After flying one or two missions and having survived, many air combat crew members became superstitious. The same clothes, boots, and what one carried in their pockets were considered omens of good luck. These were worn and carried each mission. Some carried a rabbits foot and some carried good luck charms.--- I will admit that I fell into the category of wearing the same clothes on each mission. On my gun sight I hung my rosary beads. I had been brought up as a Catholic and that was one of my ways of praying to the Lord. I also brought along two prayer books.

-During takeoff, I always rode in the tail position. What a sight ,doing over a hundred miles an hour, bumping along the runway, then watching the runway become smaller and smaller and then disappear would then go forward and shut off the Putt-Putt

Between Iwo Jima and Tinian I would wander about the airplane. Sometimes I would crawl through the long tunnel over the bomb bays and visit with the crew up front -- the Airplane Commander, copilot, bombardier, navigator, radio operator, and the flight engineer. Most of the time I would remain in the Central Fire control compartment. With the right and left gunners, the CFC gunner, and the radar operator. After passing Iwo Jima I would then go back to the tail compartment because we would now be getting into the range of Japanese fighters. About this time I would go into my routine and read my favorite prayers and many times would recite the rosary. It is interesting to note that many times over a target ( a Japanese city) I would point my two powerful 50 caliber machine guns and fire bursts down into the city. In retrospect now when I think back, I had been praying for my life and shortly after I was firing my guns in anger hoping to kill some Japanese. War does create some mixed feelings. However, remember the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. That-- and the wanting to be home enjoying life is what motivated the hatred towards the Japanese.

On briefings prior to flying a mission, we met in a large Quonset hut. There were rows of benches where each crew sat on their own bench. A large stage was up front and a curtain covered the wall at the back of the stage. When we were all seated the curtain would be pulled open revealing the target that we were to bomb. There would be oohs and aahs, especially if the target was Tokyo. It was a extremely dangerous target. We were given information as to the weather, fighters, anti aircraft, and what we might expect over the target. After the briefing we would meet outside with a chaplain and pray .My chaplain was a catholic priest. A short distance away the Jewish men met with their chaplain and the Protestant men with their chaplain.

Having been used to beautiful, huge, Catholic churches it felt strange participating in Mass out in the open under the sky. The sky out there on that island was unbelievably beautiful. The stars were shining so bright and clear that kneeling there on the ground and looking up gave one a feeling of contact with God ----that he was hearing our prayers. Telling you that I flew 35 combat missions means nothing until you know how and why I got to be there. That is one of the reasons that I have been writing about my life in the military Many men have endured much more and sacrificed much more than what we (my crew) did. I appreciate what they have accomplished and gone through. Perhaps someone someday will appreciate what Capt. Percy Tucker's crew did to help finalize World War II.