European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 18, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3 from War Man found his peace Doolittle raid changed a life by Hal Drake Pacific stars and stripes fifty years ago today enemy bombers raided Tokyo and Reiji Oyama lost the first of three lives he would Lead. He put aside his ambition to be a design architect and became a Soldier Cadet jabbing a wooden Rifle at classmates in martial Drill. In hateful imagination he impaled the americans whose bombs had slain a Schoolboy Friend. _ but Oyama would abandon this resolve also finding yet another life that at last brought him peace and Comfort. Wii 5ft an Envoi sary Olmis april 18, 1942. The the War with America was just More than 4 months old and the English language Japan times and advertiser published in Tokyo was buoy Antly confident of a japanese Victory. It seemed that the americans could not deploy a ship without losing it or a plane that was not shot Down. Japanese a sea eagles Sank enemy convoys and crumbling defences on Corregidor Shook from hellfire. Singapore was now Honan and Burma was falling easily. The malay Peninsula was almost in hand. The rubber plantations and Oil Wells of Indonesia seized from British dutch and american defenders now belonged to Japan a fuel for the final offensive that would vanquish the allies and make the japanese masters of the Pacific. Everywhere there nothing but one sided no loss Victory for Japan. There was Little to sorrow about a Only the slain sailors in the special attack squad the two Man Crews of Small submarines. All but one Man had been lost in the attacks that a a annihilated the american battleship Fleet at Pearl Harbor. But no . Aircraft carriers had been taken out and one called the Hornet was knifing through the Pacific bound for Japan. Aboard was it. Col. James a. Doolittle a Maverick air racer accomplished military aviator and stunt Pilot who had been the first to master the perilous Man Euver called the outside Loop. The Hornet carried a strange cargo a 16 twin engined members of Doolittle a raiders who took part in the first . Air raid on Japan in april 1942, raise their Silver cups thursday in Columbia s.c., to Toast those raiders who have died. I Felt very empty inside and i Learned that revenge was useless. And hatred destroys too much of a Man a Reiji Oyama Doolittle s raid the b-25s were launched from the aircraft Carrier Hornet 600 Miles from Japan. After the raid the planes Russia continued to China and Russia. V Jimmy Doolittle who led the april 18, 1942, raid on Japan poses with his son John Doolittle at the Pebble Beach calif., Home of the retired air Force general. Army air corps bombers manned by pilots and crewmen who had been secretly trained to take off from space much Shorter than an  until they were Halfway to their destination did Doolittle Tell them a we Are going to bomb Tokyo Yokohama Osaka Nagoya Kobe. It would hopefully deflate japanese Confidence and lift sagging american morale. The bombers grossly overloaded with fuel Anil bombs were to be launched 500 Miles from Japan hitting their targets and flying on to bases in  plans went awry when the Carrier task Force ran into japanese patrol boats forcing him to order a Spur of the moment launch that added 150 Miles to the flight. That mishap would Strain fuel reserves past the limit. Oyama knew of none of this. He was 15 and a youth full of Stern ambition aspiring to enter Tokyo University and study for a career at the drafting Board. For older students at Waseda Junior High school there was hard study even on saturday. Classes were to Start at 1 p.m., Oyama recalls but were delayed. A we were just playing on the playground and saw some air planes coming from the North approaching us. I thought i saw leaflets coming  Oyama then saw that the falling objects were solid cylinders that sparkled As they fell. He heard a Long shrill noise. A they were firebombs a magnesium incendiaries that flared White hot and were scattered from open canisters. Some 60 struck the rooftops of the school and fell on the playground. A before this a Oyama said a we went through Guh Oku Kundin which was air defense practice. We were trained to yell Kyushu air raid and to get As Clear As possible. And so we went to a Corner of the  teachers marshalled the students and rushed them into a gymnasium. Oyama was told that classmate Shigeru Kojima struck by two bombs had been instantly killed. T he school built of Concrete and steel was t much damaged a Only a few holes seared through the Sheet Iron roof. Outside there was some smoke but Little visible damage. All Over town 145 Homes burned Down and 89 people were killed. The raiders moved on crashing before they reached Safe Haven bases in China. Most of the crewmen escaped and survived although some were captured and a few executed. Raging at the loss of his Friend Oyama went into military school jousting with wooden rifles firing real ones learning to shatter Bone with his Bare hands a resolving to take 10-fold vengeance for Kojima. But after the raid japanese fortunes faltered. An m China Al Sis Vasion Force was turned Back in the Coral sea failing to land troops that would have seized fort moresby new Guinea and put a gun at australians head. 1 hat was followed by the loss at Midway a four carriers a heavy Cruiser and other capital ships a crippling blow to the Imperial Navy. Later in the War Oyama watched american bombers return Many times. Much of his neighbourhood fell in flames but his own Home and family survived. As the first americans landed in surrendered Japan Oyama a feelings changed. A i Felt very empty inside and i Learned that revenge was useless. And hatred destroys too much of a  with no Confidence in nationalism or any former belief Oyama said a i was a sheep without a shop acid wandering Here and there searching for some peace a one night he wandered into an English language class. I he textbook was the Bible. I he teachers were fils who were off duty evangelists. A the Inird turned me in the right direction a he said. Oyama held up his hand and walked Forward a convert to a new Faith. He finishes his Story in a Sun lit rectory next to a room from which choir practice sounds a i love to Tell the Story a a twill be my theme in glory a to Tell the old old Story a of Jesus and his  president and pastor of the biblical Church Oyama Seldom tells his own Story and plans no pilgrimage to the school ground where he lost a Friend and his Lile began to turn. But hell recall to himself always the Light that led him out of Winter of de pail War