How Did They Get There -- A True Story
Chapter Three
This December 28, 2013...
Seventy-two years ago today, 1st Lt. Earl J. Cooper and his B-17C (40-2054) crew spent the night in calm seas, two leaking rafts and a long way from base…
At 6:00 am they had their sip of coffee, bailed out their rafts, and worked to inflate their rafts as best they could. The seas remained moderately calm and the sun was still hot. About 11:00 am, they sighted an airplane in the distance but it was too far away to see their signal flares. At noon, they divided the apple into nine pieces for Sunday dinner – a special treat. About 1:30 pm, they saw a plane returning home; still too far away to see them. Someone said “He is returning to base.” Another said, “I wish we were.”
The day continued sunny and hot. Faces, arms, and feet began to sunburn. They had removed their shoes and socks when they went into the water after the ditching. They were beginning to get stiff and sore from sitting in their cramped positions hour after hour. About 6:00 pm, they bailed the rafts and again attempted to inflate them to counter the slow leaks. Afterwards, they had their sip of coffee and settled in for the night. As they gazed into the night sky looking for the North Star, they wondered if they would be rescued, and what the next dawn would bring. Depression began to set in…
