By Fire Chief Randy Royal
This picture of seven Army Air Corps fighter pilots was taken on the morning of July 4, 1942, just prior to the group heading out to take on the enemy. The group included my father (third from the right), who had just turned 27 the week before and was the commander of the 39th Fighter Squadron. He was probably chosen to be the commander because of his age. The other pilots were all younger – 20-, 21- and 22-year-olds. His wingman was a pilot named Frank Angier (third from the left).
The thought that morning among the men was that it was the right time to give the enemy some real “American fireworks.”
Soon after this picture was taken, they were in their P-39 fighters, heading up into the skies to look for a fight. Well, as history and fate would have it, the enemy had the same plan and were coming in to give these Americans their own fireworks.
In seconds, Angier’s plane was shot down and he had to bail out. Once out and having deployed his parachute, Angier became an easy target for the Japanese Zeros, which made him their focus. Two or three of the enemy fighters began to make passes at him, trying to strafe him in the air. Angier, in an attempt to become at least a moving target, began climbing up the parachute line and then would let go and drop down. This action was depicted in this drawing that was produced later that same day by another pilot involved in the battle.
My dad, seeing his wingman’s dire situation, engaged the Japanese fighters. Quite a battle ensued, with his plane taking heavy fire, and he in turn shooting down one and possibly two of the three planes. He kept engaging while following Angier down to the jungle top. Once he saw Angier’s chute make it into the palm trees, and he was confident that his wingman was as safe as possible, my dad also headed for the treetops as well.
The plane he was flying was no match for the faster and more agile Zero, especially at high altitude, and he knew his plane was heavily damaged. Seeing the fuel gauge plummet, he knew he had a bullet hole through his gas tank. He started to turn his plane on its side so he could just fall out into the jungle because he was too low to deploy his parachute, and the enemy plane was still on his tail. Luckily, just as his engine began to sputter, run out of fuel and die, and in the heat of the battle, he remembered that he had a second gas tank, flipped the auxiliary switch, and his sputtering engine came back to life. He accelerated above the treetops where he could outrun the Zero.
My dad and his plane made it back, but the plane never flew again, as it had been hit by approximately 60 to 80 20-mm bullets. One wing was about to fall off, hydraulic lines and the gas tank were trashed, and a bullet had come through the glass canopy from the rear, across his jacket sleeve, out the front of his cockpit and penetrated through one of his propellors.
Once back on the landing strip, the chief mechanic rolled up to him, helped him out of the plane and was amazed at the damage he saw. In a letter he wrote many years later, the mechanic stated that Lt. Royal looked like a man who had been to the very edge, to the precipice of life, and came back. In that letter he also stated that Lt. Royal was a tremendous leader, and that even though he was twice the age of his commander, being in his 50s, he would work for him at any time and would follow him into battle anywhere.
‘If his crew went without, he went without’
Now you might think that this reflection on my father was because of his bravery in battle and his willingness to put his life at risk for the other pilots. The reality is that his strong leadership started long before this day.
In the last couple decades of my dad’s life, I was able to talk to many of his fellow soldiers and pilots who worked for him and alongside of him. They shared that he was considered a great leader because he was not only dedicated to the mission and to the fight but was also always looking after his people and their needs. When he took on the Command, he made sure that his pilots received the training they needed, and as best he could, was constantly trying to get the equipment and supplies they needed. He also established solid relationships with them to ensure that they knew they were valued, that they could come to him with issues and concerns, and that he truly cared about protecting their lives.
He also did not take advantage or privilege from his position. On the ship over to the Pacific, and as the commander, he was offered “officer quarters,” which were actual rooms that had a bed, a locker and a sink in them. The downside was that they were located away from the squadron pilots and staff. So, he ultimately chose to sleep in the cargo hold in appalling conditions to be with his men. The cargo hold area, which was many stories high, was made up of floors of metal grating and was humid, musty and moldy, as well as reeked due to the conditions. It also allowed the untoward results of sea sickness to fall from the top tier all the way to the bottom, adding to everyone’s misery. His men stated that they were so impressed by this choice and the example he set, and knew that he would be alongside of them in all conditions.
At his base in New Guinea, if his crew went without, then he went without. Food was scarce, clothing was rotting off of them, and they lived in very tough and miserable jungle conditions. They knew he was there for him, and they appreciated that he was committed to the cause and was doing the best with what they had to help them fight the war.
You can prioritize members and mission
Fast-forward to a few years ago. I was at the Air Force Academy Leadership Conference, listening to a four-star Army general. He shared that at one time, a member of the media asked what was more important, the mission of the Army or its people. His answer: “Mission First, People Always!” Although it didn’t really answer the question, I still thought it was a great answer. Since then, I have tried to take that mantra to heart, really reflecting on it as a leadership principle and what it means.
A couple of years ago, as I was preparing to take on the fire chief’s job, I was curious to see if there was any information on this concept for further learning opportunities. I came across an article describing a study that was done on the “Mission First, People Always” mantra, which produced some interesting results.
First, they studied supervisors who were more people-focused and ensured that their staff was taken care and valued. They laughed with them and hung out with them, but they didn’t really support the mission through training, development and support of the organization. These types of supervisors had only a 12% chance of being seen as a great leader by subordinates, according to the study.
The study also looked at supervisors who were more mission-focused. They followed the policies to a tee, they trained hard, and were good incident commanders and tacticians, but they didn’t really have relationships with their subordinates, nor did their staffs feel supported. Supervisors with this mindset still only had a 14% chance of being seen as a quality leader, the study showed.
Next it was time to review those who could focus on both mission and people – supervisors that believed in the cause, worked hard at being very good at their jobs, and ensured the same for those around them; leaders that put in the sweat and effort to meet the needed goals and objectives but also took care of the people. They coached and mentored, they built relationships, they cared for their staff and their families and sought their input while listening to their ideas. These supervisors had a 74% chance of being seen as great leaders.
Why is all of this important? Just like the pilots on July 4, we have a risky, yet important mission that must be accomplished. Each and every day we serve others, and at times, put our lives at risk for the benefit of others and for the greater good of our community as a whole. We must be dedicated to that mission, understand the risks and ultimately what the costs could be, and at the same time make sure our fellow firefighters are as prepared as possible, have the best training that we can provide, understand the value of their service, and feel like they are a valuable member of our team, as well as our community. Having all of this tied together will help you as a leader set the example needed when things get rough and fights are intense, and it will build into your crews the desire and dedication to follow you into those battles fully understanding the risk – and ultimately being successful in the end.
A true test of dedication
Back to the 39th Fighter Squadron. One evening, at around 10 p.m., they were brought into a mission briefing. This one was different, though, as a general or two were attending as well; typically it would have been managed by their commander.
The mission was laid out to the pilots. The Japanese navy was in the Pacific heading toward Australia for a major attack. They U.S. Navy was struggling to find them, and the Japanese fleet needed to be cut off, or at least slowed down. The mission would be to attach 500-lb. bombs to each of the fighter planes, and they would fly out in hopes to intersect with the fleet and thus be able to bomb them.
As this was being laid out, one of the pilots asked, “With that additional weight and with the distance we need to get to the fleet, we will not have enough fuel to get there and back.” The general lowered his head, and then lifted it back up and stated, “yes, that is unfortunately true.” He went on to say, “This is a one-way mission, and our hope is that you have enough fuel after you drop your bomb to head back and ditch your plane into the ocean as close as you can back toward land. We will send out rescue parties as quickly as we can, but we understand that many of you, if not most of you, will not survive this event.”
Can you imagine what the reaction could have been? But in this case, each pilot looked at each other, quietly nodded and let it be known that they would do their best. At 11, they left the briefing, anticipating a 6 a.m. lift-off time. They had the whole night to think about their families, their friends, their fellow pilots and their fate.
Each one was dedicated to their job and to the greater good of the mission. If they had not been cared for, if they were not valued, if they did not have examples of solid leadership and commitment around them, do you think their reaction would have been the same? How would you have reacted?
The good news about this story is that between the 11 p.m. end of the meeting and the sunrise, the U.S. Navy located the enemy fleet, and the Battle of the Coral Sea commenced. The 39th’s mission was cancelled.
Time to commit
Our mission is risky, just like theirs was. Our mission is important and critical to the safety of our communities, just like theirs was! Our people are our most important asset, like theirs were. Our people need to be supported and cared for, to be successful in their jobs, and to be able to take on the risks they encounter.
My challenge to you is to be wholeheartedly dedicated to the mission. To be committed to all you do, from your training to your fireground operations and to the citizens you serve, all the while being totally dedicated to your people, ensuring that they feel equipped, supported and, most importantly, valued by you and your organization.
Mission First, People Always!!
Watch: Chief Randy Royal joins Better Every Shift
