Book excerpt: "The 280 men of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron fought their P-61 Black Widows across the Pacific. The Ground Echelon landed on Iwo on D+8, under the mortar, small-arms and kamikaze attack--the Widows arrived a little later. The entire Squadron lived in foxholes (between USMC howitzers and the enemy) for 6 weeks, on C-rations and one canteen of water per day. All while maintaining and flying the world's most complex aircraft. Not a single Japanese bomb fell on Iwo while the 548th stood night-time watch. On Ie Shima (Okinawa) they again arrived under kamikaze attack, shot down several enemy aircraft, made extensive night intruder bombing and rocket attacks, acted as escorts for hundreds of B-29 crew-rescues, and made critical nightly weather observations over tomorrow's targets for the day-bomber fleet. The Squadron had its share of odd moments, from losing a man on Iwo to its own friendly small-arms fire, to scoring the only American shoot-downs of a B29 and a P61." "This book is those men's story--all of them, not just the aircrews. It covers the entire history of the Squadron. The tale is told as much as possible in the first person, using Squadron veterans' memories, illustrations, and extensive records and memorabilia--augmented (where records exist) by official materials." -- Book Jacket.