Evening star., 1943-04-10

going to win the
Kentucky Derby
Henry p. MeLemore. this year," Just
like that, as If he were asking the
time Of day.
Now, that is question that be-
longs to Toots Shor's Restaurant or
the Bluegrass Room in the Brown
Hotel in Louisville. But here this
fellow was asking it on Princess
street in Edinburgh-and in an &C
cent that dripped with sorghum king
and hot biscuits.
Yet he wasn't wearing an Ameri-
can uniform. 1t was the blue OF
the Raj and had unfamiliar mark
ings on it. 1t was a queer mixture,
this American face and accent and
the strange uniform, but answered
him. Count Fleet will win the
Derby" I said happily, remember
ing the best 2-year -old I had seen
run before leaving the States.
Il think you're wrong" the chap
said Il don't believe Count Fleet
can go the Derby distance"
Stops to Argue.
Now, I'm not a man to have his
Derby selections spurned in any such
casual manner. So I passed up my
bus and started arguing with this
fellow, whose name, face and uni
form I didn't know. I don't know
what the Scotsmen who passed by
| thought of us, because there we
were, Slightly blocking traffic on one
of the worlds great thoroughfares,
talking Churchill Downs, betting
odds, Matt Winn and all the other
things that 60. with Americas
racing classic.
| But he finally talked me out OF
liking Count Fleet. I've been talked
out of liking a certain horse in the
Derby by Grantland Rice, Joe Will
liams, Bill Corum and Bill OKeefe,
but never thought I'd live to see
the day when stranger would halt
me in Edinburgh and make me
change my mind.
But James Jackson Henderson did
just that. That's the fellows name
and he is from Henderson, KY. You
could have 100 guesses without
guessing what he is doing now, this
20 : year old Kentuckian, who is
homesick for the bluegrass. I asked
him to set me straight on his uni
form and how it all matched up.
Serves With Poles.
1T doesn't match up," he said.
I'm of Scotch-Irish descent, live in
Kentucky, am an American citizen
and I am a member of the Polish
Air Force"
Come again." said.
That's right" he laughed. "A
good while before Pearl Harbor 1
had a hanAering for some action.
found out that about the quickest
way to get it was to join the Polish
Air Force. They were asking for
volunteers then so joined up with
them and was shipped to England
and given training. I've been with
them ever since as a gunner in a
Wellington bomber"
Seen much action asked.
James jackson Henderson smiled.
Brother. if you're with the Poles
you see plenty. They aren't happy
unless they're in the air shooting at
something. I guess I've been on Is
or l6 operations against the ferries"
Where did you learn Polish" I
asked. That must have taken some
time"
Just Says "Okay, Kid
This time James Jackson Hender-
son laughed out loud. That's the
funny part about it. I don't speak
any Polish. Oh, few words here
and there, but not enough to carry
on conversation or read stuff"
Knowing the terrific teamwork
of a bomber crew and how this
| 1SoAAAWOih 40 SuAOCu Wy GLlc plOG
over the intercommunication tele-
phone, I expressed amazement that
James Jackson, without knowled.e
OF Polish, could work with a Polish
crew.
II get lot of laughs" he said.
when the action is measly, the
Poles talk pretty good broken Eng
lish, but when things get red hot.
they forget that and start talking
to me in the fastest, loudest Polish
you ever heard"
What do you do then" said.
"Just yell back 'okay, kid and
keep my finger on the trigger. I
just let my gun do the talking. It
speaks language every one knows,
including those Jerry pilots"
Note to readers: Can't tell you
James Hendersons selection for
the Derby for free, but If you will
cable us 10 bucks, we will let you
in on something good.
Distributed by McNaught Syndicate. Inc,
Ex-Governor Freed