Originally posted by Treize69
Talks about something similar in Tom Blackburns book. Was making a run in to strafe a Japanese in his chute (I don't approve, don't jump all over me please) when he noticed nobody in the harness. He figured the harness must have burned through or torn and left the pilot to fall 18,000 feet or so.
Think I'd rather be strafed.
Not many American pilots in either theater strafed an opposing pilot. That is, until they saw it first hand.
In Bud Anderson's book "To Fly and Fight" he recalls a fellow squadmate who shot at German pilots in there chutes. This pilot witnessed a German pilot doing it to an American pilot after he had been shot down. After seeing that, each German pilot was no longer a person, but part of the airplane. Bud Anderson himself said he could not do that, but if he had witnessed what the other pilot had, he might have changed his mind.
If i recall correctly, Japanese pilots strafed American service men AND civilains during the attack on Pearl Harbor. You reak what ya show!
Kind of makes me sad that our civilization thinks like this. I mean, look in the Arab world. A bunch of crazed men fly planes into buildings, killing thousands of civilians and there are celebrations, national holidays, ect. But God forbid an American Marine shoots an Arab civilian because he is holding an RPG or Ak47. Just plain rediculous.
Its pretty much the same thing here, yes its sad that it happened. American pilots strafing Japanese fisherman, yes its wrong. But during those days, it was acceptable. Just like carpet bombing German/Japanese cities was "part of war."
Its not funny, but then again, i feel zero sympethy for them. Because, it was part of the war.
