A new book from Annie Jacobson..Surprise,Kill, Vanish

It was the first Sunday in December 1941, and the boy selling popcorn behind the concession stand at the Strand Theatre in Bastrop, Texas, had just turned twelve. His name was William Dawson Waugh, but everyone called him Billy.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m., Sheriff Ed Cartwright walked into the theater with a terrible look on his face. He told Billy Waugh to run upstairs, have the projectionist shut off the film, and turn on the lights. Taking the stairs two at a time, Waugh did as instructed. From high above in the projectionist’s booth he watched as the room full of moviegoers squinted and complained about the movie being interrupted. Then Sheriff Cartwright walked onto the stage and everyone fell silent.

“Listen up,” the sheriff said. “The Japanese just attacked Pearl Harbor.” The U.S. Pacific Fleet was destroyed and thousands of Americans were dead. What would happen next was anyone’s guess, the sheriff said, but it would be foolhardy to rule out the possibility of another attack. Sheriff Cartwright told everyone to go home and cover their windows with blackout material. Listen to the radio and stay informed.

Billy Waugh stayed behind, watching the moviegoers file out. After he finished cleaning up, he went home to the house where he lived with his mother, Lillian, a part-time schoolteacher, and his older sister Nancy. The next day, Congress declared war on Japan. Three days after that, Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States, and Congress then declared war on Germany and Italy. With America at war around the world, Billy Waugh made a vow to himself: one day I’ll go to war, too.

The day Pearl Harbor was bombed in a surprise attack remained imprinted on his mind. By that time, 1941, Billy Waugh knew more about war than most twelve-year-old boys. He’d been absorbing information from the newsreels that played before Strand Theatre films. Hitler’s campaign, Blitzkrieg, or lightning war, astounded him. This idea of total war, of all-out victory at any human cost, was mind-boggling and frightening.
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