I'm Off to War, Mother, But I'll Be Back: Reflections of a WWII Tail Gunner

Several planes were smoking. I saw a plane from one of the groups take a direct hit, and go down. I saw no parachutes. I was trying to make myself as small as possible. My steel helmet was pulled down over most of my face. I couldn't see much, but I didn't have to worry about the Germans in all this flak. I had a flak vest under my seat and my legs were pulled up and tight under my body. This was not the way I intended to spend my birthday. -Wayne Whiting, Tail Gunner-