The POW Who Became President - MINI EP 1

In the first mini-episode previously released to Patreons only, The boys explore a little-known yet powerful moment from the life of a future US President. At just 20 years old, he was the youngest Navy pilot at the time, flying dangerous missions in the Pacific theater during World War II. On September 2, 1944, while bombing a Japanese radio installation on the island of Chichi Jima, torpedo bomber was hit by intense anti-aircraft fire. With his plane engulfed in flames, he made the decision to complete his mission, drop the bombs, and then parachute into the ocean.

What followed was a dramatic survival story—floating alone in enemy waters, unsure if he'd be captured, killed, or rescued. Miraculously, a U.S. submarine—the USS Finback—surfaced and pulled him to safety. two crew members weren’t as lucky. This brush with death would go on to shape the way this president viewed life, service, and sacrifice.

This quick-hit episode revisits that harrowing day and how it became a defining moment in the life of a man who would one day lead the free world.