The Keesler field news., 1942-06-03
Service---The Hard Way

was only yesterday that Johnnie Jones quit his job
kissed MON goodbye smiled one last smile at the girl friend
and with flame of burning liberty In his heart marched of
dedicate his life to God America and to lot of ideals
that seemed only shadows Of the majesty OF man to
him.
II would good he thought feel the cold stock of wood
steel In his handto hold ready the OF instant
They've asked for IT, he thought reading of Wakeof Mid.
wayo Corregdor They've asked for IL and they'll get
II II takes my life and everything I've got to deliver it,
Today the burning and his heart heavy because
he's out of the he finds himself studying and working
desperately for job the sidelnes Of the most exciting
game In history.
And he'll stay the sdelines.
His future filled with work with sweat with CRIME and
grease and he'll with all the fury of his frustrated soul
the Congressional Medal of Honor for knocking down 20 Jap
planes He'll smile happily enviouslyas news comes IN
that Brig Gen Jimmy Doote has raded Tokyo and ne Il
be pleased that "Od Jm been decorated by the
President, himself, for what he's done
And still he'll ll his days with plane after plane and
motor after motor He'll sit In the cockpit of planes that
Ieould-snd wll-bomb Tokyo.
He'll gun the motor he's just spen. weary hours working
and he'll feel blast Of air screaming back his head
His hands perhaps will controls that could send him
tearing off into the big showbu he'll only sit tight the
brakes listen for motor defects and then climb out to let
another guy get the real Job done
Therel be medals for him They won't place his work
before worshppng nation There only be jobs to do and
he'll spend his every hour teng heavy motors He'll
hear the Of those motors to be but he'll hear them
on the ground.
But stl he works to improve himself the dull grind
the gods Of chance have chosen for him.
Why
Hes got CUTS He has strength He's healthy he's strong
and he's willing TO ght-he sick heart because he can't
Little does he know that the drudgery OF his work
most heroic contribution of all
He is Aviation Mechanic
He's er whose wings have been clipped He's tied to the
earth and he'll probably fire gun he'll take
enemy outpost and he'll marching home with the
feeling that he has sacrificed everything his country
But day he'll realize that these Wake who took
two junk planes and made fighting plane out of them
those who made possible the plane ar superiority
that kept the Jsps away for many precious dayhey
him. He'll realize that the who down with the
Saratogahose who made il possible for her planes to
stay ao after they themselves had sacrificed their all
were him. Some daywhen the mudded pattern of this
begins to take focus and each part becomes clearly
evdeneedhe thousands thousands of planes fy
ing high the wings of vctoryand he know that he
them there and kept them there
Some day he'll know how great he is and he'll know how
grand his work has been And day when he reads
roll of honor" OF his buddes who went out silently and
almost unsung when the enemy bombs brought silence to
Wake Corregdor and all those other heroic stands he'll
know
He'll know then that wrench in well trained hand can
be better weapon than machine gun because that wrench
makes possible the firing of thousands of machine guns With
out hm-gns planes and bombs would be nothing Without
him. thered be United States Army Air Force Doo
Titles, Colin Kelleys.
But still you'll him. greasy grimy and dogtired taking
few minutes off from the gruelng labor of his service in
this
You'll him jus, outside the hangar wrench hand and
eoveras smudged and greasy and you'll his face