▁at ▁D ava o ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁coast ▁of ▁Mind ana o . ▁ ▁Bre tt ▁went ▁back ▁to ▁Le ary , ▁expecting ▁to ▁be ▁turned ▁down ▁again , ▁but ▁this ▁time , ▁Le ary ▁gave ▁Bre tt ▁the ▁aircraft ▁he ▁wanted . ▁" Per haps ", ▁Bre tt ▁spec ulated , ▁" Le ary ▁had ▁heard ▁from ▁Washington ". ▁The ▁newly ▁formed ▁ 4 0 th ▁Re con na issance ▁Squadron ▁man ned ▁the ▁bom bers . ▁One ▁B - 1 7 ▁turned ▁back , ▁but ▁two ▁made ▁it ▁to ▁Del ▁Monte ▁Field ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁March , ▁landing ▁in ▁the ▁dark ▁on ▁a ▁run way ▁lit ▁by ▁fl ares . ▁Lieutenant ▁Frank ▁P . ▁B ost rom , ▁the ▁pilot ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁plane , ▁calculated ▁that ▁everyone ▁could ▁be ▁carried ▁in ▁just ▁two ▁plan es ▁if ▁they ▁left ▁most ▁of ▁their ▁b agg age ▁behind . ▁They ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁groups ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁bom bers ▁took ▁off ▁at ▁ 0 1 : 3 0 ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁March . ▁Mac Ar thur ▁rode ▁in ▁the ▁radio ▁operator ' s ▁seat , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁need ▁to ▁be ▁man ned ▁as ▁the ▁aircraft ▁were ▁trav elling ▁under ▁radio ▁silence . ▁For ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁passengers , ▁the ▁trip ▁was ▁dark ▁and ▁cold , ▁with ▁only ▁a ▁blank et ▁between ▁them ▁and ▁the ▁metal ▁skin ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁two ▁plan es ▁approached ▁Dar win , ▁word ▁was ▁received ▁that ▁a ▁Japanese ▁air ▁ra id ▁was