Evening star., 1945-08-25
DooIittIe
Continued From First Page.)

made in Japan-because 1t didn't
work." 1t. Nielsen said. But our
life vests did"
After all of his experiences-and
security reasons still prevent a full
narration Of them, or of those en-
dured by the other two airmen-
1t. Nielsen had a sense of humor,
and his gaunt face often crinkled
into smile as he talked. 49,.
Correspondence Forbidden.
1t. Hite said that on June IA Of
this year he and his companions
were removed from q previous loca-
ton to Peiping.
1--WE remained there two months, !"
he said. "On August 20, the Japa-
nese appeared to say the war was
over. and we were going back home. !"
The flyers said they had never re-
ceived news of the progress Of the
war, and had no idea it was about
to end.
1t. Hite said the daily routine
during confinement was:
Breakfast, lunch, supper. Exer-
else with guard available. Moth
ing else. Nothing to read"
AL three of the flyers underwent
periods of solitary confinement, they
had lean rations and they never re-
ceived Red Cross parcel, 1t. Hite
said. They also were forbidden any
correspondence.
1t. Hite related that at first he
was confined in Tokyo. After two
months there, he was moved to
Shanghai, where he was impris-
oned at two different locations. In
April, 1943, on the first anniver-
sary OF the Doolittle raid, he was
shifted to Nanking.
One day during the Shanghai Inn
prisonment, 1t. Hite said, he and six
other men were summoned before
high japanese officers and asked
for details Of their schooling in
America. Reasons for this question:
ing were not told.
Reprieved by Hirohito.
1t. Nielsen said that it was on
October Is, 1912, while he was con-
fined in Shanghai, that he learned
he had been sentenced to die by
japanese court-martial, but that
Emperor Hirohito had changed the
sentence to life Imprisonment with
special treatment"
"Our charge" he said, "was
bombing nonmilitary objectives and
schools and straf1ng innocent school
children"
The accusation was false, he de-
clared, and 1t. Hite said:
Our targets were bullseyes-we
hit oil tanks and factories, and saw
them in flames"
1t. Nielsen told his story, start
ing with the fateful flight from
"Shangri-La," as the late President
Roosevelt called the carer Hornet,
from which the raiding planes took
of.
1t. Nielsen said:
"As we approached Japan, I ex-
pected to meet q large force OF
Zeros,s and whatnot. We saw six
pursuit planes flying at 5000 feet.
We were hedge-hopping. AS we
neared Tokyo, we went up to 1900
feet and made q run on the target,
Q steel mill In the northern target
area. Our target was hit and blown
to hell. We then circled and dropped
our last bomb-an incendiary-and
came lower over Tokyo Bay and left
the japanese.
1--WE encountered no Jap planes
other than the six we had first seen.
Everything was fine until we ap-
preached the China coast. Shortage
of gasoline forced us to crash: :land
at sea 80 miles south OF Shanghai.
Our life raft, 1t seemed, was made
In Japan because 1t didn't work. But
our life vests did.
After swimming four hours, d
made the coast, and with what
strength ] had left, walked few
steps and collapsed. The next
morning. on coming to, saw two
large yultures on . rock locking
down at me"
1t. Nielsen chuckled at the menu
ory, and continued:
staggered into small dshine
village and tried to get into contact
With Chinese troops. The Chinese
guerrillas tried to get Us to safety.
put the japanese had good spy|
system. They sent half ! reeiment]
against our Is .guerTiIlas and TOOK
.ls over. They moved " up the coast|
70 Shanghai. We reached shanx-
hal the night Of June ~ and were
noM 70 Tokyo the next day. !.
In Tskys = Days.
1t. Nelson was kent il Tolrv0 sel