1941: Japanese forces attack U.S. military installations in the Philippine Islands. More than 100 aircraft, including eighteen B-17s, fifty-six P-40s and P35s, and 26 other types of aircraft are destroyed on the ground at Clark and Iba Airfields. Although the AAF is dealt a severe blow, five pilots shoot down seven Japanese during the attack. Lt. Randall B. Keator is credited with shooting down the first Japanese aircraft in his P-40 over the Philippines. About 80 more American servicemen are killed in these attacks. The few B-17s that survived the raid fly night combat attacks against nearby Japanese forces two days later. One of these B-17s, later known as “The Swoose,” is currently being restored for display by the National Museum of the USAF. See this March 2025 restoration video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS4XY5JQstQ (USAF Image)
