The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael Giroski. Giroski was born Luplow, Pennsylvania in 1922 and graduated from high school in 1940. Joining the Army Air Forces 28 February 1943 he was sent to Miami, Florida for basic training. He qualified for flight training, but washed out due to a medical condition. Giroski was approved for flying status, however and went to Harlingen, Texas for gunnery training. He was then selected for radar training and went to Clovis, New Mexico and Harvard, Nebraska for training and practical application in B-17s and B-24s. His crew went to Kearney, Nebraska where they picked up a new B-29, which they flew for several weeks on shakedown missions to insure that all equipment was performing adequately. On 24 December 1944 they left March Field, California for Tinian with stopovers in Hawaii and Kwajalein. After their arrival they flew practice missions over Iwo Jima and Truk. Giroski flew thirty-three missions and recalls his first mission, a fire bombing over Kobe during which seven aircraft were lost. General Curtis LeMay flew with his crew on five occasions and complimented their abilities. He recalls one incident during which their B-29 flipped …

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Michael Giroski. Giroski was born Luplow, Pennsylvania in 1922 and graduated from high school in 1940. Joining the Army Air Forces 28 February 1943 he was sent to Miami, Florida for basic training. He qualified for flight training, but washed out due to a medical condition. Giroski was approved for flying status, however and went to Harlingen, Texas for gunnery training. He was then selected for radar training and went to Clovis, New Mexico and Harvard, Nebraska for training and practical application in B-17s and B-24s. His crew went to Kearney, Nebraska where they picked up a new B-29, which they flew for several weeks on shakedown missions to insure that all equipment was performing adequately. On 24 December 1944 they left March Field, California for Tinian with stopovers in Hawaii and Kwajalein. After their arrival they flew practice missions over Iwo Jima and Truk. Giroski flew thirty-three missions and recalls his first mission, a fire bombing over Kobe during which seven aircraft were lost. General Curtis LeMay flew with his crew on five occasions and complimented their abilities. He recalls one incident during which their B-29 flipped …