Fire from the Sky
A Diary over Japan
by
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"May 26, 1945 target Tokyo; the target was the eastern part of the industrial section of Tokyo. It was hot as hell too, because the Japanese were waiting for us. We went into the target individually and as we made our sweep, one Jap twin-engine fighter was waiting about 20 miles off the coast and followed us over the target. Flak was very heavy and searchlights were estimated at about 400 in number in the Tokyo area. We were in the searchlights all the way through the target. Losses were estimated to be about 18 B-29's. One crew came back with the tail almost shot off and the tail gunner had been killed instantly. On both raids the industrial centers we hit had an estimated civilian population of 50,000 to 75,000 people per square mile area. Fires started by the incendiary bombs covered 10 square miles and could be seen 200 miles out to sea."
If this dialog sounds like a plot from a war movie it well could be, however the account consists of the bombing mission quotes taken directly from the diary of S/Sgt Herb Greer, Radio operator on a B-29 Superfortress named the "City of Monroe" during the war with Japan. The diary takes each of the 28 missions flown by the B-29 "City of Monroe" one by one and details those events as they happened over Japan. The accounts are filled with such phrases as "Great Fires, clouds of thick black smoke, horrific smells meaning flesh burning, which permeated the aircraft over the target area and lingered until they landed some 8 to 10 hours later on Guam. Bombing missions were repeated until most of the industrial areas of Japans major cities were nothing but ashes. The final days were approaching when Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be devastated with the two atomic bombs. The gentleman that I speak of is my father, Herbert L. Greer and this is a book of his diary, supplemental comments and pictures that reflect on a period of time that the United States freedom and liberty were highly at risk.
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About the Book
This is the story of the last few months of WWII in the Pacific, seen through the eyes of one man, a radio operator aboard a B29 Superfortress who kept a diary of 28 missions over Japan. The diary tells of the horrors of war. It was written in darkness, and often fear, with a pen-light during lonely hours confined for up to 18 hours at a time.
Herb Greer our main author, 23 years old, frightened and sitting on up to 20,000 pounds of jellied gasoline (napalm), while blindly flying through constant flak bursts and fighter opposition. The plane is blacked out save the dull red glow of the instrument panels as they pass through the target area. Suddenly the most intense bright light floods the aircraft, blinding us – the tension in the aircraft shot up, hearts started beating a whole lot faster as we instantly realized that we were being singled out of the sky by a searchlight and were now firmly in the sights of air and ground fire, we were the main act, and center stage. From that moment everything went into slow motion as we pass through the target – seconds felt like minutes and minutes, hours. BOOM, an explosion, the plane rocks, bucks, flak is searing its way through the fragile fabric of the fuselage, loose items are flying around, I’m scared – they say you can taste fear – well they’re absolutely right.
This personal view gives us two perspectives, the first is the story of Herb Greer speaking to us aboard a B29 through the written entries of his diary and then the second recounted from his armchair 60 years later.
Written with an immediacy that can only be shared by those who were there, while capturing for posterity their bravery and dignity of sacrifice.
Praise for Fire from the Sky
“This is a book you will not be able to put down …. It is a well-told memoir of the men whose missions will live forever in history! … It was my honor to have read the book; it felt almost sacred to be allowed to look inside a crew member’s personal diary—truly a treasured artifact of historic and sentimental value. This is a book worth reading several times. Great black and white photos as well. I fully recommend … this wonderful book about aviation and the men who crewed B-29s.”
—Bill McDonald, president of the Military Writers Society of America
“As an avid reader of military history, I found Fire from the Sky: A Diary over Japan to be both a treasure-trove of information and a stirring—and often startling—look at the air war over Japan in World War II. What comes across in this book is not only the dedication and heroism of a B-29 bomber crew, but also the harrowing circumstances of life and death in the air. Truly a remarkable book, told by a remarkable man who found himself with a job to do that now, in the light of the passage of time, seems like an incredible and mind-boggling achievement. This book richly deserves its Silver Medal Award.”
—Robert McCammon, New York Times bestselling author
About the Author
Ron Greer attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville prior to his military duty in the US Air Force. He served in the Vietnam War and later spent twenty-five years in human resources management. Greer lived with his father, Herb, as caregiver until his father’s death in 2007.
Herbert L. Greer was born in Chelan, Washington and married Hazel Jean Ozbirn from Salem, Arkansas July 16, 1944. They were married going on 50 years upon her passing April 23, 1993. They had two children Linda Diane Greer and Ronald Lyndon Greer. His career in the military spanned some 23 years and put him aboard such aircraft as the B-17, B-24, B-29, B-36, B-52 and B-47 while at Little Rock Air Force Base Jacksonville, Arkansas where he retired.
Mike Wicks was born in London, England and spent a large part of his career in the publishing industry. He currently lives in Victoria on Vancouver Island, Canada with his wife Sheila and a manic cat, Phoebe. He is a writer for hire and loves nothing more than to help people bring life to their book ideas. This is his third book.