Encore: Fighting the Night: Iwo Jima, World War II, and a Flyer's Life

·30 min·3 clips

His 21-year-old mother drove from Texas to Ohio with two babies, no seat belts, and baby poop flying everywhere.

Host Bob Kustra introduces Paul Hendrickson, author of 'Fighting the Night,' a book about his father's World War II experiences. Hendrickson explains that while the book details his father's wartime exploits as a P-61 Black Widow pilot on Iwo Jima, it is fundamentally a son's quest to understand a father he loved but also feared. He describes his father's humble origins as a sharecropper's son in Kentucky who dreamed of flying from a young age. Hendrickson recounts how his father enlisted in the Army Air Corps, became a pilot, and volunteered for night fighters. The episode delves into the technical details of the P-61 Black Widow, a specialized night fighter plane loaded with armament. Hendrickson shares the story of his parents' emotional goodbye in Amarillo, Texas, in 1944, when his father left for war and his mother, at age 21, drove cross-country with their two babies to wait out the war in Ohio. He details his father's assignment to the 549th Night Fighter Squadron and their deployment to Iwo Jima, where his father flew approximately 75 missions. A key moment discussed is an intruder mission to Chichijima, where his father was trapped in enemy searchlights and narrowly escaped. Hendrickson reflects on his father's postwar struggles, attributing them to undiagnosed PTSD, which manifested in harsh discipline toward his sons. He concludes by emphasizing the universal themes of sacrifice and memory in the Greatest Generation's stories.

As heard by us

A P-61 pilot's Iwo Jima missions are examined through night-fighter technology and the family he left at home.

Paul Hendrickson's account of his father's wartime life starts with a family goodbye, then moves into the technical and emotional demands of night combat.

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Why you'd press play

You get the P-61 Black Widow, an Iwo Jima night-fighter story, and a wartime goodbye with family weight.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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