Prof. Greg Jackson

Dive bomber Norman Jack Dusty Kleiss and his fellow aviators are peering through cloud cover as they fly over the Pacific.

As they do, they soon see their target, the Japanese carrier, Hiryu.

But beyond its own aircraft, the Hiryu also has its protective entourage of six other ships.

And unlike this morning, Japanese fighter pilots are on high alert for their American enemy.

Dusty climbs to an attack altitude of 19,000 feet.

He's instructed by Lieutenant Wilmer Earl Gallagher to circle clockwise and approach to hear you from the south.

Dusty and his fellow pilots do so, emerging from the cloud cover as the setting sun casts its golden rays across the Pacific's waters, all but blinding the Japanese anti-aircraft gunners as they attempt to spot the incoming American aircraft.

At 5.05 p.m., Earl drops the first bomb.

According to Dusty's later recollections, the commander's bomb is aimed perfectly, but suddenly, here you made a radical turn to port.

The helmsman on that carrier saw our approach and tried to spin the carrier 180 degrees.

Gallagher had just gripped the bomb release lever, and he jerked his plane to correct for the error.

The skipper's bombs jolted loose, and the force caused his plane to shudder like a T-boned automobile.

He pulled out of his awkward dive, his bombs splashing harmlessly astern of his target.

The next pilot is Reid Stone.

Following closely behind Earl, Reid also doesn't have time to correct against the Hiryu's sudden turn.

But the third aviator, Richard Jacquard, manages to land a hit.

Unsuccessful against the Kaga this morning, Richard redeems himself by dropping a 500-pound bomb on the forward elevator of the Hiryu.

It's a massive score for the Americans.

And then it's Dusty's turn.

As I plunged toward the sea, forth in line, I remember thinking this was my toughest dive yet.