The following is a historical-fiction piece based on the experiences of Mr. George Moses, a World War II Veteran. George enlisted in the United States Army when he was in his early twenties and living in Unionville, Connecticut. George served his country loyally for three years, from 1942 until 1945. He also traveled to many places serving as a Morse code messenger and Radar Mechanic.

This story is set in 1943, on the island of Biak, northeast of New Guinea, when Mr. Moses was serving as a Radar Mechanic, Fourth Grade. He was in the Army, but he worked hand-in-hand with the United States Air Force.

Currently, George Moses is retired and lives in Canton, Connecticut.

Daisy Cutters

An engine roared as four guys, all in their early twenties, pulled up in a weapons carrier next to George Moses, a soldier in the US Army.

“Hey George, we’re goin’ to see a movie, ya’ comin’?” asked a man named Backer who was driving the carrier.

“Sure, I’m comin’! There’s nothing to do here!” said George as he headed towards the truck.

George hopped up and into the back of the vehicle, taking a seat on one of the benches, near the cab.

“Where’re we going? There isn’t a movie theater on this island…is there?” George asked, once he was comfortably nestled into the truck.

“Naw’ there isn’t. It’s a place not too far from here…one’a those outdoor theaters,” piped up Ritter.

“I didn’t know they had one a’ those here. What’re we seeing?” George asked no one in particular.

“We’re gonna’ go and see a film called Meet Me in St. Louis,” responded Carpenter, his voice wavering as the carrier drove over the coral terrain.

“Who’s in it?” asked George, “I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s one of those new movies starring a girl…I think her name is Judy Garland?” said Triefenbach.

“Is that the pretty one?” asked Ritter, almost to himself.

“Yeah,” said Backer.

It was an evening in 1943 and the air was still warm, even though it was already nine o’clock in the evening. The sky had just grown dark when the five soldiers arrived at the outdoor theater.

The theater wasn’t at all as crowded as any of the men had expected it to be, and thus Backer was able to park the truck near the screen, towards the center. It was obvious that he had ‘reserved’ the best ‘seats’ and, although he didn’t say anything, it was also obvious that he knew it.

George took a seat on one of the flat front fenders of the truck, his arm hugging a knee that was propped up on one of the headlight guards. George’s other leg dangled loosely near the tire. Backer sat on the other fender, knees tucked and legs crossed. The other three men, unlike George and Backer, were strewn about on the hood of the carrier. The five men had arrived just in time for the start of the film.

When the projectionist started the movie, all that could be heard was the hum of the film as it twisted around on the projector’s reels, and then the sound of the film’s opening scene as two of the characters discussed dinner: “Best ketchup we ever made Katie…”

The movie was about half way through; Judy Garland had just said jokingly, “You know, you got a mighty strong grip for a boy,” when there was a tremendous noise as four bombs fell from the sky striking the ground about a mile from where George and his friends were watching the film. The projectionist turned off the projector in the commotion and dropped to the cover of the ground.

George and his four army buddies looked at each other for a fraction of a second and then, following the example of the projectionist, dove to the ground as well. They all lay stomach down, hands-on-heads, on the rough surface. The men wanted to melt into the little island and disappear. None of them said anything, but all of them were plagued with the same terrible thoughts.

George’s mind shifted his thoughts about frantically, but all his questions seemed to lead to, “Where will the fifth bomb hit?”

George and the other men waited, but nothing more dropped from the sky. Finally, George rose from the ground and looked up, questioning the skies from whence the bombs had come. They provided him with no answer; he saw nothing.

“Nothing but starry skies…and coral,” he said softly and aloud, partially to himself but mainly to the huddle of men on the ground below.

George’s friends were just getting off the ground as George was placing himself back on the fender of the carrier, waiting for the reels of the projector to begin turning once more.

“Right here where we live…right here in St. Louis,” said Judy Garland, voicing the end of the movie had come.

The next morning, George and his friends drove to the site of the bombings, Mokmer Airfield. They parked their carrier and observed the damage. One of the bombs had landed in a supply area where the damage was minimal; two others had landed on the surface of the airfield, forming circular depressions. The last, more serious, had landed amongst a group of tents, killing 19 men.

In addition, the explosions had set two P-38 fighter planes on fire and riddled three C-54 transports with shrapnel.

As the men stared into the holes they were all shrouded by piteous and livid thoughts. George was silent; amazed that four little “daisy cutters” could inflict such severe damage.

“Charlie had a good night,” he said and fell silent once more.