1 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're 2 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: listening to Software Radio Special Operations, military news and straight 3 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: talk with the guys and the community and everyone. Welcome 4 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: back to Software Radio, Software Radio, on Time, on Target. 5 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: We're here with another superb podcast. We have a great 6 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: guest with this today we're gonna be talking with the 7 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: former Air Force fighter Pilo Dan Hampton. He's also an 8 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: accomplished author and we're gonna be talking with him about 9 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: his most recent book that's coming out I Believe in 10 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: September um and it's all Operations Vengeance. It's about the militaries, 11 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: basic assassination attempt on Adramal Yamamoto and World War Two. 12 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: It is a fantastic read. We're gonna be talking all 13 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: about that. But first we want to welcome Dancing August 14 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: and thank you for taking the time, uh and joining 15 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: us here on Software Radio. And uh. I hope everything's 16 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: going both way out there. You know, I'm dodging thunderstorms 17 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: out here on top of the mountains. But it's a 18 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: it's a pleasure to to speak with you today and 19 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,119 Speaker 1: I appreciate the the opportunity. The book comes out actually 20 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 1: next week, not September, so don't wait till September to 21 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: buy it. Oh okay, well I must ad yours book 22 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: confused with somebody else's. But yeah, okay, folks, I stand 23 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: corrected on that. It comes out next week, so look 24 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: from that everywhere. I think you can buy an advanced 25 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: copy of that on Amazon dot com. We were lucky 26 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: enough to and you were kind of to share an 27 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: advanced copy with us. And I can tell all of 28 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: our listeners out there and readers, this is has to 29 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: be one of those must read books if you're a 30 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: military history buff, is one that you have to read. 31 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:21,839 Speaker 1: But we're gonna get to that in just a bit 32 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: because we're going to talk to your real briefly about 33 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: your your military career. You were forced fight a pilot, 34 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: um hundred from what I read about you, A hundred 35 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: and fifty one combat mentions, and um, yeah that's true. 36 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: I I flew for twenty years and one day. Um. 37 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: I enjoyed it very much. I was I was happy 38 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: to leave when I did, but I loved I loved 39 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: flying fighters and and I loved you know, I love 40 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: that lifestyle and and doing something that was that was 41 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: important and getting to see the world a little bit, 42 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: so yeah, I had I had a great time. So 43 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,359 Speaker 1: you know, where was your first duty station. I went 44 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: to Germany right at the very end of the Cold War, 45 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: I think. I think the Soviet Union hung on for 46 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: a year after I got there, So you know, we 47 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: went there expecting to to fight the Russian hordes in 48 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: the Folder Gap. And and I was a bachelor at 49 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: the time. I could get everything I owned in my car, 50 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: so it was it was. It was great fun. It 51 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: was a great time to be there. And then the 52 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: First Gulf War rolled around and and we all got 53 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: sent somewhere none of us had ever heard of. But 54 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:34,399 Speaker 1: for a couple of years, I had a great time 55 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: in Germany. You know, I can imagine because if you're 56 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: a single bad station in Germany and your fighter pilot, 57 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: I imagine there was plenty of what's saying it distractions 58 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: out there for you, Targets of opportunity. Yeah, there there 59 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: were that. And this one was a rich environment. Yeah, 60 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: this was before political correctness saturated the military. So it 61 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: was a lot of my disposable income went to a 62 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: Porsche and traveling. So I had a I had a 63 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: really good time. That changed very rapidly, but I have 64 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: fond memories of it. Oh yeah, we all do. And yeah, 65 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: now when you were in and the first go for 66 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: were you flying like us, hunting for system or will 67 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: you be building brown stuff for strictly air? No, we were. 68 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: We were wild weasels out of spang Do the tactical 69 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: fighter wing. So our job was to go out and 70 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 1: pick fights with anti aircraft guns and surfaced air missiles 71 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: and get them to reveal where they were by shooting 72 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 1: at us, and if we survived, then we'd go and 73 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: kill them so they didn't bother anybody else. There's a 74 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: lot of fun. Well, I remember seeing that, you know, 75 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: all the stuff, because during that time we were still 76 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: cleaning up the mess from the winter before in Panama 77 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: and that's where I was stationed. So uh, we were done, 78 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: and we were watching all this on the news every 79 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: night when we get home. But you guys were doing 80 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: over there in the desert. And I don't know how 81 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,919 Speaker 1: sophisticated their ni aircraft systems were, but it seems like 82 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: they have a slew up. Yeah, they had a lot. 83 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: The French of course, had sold them everything they had 84 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,119 Speaker 1: and put together a pretty decent system and then most 85 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:32,239 Speaker 1: of the missiles came from the Soviet Union. Um, so 86 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: it was interesting in that we've been studying these and 87 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: training to fight against them, and we actually did. But 88 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: you know, they obviously weren't manned by Russian guys. They were, well, 89 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: most of them weren't. They were manned by Iraqis using 90 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: a French system, So how much worse could he get 91 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: for them? Right? Anyway, they didn't last very long, so 92 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: no worries. Yeah, well, it seemed like after the first 93 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: few days they're there, triplate system was basically put out 94 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: a service. Yeah, there's Sam's, the radars, the Triple A, 95 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: and they realized they weren't going to be able to 96 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 1: to fight us, so they quit using it because every 97 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: time they used it, you know, we'd we'd whack it, 98 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: and they wanted to have something left for after the war. 99 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: Was the same thing with their with their fighters. You 100 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 1: know when when you were in the military, you know 101 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: when when a bunch of guys go out on a 102 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: morning mission and don't come back, that's sort of a 103 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 1: downer from morale, right, And that's what was happening to 104 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: the Rocky Air Force. Every time guys would take off 105 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: they'd never come back. So the ones that were left said, 106 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: we're not We're not doing this, and so we rerolled 107 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,799 Speaker 1: to air to ground, you know, we would do close 108 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: air support and UH and and surface attack against the 109 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 1: big targets. And that's what we did until the war ended. Yeah, 110 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: I remember, you know, again, like we were still down 111 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: in South America at the time, watching all that fold 112 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: and then in the last days of the war when 113 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: it seemed like they just hit the panic button and 114 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: try to get out of Kuwait with everything they could. 115 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: On that one highway, it just seemed like absolute as there. 116 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: It was a turkey shoot we called, you know, it 117 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: was called the Highway of Death for a reason. And 118 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: I remember looking down at that and thinking, you know, 119 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: this is you know, because they shortly thereafter they you know, 120 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: we signed that armistice and and we had to let 121 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: all those those guys go, and I just knew we 122 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: were gonna we were going to be back, and sure 123 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: enough we were. And I was there for that one too. 124 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: I've always been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yeah. 125 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: About a year or two later, I was tuckled the 126 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: fan pilot from the Year Force and I was asking 127 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: him about that, and and he was like, if he 128 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: flew down that highway, you could have dropped bombs with 129 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: your or any kind of ordinance whatsoever, with a blindfold on, 130 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: and you would hit something. That's how Jenda was. It 131 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: was there's only one road. I think it's Highway one. 132 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: It runs you know, north and south from Baghdad to Kuwait. 133 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: It's the only big road there. And yeah, it was 134 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: just clogged. So the sec the Second War was a 135 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: lot more interesting, but the first one was it was 136 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: a good introduction to it. All. Yeah, well let's uh, 137 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: I know, you can go and things to do. So 138 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna jump right into the book now, uh you know, 139 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: as I as I said in the opening, this was 140 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: a fascinating book. And you know I love military history, 141 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna, you know, I eat this stuff up. 142 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: But the detail that went into this it was fantastic. 143 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: It's about to go on a canal campaign and what 144 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: unfolds because of that. How long did this book take 145 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: you to put together? It takes me about a year, 146 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: uh to to write a book. And um, this one, 147 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: I actually I think I turned us went in in 148 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 1: September of last year. Yeah, it's September, so it takes 149 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: another takes another almost a year then to edit it 150 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: and get it into production. So each book takes about 151 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: two years to do. But you know, I thoroughly enjoyed 152 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:21,119 Speaker 1: this because I was never really a World War Two historian, 153 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,839 Speaker 1: but my last couple of books I dealt pretty significantly 154 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: with that. And as you said, you know, the more 155 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 1: I researched it, the more I realized how central guadal 156 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: Canal was to it. I mean, not only is that 157 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: a great story about a big fight, but if that 158 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: hadn't happened and we hadn't won that, there would have 159 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: been no base to fly, firm to shoot down Yamamotos. 160 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: So that's why I put so much detail in it 161 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 1: about that. Yeah, And that was the fascinating part of 162 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: the Ncipal Operation Vengeance was you know, um, if you 163 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: look at everything that transpired Guada Canal, and everything seemed 164 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: to be favoring the Japanese, accept the fact, and you know, 165 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: they were overconfident, They were kind of arrogant, and you 166 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: bring all this up. They didn't believe the Americans could 167 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: stand up to them, and they made so many mistakes 168 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: in this battle that cost them dearly and a lot 169 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: of this I hadn't read before, especially want dealing with 170 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,320 Speaker 1: they're psyche. I didn't realize to the extent that how 171 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: arrogant they actually were, and that really really cost them. Yeah, 172 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: and I mean, you know yourself, you can't you can't 173 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: underestimate an opponent. I mean, it's as dangerous to to 174 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 1: overestimate one as it is to underestimate them. But they 175 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: they clearly underestimated us. And you know, a lot of 176 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: that is who they've been fighting. You know, they've been 177 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: fighting the Russians and the Chinese, and they they've gone 178 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: through them, you know, like a hot knife through butter. 179 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: And the first few months fighting us because they caught 180 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: us by surprise and hit us in some illequiate places 181 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: like the Philippines and Wake Island and other places. They 182 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: you know, they they wailed on us pretty good for 183 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 1: a few months. But that was all that all came 184 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: to an end, you know, pretty much after the Battle 185 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: of Midway, and by the time we invaded Guadalcanal, you know, 186 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,439 Speaker 1: we were we were beginning to catch our breath and 187 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: get our second wind, and industry in the United States 188 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: was worth catching up to the millions of guys that 189 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 1: were volunteering to fight. And that's exactly why Yamamoto said, 190 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: you know, he flat out told his emperor that, you know, 191 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: if you want me to go to war, I can 192 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: run wild for six months or a year, but after that, 193 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: I make no guarantees. Because he knew America, he knew us, 194 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: and he knew what would happen if he didn't win quickly. 195 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: And and you know, the guadal Canal campaign was was 196 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: the stake in the ground. You know, that's what changed 197 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: everything out there. Yeah, and you know I had read 198 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: about in the past. But one of the things that 199 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: you brought up with the book that I wasn't aware of. 200 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: I knew we was Harvard. He lived in Cambridge, mass Um, 201 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,439 Speaker 1: which was about ten minutes from where I grew up, 202 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:07,079 Speaker 1: but you know, it's um. I understood all that, and 203 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: he actually liked America and he liked Americans, but I 204 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: didn't realize that he wanted to see our country and 205 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: one summary way all the way to Texas. Yeah, you know, 206 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: I didn't know that either until I got into the research. 207 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: And that's one reason why I enjoyed the research so much, 208 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 1: because I always find out how much I don't know, 209 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: you know, And and I usually come out with another 210 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:35,199 Speaker 1: story idea from from the research that I do. In fact, 211 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: I did from this book. I signed a contract for 212 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 1: another book dealing with World War Two based on something 213 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: I found researching this one. But yeah, Yamamoto was in 214 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: America a few times Harvard, like you said, and then 215 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: he was the naval lattest in Washington. Um, he hitch 216 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 1: hiked down to Texas and saw Mexico and and he 217 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 1: and he liked it here and he liked us. He 218 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:58,559 Speaker 1: had he had learned English as a small boy from 219 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,679 Speaker 1: a Christian missionary in Japan in and he you know, 220 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: he didn't he wasn't in favor of war with the 221 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: United States. But what people have to realize, and I 222 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 1: know you appreciate this. You know, he was a serving 223 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 1: military officer when his country went to war, he was 224 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: going to go fight, no matter who they were going 225 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,199 Speaker 1: to fight, and and he was going to do his 226 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: best to win. And he did. He tried his best. 227 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: That's why he had to go. Yeah, and you know, 228 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,559 Speaker 1: he was the mastermind behind the entire Pearl Harbor thing. 229 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: And you know, some of the other naval officers they 230 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: you know, that was Another part of the book that 231 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: I really liked was this there was such a disconnect 232 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: between the naval officers and the army offices of Japan, 233 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: and how they took it beyond a feud, that they 234 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: actually had assassination um threats against Yamamoto, and how the 235 00:13:55,120 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: army was at such a different mindset than then if 236 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: you want to came to the Americans, well, and yeah, 237 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: you're exactly right, and everybody the army, the army really 238 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: maintained the old traditional samurai you know, psyche and mindset, 239 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: so did the navy, the naval officers, but the army 240 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: guys were even more into that. And then the average 241 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: you know, the average army conscript was usually a farmer 242 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: from some village somewhere who didn't know anything, you know, 243 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: beyond his village, and he was going to do whatever 244 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: he was told. And when you you know, when you 245 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: have bad officers telling you to do bad stuff in 246 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: that sort of environment, they're going to do it. And 247 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: and fortunately for us, and this is something I also 248 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: hadn't realized. The Imperial Army was always always more concerned 249 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: with Russia, at least at the beginning of the war 250 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: than they were with us. They thought the Pacific War 251 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: would be a navy war, like you know, we primarily 252 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: used the Navy and the Marines. They thought that's what 253 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: they would, you know, the Japanese would do. So they 254 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: were they kept a million men in in China to 255 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: fight the Russians because they were always afraid they were 256 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: going to have to go to war with the Russians. Again, 257 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 1: if they had, if they had moved even a portion 258 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: of those divisions into the Pacific, I mean, can you 259 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: imagine what that would have meant for guadalcanalies if they 260 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: put five divisions on there instead of one. You know, 261 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: it's a good thing they did underestimated this. It's a 262 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: good thing that they did suffer from, you know, hubrist Um. 263 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: It worked out well for us and bad for them, right, 264 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: and in both you talked about all this stuff. That's 265 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: why again, I mean, the detail in this was really fantastic. 266 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: And then you know, you talk about how the Americans 267 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: broke the Japanese code, they found out where Momoto was 268 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: going to make a front line visit. A lot of 269 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: his officers try to talk about of it um and 270 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: then the planning that went into it. And again there 271 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: you learned something knew every time you read a book. 272 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: I didn't never realize the level of see that was 273 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: going on inside the American camp because the Army Air 274 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: Corps at that time, before we had an Air force UM, 275 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: they were the only people that had a fighter that 276 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: had ranged long enough to go after him. And rubbed 277 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: some of the marine pilots on guater Canal and especially 278 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: the Navy brass the wrong way of this. Yeah, really, 279 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: the Navy brass. The there were a couple of guys 280 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: on guadal Canal that that didn't much like the Army 281 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: pilots and a lot of that. And that's why I 282 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: put so much history about guadal Canal, and I wanted 283 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: people to realize, you know, we weren't one big happy 284 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: family either. We had our own inner service rivalries and issues. 285 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: The guadal Canal was such a hole. You know that 286 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: after a while, and you know you've been in bad 287 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: places after a while. That's the big equalizer, right when 288 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: when you're all in the in the crap together, then 289 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 1: the differences between you to go away and and and 290 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: that's how they that's how they came to feel about 291 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,879 Speaker 1: about these guys. The real problem with the with the 292 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: Navy was from you know, Bull Halsey, who has sort 293 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: of a mixed a mixed review. I mean, obviously did 294 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:16,679 Speaker 1: a good job at Midway, but he screwed up a 295 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: lot of other things. And the Yamamoto mission was was 296 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: one that you know, I personally came away not thinking 297 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: very highly of his reaction to all this because he 298 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 1: was willing to let inner service rivalry get in the 299 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: way of of rewarding these guys. Because these guys, two 300 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: of them were written up for medals of honor and 301 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: all the canceled it. You know, he wouldn't approve it. Um, 302 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 1: So that that didn't strike me the right way. The 303 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: guy that was in charge of naval aviation on Guadalcanaldo 304 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: was Mark Mitchell, and he was the captain of the 305 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: USS Hornet, you know, and Doolittle launched against Tokyo. Mitchell 306 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: was a was a good guy and a good pilot, 307 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:58,880 Speaker 1: and everybody thought highly of him. So yeah, and then 308 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: the planning that women of this um and then reading 309 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: it and I'm trying to you know, I'm not a pilot. 310 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: I was. I was a ground poonder. So anybody who 311 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: can fly on aircraft automatically is wing a bump my 312 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: carry a gun and come get me if I get 313 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: shot down. It was okay with me, right, But you 314 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: know what, you know, there's times when the sweetest sound 315 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: you can hear is the American aircraft coming over your back. 316 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: So you know, But going back to that, I thought 317 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 1: from the from the book that John Mitchell the job 318 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: he did because I know how difficult it is to 319 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 1: navigate with the map and compass, you know, true asking 320 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 1: to reign. This guy's going across the ocean of fifty 321 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: to a hundred feet off the deck, and he had 322 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: his timing down so perfectly. It was the amazing And 323 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: I believed in the book they arrived within a minute 324 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: beyond Momono, didn't they? Yeah? Yeah, And Mitchell is an 325 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: unsung hero in my opinion, you know, because he and 326 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: you got to understand, these guys are flying combat missions 327 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: every day. So to them when this first came down, 328 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 1: they didn't know initially it was Yamamoto. It was just 329 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: another mission. Now Mitchell got permission to tell the pilots 330 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: who they were going after because he thought it might 331 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 1: make a difference, and it you know, maybe it did, 332 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 1: But they were going to go they we're gonna go 333 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: kill him anyway. But they didn't have a whole lot 334 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: of time to do this. Mitchell was a consummate professional, 335 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: you know. He he looked at the Navy's attempt at 336 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 1: the plan and said, not, adn't gonna work. And so, 337 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:44,479 Speaker 1: you know, in the space of a couple hours, he 338 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 1: replanned the whole thing, which which isn't really that hard 339 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 1: to do. Um. But he had some other he had 340 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: some other problems. He had to get some long range 341 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:55,679 Speaker 1: fuel tanks for his airplanes. They weren't on Guadalcanal. You know, 342 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: he had to pick the he had to pick the pilots, 343 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: and he had to work out all the timing. And 344 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: you know he did all of that, you know, step one, 345 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 1: two three, because he was he was so good at it. 346 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 1: And again that's why I put so much in about 347 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,159 Speaker 1: the Battle for guadal Canal, because Mitchell got there in 348 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: October of n you know, right kind of at the 349 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: very beginning of all of that. He was he was 350 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: on the island flying has got awful, you know, bell 351 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: p four hundreds before they got there, all through the 352 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: bad days on guadal Canal. So I thought that was 353 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: an effective way to introduce people to John Mitchell and 354 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: the battle. But anyway, like you said, he he had 355 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,400 Speaker 1: to do this, you know, four hundred and sixteen miles 356 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: or so over water at fifty ft. And I gotta 357 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: tell you, anybody who flies at fifty ft is not 358 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 1: doing much other than flying, because if you look away 359 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: for half a second, you're going to be in the 360 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: water or hit a mountain or something. And in his case, 361 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: he did it all with his wrist watch, a map 362 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: and a compass, you know. And to get there when 363 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: he did within a minute of Yamamoto, you know, being 364 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: where he was supposed to be is phenomenal, uh pilot 365 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,159 Speaker 1: thing skill. And I tried to get that across to 366 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: the readers. Oh, I thought that came across loud earlier 367 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: because again, I mean, you know, in this state and 368 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 1: age where we used to you know, GPS and Savollites 369 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 1: and all that, those guys didn't have any of that. No, 370 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:17,719 Speaker 1: he didn't. He didn't have any of the cool toys 371 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 1: I had. You know, I I wouldn't want to do 372 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:22,880 Speaker 1: that even and you know what what we had, it'd 373 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,160 Speaker 1: still be a challenge. And he did it without all 374 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: that stuff. So yeah, my hat's always offer that guy 375 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: and didn't he I thought I read in the book. 376 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: Didn't the Navy put one of their compasses, like a 377 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 1: name compassing to his aircraft so he could see it 378 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: for it. Yeah, he did. You're exactly right there, he 379 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: The compass in the P. Thirty eight was just you know, 380 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: a piece of dog poop poop did I say poop 381 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: dog crap? Anyway? Um uh, it was. It was garbage. 382 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: But they didn't really need it because you know, they 383 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: were taking off from guadal Canal and flying basically over 384 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: guadal can Our or the other islands where they were 385 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: good landmarks, so they didn't really need a compass until 386 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: this mission came along and he said, hey, the one 387 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,680 Speaker 1: I have is is awful. I need a good solid 388 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: navy compass because I know you guys are passionate about navigation. 389 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: And so yeah, they put a boat compass. They mounted 390 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: it on his on his glare shield during so we 391 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: had that. Yeah, yeah, it was. It was interesting. So having, 392 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: you know, seeing a P. Thirty eight up close, I mean, 393 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 1: I would imagine that as a crimped hot cockpit in there. 394 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 1: There's not a lot of creature comforts from those guys. 395 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: They're flying on the tack and obviously hot weather, it's 396 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: probably hot inside there. That just has to add to 397 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 1: the tension that's going on with these guys because obviously, 398 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: as you said, you're flying fifty ft off the deck 399 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,879 Speaker 1: for a couple hundred miles. That has to be waiting 400 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: and then knowing, you know, there's a pot some bold 401 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: you're going to be facing the Japanese zeros when you 402 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: get to your you know, um objectives. Yeah, and you know, 403 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: again that's another hats off to the professionalism of these 404 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,439 Speaker 1: guys because they I'm sure you know, every guy handles 405 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:17,879 Speaker 1: it differently. You know that they weren't going to show it, 406 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: but you know, they treated it like another mission. It's 407 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 1: just something they had to do, so you know they 408 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 1: were going to go do it. The cockpit actually, um, 409 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,400 Speaker 1: isn't that cramped. It's bigger than the one I had 410 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: in the in the F sixteen. But but it's hot. Yeah, 411 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 1: it had a you know, it had a pretty good canopy. 412 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: You know, a lot of a lot of visibility, which 413 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 1: is nice, but it also means that lets a lot 414 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: of heat in um and you know, download like that. 415 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: They had problems with the you know, the cockpit fogging 416 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,120 Speaker 1: up and some other things. So yeah, it wasn't it 417 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,919 Speaker 1: wasn't an easy flight. And then again, unlike a normal 418 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: combat mission for them, where they would take off and 419 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 1: they would go, you know, fight and land within an hour, 420 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: it was going to take them, you know, two hours 421 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 1: just to get there. So the tension and adrenaline that 422 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,400 Speaker 1: you have, you know in a normal mission kind of 423 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: kind of dissipates a little bit, and you know, that's 424 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 1: a real that can be a real danger. You can 425 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: you know, you can go to sleep or get complacent 426 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: or or whatever. And none of them did that, you know, 427 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: they all all sixteen of them arrived over Bougainville, you know, 428 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: right when they should have. So again hats off to him, 429 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: right and you know, the cruising speech because of the 430 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:41,880 Speaker 1: the fuel situation, they were probably traveling one about two yeah, 431 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: I think it came out to with the wind, but 432 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: they were Mitchell planted for two um and they had 433 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: they had about four hundred miles to go to in 434 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,439 Speaker 1: per Segusta Bay um. So it was going to be 435 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: a little bit over two hours, you know, counting the 436 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 1: time it took to take off and get rejoined and everything, 437 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 1: and Sheil was. She was science. The couldn't have done 438 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: it without those external tanks. You know, I think I 439 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: did all the math in the in the book, but 440 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,959 Speaker 1: I think they had a total of seven gallons and 441 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: just just getting there and getting back counted for seven 442 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: and thirty six of it. So they had he had 443 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: about forty five gallons, you know, of of slopping there, 444 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 1: which would be maybe six minutes maybe seven minutes over 445 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 1: the target, you know, in full power combat mode, which 446 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: isn't a lot of time. Wow, that's that's uh, that's 447 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: pretty limited. Yeah, you know, it's it's amazing. And like 448 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: you said, hats off to these guys, especially Rex farber Um, 449 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: and you talk about him in the book, and you know, 450 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 1: before the war he was like, you know, he was 451 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,119 Speaker 1: like the average juo and living on the you know, 452 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: in the Western United States, and you know he wanted 453 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: to get a pilot and he ends up playing a 454 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: huge role in this, and uh, I thought he did 455 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:07,440 Speaker 1: a great job of you know, explaining how he ended 456 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: up taking such a valuable role in this and you know, 457 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:17,359 Speaker 1: explain more listeners how battle unfolded, because you know, they 458 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: got to their exactly but they thought they were going 459 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 1: to be and then they there was surprised because they 460 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: thought there was only one supposed to be one bomber 461 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 1: and those two. Yeah yeah. Rex Rex obviously gets gets 462 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: kudos for finishing it all up. And he, you know, 463 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: he was typical in a lot of ways, like a 464 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: lot of those guys. You know, he was raised during 465 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 1: the Great Depression, and something we have a hard time 466 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: realizing now is just how tough. You know, the average 467 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: young adult was in three because of the childhood and 468 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 1: most of them had Rex Rex wasn't poor, but he 469 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: was you know, he was a farmer and then he 470 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,639 Speaker 1: was a frat boy. He was like most pilot's, pretty 471 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,679 Speaker 1: happy go lucky for most of the time, but he 472 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: could get serious when he had to, and he obviously 473 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,199 Speaker 1: had to get serious now. Um. The plan was with 474 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 1: six that twelve of them, as soon as they hit 475 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: him for s Augusta Bay would climb up and go engage. 476 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 1: You know, the eighty Japanese zeros that we thought would 477 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: be you know, orbiting over the island or at least 478 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: on call because this was there. This was their naval 479 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: commander in chief. You know, it was a national hero. 480 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,479 Speaker 1: They we we just couldn't conceive that they wouldn't have 481 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,399 Speaker 1: every airplane on that island up, you know, as a 482 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 1: show of force and also to protect him. But as 483 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: you mentioned earlier, you know, they suffered from arrogance and hubrews, 484 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: and they figured, hey, we're four hundred miles from the Americans, 485 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: and besides they can't understand our language. Anyway, there's no risks, 486 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:49,679 Speaker 1: so you know, we'll just have six escorts, you know, 487 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: fly with Yamamoto and that's it. So Mitchell and his 488 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: and his other eleven guys, when they separated and started 489 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: to climb up, they found a big empty sky. You know, 490 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:01,919 Speaker 1: there wouldn't that one anybody waiting on him. So that 491 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,639 Speaker 1: leaves lamp he here, Tom lamp he Here leading the 492 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: other four, and they went to jettison their tanks. And 493 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: the last two guys in that flight of four couldn't 494 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:15,439 Speaker 1: one of them couldn't get his tanks off. So I 495 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:17,400 Speaker 1: would have gone in any way, I'd have kept the tank. 496 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,119 Speaker 1: But this guy circled back out over the water to 497 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: try to get his tank off, and his wingman went 498 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 1: with him. So now it's just lamp he here and 499 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:29,680 Speaker 1: Barber up against you know, the bomber, and a couple 500 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: of things happen all at once. First of all, they 501 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: see that there's two bombers like you mentioned, not one, 502 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: which is no big deal. But then they see the 503 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: close escorts and there are six of them, six zero fighters. 504 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: So lamp he here does exactly what he should do. 505 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: He you know, tells rex press On you know, you're 506 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: you're cleared off, and he peels off and he goes 507 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: one against six against the Japanese zero's while Barber you know, 508 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: runs in and completes the intercept against the bombers. Yeah, 509 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 1: and it was I mean the detail again you you're 510 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: talking about how that all transpired. And he chewed up 511 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 1: that first bomber, the one that ended up being the 512 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: one that everyone was in. And you know, um, they 513 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: talked about his wounds after the fact, and you know, 514 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: his plane gets shot down and it seemed like it 515 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: was just shrapnel, not really the the slugs of the 516 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: fifty calendar twenty moment going in there. But you know, 517 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 1: it was amazing that one piece of shrappen, the one 518 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: under I believe it was under his left jar and 519 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: came out under his eye and he had a death 520 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: groupon his sword, who still found clutching the sword and 521 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: the wreckage of the plane. I thought that was it 522 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: was just kind of surreal when you when you read 523 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: about that. Well, and that was that was a real 524 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: interesting and crucial part of the book because you know, 525 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: a lot of the controversy that followed was rex bar 526 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: Or was a lamp Here, claiming that that he's the 527 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: one that shot Yamamoto down. So I I really had to, 528 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: you know, I had to get I had to put 529 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: myself in the cockpit. I had to. I had to, 530 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 1: you know, fly the numbers. I had to. I had 531 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:15,959 Speaker 1: to get the world's oldest living P thirty eight pilot 532 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: to check my math. And and he did. And and 533 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 1: you know, once you look at it objectively mathematically, you know, 534 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: and you realize there's no way lamp Here could have 535 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: done this. So then how did rex Barber do it? 536 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: And like you said, you know, he he rolls in 537 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: behind the lead bomber, and the second bomber peels away, 538 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 1: dives down for the jungle and runs for the coast. 539 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: Barbara concentrates on on the bomber that he's shooting at. 540 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:44,239 Speaker 1: You know, in this whole you gotta remember a lot 541 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: of people don't get how fast all this happens. I 542 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: mean even in a World War two p. Thirty eight. 543 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: This thing was over in less than two minutes. And 544 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: he you know, he put four bursts into that airplane. 545 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: And you're exactly right. I mean, you know, if a 546 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: fifty caliber slug hit somebody, that's you know, Terry an half. 547 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: So it was. It was. It was the spawling. It 548 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: was the pieces of the bullets and the cannon shells 549 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 1: that actually killed Yamamoto. Um one win in her shoulder 550 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: blade and like I said, the other one the other 551 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: one went in his win in his head and he 552 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 1: died probably instantly, and that's why his hand clutched the sword. 553 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: I forget the medical term for it, but I put 554 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: it in the book, um because you know, we got 555 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: ahold of the autopsy results and so you know, there 556 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,479 Speaker 1: there really was no controversy. His plane went into the jungle, 557 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 1: and I did all the math, and you know, I 558 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: don't want to ruin the surprise, but I mathematically proved 559 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: that lamp here could have been nowhere near you know, 560 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: either bomber Rex was fortunate. You know, when he came 561 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 1: off of shooting down Yamamoto's bomber. He looked behind him 562 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: and he saw three of the zeros you know, coming 563 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: down after him, and I'm sure he wanted to stay 564 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 1: in fight, but he thought, all right, I've done what 565 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: I need to do. I'm out of gas, and I'm 566 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 1: you know, two and twenty miles from home. I need 567 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: to get out of here, and he pushed the throttles 568 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: up and headed for the coast and he just happened 569 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: to run across the second bomber and shot that one 570 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: down too. So we had a really good day. Yeah, 571 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: I know, that was the amazing thing that you know, 572 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: I never realized that both of them. And but that's 573 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 1: where the controversy started, because, um, you know, the pilots 574 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 1: all made to be back to while canal and then 575 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: the pilot that you mentioned land for here, uh kind 576 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 1: of blew everything out of the water getting on the 577 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,800 Speaker 1: right an open frequency and he says that, and you know, 578 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: there was some real opposition to the idea of shooting 579 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:49,719 Speaker 1: down Yamamoto because we didn't want the Japanese to wonder, 580 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: how did we get there at the right place at 581 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: the right time. They must have broken our code. We're 582 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: going to switch our code. We didn't want him to 583 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: do that, and so there was a real good chance 584 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: that you know, they might have figured that out. They 585 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: never did. But when lamp Here comes over on an 586 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 1: open radio frequency and says, I shot the bastard down 587 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,960 Speaker 1: or something like that, I killed Yamamoto, you know, if 588 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: if a Japanese listening post had picked that up, even 589 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 1: the Japanese couldn't have failed to realize what that meant. 590 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:23,120 Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, that, yeah, that over the whole kingdom 591 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 1: worms and recked poperlisheem like he was kind of above 592 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 1: it all. He didn't really care who was taking credit. 593 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: He knew what he did. Yeah, and neither did John Mitchell. 594 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 1: You know, like I said, all along to these guys, 595 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 1: to everybody that lamp Here, it was just another combat mission. 596 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 1: And as soon as they got down from this one 597 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: that you know, they had to plan and get some 598 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:46,239 Speaker 1: food and get some rest for the one they were 599 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: going to do the next day. So you know, I'll 600 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: tell you from experience that you know, after a couple 601 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:55,960 Speaker 1: of months of doing that, I mean, you're just worn out. 602 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 1: You don't you don't really care, You just you know, 603 00:33:58,160 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 1: you want to you want to figure out what you 604 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,280 Speaker 1: gotta do tomorrow and then you want to get some 605 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: to eat and go to bed. And that's that's what 606 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: they that's what they wanted to do. Um. You know, 607 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 1: everybody but lamp Here. He made it very plain right 608 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:11,800 Speaker 1: from the beginning that you know, he wanted a political 609 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: career after the war, and he saw this mission as 610 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 1: a as a way to hang his you know, to 611 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,720 Speaker 1: hang his reputation on on what happened and claim credit 612 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 1: for it. And you know, aspired a high political office, 613 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: which is what he wanted to do. And you know, 614 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 1: the amazing thing is is what he did was still 615 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: a huge part of the mission. And he had nothing 616 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: to be ashamed about what he did. I mean, as 617 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: you talked about in the book, he did exactly the 618 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:41,800 Speaker 1: rights and he turned into six zeroes and go after 619 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 1: to go honey, And there's nothing wrong with that. He 620 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 1: should have been he should have been happy with that. 621 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:51,280 Speaker 1: You're exactly right. I mean, what he did allowed Rex 622 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,359 Speaker 1: Barber to do what he did. He should have been 623 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:56,759 Speaker 1: content with that. And going one against six, you know, 624 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: that's a that's a baldy move. Anyway, Now, he didn't 625 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,399 Speaker 1: he didn't shoot any of them down and they didn't 626 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: get him. He just sort of blew through him, but 627 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 1: he scattered them, you know, and he disrupted whatever they 628 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 1: were planning on doing. And he gave Barber the chance 629 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 1: to shoot down Yamamoto and get away. So he should 630 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 1: have been content with that, but he wasn't. Yeah. And 631 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:19,080 Speaker 1: then after you know, his his radio call, the guys 632 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:21,280 Speaker 1: kind of and he talked about it in the book. 633 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: They talked to an AP reporter who was acting like, okay, 634 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 1: I know all about this, and so they kind of 635 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:34,400 Speaker 1: admitted to what they had done. And then again you 636 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 1: mentioned that earlier Admiral Halsey found out and trying to 637 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 1: instead of giving these guys aventle of honor that they deserved, 638 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: he tried to import martial. Yeah, he did. I mean 639 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 1: he was. He was really and you know, he had 640 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: a he's looking at a big picture, and like I said, 641 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: the big picture is, hey, if the Japanese changed their 642 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 1: coat over this, you know, we could lose thousands of guys. 643 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:59,880 Speaker 1: So he had a legitimate concern, but that doesn't diminish 644 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 1: what these guys did. And Barbara and Mitchell never said anything. 645 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:06,879 Speaker 1: You know, they didn't get on the radio and make 646 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 1: any wild claims, and they didn't. They didn't admit anything 647 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:12,600 Speaker 1: to this reporter. I blame the Navy for letting this 648 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 1: reporter roam around in a you know, in an area 649 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:19,759 Speaker 1: like that without anybody watching over him and making sure 650 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,800 Speaker 1: he isn't asking questions that he shouldn't shouldn't be asking, 651 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:25,359 Speaker 1: because the average guy is going to assume, hey, you're here, 652 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:28,440 Speaker 1: you have permission to be here. I'm supposed to talk 653 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:31,160 Speaker 1: to you, so I'm gonna talk to you so and 654 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:38,319 Speaker 1: to reporter, wasn't it was something in the Navy, Yeah, yeah, 655 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: And you know, and in the end, nothing happened, the 656 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,920 Speaker 1: Japanese never, there was no harm done. So there was 657 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 1: no reason not to swallow your anger and your pissiness 658 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,799 Speaker 1: and and give these guys the reward, you know, that 659 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: they deserve. And I hope, you know, we had this 660 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 1: pr blitz planned for this book release. That can't happen now, 661 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 1: obviously because of the virus and every thing else. But 662 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 1: what I was hoping would come out of it was 663 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 1: somebody with enough authority would look at this and they 664 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 1: would retroactively award, you know, the medals of honor to 665 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: Mitchell and Barber that they deserve. Yeah, and that's something 666 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:20,359 Speaker 1: that you know someday, but let's hope that gets done. Unfortunately, 667 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:22,520 Speaker 1: needed one of them lived long enough to see it. 668 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 1: But I think it's a it's a worthy cause. They 669 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 1: had to get these guys the owner that they deserved. Especially, 670 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 1: you know, Barber shot down both of the bombers, but 671 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:41,360 Speaker 1: Trump Mitchell did that the entire getting them there in 672 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 1: the in the manner that he did it as quickly 673 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: and as perfectly as he did, I think just an 674 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:53,839 Speaker 1: incredible feet of flying. And that's coming from a nonpilot. 675 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 1: But well, I You've said a lot of nice things. 676 00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:01,359 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. The book. Again, I I really like 677 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 1: to try to redress historical wrongs when I can, you know, 678 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 1: through these through these books, and this is one of 679 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:10,800 Speaker 1: them that I'm very passionate about because these guys deserve it. 680 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:16,480 Speaker 1: If you think about the implications of Yamamoto surviving, okay, 681 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:21,880 Speaker 1: what would have happened. Um, you know, Japan was going 682 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:24,279 Speaker 1: to lose the war, that was a foregone conclusion, but 683 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 1: Yamamoto definitely could have made it bloodier and probably longer 684 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:31,160 Speaker 1: than it was if you'd stayed alive. So how many 685 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:35,759 Speaker 1: people are alive today because Rex Barber killed Yamamoto. You know, 686 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 1: that's a great question. That is a great question. And 687 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:43,839 Speaker 1: that's why I love these historical especially these World War 688 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,280 Speaker 1: two books. I grew up reading a lot about World 689 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 1: War Two because my father was involved in it, in 690 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:53,439 Speaker 1: the European Campaign. And it was funny. My dad looks 691 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:56,280 Speaker 1: like one of those typical backs like you're writing about, 692 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:00,680 Speaker 1: and it was funny because he never were talked about 693 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:04,520 Speaker 1: the war. But growing up, all the guys from his 694 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: old unit used to come to our house this summer, 695 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:11,240 Speaker 1: and about twice every summer, all the guys would get together. 696 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 1: They bring their families oliver and would have like barbecus 697 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:18,680 Speaker 1: in my parents backyard. And then late at night, after 698 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:21,839 Speaker 1: the guys had a couple of drinks, that all the 699 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:25,080 Speaker 1: old vets would venture went in the back where the 700 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,400 Speaker 1: garden was and they would just talk amongst themselves. Because 701 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: my father never talked about what he did, and I 702 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:34,520 Speaker 1: never knew what he did until after he passed away. 703 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:37,600 Speaker 1: That one of the guys came to the wake with 704 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:40,920 Speaker 1: my sister, my brother and I and he was like, 705 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 1: did you ever read about the father? And I was like, 706 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 1: read what he's like? He did a couple of books, 707 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:49,920 Speaker 1: and so now it opened up a whole new realm 708 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,800 Speaker 1: because then I started researching this and I found stuff 709 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:55,520 Speaker 1: about my father that I never knew. I'm reading them 710 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:58,160 Speaker 1: about my own dad in a book. And then that's 711 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 1: one of my biggest regrets. I always wish that I 712 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:03,719 Speaker 1: could have talked to him about those things, but that 713 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: wasn't his style. He just didn't do that. Yeah, and 714 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:10,680 Speaker 1: a lot of guys didn't. And you know yourself, because 715 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 1: you're you're a veteran, I mean, people always ask they 716 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:16,640 Speaker 1: probably ask you to you know, what was it like? 717 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:19,760 Speaker 1: And and there's no frame of reference for that unless 718 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:23,440 Speaker 1: you're talking to somebody else that's been through something similar. 719 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: And that's why your dad's friends, you know, would wait 720 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: until everybody was gone and they'd go off in the 721 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,359 Speaker 1: garden and talk, because you know, who else are they 722 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 1: going to talk to you about this except other guys 723 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:36,680 Speaker 1: that have been there and done that, right, right? Yeah, 724 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:44,160 Speaker 1: so you know, but a quarter huh oh, yeah, yeah, 725 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:46,279 Speaker 1: I would have loved to have been fly on the 726 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: wall back then, because then then, you know, reading about 727 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:51,839 Speaker 1: your own father in a book when they mentioned him 728 00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 1: my name, it was pretty amazing, and you know, it 729 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:00,239 Speaker 1: opened up a whole realm. And that's why I love 730 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:03,280 Speaker 1: history like that, because there's so many of these stories, 731 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:06,800 Speaker 1: and I love talking with the old vets, especially the 732 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:10,399 Speaker 1: World War two guys, because we're losing him at such 733 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:13,880 Speaker 1: a rate. And you uh, you know, I thought you 734 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:18,640 Speaker 1: brought this book. And again I encourage all our readers 735 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 1: and listeners out and buy this Operation Vengeance. This is 736 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:26,920 Speaker 1: a fantastic book. And you know, you talk about the 737 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,359 Speaker 1: characters in this and you get a feeling that by 738 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 1: the end of the book that you actually know some 739 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:34,880 Speaker 1: of these guys. And that's that's I think. It's a 740 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:39,840 Speaker 1: really you know, uh, it's a good way to feel like, Okay, 741 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 1: I read this now I actually feel like I knew him. 742 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:45,120 Speaker 1: These guys, well, I gotta tell you, that's about the 743 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,640 Speaker 1: nicest compliments you can give a writer. So thank you. Um, 744 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 1: you know, they become personal to me when I write 745 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,760 Speaker 1: about him, and and it's weird. I actually sometimes start 746 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:58,240 Speaker 1: having dreams, you know, and and we're all in the dream. 747 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:00,880 Speaker 1: You know. I spent so much time him in the 748 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,000 Speaker 1: and talking to you know, the guy, the couple of 749 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:07,640 Speaker 1: guys that I could find it fluid. You know that 750 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: I'd start dreaming about it and I felt like I 751 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:14,160 Speaker 1: knew these guys, you know. So I try to get 752 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 1: as much of that across in the book as I 753 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:19,759 Speaker 1: can as I could. So hopefully, hopefully everybody feels that way. 754 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 1: I hope, so I think everyone will. Again, Uh, we 755 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:29,080 Speaker 1: want to encourage all our readers and listeners by this. 756 00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:32,960 Speaker 1: It should be included in your library. If you're a 757 00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:36,160 Speaker 1: military history and if you're just somebody that loves being 758 00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:38,200 Speaker 1: a good story. You don't have to be into the 759 00:42:38,239 --> 00:42:41,680 Speaker 1: military history side, although loss of Barbaries tend to be 760 00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 1: that way. But you know, again, it's very kind if 761 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:48,239 Speaker 1: you just say that, and I would I would ask 762 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:50,359 Speaker 1: that if if people do get the book and they 763 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:54,640 Speaker 1: like it, the Amazon and reviews really help or good reads. Um, 764 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:56,239 Speaker 1: if you like the book, if you hate the book, 765 00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:58,200 Speaker 1: then just send me an email and I'll send you 766 00:42:58,239 --> 00:43:02,400 Speaker 1: a drink. But if you like the book, it always 767 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:04,799 Speaker 1: helps to to to say something about it. Doesn't have 768 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:07,360 Speaker 1: to be very involved, but that that always makes a difference. 769 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:11,359 Speaker 1: So thanks, thanks for saying that well, and we want 770 00:43:11,360 --> 00:43:13,000 Speaker 1: to thank you for joining us. I know you have 771 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:16,959 Speaker 1: to be somewhere in a very short amount of time. Okay, 772 00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:20,080 Speaker 1: if you have any last question, shoot him at me. Well, 773 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:24,399 Speaker 1: I just what's your next big project that you're looking at. 774 00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:30,120 Speaker 1: I actually just signed a contract with a new publisher, 775 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:35,279 Speaker 1: McMillan St. Martin's Press on another World War two book 776 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:37,520 Speaker 1: that I hope will be the biggest one I've ever done. 777 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 1: It's a fantastic story. I ran across it while I 778 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:46,760 Speaker 1: was researching Vengeance and I and then I am enthralled 779 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:48,759 Speaker 1: with it, and I hope everybody else will be too. 780 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:53,160 Speaker 1: It should should be delivered next year and published late 781 00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:55,560 Speaker 1: next year, I think, is what we're shooting for. So 782 00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:57,640 Speaker 1: I can't tell you what it's about, but it's good. 783 00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: It's called Valor, and it's a it's a fantast stick story. Well, 784 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:04,719 Speaker 1: we look forward to reading that as well. Again, this 785 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:07,759 Speaker 1: was a fantastic read. We want to thank you for 786 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:10,720 Speaker 1: joining us this Abta Moon. Thank you for your time 787 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:13,960 Speaker 1: and uh, good luck with the book. And you know 788 00:44:14,080 --> 00:44:20,000 Speaker 1: we're we're definitely gonna put a good reviewing on the Amazon. Well. 789 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:22,719 Speaker 1: I appreciate the kind words and the opportunity, and you 790 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:25,280 Speaker 1: know I'll always come back and and chat about anything 791 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:26,920 Speaker 1: you want to so get a hold of me whenever 792 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 1: you like. I'll make time for it that we look 793 00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 1: forward to that in fact, when your next book comes out, 794 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:35,399 Speaker 1: and get on your advanced calendar. So we're we're one 795 00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:38,799 Speaker 1: of the first people that uh you can talk to 796 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:43,600 Speaker 1: them about that one perfect perfect well. Thanks again, thank 797 00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:46,600 Speaker 1: you for joining us and for all of us here 798 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:49,960 Speaker 1: in Software Radio. We want to thank everyone for listening. 799 00:44:50,560 --> 00:44:53,799 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out all our articles on the website. 800 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,680 Speaker 1: We want to thank our guests Dan Hampton for joining us. 801 00:44:56,960 --> 00:45:00,640 Speaker 1: It's a fantastic book, folks, Operation in Vengeance. It comes 802 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:03,279 Speaker 1: out next week. To make sure you put it in 803 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:06,400 Speaker 1: your library. For all of us here, myself, Steve Bultourie, 804 00:45:06,719 --> 00:45:09,160 Speaker 1: all of us here at Software Radio, thanks for listening. 805 00:45:09,239 --> 00:45:27,839 Speaker 1: We'll be back soon. You've been listening to self red 806 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:29,520 Speaker 1: Radio m