The first few weeks on Okinawa were a harsh initiation into bomber combat. From the organized streets of a tent city at Kadena, Okinawa, the eleven airmen of Captain Brown’s crew were always on high alert. Almost immediately, two crews of the 371st Bombardment Squadron were shot down and subsequently listed as missing in action. It was a rare occurrence for an Air Force that dominated the skies against little aerial opposition and meager ground fire, but it was an immediate reminder for Henry Roukat that his Superfortress was not untouchable and could be ripped out of the sky at any time.

The crew had undergone rigorous training before being sent into combat, and it was comprised of highly experienced officers who had served in World War II. Captain Leo S. Brown, the aircraft commander, along with co-pilot Captain Gerald X. Blackmore, and engineer Sergeant John R. Mashman had all flown under the 8th Air Force in Europe. Lieutenant John W. Christer, the bombardier, and Major Marlin Ditchey, the radar operator, had both served in the Pacific with the 10th and 5th Air Force respectively. The only untested officer was Lieutenant Peter J. Petersen, the navigator. As for enlisted men, only Sergeant Joe Yadrnak, the right gunner, had been drafted during World War II besides Mashman. Corporal Glenn Lloyd, their radio operator, along with tail gunner Corporal Kenneth Ranabarger and left gunner Sergeant Bill Hannamann were all new volunteers. They were joined by Corporal Roukat, who had volunteered in 1948 after completing high school in Dudley, Massachusetts. By the spring of 1951, he was stationed at the central fire control system on board the B-29 known as the 'barber chair'.

In May, they had to batten down and shelter from the ferocious Typhoon Iris, huddling for safety in the unfinished Kadena gymnasium as the storm raged outside. They dismantled tents, battened down, sheltered and stored equipment, and took every precaution to ensure that all records, documents and orderly room equipment protected. As Iris approached the southern tip of Okinawa, it veered off the north-east due to a cold front that shielded the island from the storms full force.  The entire squadron was housed in the unfinished new Kadena gymnasium while aircrew went to their aircraft and kept them headed into the wind. As the storm passed, they joined the rest of the squadron in the gym.  The next morning came the ‘All Clear’ and it took two or three days to get back into order even without any damage.

The Brown crew finished the month with seven missions including bombing runs over Pyongyang, Chinnampo, Onjong-ni Airfield, Sariwon, Sinmak, and Maengjung-Dong. The nature of the strikes and sorties became routine in the ensuing months. The names changed as did the nature of targets, whether they were railyards, signal centers, or troop concentrations, but from thousands of feet above behind the set of four machine guns, each mission felt much the same for Roukat. On combat days, five to six planes would fly, while four would fly on training days. An average combat mission lasted around nine hours, and each crew flew approximately seven or eight missions per month.

Among the few changes was the introduction of Shoran bombing that arose due to the challenges of weather and specific targets in North Korea. B-26 crews experienced success at altitudes of eight to sixteen thousand feet, leading to higher expectations for B-29s with their improved stability and altitude capabilities. It was another futuristic feature of Superfortress taking the Air Force through the Atomic Age.

 On the ground, under the suns ‘burning rays and unmerciful glare’ which came early and left late, the crews appreciated the issuance of sun hats. Roukat took to wearing on many occasions an extravagant western style cowboy hat which embellished his aviators and flight suit. He spent many off-hours with his buddies sipping beers beneath the humid summer sun or, if rain persevered during the wetter season, under shelter in the squadron’s makeshift bar.

When Typhoon Marge struck in August with 117 mph winds, they had become experts in striking their tents and safeguarding equipment. When the weekend was over the violent storm passed, they worked through their waterlogged equipment to prepare for missions again. By the time a third typhoon dubbed Ruth swept over the island in October, they finally had permanent barracks that brought some safety, comfort, and saved days of recovery time.

During the month of August, the Brown crew completed a total of nine missions. However, their combat activity decreased in September as they only flew four bombing runs. October and November were even less eventful with only two missions each before they rotated home on November 17th. Roukat had spent nine months in Okinawa and above Korean skies, enduring many hours sitting in the "barber chair." While most missions were uneventful, the constant anticipation of being shredded by flak or attacked by a MiG took its toll. Only a few crews never made it back and some had battle damage to proudly display, but the Brown crew was among the lucky majority to come out unscathed.