Amid the Oppenheimer movie interest this month I am reminded of coming across my father’s WW2 flight log book several years after I had put it away without much attention following his death.

It begins with his first training hop as a Navy aviator (Hellcat, Pacific Theatre) in Norman, Okla. on May 11, 1943, and ends with his last flight, to Melbourne, Fla. in October 1945.

The entries between those dates are perhaps not as interesting to others as to me, but I share a few nonetheless, for perspective if nothing else:

Aug. 15, 1944 — Gunnery run. 2.5 hours.

Oct. 28, 1944 — Night landing, aboard USS Saratoga.

Dec. 29, 1944 — Tactical flight, Ponam. (Incidentally day of my birth).

Feb. 8, 1945 — Canopy shattered by Zero; nose with it; him or me. Him.

Feb. 8, 1945 — Garlock cracks up on landing, loses an arm.

Feb. 16, 1945 — First fight sweep over Tokyo, lost Clark.

Feb. 18, 1945 — Pre-dawn sweep over Tokyo.

Feb. 22, 1945 — Pre-dawn strike on Iwo Jima, lost ‘Stew.’

Feb. 25, 1945 — Bad weather sweep over Japan, lost Bright.

March 19, 1945 — New Hellcat, strike on Kyushu, took two Bettys on ground, one hanger, one locomotive.

March 24, 1945 — Strike on Okinawa.

March 28, 1945 — Strike on fighter force, Minami Diato, heavy ack-ack.

March 29, 1945 — Strike on Okinawa.

April 3, 1945 — Strike on Miyako-Shima, lost Leiber.

April 10, 1945 — Sweep on Minami, wounded, Purple Heart; lost Rivers.

April 17, 1945 — Scouting flight, lost ‘Red’ Reeder.

May 9, 1945 — Patrol over fleet, Kikai, 2 Judy’s, 1 Zero.

May 11, 1945 — Support flight, Okinawa, Floodquist shot down.

June 3, 1945 — Okinawa, lost Apgar and Dyer.

June 11, 1945 — Last combat flight.

I doubt there was much argument in the squadron over Truman’s decision.

Jim Butler, a Bolton High School alumnus, was an acclaimed writer and editor at the Alexandria Town Talk for 36 years, the last 23 (1977-2003) as editor-in-chief. He led Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina for the Gulfport (Miss.) Sun-Herald in 2005. Butler returned home to Cenla a few years ago, and shares his talents and insight with Rapides Parish Journal readers.