From Enemy to Inspiration: The Remarkable Journey of Jacob DeShazer (Return of the Raider)
Early life:
In 1912, Jacob Daniel DeShazer was born in Salem, Oregon, to his mother, Hulda, and his father, who tragically passed away when Jacob was only two years old. Later, his mother married Mr. Huram Andrus, a wheat farmer from Madras, Oregon. The family relocated to Madras, which was a small community with only a handful of residents. During his early years, Jacob often played preacher with his younger siblings, showing an early dedication to Christianity. In 1927, he began attending high school, where he developed a particular interest in mathematics. However, during his teenage years, Jacob went through a rebellious phase, stealing from others. This behavior came to an end after he stole a suitcase from his neighbors. As a consequence, his parents forced him to apologize, teaching him an important lesson about accountability. A few years later, the Great Depression hit, forcing him to stay close to home and help with farm chores to keep the farm running. However, he sought opportunities to earn more money. Eventually, he moved to California, where he took on various odd jobs that paid very little. His final odd job was working as a caretaker for sheep and cattle, a position he held for two years. During that job, he tried raising turkeys but soon discovered how unprofitable they were. At that point, he decided it was time to give the military a try.
Military:
When he first joined the military, he hoped to become a pilot. However, as luck would turn out, he was denied the position and offered to become a bombardier, which he accepted. He found the job easy for him. Later on, when he found out that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor, he was shocked that they would do something as deliberate as that. Shortly after hearing about the Pearl Harbor incident, a new mission was offered and volunteers were sought after. Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle needed volunteers for the Doolittle raid. There were 120 volunteers, including Jacob, who were seeking adventure and thrill. They began their intense training in Columbia, SC, to Elign Field, Florida. During that time, the men were split into 24 crews, all consisting of a pilot, copilot, navigator, bombardier, and gunner. Jacob would begin training as a bombardier and an airplane mechanic. No one knew what the mission entailed. However, the popular guesses at the time were either Japan or Europe, but no one could guess what they were doing once they got there. On April 1, 1942, all sixteen B-25 bombers were put on the U.S.S. Hornet., a ship in WW2, and found out they were bombing Japan. They all had a sense of nationalism; they believed Japan deserved it for their cowardly, unprovoked act. On April 18, 1942, the B-25 bombers found out they were going to take off. All of them felt excitement; however, they also felt fear for how the mission would go. Jacob DeShazer found out he would be taking off on The Bat Out Of Hell and was assigned to Nagoya, a town 300 miles south from Tokyo. While flying, the plan was running out of fuel around Free China, Jacob DeShazer and his pilot jumped off and landed
Return of the Raider
Captivity:
After landing, Jacob knew he had to find his way back to his crew and home. He wandered around, asking if the area he landed in was free China or Japanese territory. He ran into a group of soldiers and asked them if they were Chinese or Japanese soldiers. After communicating and having friendly exchanges, he quickly found out that they were Japanese soldiers, and he was now held captive. Jacob was then brought to another city, where he was put in a wooden jail cell. There, he was asked questions, like his association with the Doolittle Raid and Captain Doolittle and the U.S.S. Hornet. He was then blindfolded and handcuffed and put back into the cell. For eighteen more days, he was questioning. It was then that they decided he would be tried in Shanghai. Two months later, they had been originally captured and the men were living in horrible conditions. They barely could wash their faces, bathe, or sleep well. After arriving in Nagasaki, a stop on the way to Shanghai, they were put in cold cement jail cells with a straw floor mat, which did little to protect the men. They were finally together and met three survivors of the number six B-25 plane. They told a story of perseverance. Number six had landed in the ocean, where the crew swam to shore. After Liteutenant Nielsen and Hallmark met in a small Chinese village, they were treated well there. Until one day, the Chinese soldiers turned the two Americans to the Japanese officials. They were kept in a jail cell just like Jacob. Finally, they had arrived in Shunghai, where they were put into a disgusting jail cell. The American prisoners were covered in scabs and bruises and were intensely emaciated. The jail cells had a rodent and bug infestation, and the smell of each other made them throw up and gag.s
Commentaires