Majeski's Memoirs - More Memories

Sometime in April 1945 I wrote the following in my diary.

On one of the previous night missions McCrea and another gunner had shot down two so called "balls of fire". These were Japanese suicide rockets or jet propelled planes. They carry explosives in the nose and their purpose is to ram into you. After takeoff their landing gear drops off , therefore there is no returning to Mother earth for them. They are called Kamikaze pilots. The planes are called Baka's by the Japanese.

We nicknamed them ball of fire because they were rocket fueled and their exhaust looked like a ball of fire especially at night. The pilots had pledged to give their lives for the Emperor of Japan. Dying for the Emperor was considered a great honor. They had been ramming our Navy's ships off of Okinawa inflicting heavy losses.

On one mission as we were leaving the area of Tokyo bay I saw a ball of fire following us. I called the Pilot, Capt Tucker, and he initiated evasive action by zig zagging, going up and down somewhat like a roller coaster ride. It was difficult because of the inky black darkness to determine how far or close he was to us. After what seemed and eternity the ball of fire went out. Then the sky lit up as he hit the ocean. He had run out of fuel and created what looked like a 4th of July fireworks display.

We now turned to another problem. We ran into a tropical storm which had unbelievable turbulence. Sitting in the tail, I was out of my seat more than in it. We made it back to good old Tinian safely. At that time, 1945, I was nineteen years old and although I was concerned about surviving the war in retrospect I think I handled it rather well. I recall that when we had flown about 10 missions I discussed our chances of surviving 35 missions with my buddy and fellow crewman, radar operator, Joe Ryan. I truthfully say that we gave up hope of surviving 25 more missions. Our losses due to enemy action were great plus the constant engine fires because of overheating and the other dangers of flying over 3000 or more miles over the ocean.

I really feel because of the defeatist attitude that we were resolved to our fate. We were resolved to the fact that if we returned from a mission--great-! if we did not, then we did not. What other choice did we have? Our generation was a brave patriotic bunch of guys. We did not have television as we grew up with all its violence and immorality and junk. We were brought up by God-fearing honest, ethnic parents, We did not grow up as fast as the generations that followed us. We were naive KIDS from the city and country assuming tremendous responsibilities to fight for our country and boy we sure could fight a war. I am proud to say that I was one of those in that great generation that won that war.

Those that had craftsman-ike ingenuity built windmill type washing machines. These were made of small barrels which had small windmill type propellers attached to a shaft and some gears attached to a paddle so that the wind turned the prop which in turn rotated the gears, thus turning the paddle which somewhat washed the clothes. Most of the time there was a breeze and could you see these strange contraptions around the quonsets, with their spinning props. I did not have a windmill washing machine so occationally I took my laundry down to the airfield where there were barrels of 100 octane gasoline. I washed my laundry in the gas and it took no time for it dry in the wind. It is amazing to me when I think back that I never itched or developed a rash from from wearing my clothes.

After eating Australian mutton and canned rations at mess each evening we would still be hungry several hours later. On several occasions our CFC Gunner, Ed Roach, who had an in with a mess hall cook, was given large bermuda type onions. I remember how we would all sit around and Ed would slice it into egual pieces and how we relished every taste of those onions

. I somehow got the bright idea to ask my father to send me jars of baby food.. My logic was that the jars were small and they would keep because we had no refrigeration. I was laughed at when my first package of Gerbers apple sauce, pears and peaches. It was not too long after that my fellow crewman were receiving packages of baby food.

We had a make believe distiller who discovered that de-icer fluid mixed with fermented sugar cane (sugar cane was growing all over the lsland) made a potent after dinner drink. I can remember seeing a fellow crewman lying on his back in the middle of a coral built road passed out. It was raining quite heavy and his eye sockets were filled with rain water. He never moved a muscle. Thats saying a lot for de-icer fluid mixed with sugar cane.