september october lieutenant participated raid born graduated high school attended joined training program november commissioned july february volunteered participate took place april year captured japanese completion bombing mission tried crew members sentenced death executed firing squad ashes recovered interred arlington national cemetery posthumously received multiple awards early life born south_carolina september father employed cigarette company north_carolina mother born daughter wealthy tobacco warehouse owner age sixteen william eagle scout graduated high school went attend fall received pilot training south_carolina november joined july following year obtained aviator badge commission second lieutenant kelly field texas following completion mitchell training program sent oregon member february following squadron transfer january volunteered participate attempt japanese result attack pearl harbor time mission secret target unknown volunteers april training places united_states crews respective aircraft departed san_francisco aboard uss mission took place april piloted named bat hell sixteenth final aircraft depart aircraft targets included oil tank aircraft factory bombed intended land japanese beacon direction capture death sixteen hours departure aircraft fuel exhausted crew near japanese controlled china japanese captured members crew subjected imprisonment interrogation torture men subsequently tried sentenced death crew members sentences life imprisonment sentences men including stood night execution men permitted write final letters mail letters receiving japanese japanese pass letters wrote letters mother friend letter addressed mother wrote given returned christian way real angel brave strong sake love mom depths heart don let remember god right let chin brave strong sake insurance policy bag small tent columbia read want know taking faith god complete dawn october men taken public cemetery near shanghai shot japanese firing squad following bodies ashes taken war ended men ashes recovered letters found secret file war ministry building tokyo interred honors grave honors posthumously given multiple awards included order sacred purple heart awarded prisoner war medal authorization congress given members prisoner war april
William G. Farrow