The Bombs Keep Falling

John and I were sitting on our usual patrol placement, smoking and talking about the war that was going on as we usually do. We sat there watching the sunset, when a little silver dot caught my attention. I pointed the dot out to John and he watched warily. The silver dot got bigger and then multiplied. It was planes coming our way. The question was who’s planes? 1

“John. Go alert the captain. This might be important,” I whispered to John without taking my eyes of the multiplying dots. John nodded and ran off.2

As the planes got closer I noticed that they were Japanese’s War planes. 3

I stood up and shouted, “Japan’s coming! Japan’s coming to make an assault!” John ran back up to the spot where I stood and told me that we should take to the planes. I nodded and soon John and I were in our plane getting ready to launch an assault on the approaching Japanese planes. Both John and I knew that we would probably die, but we needed to defend our country. I was steering the plane and John was at the gun. Many of our fellow comrades where flying close to us. I could faintly see the U.S.S. Arizona on the water.4

The Japanese planes took aim at our planes and started firing. I was dodging bullets as John was shooting at a Japan plane. With a big explosion the plane next to us exploded. A few of the Japanese airplanes were launching an assault on the U.S.S. Arizona. I saw this and told John to take aim at the Japanese planes.5

He hit most of them, but one turned on us and shot at our plane. One bullet came all the way through the plane and by chance hit John. A scream tore from my lips. A scream of surprise and anger. 6

Our plane was shot in the wig and if I wanted to save John I would have to land. More Japanese planes started to attack the U.S.S. Arizona and soon smoke was coming off of our finest ship. Our plane was starting to lose control. I could not land at Pearl Harbor because I was losing control of the plane. The plane crashed into a field. 7

I searched for John in the flames of the plane and soon found him. Although I was badly injured I managed to get him away from the burning plane. His wound on his left shoulder was bleeding and he had burns and cuts on his body. I put my hand on John’s wounded shoulder and pushed hard on it to help stop the blood flow. John was still alive for when I touched his shoulder, he groaned. 8

I needed to get back to the Pearl Harbor base, if there was anything left of it. I was walking to the road supporting John’s weight when an army truck stopped by us.9

“By god! What happened to you and John, Henry!?” Vince asked me.10

“We were… shot down by… the Japanese…” I said as I tried to catch my breath. 11

Vince demanded, “Hand me John and climb in. We’ll get you two medical attention.” I handed them John and climbed into the truck.12

We just arrived at Pearl Harbor to see the U.S.S. Arizona sink. The water turned black with oil and the air was filled with smoke. John was out of it by the time we were loaded on stretchers. I feel into a deep sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow of the bed.13

I awoke to groans of injured men. John was heavily wrapped in bandages. We did not lose Pearl Harbor, but we lost many men. I most wait to see if John will live. He is strong so I imagine that he will. 14

John woke up. He is alive. I told him all that has happened and we are now even closer than we were before. The Americans now want to launch an attack on Japan. If they do I will not go. Let the bombs keep falling as long as they aren’t falling upon me.