Candidate for one of the best war stories: "Sinking of Seven Foe Warcraft by Only Six Planes Told." Sub Lieutenant Ishimura dove on two large, fully laden, 3,000-ton type landing craft steaming side by side from an "altitude of several thousand meters." He crashed on the right side of one.

The tremendous impact caused his plane to rebound high into the air after sinking this craft. The next instant, however, with [an] unbelievable last effort, the pilot directed his plane toward another enemy landing craft 50 meters away. When his plane collided into the deck of the enemy landing craft, the high explosives in his plane went off with a deafening detonation and the enemy landing craft went down instantaneously.

Thus the Tanshin Unit achieved the unparalleled merit of sinking seven enemy craft with but six body-crashing planes.

Peter Siy, who is usually down to earth, told me today that he'd told his wife to stop buying food. "We have enough for two months," he explained, "and I think that's quite enough."

"No doubt," I answered, "they'll be here by the end of January."

"No!" said Peter, shocked at my ignorance, "This next moon."

"But the moon is out ... it'll be full in ten days."

"Yes, 10 days," he said, emphasizing each word.

I was flabbergasted that Peter would leave the ground like that, but I couldn't resist grabbing and pumping his hand heartily

"Oh boy, oh boy," I said, infected by the sentiment. Entertaining the thought that he might be right, I expanded myself like a balloon and set sail down the street whistling, "California, here I come."

...ooOoo...