Tom Drake

Father's passed away now. But he was actually on a troop transport. He was a combat engineer. They had plans, 10 million – I mean, we're talking a million men and then some invading Japan, homeland. Yeah. And they were anticipating, I mean, tens of actually millions, there was gonna be millions. They anticipated upwards of a million casualties.

If you go back and actually look at what they were planning for, up to a million casualties. Because you can imagine based on the island came in, that's why they started bypassing all the islands because they just put up, they were extraordinary fighters, right? I mean, there's unbelievable fighters. As good as we were, they just were next level.

If you go back and actually look at what they were planning for, up to a million casualties. Because you can imagine based on the island came in, that's why they started bypassing all the islands because they just put up, they were extraordinary fighters, right? I mean, there's unbelievable fighters. As good as we were, they just were next level.

If you go back and actually look at what they were planning for, up to a million casualties. Because you can imagine based on the island came in, that's why they started bypassing all the islands because they just put up, they were extraordinary fighters, right? I mean, there's unbelievable fighters. As good as we were, they just were next level.

Well, you talk about the samurai spirit and the willingness to just die for the homeland. I mean, they just – and dug in, like really dug in. You can imagine how they would have resisted if we had invaded mainland Japan. I mean, the main island.

Well, you talk about the samurai spirit and the willingness to just die for the homeland. I mean, they just – and dug in, like really dug in. You can imagine how they would have resisted if we had invaded mainland Japan. I mean, the main island.

Well, you talk about the samurai spirit and the willingness to just die for the homeland. I mean, they just – and dug in, like really dug in. You can imagine how they would have resisted if we had invaded mainland Japan. I mean, the main island.

But war itself is hell. My father always said, you know, war is hell, but if you find yourself, you know, there's no such thing as a fair fight. If you have to fight, then you take the gloves off if you need to.

But war itself is hell. My father always said, you know, war is hell, but if you find yourself, you know, there's no such thing as a fair fight. If you have to fight, then you take the gloves off if you need to.

But war itself is hell. My father always said, you know, war is hell, but if you find yourself, you know, there's no such thing as a fair fight. If you have to fight, then you take the gloves off if you need to.

Super secret. Yeah. At the time. He didn't talk about it.

Super secret. Yeah. At the time. He didn't talk about it.

Super secret. Yeah. At the time. He didn't talk about it.

Europe. Oh, yeah. He's flying out of North Africa and then later Italy as we went up the spine of Italy. Whoa. The plane got hit. It was on a night mission, right? They had special –

Europe. Oh, yeah. He's flying out of North Africa and then later Italy as we went up the spine of Italy. Whoa. The plane got hit. It was on a night mission, right? They had special –

Europe. Oh, yeah. He's flying out of North Africa and then later Italy as we went up the spine of Italy. Whoa. The plane got hit. It was on a night mission, right? They had special –

goggles and everything else uh he he operated the he at that time he was a bombardier navigator norden bomb site fascinating instrument wasn't quite as accurate as some people said it was but it at least would give you with you know within so they're they're they're dropping things you know to the partisans right the partisans they were fighting a guerrilla war against it's against the germans plane got hit caught fire um

goggles and everything else uh he he operated the he at that time he was a bombardier navigator norden bomb site fascinating instrument wasn't quite as accurate as some people said it was but it at least would give you with you know within so they're they're they're dropping things you know to the partisans right the partisans they were fighting a guerrilla war against it's against the germans plane got hit caught fire um

goggles and everything else uh he he operated the he at that time he was a bombardier navigator norden bomb site fascinating instrument wasn't quite as accurate as some people said it was but it at least would give you with you know within so they're they're they're dropping things you know to the partisans right the partisans they were fighting a guerrilla war against it's against the germans plane got hit caught fire um

It was going down. He was the only man. He just happened to be close enough to the hatch door and bailed out. Took a swing and a half in the harness, hit the side of a hill. Lone survivor. All the rest of the... He's got survivor's guilt. He was behind the lines for six months until the British underground picked him up. Which means he was always indebted to the British for saving his life.