes, we will have been here four weeks next Monday. And we can hardly realize that so much has happened. We knew we were joining the FIRST TEAM, but did not understand just what that meant. Now we do. The Almighty has been good to us -- answered our prayers. May He so continue.

I think of you all so much. One is so lucky to have such a fine family to back him up in all that he does. As ever,

03-18-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: In the Marianas Sunday Night March 18,1945.

Dear Charles,

What a week this one has been! It has been one of hard work, long hours, and risks. But today was the Sabbath, a day of rest for our crew. And a glorious day it was. A fitting climax it was to the most intensive week of my life. May I go back and summarize a bit, even though it may be a bit of repetition of my previous letters.

Just a week ago, at this moment, we were in the sky enroute to Nagoya. We had two missions to our credit, both on the capital city of Tokyo. Our destination was then Nagoya. It was to be our first pathfinder job. We had our C.O. aboard to observe. The Japs were ready for us and gave us a reception we'll never forget. For six minutes we were in the "cone" of their searchlights while their AA had a perfect target. By American standards, we were a "lost" ship. By the Grace of God, we were spared! Our bombs were well placed for which we were commended though the total area destroyed was not as great as had been hoped. Two days later again we headed north. This time it was Osaka. We were the third to the last ship to leave the Base. We were a bit nervous after the previous raid. We prayed for clouds. And He answered those prayers. Over the target, they searched for us with their lights but to no success. The city was ablaze when we reached the target. The heat was so intense that the clouds immediately above the target at our altitude had been "burned off". We added our bit and came home with no particular excitement. Three days later, "Joe's Junk" again turned towards the Big Dipper. This time the target was the city of Kobe, a principal seaport. Again, our job was pathfinding. Someday, maybe I can tell you more about what that job means. It has many advantages but also many disadvantages. Remember one feels that there is "Safety in Numbers". Again, a reception committee was on hand. Even a fighter pilot was there to add his bit. But he was a poor marksman. So we are here to tell the story. The radio can tell you the results of each raid. Please note that the areas destroyed are measured in square miles of the most concentrated industrial limits of the Japanese Empire. We feel that we have done something that will actually shorten this bloody war. As far as I am concerned, that is what I want to accomplish. I hate to see the death and destruction, but we well realize that it is necessary to bring about the peace which we want. We realize that our efforts are saving American lives that would otherwise be lost to bring about a Jap defeat. Iwo Jima is an example of the cost of ground fighting where the Jap is well supplied. We are reducing their ability to supply their ground forces. We are told that some American editors are screaming about the bombing of the Jap cities. It sounds like some of the same who said that, in 1940-41, we should isolate ourselves as we were immune from foreign attack! Let them remember the hundreds lost at Pearl Harbor and the thousands lost at Iwo! This is total war!

They tell us that decorations are to come soon. We have been generously commended by our high ranking officers. Every one seems pleased. But we were sent here to do a job. That is all that we have done! Everyone, both the flying personnel and ground crews, have worked hard. They deserve credit.

Today was our day of rest. To begin it, all of our officers of "Joe's Junk" went to church services. We truly had something for which to be thankful. We owe Him much. Yes, we bowed our heads in all sincerity. After lunch, five of us headed to the other end of the island. We hitch hiked, as it seems that only certain ground officers and certain enlisted men can rate transportation for "personal use". Of course, that makes the Combat Crews feel just "swell"! Our term for the these ground officers is "Gravel Crunchers". At times, they become a bit obnoxious. But we were fortunate in getting rides. First, we went down to a beach where the Marines hit the island. There we spent a couple of hours rummaging thru burned out Jap and American tanks. Each one sat there silently, mute evidence to a story that is behind it. We examined Jap guns, caves, and equipment and just imagined why it was as it was. We picked up souvenirs and wandered about. A little native boy came up and I started taking to him. The conversation ran about like this -----

Q. Can you speak English?

A. Yes sir.

Q. What is your name?

A. In your language -- Edward.

Q. How old are you ?

A. Eleven years old.

Q. Do you go to school?

A. Yes.

Q. What do you study in school?

A. Reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Q. How did the Japs treat you?

A. They slapped me.

Q. Why did they slap you?

A. Because I wouldn't go to their school.

Q. Why didn't you go to their school?

A. My mother would not let me.

Q. I see you wear a crucifix. Do you go to church?

A. Yes sir.

Q. Did you go to church while the Japs were here?

A. Yes sir. (Evidently the Catholics were allowed to continue services but all sermons

were Jap censored.)

Q. Can you speak any Japanese?

no answer. Question was repeated.

A. My mother does not want me to speak anything in Japanese.

Q. What are you doing down here this afternoon?

He held out a bucket of shells.

A. I am picking up shells for my Mother to sell.

He was a cute kid -- very friendly. He spoke good English, in a quiet manner.

Next we went up to an Officer's Club at one of the higher units. We were told that we were not allowed to enter. A membership card was necessary and we were not eligible for same. That hurts a Combat Crew!

We went to another Officer's Club. This time we were allowed to enter, but were told in a nice way not to come back again. But today we were interested only in the present. We were allowed two bourbon and cokes and a meal. It was lovely! After one drink, we sat down to a meal that we'll long remember. We started out with corn on the cob, steak, potatoes, Coca-Cola, ice water, bread, and butter. Afterwards came ice cream and cake! Then our second drink and the trip home. Again, we "used our thumb". We rode in everything from jeeps, weapons carriers, to water trucks. But we got home. Yes, it was a great day to end a great week. We were happy about the whole affair.

03-19-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: March 19, 1945 Monday Morning

They cut the lights on me last night so I had to stop.

On rereading this letter, it seems that I have been selfish, discussing only things over here. Forgive me this time, please. Your letter tells me of a bang up job you are doing. I got quite a kick out of the mining story. Never did I realize that you would become so involved in a coal mine affair. But you produced results -- and that is what they want. It seems that your mine situation is truly unique -- the miners are satisfied, the union is content, and the company gets more production with fewer employees! Unique -- hell, a miracle!

And all the work you are doing around the house. The place will look like new, won't it? But like a good pair of shoes, it is more comfortable being "well broken in".

I received Martha's V-Mail letter, but she forgot to date it. So I can't tell how long it took to arrive. However, we advise not to use V-Mail -- the letters are always short, seem impersonal, and usually take longer to arrive. The Gov't may advise using it, but we say use Air Mail! Nevertheless, Martha, it was appreciated.

We are sweating it out this morning about "Joe's Junk". She went on a trip last night for the first time without us aboard. They are on the way home now, I hope! The crew with which we share our Quonset Hut has it now. A good bunch of boys!

I have rambled on and on. I hope that the censors see fit to leave it as it is. I do not think I have disclosed anything that hasn't been broadcast over and over again. They even discuss altitudes, tactics, etc., which is TABU for us. But always let me know when my letters have anything deleted.

Your brother,

03-23-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: "Somewhere in the Marianas" Sunday, March 23, 1945,

Dear Family,

I guess I can be accused of "cheating" a bit with this letter as I am going to use it to answer four letters which I have received from you and each of which I enjoyed to the utmost. Yes, all four of you, Charles, Sister, Mother & Dad wrote on the 15th & 16th; thus the letters arrived together giving me an equivalent of a little family gathering. You can not imagine just what that means to a fellow out here under our conditions. Due to a shortage of time (and stationery), I am going to write one long letter and trust that you pass it around pronto.

For a bit of news as to my doings that may interest you. We now have raid # 6 under our belts. Last night, we again went to Nagoya, and, enroute home this morning, listened to a radio broadcast (while in the air) from San Francisco giving all the gory details as to the raid. We always listen for that broadcast, because once the news is broadcast, we can tell of it in our letters. We again went up as "pathfinders", i.e., in the lead of the show. Thanks to the numerous ships over the target, the Japs never singled ours out for attack. A stray piece of flak did knock a hole in the plane's skin, but was of relatively little damage. It was an answer to our prayers, for we well remember our first visit to that city. May that never be repeated!

Sister, your remarks about the invulnerability of a B-29 were interesting. It is a great ship; we are "sold" on it; and are willing to gamble our lives in it. But don't think they are invincible. Some or our best friends have been lost, but I hasten to add that our losses have been very, very light considering our raids. A direct flak burst or a heavy fighter attack can easily prove fatal. It is amazing how some crippled ones hobble home. One's heart goes out to a plane radioing his troubles, but there is so little that can be done. Yet everything possible is done. Ernie Pyle best described that in one of his articles several weeks ago.

I wonder if many of you realize in terms of Western Hemisphere Geography, what the raids mean. We in the Marianas are equivalent to Central America -- Nicaragua and Guatemala. Thus imagine leaving a base in that area, flying north over the western tip of Cuba (equivalent to passing over Iwo Jima here) on to New Orleans, and then bombing areas of Memphis only to make the return trip to Central America. Maybe that will better help you understand what distances out here mean. And remember all of that distance here is WATER! Charles, your comments about Iwo were well put. We thank God that it is now in American hands. It was costly, but it daily saves lives. No, Mother, Iwo Jima is not in the South Pacific, rather in the North Pacific -- lying about as far north as Key West, Florida. It is a worthless piece of volcanic ash, shaped like a pork chop. From a military standpoint, its value is tremendous.

After we landed this morning, I finished my interrogations in time to go to chapel services. (I even forwent the usual whiskey ration.) Though I was tired, sleepy, and unshaven, I enjoyed the service. The Chaplain (a Methodist) is excellent . His sermon this morning was on Palm Sunday parade in Jerusalem with Christ's entry into the city. Next Sunday, it will be a Special Easter service. He has ideas with which I fully agree. One of which is that force, important though it be, will not rule the world alone. They keep telling us that our work is abnormal, that through our efforts a better world will be evolved, etc. We certainly hope so.

Last night, we witnessed a scene that I will long remember as we were headed north. The sun was setting in the west and was coloring a layer of stratus clouds above us a brilliant red and orange. Beneath us was a solid layer of cumulus clouds resembling a huge cotton field. To our left, towards the sun, and high above, another of our planes was silhouetted against that background, flying steadily northward as were we. All was calm and peaceful then. But what a potential "Hell" was inside each aircraft. Yes, we must evolve x some method to prevent such a war as this ever being repeated. The world civilization can't again stand such a strain!

Sis, you asked about those Red Cross kits, and their use. Yes, we were each issued one just before leaving the States. In addition to the sewing kit, there were a deck of cards, pack of cigarettes, bar of candy, writing paper, etc. Yes, it was appreciated and has been of much use. Out here, we do our own "tailoring" as well as a major portion of our laundry. All items that can be so used are very important.

Seemingly you all heard of the much mentioned news broadcast by Norman Page, but no one actually heard it. Well neither did we! We tried but failed to get it. I hope that some one has written the Blue Network as I suggested and got a copy of the manuscript. I'm curious myself.

I appreciate your folks' kind offers to send things. Actually, I hardly know what to say after sending such a long list of things in one of my first letters. One thing I want badly is a subscription to the Pony Edition of TIME that will come Air Mail. I have written the magazine but have heard nothing. Charles, how about writing them for me again. Price is immaterial; a new copy of TIME would be worth a dollar -- five dollars, a copy out here -- where we get nothing but editions months old. If you can get together some small boxes of reading material; writing stationery, etc., it would help as there is a helluva shortage of each!

Charles the radio has been good company, but does play tricks on us. These metal huts seem to cause interference in the clarity of reception. Seems the hut grounds out the set easily. We thought it to be bad filters at first. Then we found it to be in the aerial being grounded by touching the wall. I have picked up Radio Moscow, Radio Tokyo, Shanghai, Philippines, London, Australia, and of course our dear friends, San Francisco. One S.F. station beamed on the Philippines comes in like a ton of brick. We get most of our news from them. We laughed at Radio Tokyo's commentary on why Iwo was lost. The announcer took pains in speaking but stumbled badly in his English. What idiotic excuses he gave. Of course, he went on with his promises of more and more fierce resistance as we approach the Japanese Homeland. They also said there was an acute shortage of firemen and fire fighting equipment in Japanese cities. I wonder why!

Charles, I seal all of my letters before mailing. If they are not cut open and marked censored, they have not been further censored. Seems as though they are censoring about one out of four letters. All officers first sign as censoring their own letters. Any further censoring is done at Island Command.

I hope that my letters have reached you concerning the first five raids. If you will send us news clipping of activities here, we'd appreciate it as we are curious as to what is being printed in the newspapers. Of course, we are interested in articles from here, but also about other things in general.

Gosh, how I have rambled. I hope you are still with me. Your kind remarks and words of encouragement are appreciated. We know that the folks back home are with us. That means everything. But please do not let them build up "hero" stuff. No thanks, we are just a bunch of guys with a job to do. We don't know how long we must stay here or how many missions will be required So we just keep going, God permitting, doing our best.

Do all of you write often. How your letters are appreciated. Your,

03-26-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Monday Morning March 26, 1945

Dear Charles,

I mailed to you yesterday a "Family Circulation" letter. Now for a letter more specifically to you. First about the radio. It is a God send. Its value cannot be measured in dollars and cents. A $100 bill would not buy it! We have been plagued with horrible hum in its reception. We tried an outside aerial, tested filters, and Lt. DeFrates, an ex-radio mechanic who lives in the hut with us, tinkered and tinkered. He adjusted the generators giving us our electricity. Finally, he found nothing wrong in the set but it was in this metal hut. In the wooden mess hall it played perfectly. With more tinkering, it would be found that the hum disappeared when the set chassis was grounded. The outside aerial does not help materially. So now we have a ground wire running out the window to a buried metal strip. The music is clear as a bell. And the short wave from the States comes in like a ton of brick! There is an OWI station in the Islands, stronger than WLW, beamed on Japan. They play records by the tons. But they are good. They too, tie into the Pacific Ocean Network, i.e., San Francisco for news broadcasts. Therefore, we can get S.F. direct on four stations and one station rebroadcast.

Now for something we need our here. Seems like I am always begging or asking. There is an acute shortage of writing materials -- namely, paper. Will you go to some stationer or paper company and get a ream of the best quality light weight paper available. I have in mind a weight just above that onion skin but tough -- maybe Hammermill Bond -- regular 7x11. Business letter size is OK. Envelopes are needed but would probably be stuck up by the time they got here by boat due to the humidity. We can get stamped envelopes from the P.O. boys here. I am bumming second grade G.I. onion skin stuff from the supply but the ink runs badly and is hard to write upon it. If I could put in a standing order of a ream of good stuff every 60 days, it would be wonderful. Another thing, I don't mean to be a deadbeat on you, always asking. Please keep a record of what you spend on me and let me repay you someday. I am dead serious. A rumor has it that boxes up to 11 lbs. can be shipped our here. Please check with your P.O. officials to see if it is true. Our needs are few but surprising how a few ordinary things can become so important.

Charles, it is surprising how we live only from day to day. I wonder now what will be the situation when the paper asked for arrives in June! To think ahead that far seems almost into infinity. It seems that we have been here forever. Our memories of home and the States are already becoming blurred. All that matters here is that we accomplish our assignments and that we come back safely. We get scared every time we go down a bomb run. Any man who denies it is a damn liar or is a fool. I have talked to many who deny it at first and then will admit it. There is so little one can do but just keep working at his job and have Faith. In my case, my throat gets dry -- worse than a desert. That flak suit is heavy and troublesome until one is over the target. Then it feels better than a new Hart Schaffer & Marx suit would and about as light in weight. One of the fellows in another plane has had flak bounce off his back and lived to laugh it off.

We listen to world news intently. We glory in every victory of the Marines and the Navy. We are all on the same team. When Nimitz announced the Navy knocked out 700 Jap fighters, we knew that those were 700 fighters that wouldn't get on our tail. When the Marines took Iwo, it was like someone throwing out a life preserver in case we are in trouble sometime. Yes, then when we destroy factories and plants in their cities that means they have fewer supplies to fight all of us. Yes, though we get a bit peeved when the Navy boys get better food and more supplies (personal items) than we do we hold no enmity. We are all here to accomplish one job alone. We can do it better together than scrapping among ourselves. If only the labor unions and workers at home could appreciate what that means! But they don't have that flak whistling around their ears and they can go home to their families at night, wear clean clothes, and do much as they want to do. Yes, half the world doesn't know how the other half lives!

Have I mentioned that all ground officers are required to ride on our missions. True, we lost one but they better appreciate what the combat crews must go through. The Colonel has something in that rule! Of course, we call it "hauling deadwood" and they do get in the way at times. But it is working out as a good thing.

Rumors have it that Germany is surrendering today. But no confirmation. We are, at this moment listening to a news broadcast and they say nothing of it. So we spike the rumor and hope that Germany falls in a few weeks. The beating that country is taking is colossal. They deserve every bit of it. What a mess their cities will be when they finally decide to throw in the towel. We will certainly welcome those European air forces when they are transferred over here. We are not jealous of them -- there is plenty of work here for us all. It amazes me how we drop thousands of tons on a target and go back, and back and back! We refer you to the newspaper for specific instances!

We are resting today. "J.J." is getting a working over to be ready when the calls comes again. A stray piece of flak hit us the other night and knocked a "fist size" hole in her skin. We didn't know about it until day light. Listen, I know you have never been a religious type of fellow -- but believe me there is a GOD ABOVE who looks over us. Contrary to what any "professor may say, His is the most important ONE in this game. Too much cannot be explained except that it is GOD's WILL. I will never hesitate to bluntly state my Faith in Him. This game is teaching me much and that heads the list!

But here I have gone to rambling again. That is a signal that I had better sign off. I have tried to keep you folks informed as to what I was doing -- yet not disclose any "secrets". When it is all over, I want to have a long talk and fill in between the lines. You'll be most interested I am sure.

Best regards to all the family. Hope we can all be together again before too long. A million thanks for all you favors and kindnesses. Your brother,

03-28-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Wednesday Afternoon March 28, 1945

Dear Folks,

Your letters which were waiting for us last night upon our return were truly appreciated. And Dad, that one sheet from Time made a real hit. We have been trying to get some edition mailed to us. But as yet, no luck. Sometimes we can get old copies from the Navy -- but they are 3 to 4 weeks old. Your clipping gave me an idea. Will you buy an extra copy and clip all the pages on WORLD BATTLE FRONTS, U.S. at WAR, and other items of interest that can be crammed into an envelope. In that way, we'll get it in a week. Our entire hut has read every word of that single sheet. Surprising how a little thing can mean so much. Except for radio broadcasts we do not know what the rest of the world's doing.

The article on "Firebird's Flight" was amazingly accurate. I had wanted to tell you our altitude and details but could not. They printed it for you. I assure you that going over the enemy's capital at only a mile of altitude was SOMETHING! I'll never forget that. We couldn't miss the target. And how it did burn! There was only one misstatement -- our losses. Why do they lie to the American public like that? Let 'em know the truth! Our Group alone had more losses than the article credited for the whole effort. At that, it was cheap price -- except to those who lost loved ones.

But those raids seem so long ago. Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe! Actually, it has been only a couple of weeks. As you have read or heard, we have been varying our work. We went back to Nagoya, but this time it was after an aircraft factory -- at night.

Then, yesterday, we got our first daylight raid. Since we have heard it described from San Francisco, I guess I can discuss it slightly. We went from here up to a little town of which I had never heard before. But they had an aircraft factory. That aircraft factory meant planes to fight us. Now they have no aircraft factory. Sound simple? No, not quite like that. It was in the little city of OMURA, north of Nagasaki, on the island of Kyushu. I got my first good look at the Jap mainland as the clouds broke and there it lay before us. Though it was as it had been previously described, it came as a shock to see so much mountainous, barren land. They have many rivers, bays, seas, etc. , but the cities are along the coast, usually where a river meets the ocean. There it was -- pretty in one sense. But baffling how a little nation with that type of homeland had the audacity to challenge a power such as the United States! Yes, they knew we were coming. No surprise this time. And we waited for something to happen. It did! Flak -- black puffs -- came up from a city which was near our path. We continued on our way. Fighters were seen coming up. A city ahead began pumping up flak. our ship, having been Deputy Lead, moved into #1 position as the Leader faltered. We detoured around the second city and headed for the target. More fighters! More flak! We were on the bomb run. Nothing could be done. Occasional machine gun bursts discouraged the fighters from closing in. Bombs away! Flak was getting closer. Our wing was cutting through the black smoke that hung momentarily in mid-air. We were over water. Flak decreased. An new type Jap fighter was coming up to greet us. As he turned in to make a head-on attack, a shower of steel met him. The tracers were easily seen . He became discouraged quickly, never closing for the attack.

We headed for home -- still as far as from Winnepeg, Canada to New Orleans, La. That meant hours of work for me. We did have one bright spot. I got my first glimpse of Iwo in the day light. What a barren piece of real estate! It is what the newspapers call "a volcanic rock". As we looked down upon it, I could not help but say a prayer of thanks to those Marines -- 4000 killed and 15,000 wounded -- that had "bought" that rock. It was a high price for a valuable piece of land. It may save our lives some day as it has already saved so many of our crews. We are definitely moving closer to Japan itself!

We can hardly realize how much has happened so quickly. We have begun to summarize -- in 23 days of March, we have put in 121 hours of "combat time" -- 110 hours in trips to the Jap Main Empire, in 7 missions. Not a crew man had been scratched but the "Junk" has acquired a few holes. We have much for which to be thankful. God had been good to us. We have little spare time -- for the Navigator, one can estimate 1 hour of preparatory and completion reports work for every 2 hours of flying. So add 50% to the above and see what I've been doing in March! We are earning our money over here. There is no "overtime" over here. I have been losing weight -- 8# to be exact. But if the food quality will get a bit better, I hope to stop the losing and gain a bit.

All of you have been swell about writing. How we haunt that mailman. When letters come, all's right with the world. I got a nice letter form Uncle Luther today. Please be sure and send him my letters while they circulate about the family. I would rather write one long descriptive letter to all of you than try to write each of you short individual ones. And let Charles finally file these letters. Ten years from now I'd like to reread them. I keep a diary, but I can't go into some things in it because the pages are small.

Mother what did you mean by Miniature TIME? It is the PONY Edition. If you can send it AIRMAIL by all means send it. I have tried to get it -- by writing their offices and then have asked Charles to try and arrange it. Don't duplicate but some-one please try to get us copies.

Thanks to all of you for your favors. You are most generous. Everything is appreciated. We are just so far away from everything that we are helpless to help ourselves.

Dad, Ernie Pyle worded it nicely that the B-29 would not alone defeat Japan. She is a long way from being whipped. Our raids are hurting her -- sure. But it will take the Infantry man -- the man on the ground with a gun to bring Final Victory. And they fight fanatically. They die fighting. No, this war has some time yet to run. May God be with us as we try to hurry to a normal peaceful life, I won't complain if I fail to gain material successes. No, my ambitions to be a BIG SHOT or tycoon have been deflated. All I want is Peace and a reasonable amount of security. Material possessions and wealth mean so little in the final analysis.

Write often and remember us in your prayers. Your son,

04-02-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Monday Night April 2, 1945.

Dear Charles & Family,

All of your letters have been appreciated. Yes, the V-Mail letters arrived, but they take from 4 to 7 days longer to get here than regular Air Mail. Really it is not the best to use V-Mail. Your letters of 3/25/45 came yesterday. Charles, your comments were most interesting. Yes, our ideas have been radically changed in these eventful 45 days! It is entirely natural as we are living in a different world. I recall the many petty things about which I formerly worried. No longer are they important. Two major items are constantly in our minds. -- 1) to do well the job assigned to us, and 2) to get back safely. Then there are secondary items of importance -- 1) food, and 2) plenty of "sack" time. Other items such as Mail Call, a package from home, etc., are important but must come after the aforementioned. The usual worries in the States such as 1) money, 2) women, 3) drink, 4)clothes, 5) autos, etc. play no part in our lives our here. As I said before, that is another world.

I have tried, and will continue to do so, to give you a picture of our life out here. We do revert to basic fundamentals in a big way. On second thought, the experiences might prove to be valuable. At least, there are no walk-outs, strikes, overtime pay, wage & hour laws, grumbling due to shortages of luxury items, etc. No, we are very much back to earth!

We don't like to think of our work except from a technical nature. For instance, time and time again we hit and completely destroyed areas by the square mile where the population density ranges from 60,000 to 100,000 per sq. mi. To accomplish our mission, thousands of them must have been killed. If we let our minds dwell on that angle, we would soon go nerts. We let the statisticians figure out the value of this and that. A target remains a target -- an impersonal object to us though they do tell us how it plays a part of the Jap war effort against us.

The Navy had hit in the Ryukus Islands. You probably know more of the details than do we. But we listen for radio reports and are following the action closely. Of course, as you may well understand, it came as no surprise to us. Nor did it surprise the Japs, I think. But there was not much which they could do about it. But that battle is going to be a hard one, I think.

In our hut bull sessions, we have brought up several questions. We assume that there must be some smart leaders in Japan. They must see the handwriting on the wall for their country. They see what had happened in and to Germany. Our raids over their cities, the Navy task forces in their bays, and their island fortresses falling like shambles, what can they expect but ultimate destruction of their homeland. How can they, in their right mind, continue the slaughter? If they want "fire and thunder", brother, they'll get it -- and plenty!

When the war in Europe is completed and the Air Power there is moved to these newly acquired islands, brother , Japan will feel this x war as no nation on earth has ever experienced. But the day will come when the Infantry man will teach them additional lessons -- on the ground. No , I do not believe that Japan will ever again be a major power.

We had a wonderful Easter yesterday. First, we all went to church services. And they were excellent though in rough surroundings. After lunch, we "managed" a 2 1/2 T. Truck and took off on a picnic with numerous cans of "acquired" rations. We went down to our beach where the derelict tanks stand as mute evidence to the invasion of the island. As it is near a native village, little kids would be walking along the road. We got to talking to several of the kids. It is most interesting to hear them tell of the Jap occupation. The spokesman for this crowd was 14 years old. The youngest seemed to 4 or 5 years old. They all went to public school and all attended Catholic Church services. One Pedro, volunteered that he had some Jap money when we asked them for some. He went running off and came back with a 10 YEN note. When I tried to pay him for it or give him some extra stuff, he flatly refused saying, "I want to 'Geeve' this to you". We had already given the crowd of them a bunch of candy, cookies, and various cans of stuff. They seem to be most grateful to the Americans for returning to the island.

There has been a bull session going on for two hours; topics have included marriage, babies, missions, and now it is "when we get home next Fall". We live either in the past or the future. I hope we are not too optimistic.

But I must get down to earth and bear with the present. I must get a good night's sleep tonight! There is much work to be done tomorrow. Nothing can fix you up better than a good night's rest nor lack of one to tear you down.

I am mailing to Jane some clippings from a magazine BRIEF published in Hawaii. She is to forward them to x of you. Read them carefully as I am sure they will prove to be interesting.

Your brother,

P.S. KGEX San Francisco is coming in like a ton of bricks just now. It is now 1000 -- Greenwich -- April 2, 1945 or 0500 CWT April 2, 1945.

04-05-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Tuesday night April 5, 1945

Dear Charles,

This is not a family letter -- it is to you.

Your letter started 3/27/45 and finished 3/29/45 has just arrived. I appreciate more than I can put into works your letters. As in the past, I look upon you in a way stronger than even that of a brother. It is hard to even describe, but I assure you that it is heart felt. For that reason, I like to discuss things with you that won't be mentioned otherwise.

Your have asked several times about my feelings and reactions. Also your questions in general show that you are doing a bit of thinking. The vast majority of people do only "shallow" thinking, tending to pay attention to only the sensational angles. But there is much more!

First, I am one among many who are to be awarded the Air Medal for participating in the four night incendiary raids on Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe and Osaka. There were relatively few crews who made all four raids, as the total elapsed time was only seven days! Considering that the time to prepare, fly and "conclude" a mission is 30 hours, you can see how much time we had between missions to eat and sleep. Many crews made two or three of the four but only a few made all four. Then too, we had the privilege of "pathfinding" two of the four. It is no secret that in one week we hurt Japan more than all the raids on her by twenty-nines up to that time! It was terrific!

But the Air Corps is still the Pilot's Heaven. All the rest of us are mere necessary "baggage". My Airplane Commander, along with several others, are receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross, a much higher award. In their citations it is recorded "for participating in flights ---- involving long over water distances and exceedingly difficult navigation". I don't begrudge Joe Simmons the honor of getting the DFC (he got it once in the European Theater). Heavens, no! But it was the Navigator's responsibility over those Pacific wastes to see that the Plane's position was always on course. The Navigators here feel that we deserved equal recognition. But medals don't mean much. All I want is to come home safely!

The other day, a friend (Navigator) made a mistake. True, it was a mistake that was bad. The brass hats here claimed "bad judgment". But plane and crew came home safely. The Navigator was given PLAIN HELL, severely criticized, and fined $150, under the 104th Article of War. The common saying cropped up "Navigator flys a good mission, pilot gets DFC. Navigator f---s up, he gets fined plenty cash". What do you think happened to the general morale among us?

Your questions were not too involved to answer, I believe. We have no choice in "which" crew goes on certain raids. Operations Office posts a list of crews to "participate in tactical mission #__". At that time, no one knows the target, type of raid except by means of "scuttle-but". In many cases, there are more than one crew flying the same airplane. Consequently, the alternate. However, we are a "LEAD" crew. Therefore we have our own ship exclusively. We consider it to be our own personal property and "baby" it accordingly. In one case, when a maximum effort was called for, we had just come back and were terribly fatigued. With Simmon's agreement, another crew took our plane. They are our hut mates and their A/C flew with Simmons in Europe. So he (Simmons) knew he (Kordus) was a capable commander. Usually we expect three or four days of rest between jobs, but, when conditions are urgent, we may go as often as is humanly possible. As in the case of those fire raids, we had surprised the Japanese and wanted to get as much accomplished in the least elapsed time.

We were the lead ship on the last mission to SHIZUOKA. Timing was a terrific factor and weighed heavily on the Navigator. The predicted winds varied in actuality. That meant that I had to control the speed of the plane to maintain specific ground speeds as well as stay on exactly on course and thus fly no "extra miles."

I was extremely lucky --or maybe I had best say God was my co-navigator". I was given credit for a perfect navigation problem. Bragging? Heavens no! Next time, I may not be so fortunate. But we flew 1350 nautical miles and hit a specific spot on the Jap coast exactly 15 seconds sooner that our required time. And that is a lot of water!! Today I had to turn in a chart showing my track flown, my positions and time (at those positions) enroute. That is to go to Bomber Command. I have been promised a photostatic copy as a souvenir. Do you see what I mean in saying that this is a "Navigator's Theater". No where in the world are flights made under similar conditions. Our group is credited with the best navigation (as a group) in the Marianas. It is nice to have that reputation.

The first few raids my conscience was affected when I thought of fate of the average Japanese below us. No longer do I feel that way. One hardens in this work. To us, each worker in a war factory means more shells or planes to hit us. If they are unfortunate as to be near our targets when we arrive, that is just too bad for them. And many of their "factories" are in the homes, doing piece work. The only way to eliminate them is to blot out that area. Their way of doing things is quite different from that in America.

The surprise to us here is the sorry food that has been given us. The Navy in the same area eats "well" so the food can be had. So help me, if our mess hall were to lose their can openers, we'd starve! Yesterday, after our mission the two meals were so bad we couldn't eat it. Out of about 15 fellows, I found that they have lost between 4 to 12 pounds. They entrust us with a million dollar plane send us out to face Jap gunfire, and yet weaken our strength on the "Food Front". I stirred up the hornet's nest by telling my sad story to the group Navigator who took it up with the Flight Surgeon. Today, I was called in for an interview. Again I repeated my story. Already the Mess Officer has been relieved and they promise a New Deal! We sincerely hope so.

Right now we have a deal "on the fire" that is (To the Censor -- it is not a raid so don't get excited and start clipping) hot. I don't want to get my hopes up yet. We are to learn more about it tomorrow morning and whether our crew will be selected. Therefore, I will not close this letter until we know more. I may be able to tell you some REAL news. But the odds are High against our selection. Therefore we are remaining calm and not letting our hopes run riot.

04-07-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Saturday Morning April 7, 1945

May I continue. Yesterday brought more than I had anticipated. At the moment, I am confused, so confused that I hardly know what to say. But I do know this -- you must not mention this to any of the family -- including Martha, until something more definite is known.

Roughly, the situation involves being brought back to the states in the very near future, for a short length of time, to do some very specialized work, and then return here. There are two sets of conditions under which one may be selected. But we (our crew) cannot decide whether we are better off (in the long run) as we now are or would be in either of the two above conditions. It gets very involved -- which I cannot explain. But we are a bit superstitious. Changes frighten us. At present we are about 30% completed our tour; if we are selected for this other deal, we may never get through!

But thank goodness, we have no choice in the matter. Yesterday, several crews were "screened". They gave us one helluva written exam, and interviewed twice, etc. I did not ask for either condition nor volunteer for anything. Rather I said I'd do whatever they decided I could best do. My one idea was to get this war over and go home for good! Take me -- leave me -- it was up to them.

It is terrific "bait" to throw at someone here to start talking of going back to the States. But usually an attractive piece of bait has a sharp hook hidden somewhere. Once one is involved in this program, the responsibility will be terrible. Thousands of lives will be effected and monetary values are inestimable. If a success, some "bigshot" will be generously decorated. If not, the little fellow will catch unshirted Hell! And the Finance Dept. does not recognize in the least the additional responsibilities or gray hairs! So I don't know. As I said before, I am glad that I have no choice.

If we did come back, it would be my luck to be stuck in some desert which would be worse than this island. And lots of things could be worse than this island! It is being improved at a remarkable rate.

World events are happening quickly now. Russia renouncing her treaty with Japan. Okinawa falling steadily into American hands. Germany crumbling like a soda cracker. Yes, it all looks good. But there are yet some bitter bloody encounters to go. Our boys are up there right now, and we "pick a fight". But we must go back again and again until our targets are destroyed. That is our game. I suppose that you have now doped it out why we went up to OMURA, on Kyushu, on March 27th. It is all one big encounter, Army, Navy and Air Forces.

Enough for now. I have "beat my gums" and "blown my top" too much already. But I just had to talk to someone back home. Just remember this dope is not to go to any other member of the family -- not even Jane. They wouldn't understand. Your brother,

04-13-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Friday Night April 13, 1945.

Dear Charles & Family,

Yesterday was quite a day of superlatives for us. Our ninth mission to Japan took place without incident. But maybe you would be a bit interested in what took place. Our target was a chemical plant about 100 miles north of Tokyo at KORIYAMA. We were to hit it in the daylight hours.

Our ship was chosen to lead our Group formation. That put much more responsibility on me as lead navigator as we not only had to stay on the prescribed course but also be at the right place at exactly prescribed times. It is hard enough when your responsibility covers one plane -- so imagine how one feels about a large formation following you. And we had our Group Commanding Officer riding in our Ship as Command Pilot to see that everything went off as directed. Yet, it is quite and experience.

As luck would have it, we had some foul weather enroute. Winds were not as predicted. We were behind schedule at the half way point. We "goosed" up the airspeed. Any distance off course meant just that many more miles to fly and more time consumed. But to make a long story short, we got to the positions at the right time. Enroute home, the Colonel came back in my compartment and complimented me on a very good job. (Please pardon any resemblance to our dear cousin Fritz).

As predicted, the weather cleared at the Jap coast and our bombardier spotted the plant in question. We all feel easier when he gives us the signal that it is definitely identified. But those minutes approaching it seem like years. It is a relief to hear the bomb racks click and the bombs are away. This time we heard sharp explosions which I thought at first were our own turrets firing. Actually, it was the plant exploding thousands of feet below us! They say our bombs truly covered the target. No more Jap planes will refuel with gasoline from that plant!

But something was lacking. Yes, there was no flak nor Jap fighters. We couldn't know when all Hell would break loose. But it never did. Our attack must have caught them absolutely flat footed! To us, it was merely a "milk run". But those smoke columns rising a couple of thousand of feet into the air meant "results -- excellent".

We had taken off hours before dawn. We had watched the sun rise in the east, across the heavens, and set in the west. And we had a couple of hours yet to get back to our base. Yes, the time exceeded eighteen hours. No wage and hour law over here.

Couple of superlatives -- this bombing mission has been accredited to be the longest on record for the Superforts. And I know of no other plane in the world that can be compared with it. We took off with the greatest load (gross), including naturally much bombs and gasoline, in local operations. But Joe Simmons had that crate in the air in just nothing flat. He is a wonderful pilot.

But lets go back to the target. Each time, I look at the Japanese country, how mountainous and infertile the land must be, I wonder at the damn stupidity of their leaders to challenge the might of the United States. Plainly we could see the hills, rivers, and valleys. They are ingenious at building terraces to raise their rice. At certain points, those terraces were so thick they resembled overlapping pancakes.

I wonder what the average Jap farmer thought while working in his field to look up and see our formation approaching. Just a few of our planes make quite a sight. But a large group is truly thrilling -- when they are friendly. But to them, we're enemy. It must make chills run down their spines. None of their concocted propaganda could prevent that. They have quite a few scattered villages -- but their roads seem very narrow and winding. Not at all like our broad concrete highways.

04-14-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Saturday Morning April 14, 1945.

Sorry I didn't get to finish this letter last night but some guys were gathering for a "session" and I had to quit. There were only a few fellows in camp as most everyone was "on the road to Tokyo". I was actually sorry to miss that show. It must have been another for the history books. As I write this, the planes are coming in -- circling for landings after a weary night's work. Our losses so far have been so light that we may be getting over-confident, but I hope none of our fellows were lost. I did hear of two ships being lost (not in our group) on Thursday's show, one from absolute gross negligence on the navigator's part, another on the pilot's part. The entire crew suffered. That is the way it goes.

I had best close and get dressed. Things will be happening for us again soon, I guess. So we must catch up on odds and ends in between time!

All of your letters are truly appreciated. Keep 'em coming. As ever,

Note: Added in Birmingham

The raid he "missed" -- thank God -- was the tremendous 400 ship raid on Tokyo on 4/14 in which 6 of the B-29's were lost and the Japs used jet propelled suicide fighters. The B-29's were accompanied by P-51 Mustangs from Iwo Jima tho, otherwise our B-29 losses would have been even more. Charles 4/20/45.

04-16-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Monday afternoon April 16, 1945

Dear Family,

Yesterday just before take off, the mailman truly did right by me. Letters from B'ham, Natchez and Memphis PLUS a wonderful envelope containing the April 9 TIME Pony Edition mailed from Hawaii. Yes, they put me in an excellent frame of mind. It was so good to hear from you, particularly at that instant for we were soon enroute to Tokyo. I am so pleased that some way, somehow I have a TIME subscription coming. You have no idea how valuable and jealously guarded a recent issue of that magazine is here. They cannot be valued in dollars and cents! Since I have been trying to get this subscription started in several ways, I don't know exactly whom to thank. So I just say thanks to you all. Today after I had gotten a few hours sleep, I found the mail man was my friend again. This time they were from Belma, Meridian and Memphis. So I think you are about the nicest family a fellow ever had.

Last night, we went to Japan for our tenth time. As the radio has said, the Greater Tokyo area was hit with those hot burning incendiary bombs. Before I say more, we came through without a scratch -- though we had a new, more harrowing experience -- but some of our best friends were not so fortunate. Our plane was assigned to the Kawasaki area along the Bay. As we were among the last to hit the target, we could see damage which was accumulating on the ground. It was terrific -- you cannot imagine the intensity of the fires set by these bombs. Our narrow escape came not from enemy action but indirectly from our own work. When we were a mile and a half above the target, the heat of the fires on the ground created such up drafts of air that it tossed our plane an additional half mile straight up in about ten seconds though Joe Simmons had it headed straight down on it's nose. Personally I had not fastened my safety belt and was bounced off the roof of the compartment. But I did have on a flak helmet (a metal helmet designed like a football helmet) and it took the shock. All my navigation equipment was scattered all over the floor. But I assure you that those wings are wonderful -- anything less and they would have buckled and collapsed.

The Japanese are evidently quite mad that we continue to hit her cities and destroy her industrial power. They are trying everything imaginable to defend themselves. Tokyo is becoming an area we "respect". We never go there without paying a price. Don't let the newspapers fool you with their glowing descriptions of accomplishments and then minimize our costs. Imagine how fanatically we would defend New York, Washington, Los Angeles or San Francisco. And they are a more fanatically minded people than we!

These raids are peculiar in that the Jap defenses concentrate on a few planes knowing they can't get us all. Last night we were not selected. But several of our best crews were on their list. They will be sorely missed by the rest of us. That is where Faith in God plays a terrific part. At Nagoya on our third raid, we went through their Hail of Hell and lived to tell the story. We know what it means! Again, at Kobe, we experienced it. Yes, though we are not to discuss it now, the Japanese are becoming a desperate people!

Tomorrow has been set aside for Awards and Decorations in our outfit. There were several crews who made all the raids in the "Fire Blitz" early in March. Our crew was one of those. Our Airplane Commanders are to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. The rest of us are to receive the Air Medal for the part we played in what Washington reported to be "the most destructive series of raids in that short a period of time in the history of warfare". Unfortunately two of the crews won't be here to be decorated. May God have mercy on their souls! They gave their lives for a CAUSE!

Charles, I think this paper is fine. Thanks a million. I'll be mighty glad when the package arrives containing the pack of it. Funny how we are so short of such common place items! Yet we have plenty of cigarettes, etc. which are so short in the States.

All of the clippings, papers, etc. which you have sent are enjoyed. I am terribly sorry to hear of the flood waters in the Lower Mississippi. Floods are so devastating. There is only one thing worse -- war in your home land.

Charles, the situation of which I wrote you that had me so confused has had no further developments -- we heard nothing more. So we are pleased just to forget the whole affair. It is just as well.

I am very glad Jane & Ted are going visiting both in Natchez and B'Ham. I know they will enjoy being with you. My mind goes back to 1941 when I first went into the Army. with ideas that I would stay single and assume no "family" responsibilities until Peace returned. You know when and how those ideas were changed. Now as I look back, how thankful I am that those ideas were changed. Only after we were married did the full realization of the real ;meaning of LIVING come to me. Now, as we live here only from one day to the next, I am thankful that I have those memories. We have been superbly happy. Yes, God was good to me when he gave me Jane. Then He further blessed us with Ted. Though I am aware, in the strongest fashion, of the risk that he might lose his Dad, I am still glad we have him for two reasons; (1) he is a part of me who will remain with you regardless of what happens to us out here, and (2) I am proud to have a son to carry on the name of BRASFIELD in the next generation. It makes me even more proud that he bears the name of his grandfather and uncle. Yes, CTBIII is a blessing to us all.

Really, I didn't mean to get in a morbid state of mind. Right now, we are sad and it would reflect in my thoughts and writing. This game is a dead serious one -- the stakes high. As we came so close to disaster ourselves, It brought us safely back to fight another day to hasten that glorious day of Peace when we won't go out to destroy our fellow man.

04-17-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Tuesday Night April 17, 1945

Dear Charles,

Your letter of April 11th came this morning. I enjoyed it very much, particularly that part concerning your coal mine. Say, you truly got into something on that deal, didn't you. I can see why it fascinates you so much. I was mighty glad to hear that your miners did not walk out on you. that speaks for itself as to how they felt. And that coal breaker will certainly prove valuable, even in that 30 tons a day saved plus the manpower saved. You know, ever since I worked in Orrick's coal yard, I have always been interested in coal mines. How about getting me a trip down in one some day? I'd like to see one "down under".

Say, you are truly keeping a chart on the raids pulled off over here. It is amazing (particularly to the Japs) that so many raids occur so frequently. Our strength here grows daily. To look at our base today and think back only two months ago when we arrived, the difference is almost unbelievable. I never dreamed to see what is absolutely common place now. It is a case of American strength that will finally blast the Japs into the necessary Unconditional Surrender. it must and will end that way.

Lest you have failed to get some of my letters and you wish to bring your charts up to date from March 26th as you mentioned -- these are our raids since that date --

Raid 7. March 27. Omura, Kyushu.

Raid 8. April 3. Shizuoka (Greater Tokyo Area).

Raid 9. April 12. Koriyama

Raid 10. April 15. Kawasaki (Greater Tokyo).

Of course, one crew can not make them all. Our outfit does not necessarily participate in them all. But you have no way of telling whether or not we do x from the newspaper reports. I try to be most diligent in writing as soon as a raid is over so you need not unnecessarily worry.

Today, we were awarded our medals for the Fire Blitz raids last March. Remember we flew four missions from March 9 to March 16th, hitting Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe. For that our Airplane Commanders got the DFC -- the rest of us the Air Medal. General Power made the presentation. it was quite an affair, band, parade, etc. Got my picture made shaking hands with the General. Then our crew was photographed lined up with the medals dangling off the shirts. and lastly we got them to "shoot" us with the "City of Dallas" as a background. I hope that they come out and I can get some copies.

By the way, this publicity hullaboo about the ships named after cities is to be released on April 25th. We refused to send the "stock" letter to the Mayor of Dallas so we wrote our own. It gave more details about the ship and what it has accomplished. If you want some of the news paper clippings that will come out, and surely they will play it up, I'd suggest you contacting their Chamber of Commerce or the Dallas Morning News, or the Times-Herald.

There is to be a "City of Birmingham" which you will hear more about in your papers. Some captain in another squadron (he has an Italian name which I can't remember) is the Plane Commander and hails form Bham. I do not know him. I am curious as to how the cities will take to the whole affair.

Uncle Luther has mailed to me the front page of the Star for several days which was an excellent idea. I got quite a bang out of reading them -- only a week old. How about trying that on some Bham papers -- if it is not too much trouble, Maybe the girls would cut them out and save them. Two or three can come on a 6 cent stamp. Is our younger brother becoming too much trouble? I'm sorry!

Is Jack Yauger out of the Army? How did he do it! Give him my best regards. Your brother,

04-24-45 J Simmons by J Brasfield: Lead Crew School Muroc AAF, California Tuesday, April 24, 1945

Dear Charles & Martha,

You have no idea how much I enjoyed talking to you from San Francisco, but I was ashamed to let it drag out so long at your expense. But we were a happy bunch to see that Golden Gate. Maybe I had best back up and tell you how it came about so suddenly. Last Wednesday, we were on schedule to lead the next mission. Joe Simmons went up to Operations and came back smiling. When I asked him the take off time, he said "we are going back to the States tomorrow". We left our base late Thursday, actually took off from Guam Friday morning, had Friday supper at Kwajalein, crossed the international Date Line, had Friday breakfast at Johnson Island, late Friday lunch at Honolulu and landed in S.F. Saturday morning. We were passengers in an ATC Douglas DC-4 (Skymaster), traveling in a plush seat model. Some style, eh. We had many interesting fellow passengers, some of whom were Boeing's technical staff who had been making flight tests in the Marianas, the Filipino delegation to the San Francisco conference, various military personnel from privates to a Brigadier General, and one woman war correspondent photographer.

We left S.F. Late Sunday on an ATC cargo plane and flew to Los Angeles. We spent quite a hectic night there, but that is the subject of another letter -- at a later date. The worst leg of our journey was from L.A. to Muroc. First we got a bus to Lancaster, taking 4 hours to travel 70 miles! After waiting 3 hours, we got transportation from the base to haul us the final 30 miles out in the desert. And brother, we are in the middle of nowhere. Had we been sent here before we went over seas, we would have yelled our heads off in disgust. Now we welcome it with it's good food, clean sheets, and some resemblance to civilization. And to know those damn slant eyes won't be shooting at you about midnight as you pass over the target. And that is a whole lot!

We were not gone quite three months. But in that time we had quite a few experiences. During those ten missions, I learned things that I'd never learn otherwise. I tried to give you some idea of what we did in my letters. But I could not get into any details. Someday I want to tell you more. Our problems and experiences over there are peculiar to that area. I'll never forget as long as I live how I felt when they announced at briefing "Tonight your target will be Tokyo. The planes will be staggered at 200 feet difference of elevations beginning at 5000 feet!" My goodness, over the enemies capital at altitude of one mile. I was sure that it was a suicide affair. So was everyone else. We actually began to "will" our various property to fellows not assigned to that raid. It was only our second raid. I was sure that their AA would be accurate to that height. We lost 13 planes out of 300 more or less! Then Nagoya came and we were pathfinder. We caught Hell there but came home with no injuries. Then it was Osaka and then Kobe. The Jap fighter almost got us there. Raids came fast and even now are blurring in our memory as to details. But I am glad I kept a diary for details. things happened fast until Kawasaki and those terrible heat currents from our burning target. It almost tore our wings off the fuselage. We lost 17 planes that night. We used to get very mad to read the losses as announced in the papers and compare their figures with the actual. Usually the actual was twice or more than the announced! Why I don't know. The low announced losses seem to us to make it sound that there was nothing to our job. We knew differently. In Tokyo alone, we completely destroyed through burning 33.6 sq. miles of the city's 64 sq. miles of important area. How it continues to operate baffles us. Maybe it doesn't!

We did good jobs at Osaka and Kobe and never had to go, back. But Nagoya was a problem. We gave it the same treatment time and time again. But the damn thing wouldn't burn! Oh, maybe two to eight sq. miles to each raid, but that is not much. One factory there produced 39% of Japan's aircraft engines. We couldn't hit it. Finally in plain daylight at medium altitude they went in and blasted 60% of it into ruins. We heard that massive bucket brigades working during the raids themselves kept the city's burning to a minimum. Gosh only knows how many people were killed because fragmentation bombs were mixed with the incendiaries! The area had a population of about 60,000 per sq. mi.

But Japanese targets offer peculiar problems -- because of the terrific weather and clouds. So we are here to work on just that. Crews are to get special training to "get" particular type of target with our so called "precision instruments". That is our job here. We are here for 120 days on temporary duty. Our first crews are being brought back from the Marianas for a month's training. Then they will go back. I imagine we'll also get a few select crews even before they go over.

Today we took a three hour flight over L.A. picking out camera targets. Tomorrow they will make radar scope pictures of targets north of here. This experience is truly unique. To predict that bombing technique would come to this would have sounded foolish only a few months ago. But radar is becoming a fine science!

I started this letter while waiting for a call to go thru to Jane. It took two hours to get it thru to Natchez. She is frantic trying to figure out how to get out here. Lord only knows what kind of shanty I can find for her. But we will manage somehow. Right now the most important thing is to be together regardless of inconvenience and expense. Three months away from one's wife is long enough though thousands are being separated for longer times. Both parties can become dangerously "starved" during separations.

We are in the middle of a desert, 30 miles to the nearest town (Lancaster -- pop. 2,000) The wind and the sand blows badly but it is still good old USA!. The base is being converted to B-29's so much of the personnel is being transferred. But they seem friendly and personnel of the 20th Air Force enjoys a high reputation here. B-29's are still a novelty around here with everybody wanting to get a ride in one of them. To us it seems odd as it is merely just another day's work for us. We are working under well experienced, young, high ranking officers. It will be most interesting and instructive.

Write when you get a chance. We have much to catch up on since our letters have been subject to censorship. Your brother,