Lt. Col(Ret.) William P. Bonelli Interview

Interview with Lt. Col(Ret.) William P. Bonelli.

Rather than wait for the war to start and get a draft notice, Bonelli decided to enlist in the Army to select a job he thought he'd like: aviation.

Although he wanted to be a fighter pilot, Bonelli said that instead, the Army Air Corps made him an aviation mechanic.

After basic training, he was assigned to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he arrived by boat in September 1940.

On Dec. 6, 1941, Bonelli and a buddy went to a recreational camping area on the west side of Oahu. That evening, he recalled seeing a black vehicle parked on the beach with four Japanese men inside. The vehicle had two long whip antennas mounted to the rear bumper. Bonelli said he thought it odd at the time. Later, he added, he felt certain that they were there to guide enemy planes to targets.

Видео Lt. Col(Ret.) William P. Bonelli Interview канала National Museum of the U.S. Air Force