Evening star., 1943-06-07
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY.


of the Navy are just beginning to
get the first products Of its per-
sonnel program to turn goodly
portion of the young men of the
Nation into the 1ghtingest force OF
aerial combat men any nation has
produced. They have been placed
with the forces SO recently that
there has hardly been time for re-
ports to filter back as to how they
are carrying on.
However. I have just had an op-
program from the pre-flight school
stage, where the men are hardened
physically, until they get the polish
ing off at the operational training
center before being graduated di-
rectly into the areas where they
may expect aerial combat almost as
soon as.they report.
Judging from both observation
and reports from naval fighters who
have been in combat in the Pacific
area against the japanese and who
are now instructing these young
sters. Comdr John P Graft. U.S.N.
commandant of the Pre-Flight
School at Cha pei Hill, N. c.. is ac-
complishing his objective of making
them the fightingest, killingeSt
uelicst. strongest bunch of fighting
men" the Navy has ever produced.
Few "Washouts.'
ANY Young man who goes through
the intensive and tough physical
training at this school and stands
I'D until graduation has a clear-cut
advantage in an encounter with an
antagonist on any field with any
kind of weapon. Strangely enough,
the training program appears to re-
flute the oft-made charge that Amer
lean youth is soft. for the wash
outs" are few, running less than 3
per cent.
For five hours day. the student
flyers are given intensive training in
sports of all kinds. But it is diff
1t1tlll VI anu VI SiJoi ID IL olii NAIo l
they learned at high school and
colleges. There are no rules-no pen-
alties for rough playing. Fouls are
observed with a grin by some OF
the best known college coaches of
the country who would have
screamed TO all high if the same
things had occurred on the high
falI
impregnated with the fact that the
Job is TO accomplish their mission
by whatever means, by trick or
foul play.
Hand-in- -halid with the program
to build them up to stay with their
edversaries and put them out Of
action as quickly as possible, they
are also taught what they must
know for preservation and the
protection of their comrades in
arms All of the tricks of hand
to-hand combat are drilled into
them so they may survive on land,
but all of the methods of saving
themselves and their comrades in
the water are pounded in them dur
Ing the three months they remained
al this North Carolina base.
Life Saving Water Course
In aquatic work, they are strap
oed into a plane cockpit, dropped
INTO swimming tank and turned
over. They must come out-and do.
They jump from high platforms,
representing ship decks. into the
water. using only their clothes for
life preservers. They are taught how
to Jump into the water without
breaking their necks with their life
oreservers They must climb from
the water up ships side.
Then they must run an obstacle
course which is about the toughest
that a human has even been called
on to endure. but they are impressed
with the idea that in landing In
enemy territory they might meet the
same conditions. They must become
circus tumblers. But with II all
there isn't a one of them that wants
TO give it up, according to the off,
GERS The few who 60 are just not
able to stand it, but they don't want
to give up.
Behind it all is the purpose OF
training them to be alert in mind
and body, and as one officer pointed
out no one ever developed any thing
Of the kind by just Swedish exer-
ClSeS.
News Comes in Code.
But with it goes mental training,
In math, physics, plane recognition
and radio work. They must work
and work hard for everything they
get from 80 o'clock III the morning
until 9 clock at night. For instance,
the only contact with the outside
world is the news they get in their
rooms in the evening. The radio
news reports are copied by clerks IN
the administrative Offices in the day
Then, in the evening, when the
young men are in their rooms, a
radio operator gets on a key and
sends the news by code. To get It,
a student must put on the receivers
In his room and copy the message
Thus he is brushing up pn his radio
code. receiving at the same time
that he is getting his news.
Teamwork is stressed. and individ-
uality is lost from the time the
young man enters the school, He Is
taught unselfsh devotion the duty
and the job ahead is pointed out as
getting the enemy--not to determine
who got plane or how many but
50 get the enemy down as rapidly
and as quickly as possible.
rl: A.: cliL