 His initial posting to the Pacific Theater was delayed by a month , during which he completed further training on the Cessna AT @-@ 17 Bobcat . By virtue of this additional training , and because Roddenberry 's height made it unlikely that he would be suitable for a combat fighter pilot , he was assigned to bombers . He received orders to report to Bellows Field , Oahu , to join the 394th Bomb Squadron , 5th Bombardment Group , of the Thirteenth Air Force . The squadron flew the Boeing B @-@ 17 Flying Fortress , which had previously been used by the 19th Bomb Group , and were en route to a maintenance overhaul when they had to flee due to the Japanese invasion of the Philippines . Roddenberry was assigned as Captain William Ripley 's co @-@ pilot for the flight that the squadron took to Christmas Island , and the following day to Canton Island . An additional flight on November 17 took the squadron to Nadi , Fiji , where they were expected to go on to the New Hebrides . Instead they were ordered to remain in Nadi to fly reconnaissance missions . 
