The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-12-01

I always had to delay my start
until after Saturday morning inspec-
ton. That meant that I had to av-
erage just about fifty-four miles an
hour, even counting the time saw
the girl, in the forty-seven hours
that had from after inspection on
Saturday to flying time at eight
o'clock Monday morningsl
Weekend after weekend I drove
madly across the South from the
middle Of Texas to the middle Of
Georgia. On one of these cross-coun-
try dashes, weakened and was
fool enough to ask the Commandant
OF Student Officers if I could 60 to
Atlanta. can still see and hear
Capt. Aubrey Strickland saying, "At-
lanta what?" And me meekly re-
plying, Atlanta, Georgia, Sir" He
just said, Hell, no." and / turned
and walked from his office with the
good intention Of obeying the order.
But within the hour had weak
ened. I filled my fumble-seat tank,
which held fifty-five gallons of fuel,
and was off to see her for the short
time available. Eyes, she was, and
still is some girl.) On the return
trip burned out two bearings near
Patterson, Louisiana. Jimmy We
dell, one of the well-known speed
flyers, helped me to get it fixed after
explained the predicament I was
in. But even with five Of us work
ing on the number one and number
six bearings Of the Chevy, I was
twelve hours late getting back to
Randolph Field.
AS / walked into the bachelor Off
GERS quarters that I shared with
Bob Terrill, I expected any minute
to hear the sad news. But was
too afraid to ask for details, so I
just waited for Bob to say, "You are
to report to the General tomorrow
for court martial for A.W.O.L. in
violation of specific instructions.
Finally he put down his letter writ
ing, looked at me almost in dis
gust, and broke out:
Scot, you are the damned luck
lest man that ever lived! You didn't
get reported today. Mol This is the
first time in the history Of Randolph
Field that it's been too cold to fly.
And it wasn't only too cold to fly,
it was too cold to have ground
school, because the heating system
had failed. We haven't flown today,
we haven't been to ground school.
So they don't even know that you've
been over there to see that girl"
In all Of these trips to see my
girl over in Georgia, l drove $4,000
miles. I wore out two cars-and
you'll probably agree that her IA
Their had full right to say to her:
why don't you 60 on and marry
him? It'll be far cheaper than his
driving over here every weekend"
When I had finished Primary and
Basic training at Randolph, al
most let down my hair and wept,
though, on the day that Comman-
dant of Student Officers called over
and said that now I could have
permission to 60 to Georgia, to see
my girl. thanked him and went.
Well, when graduation came at
Kelly and I had those wings pinned
on my chest, I had the wonderful
feeling that I had gone a little way
towards the goal I wanted. I was
at last an Army pilot. Never did
the world seem so good. And then
out of clear sky came orders for
me to 60 to duty in Hawaii. That
was pretty bad because I wanted to
get married before went out of the
country, and as yet the girl hadn't
gotten her degree from college.
Probably if I had gone to Hawaii,
would have figured out some way
to have flown a P-12 back over ev-
cry week-but didn't have to do it
after all.
The Chief Of the Air Corps came
down a few days later and waited
| until he had had lunch in the Off,
GERS Mess. Then I walked over
and said, General, can I ask you
a question:" ''Sure, sit down." he
| said, and I told him the whole story
land made it like this: General,
know that I'm supposed to 70
where I'm sent because I'm in the
Army, but I've got a girl over in
Georgia, and I think I can do a
lot better job wherever you send me
if you can give me time to talk her
into marrying me-" He didn't ap-
pear to be very impressed at first,
but he took my name and serial
number, and two or three days lat
er, when he got back to Washington,
Twas ordered to Mitchell Field, N. Y.
As drove my car towards my
first tactical assignment I kept
reaching up to feel my silver wings
on my chest-I wanted to prove that
it wasn't dream. This was what
I had been working for since 1920.
Now I was actually riding towards
the glory Of tactical Army aviation.
I recall that I had just about
completed the trip to Long Island,
when something happened that will