At 11:40 A. M., Nichols was bombed and dive-bombed by the Japs. I’d just finished coming through the chow-line, when I heard planes diving. Our om ships had been flying around all morning, and I thought these were ours as well. There were low hanging clouds; ( about 300 ft ) I’d taken a bite of my sandwich, when I noticed these planes were low and still diving. I looked up, and just then the first plane broke through the clouds, and he started to fire, hell – for – leather. I noticed he was a: white – man, big, and blonde-headed, then I threw myself on the ground. The planes flew over my head, and I ran to the edge of the field, and went down flat again.
There was a B-18 setting on the edge of the field, about 100 yds. from me. This had 20- 100 1b. bombs in it. It had engine trouble, and hadn’t been able to take-off with the other two B-18s that left just 10 minutes before we were raided.
One of the Japanese planes strafeing [strafing] the field, set it on fire. When the B-18 exploded, the flames and smoke went up about 300 ft, almost catching the Jap plane.
Shrapnel flew over my head, very low, and I was lifted completely off the ground.
The raid lasted till 12:00 noon. Our own planes came to our rescue, shooting down, three, Jap planes. There was a bit of damage down on the field, and a lot of our ships were caught on the ground. Thirteen out of fifteen ships were washed out.
The 35th Pure Sqdn left enmasse, on the train.