On July 16, 1945 Replacement Crew 6 was put on combat orders. The briefer exposed the map of Japan and pointed to a city south of Tokyo, Handa, a shipyard center was our target for the night. As synchronized watches we were told there would be radio silence from that time on, in order not to tip off the enemy of our intentions. We were to start engines, taxi and line up in takeoff position at exact time intervals. We would wait in takeoff position until we got the green light before we commenced our takeoff roll. Other crews had emphasized the point about waiting for the green light. Flying at dusk from a mile and half long runway, we may not be able to see if the previous plane got off all right, and spacing was of paramount importance. We would be flying at staggered altitudes and we wanted to keep an assured clear distance from the plane ahead of us. With only our dim running lights, we wouldn’t be able to see other planes after dark. At the conclusion of our briefing they told the new crew to stay for further information. The officer announced: We want to tell you what to do if you have wounded aboard.” That added to the drama.

Trucks were waiting outside the theater to take us to the flight line where the ground crews had been hard at work, making sure the planes were in tip-top shape for the fifteen hour flight. The crew chief assured us that the plane was ready. We hoped we were.

We didn’t just climb aboard and turn a key and go. There was about an hour’s worth of pre-flight preparation. One of the important jobs of the co-pilot was to figure weight and balance. Using charts and calculator, we have to be sure the load is in correct balance for takeoff and flight. Finding the exact weight of fuel, bombs ammunition crew members and their equipment, we find the critical center of balance. More than once, I moved a crew member from a forward to a rear position for the takeoff. Each member was busy with their preparations.

Dick Donovan, the Radar Officer became violently ill. We were not only concerned for him, but we couldn’t go without a man in his crew position. He insisted he would be okay, probably a bad case of nerves. He felt better after we got under way.

After we all got strapped in, I started reading the checklist, page after page of items that I would call out over the intercom and wait for the appropriate response from the crew.

Getting the thumbs up from the ground crew, we got in line with the other planes. We watched as each plane ahead of us took off, and at our turn we took our position on the runway. Eleven pairs of eyes stared at the tower awaiting the aforementioned IMPORTANT GREEN LIGHT. Time went by but no green light! A jeep came speeding up to the nose of our airplane. I opened the window to see what the shouting was about. “What the *#@* are you waiting for?” he yelled. I pointed to the tower and shouted back, “We are waiting for the green light!” The ramp officer pointed to the far end of the runway and bellowed, “There’s your *#@* green light! Now get going!” No one had thought to mention where the green light was going to be. The ramp officer scurried to get out of the way as we applied full power to our four Wright-Cyclone engines. We just had to get away from all that shouting.

During the takeoff roll of this our first loaded-to-the max bomber; I was concerned about my calculations. As per our procedure, I called out the speeds as we sped down the runway. At 95 MPH the nose wheel lifted slightly. We continued at this attitude until we reached flying speed. I called out the speed: 100, 105, 110, 115, etc. We are fast running out of runway. We reached 120 and Bill Tapp calls for gear up. I have my own safety factor – I waited a second or two until the rumble of tires stops and the altimeter shows a climb. Then with gear up we barely skim the ground until we reach the end of the island. There a 200-foot cliff that drops off into the ocean. Tapp eases the plane down until the waves are nearly lapping at the belly of the bomber as we pick up airspeed and the cylinder heads cool down. Then we start our long climb to our cruising altitude.

We finally reached cruising altitude and got everything set, we let the autopilot hold our course while we relaxed for a few hours. Bill (Tapp) told me to lean back and take a nap. He would flying the first part of the mission, and take a nap on the way back. I was too keyed up to sleep so I would while away the time stargazing – literally. On a moonless night away from any lights I could see billons of starts. My thoughts were: If there is a God up there, why are we on the way to destroy some of his people? Or my thoughts turned to home and loved ones.