Fly+Boys;+Jake+BD

Jake Bentley-dean Mr.Aurich P. 4/5
 * FLY BOYS BY JAMES BRADLEY**

**Journal Entry #1** //Fly Boys: James Bradley//

**Page 1-84**
Summary: Who knew that there was so much behind the start of WWII? There is so much more than what we learn in school. This is most likely because there is a lot to learn and understand. The book __Fly Boys__ starts off with no characters and no real plot, but what is more of a history lesson, a very interesting one.

To summarize years of history in a short few paragraphs, __Fly Boys__ starts with Japan being a country oblivious to the rest of the world; totally isolated. Japan had one attempt at being invaded by the Russians, but they were foiled by winds and a storm. It turns out it was just the wrong place wrong time. After the victory Japan believed that the gods sent the winds and they called it //Kamikaze//. Japan was satisfied and felt like the gods protected them forever. Little did they know America was about to show up on their doorstep in steam-powered ships that weren’t familiar to the Japanese.

America conquered the island of Chichi Jima in the Pacific just outside of Japan. The island was for use as a refuelling dock for the American steam ships. This island would later be the location of a WWII mission to destroy Japanese communication centers. The story hasn’t yet got to that point though; so far it has just been about Japanese history.

Reaction: I personally think the story is really intriguing. If there is one subject I love more than any other, it is history. The story of and leading up to the Flyboy’s at Chichi Jima is packed with knowledge of early Japan and America. The story has also been recorded in confidential documents that have only recently been released to the public, which makes this even more interesting. I have yet to find out why this was kept so confidential and I cannot wait to read on and find out. This is also one of the first books I’ve actually enjoyed reading in a long time, so having the ability to pick our own book for this project is just perfect.

– **Chichi Jima**-the main Japanese-controlled island in //Flyboys.// **– Emperor Hirohito**-the Emperor of Japan who helped lead Japan during WWII. **– [|President Roosevelt]**-the President that told Japan to proceed with is conquests. **– [|Russo:Japanese War]**-the war that gave Japan its confidence. **– Emperor Meiji**-brought Japan to its military/conquest days.



**Page 84-168**
 * Journal Entry #2** //Fly Boys: James Bradley//

Summary: This area of the book focuses mainly on the Japanese build up to the war with America. First of all did you know that the Japanese never declare war on an enemy for striking? Shocking. Almost as shocking as Pearl Harbor when over 400 Japanese fight planes equipped with torpedoes and other high-explosive bombs showed up at 6-7am in the morning. What is even more shocking, is that in these pages there are facts and stories about the Japanese attack on China and the horrific things they did to civilians, I had never heard of before.

It starts with the Japanese being trained in some of the darkest ways I’ve ever heard of before. In order to make it into the Japanese army, a soldier was required to decapitate a living Chinese civilian. Many struggled to do so, but eventually it became second nature to them. They even held a competition between two generals to see who would decapitate more heads in one week, both reached over 130. This book is really shocking to read and is informing me of not just horrific acts by the Japanese, but the awful nature of the human being.

Reaction: I think that this book so far has been really interesting and satisfying to read. Honestly it is one of the few good books I have read in a while. The knowledge contained in this book truly is astonishing and has kept me turning the page every minute. This novel really is factual and sort of doesn’t have a main plot, although I do see it building up to one. This book connects to my family and I because of all the people in our family history who have been involved in the war, its helping me to understand the intensity and stress they must have gone through.

**-Japanese Military**-the life of the soldiers during the genocide acts. **-Assault on the Phillipines**-the slaughter of civilians. **-United States Congress**-their effect on the situations. **-Japanese military tactics**-what and why they invaded China. **-U.S Indian Slaughter**-how are we different from the Japanese?



//Page 168-252//
==== Summary: This area of the story is the beginning of the actual tale of the __Flyboys__ that all the facts earlier in the story have been leading up to. The Flyboy’s mission is to head to the island of Chichi Jima and destroy the communication centers of the Japanese. The Flyboys took off for the island but no planes survived. All the planes were shot down but everyone parachuted out, the only person to escape the island alive later on, would be [|George Bush Sr]., who was saved by an American submarine. The other eight however, had been captured by the Japanese and held captive. These Flyboys were referred to as “White Pigs.” ==== ==== The story takes them from being tied up outside a guardhouse, to being tortured carelessly by Japanese military officials, to gun battles that would take their lives. They were almost starved and had no real proper treatment; it was similar to that of a concentration camp, like Elie Wiesel’s __Night__. They were thrown around and had their lives threatened on a daily basis. Their fight was courageous but sometimes the only ones who live are the cowards, they did not live. ==== ==== Reaction: I think this story is extremely addicting to read; I haven’t stopped turning the pages once. The book is full of a world of history and a story that I’d never even heard of until this book. Just thinking of what these Flyboy’s had to go through really makes you think about what the period of time was like back then and how our countries acted and treated each other; nobody seemed to have any regard for human life. ====

**-General Tachiabana** **-Captain Kimitomi** **-Mount Suribachi** **-Napalm** **-USS Bennington**

=Page 252-336=
 * Journal Entry #4** //Fly Boys: James Bradley//

Summary: To begin with this book was absolutely amazing, its level of depth and interest, was just outstanding. I’m still uncertain of why this story was kept from the public and hidden from the families, because it’s true bravery and courage on the parts of the nine Flyboys. Their deaths consisting of awful execution and then having parts of their bodies cooked and served to the Japanese Officials. This story makes your stomach turn and makes you wonder what kinds of people are out there in the world.

The book //Fly Boys// is similar to a documentary; it does not portray a story with characters and dialogue, but rather describes their story in the best detail possible. The author went to several places and retrieved numerous lost files that uncover the story of the Flyboys. This story is informing and told of human abuse, if it weren’t for this story I would have never known of the poor and horrible treatment the Americans gave the [|Native Americans]. I also did not know of the Japanese and their brutal ways during the days of WWI and WWII.

Reaction: To say the least I connected to this book, I love history and I love the WWII era even more. This book offers an insight into the real world, like no other. I really felt like this book portrayed the things that humans are capable of such as brutality and abusiveness.


 * -American Air Force**
 * –[|B-29 Bomber]**
 * –Elliot Roosevelt**
 * –Paul Tibets**
 * -[|Pearl Harbor]**

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