JIKE: Na radaru bylo něco jen dlouho před začátkem střelby. Jenže pak došlo k výpadku proudu a celá ta střelba, která se začala odehrávat až více než půl hodiny potom, byla naslepo. Když čtu o okolnostech doby (očekávaný útok Japonců), tak se ani nelze moc divit, že zjitřené nervy udělaly svoje.
Že by se o tom nemělo mluvit, jsem sice nečetl, ale ani by mě nepřekvapilo, kdyby podobné snahy byly. Vystřílet takové množství munice a napáchat velké škody vlastní střelbou zřejmě jen proto, že někomu ruply nervy a ostatní se přidali, je docela slušná vojenská blamáž.
A careful study of the evidence suggests that meteorological balloons — known to have been released over Los Angeles — may well have caused the initial alarm. This theory is supported by the fact that anti-aircraft artillery units were officially criticized for having wasted ammunition on targets which moved too slowly to have been airplanes. After the firing started, careful observation was difficult because of drifting smoke from shell bursts. The acting commander of the anti-aircraft artillery brigade in the area testified that he had first been convinced that he had seen fifteen planes in the air, but had quickly decided that he was seeing smoke. Competent correspondents like Ernie Pyle and Bill Henry witnessed the shooting and wrote that they were never able to make out an airplane.