The stories of war are generally about valor, excitement and/or achievements.
However, wartime military service is mostly composed of training, waiting with boredom and a little action for a few people. This collection is composed of stories of incidents that reflect my attitudes, beliefs and feelings that occurred to me during World War II. My combat experience was as a pilot of a B-25C, a medium altitude bomber, and B-25C-l, a modified B-25C for low level bombing and strafing, during parts of 1942 and 1943. I remember these incidents very clearly, but I have no notes to help me. We were ordered to make no record of our experiences in the combat zone and unfortunately I heeded the order. Now, I know that the worst that would have happened if had written a record of my experiences was that my papers and pictures would have been taken from me and returned after the war was over. Some of my pictures were taken from me and to my surprise they were returned years later.
Historians, who research records of events of the past, often interpret the events with a value system that was developed years after the events occurred. This gives a distorted picture of what happened and why it happened. I hope to help the readers of this collection to see the events through my eyes rather than through the filters of their experiences. The events or incidents did happen and made an impression on me. Some impressions have faded, fortunately, and many have remained a part of me and influenced my life.