American Experience

When the war was over,...I was on [the Pacific island of] Tinian. And I get called into our wing commander's office...General Raimey, General Roger Raimey. General Raimey says, "I've just been on the horn with General LeMay down in Guam, and he said, `Roger, your 58^th wing is the best wing in the 20^th Air Force, so you're going to lead the parade on the mission,' " which was a show-of-force mission: 500 B-29s to fly over the deck of the Battleship Missouri while the papers were being signed there in Tokyo Bay [during the surrender ceremonies]. And Roger says, "Now, Eddy, I'm telling you, you've got the best group in my wing, so you're going to lead it and I'm going to fly with you."

So I saw the Pacific war from start at Pearl Harbor to leading the 500 B-29 formation that passed over the deck at low altitude when the papers were being signed.

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