8, 1941. Between twenty and
twenty-five twin-engine bombers were overhead in a diamond formation.
Soon some 150 bombs of various sizes were bringing disability and
death to many of our soldiers-drilling on the parade ground-and to
their families in their small homes. It seemed unreal that Camp Hay
could be the first target of the Japanese bombers, actually starting
World War II in the Philippines.
Where were our American planes? We probably did just what the Japanese
planned that we would. We called Clark Air Field-about one-hundred
miles to the southwest, and told them, "Camp John Hay is being bombed!
Get some fighters up here, and keep those bombers away!"
We had no air-raid sirens, no machine guns, no anti-aircraft guns,
nothing to deter them. We were surprised by the air attack, and even
more by their accuracy. We heard the bombers were led by German
pilots-possibly the very ones we were playing golf with the previous
week.
If the Japanese thought that they would catch our military and naval
officers on weekend leave at Camp Hay, they were fooled, as all
personnel had previously been restricted to their stations and ships
by a General Alert.
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