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way, then another, to avoid the SAMs and anti-aircraft flak. The jets dropped to around 1,000 feet (304 m) when it came time to unload their bombs. When the attack was over, it was every man for himself. Air Force Captain Bill Sparks found that out the hard way on November 5, 1967. The Boy from Hardyville The town of Hardyville is nothing more than a speck on the map of Ken- tucky. Only a handful of people live there now, and even fewer lived there on December 7, 1941, when Billy R. Sparks turned seven years old. As he blew out the last of the candles on his birthday cake, young Billy, and everyone else in his family, were unaware that nearly 4,500 miles (7242 km) away, Japanese fighter-bombers were attacking the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor, catapulting the United States into World War II (1939–1945). Operation Rolling Thunder In March 1965, the United States began a relentless bombing campaign of North Vietnam. For three years, Operation Rolling Thunder, as it was called, resulted in the destruction of various targets, including bridges, ammo depots, and airfields. Lyndon Johnson, president of the United States at that time, along with his military advisors, selected the targets to be bombed. The idea of the campaign was not necessarily to gain a military advantage, but to break the spirit and morale of the North Vietnamese people.

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