Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-23
DNiIy Short Story
No Luck at All
BY BURR LEYSON

By BURR LEYSON
IN THE l-te spring Of 1917 a
1 burly figure strobe through the
winging doors az a dinEy saloon
ln the Brooklyn waterfront A.
he doors swung 70 behind his
Aack he abruptly halted, stood for
1 moment and glsred around the
Interior.
A hush fell over the place, con-
Fersation died and for a full
minute not a sound was heard.
Then. his eyes accustomed "a
ne gloom Of the interior, The
igure started forward
With his first stride tho spell
ieemed broken ana loud shout OF
welcome rang out:
"Hey, Butch. For the love a
Mike. wherenhell did YOU get the
uniform: Look AZ the soldier"
Butch grinned, struck a pose
,ulled his wide trimmed campaign
aat down TO a rakiSh angle over
,ne eye.
ONE OF THEM FILTERS
"SoIdier hell" he Snorted.
I'm one Of them sviators. Me.
I'm gonna fy and chase the hell
and back out O. them krauts.
"Yes, sir" he continued me.
TIM fiyin' man now. I've
joined up with the air service
an any guy that makes a crack
about IL bein 80 per cent air is
goin' TO get combed OUT"
He glowered al the assembly but
not one met the challenge. Butch
was known as the best rough-and-
tumble fighter in that district and
respected as such.
He was hard, tough and what's
more. proud of IT, Under the spell
Of several ryeS he grew expansive.
His eye caught and framed the
pictures of old "Jawn l., Corbett,
Joe Cans and Bat Nelson that
hung in a place Of honor on the
back bar.
Lifting massive hand, he
pointed in their general direction.
MAJOR DECIDES TO SOLO
"See them guys picture
there: Talk about fightin'. Say,
by the time I get through and
come back here all loaded with
medals-you'll have my mug up
therew
Twelve months later, seated on
his cot in the small French farm
house room where he was billeted,
Sgt. Butch Flarety laboriously
penned a line to the gang back
home.
None knew better than Butch
that being in the air service did
not mean of necessity that he
Dew.
Butch had thorough knowl-
ridge of planes by now, knew every
part of them for he had worked
long and hard checking them over.
cleaning them, wiping of spattered
oil, patching bullet holes, tuning
engines.
And Butch knew enough 10 be
able TO write a thrilling flight!
Yet the time for his return hung
over his head-face that gang,
after all his talk and have no
medal?
He didn't dare! In Butch's
neighborhood it wasn't considered
bad form to boast-but-you'd
better make good when you did!
Late one evening Butch received
orders TO report TO the command
ing officers quarters. Wondering
If he were. due TO be ION the car
pet" Butch reported.
'Sit down, Sergeant" the
major said. IL want to talk with
you. It's something important"
"Yes SIR" said Butch as he
perched himself on the edge of
chair.
sergeant" the major began,
sthere's an enemy balloon up
near Piossey lie = Petite that's
raising hell with us.
Its spotting troop move
ments behind our lines and re-
porting TO the artillery.
I'VE can't move n thing with
out gettin' the devil shelled out
of us. That balloon has to be
destroyed and headquarters have
assigned the squadron TO the
M
"Now, here's what I want you
TO do.
THOROUGH CHECKUP
81 want you 60 personally go
over every bit of my plane. I
want the engine checked, the
controls, fuselage. wings, every
thing. And l want her ready an
hour before dawn In the morn
Ing.
az have the idea that II we
take a formation over after that
balloon we are going TO lose a
lot of men and ships. Solve
decided TO go over alone at
dawn, get there while the bal
loon n still on the ground and
attack and get out before they
know what It's all about And
I want nothing said about my
rIans