“Cactus,” Carney Field, Guadalcanal

Finally made Cactus this afternoon after a repeat performance of yesterday. Weather only a little better. VB-102 is up here at Carney field with us. Two thousand feet of the field are under repair and our landing had to be very short. A few minutes after we got down it began to rain like hell. 

No quarters available so we finally moved into part of the hospital. 

They had one of the biggest raids yet, here last night. It lasted from 8 p.m. to five a.m. during which time very little sleep was enjoyed by all hands. 

Night fighters shot down two of the raiders, one in full view of everyone. The lights caught him and held him. Suddenly out of the dark a tongue of tracer leapt out and licked him. He faltered, and went on. Again the fiery tongue licked him. He started down in flames. Once more the line of tracers reached for him and he plummeted earthward like a comet, finally exploding just before hitting the water.