Warbird Information Exchange

Pacific theater

At 86 years old, Daker, who flew in the Southwest Pacific in some of the most treacherous conditions of the war, is a man full of energy and enthusiasm. His memory is sharp and he recounts details of his missions with clarity.

Daker still wears his original A2 flying jacket. Sitting on a table in front of him is the original Mae West life preserver he wore as he treaded water waiting for rescue just offshore of a Japanese-held island.


Author Terry Barnhart discussed the difficulties of getting Capt. Jeppesen to approve of Barnhart writing a book about the pilot’s life. His book, “Capt. Jepp and the Little Black Book,” is the result of his efforts.

Out of the 36 missions he flew, Daker took enemy fire 28 times. One of his most memorable flights was a time that the Japanese shot down one of his wingmen.

"The wingman in the second flight was flying a plane I had flown the day before called Mexican Spitfire," Daker remembered. "He ended up in the water. Now, you were never supposed to talk over the radio. Everything had to be done in Morse code. Here comes his voice over the radio. 'Come back here and help me, you bastards!' I'll never forget that 'til I die. Lloyd Vargo was his name; I can still hear his voice, just as plain as day."

Daker fared better.

"My right bomb bay doors were hanging down for a while," Daker said. "Then they flew off. The tires were blown out and the flaps were blown off. There were a million holes in the right wing, and I'm still flying. The guy on the other wing had his ailerons shot out and he was flying with only rudder and elevator."

The enemy shot down the other plane as it made a circle to go back. Daker went out the next day to look for them, but his compatriots were never found.