Evening star., 1942-10-07

mopylae, then to Piraeus, bombed
again at sea, dive-bombed in Suda
Bay and machine -gunned as I slept
under olive trees in Crete. finally
arrived in Egypt with a brave but
defeated army so bomb happy" I
could hardly write the story.
I felt then we would return to
Greece one day. But never thought
it would be like this-to be taken
there by our own American planes.
to be with Americans like these and
to be on the giving instead of the
taking end Of bombing.
Memories Recalled.
What contrast from those dark
days.
I never realized then what was in
store for me-to look on Greece again
and for every bomb that fell near
me to see a much bigger one fall on
the malefactors who despoiled this
country and are today starving its
people.
I remembered the people OF a
little village near the River Lethe
who were SO kind to us on last years
Easter Sunday and how they ran
into the woods, leaving the paschal
lambs uneaten because our presence
brought German bombers on them.
They returned late that Easter
Sunday to find their homes in ruins.
People like them are below us as
we fly over Greece and I know that
they are for us.
But our task is done and we have
only to get home To do So we
must fly over danger zones and 1t
is broad daylight. We must fly
within range of enemy fighter bases.
They do not attack us but they
tackle the forward elements which
have gone on some time before us.
We attacked Navarino Bay in two
big formations with just enough
time between the two to give the
enemy chance to say, Thank
goodness, that's over" before COM
ing down on him again.
1t was the first formation that
was attacked going home and the
result was the same as when we
were attacked: One German and
one Italian fighter plane shot down
and no losses of planes on our side.
In these two planes. neither pilot
even bailed out They went right
down into the sea.
Moonless Night Helps.
Then nature. as though jealous
OF what man has done in her air
this day, puts on show of her own.
Equinoctial storms, almost two
weeks late this year, are on us. This
means that the south wind which
blows up to now clashes with the
stronger north wind from Europe
One of the results are waterspouts
rising in the sea as the sun casts it's
last fading glow.
Now the sun sinks and a moonless
night throws its protecting cloak
around us as 1t did on the memorable
twilight when I left Greece the last
time.
But the weather Is not so kind.
These new winds. strange to the
Americans who have been flying here
oAAy IA PooV AlOllIAlo, COIIlC up dIlO
blow us north. We do not realize
that we are being showed off our
course.
It is hours later now and we are
over land but we can not see it. All
we can see are stars. The storm has
raised dust from the land and blown
in mist from the sea. We are trying
to land under blackout conditions
and can see no signal lights.
For one hour we circle about, then
we see the lights we are looking for
and Muehlberg and Watt put the
plane down on tn darkest field ]
ever saw.
We go to dinner.
To the airmen, it was just a days
work.
There is so much heroism, there
are so many heroes on this trip ]
cannot mention them all. I can only
say there was no American soldier
who faltered or who hesitated tc
give all he had. And there was nc
American soldier who did not give
credit to those who built these
| ms rvolous plapas