The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-08-04
W.N.U. FEAruREs

| plenty of heavy punches In the is
land chain, we were sure now we
could at least hold them. But as
yet I hadn't dared hope for much
/ more.
"Only now I come to the thing
which at last changed that, because
/ had to see it before could believe
| 1t.
"It happened out on that long
trans-Pacific trail where we've al
most worn ruts in the sky between
the States and Australia. 1t was
like this. We were letting down for
one Of the island steppingstones
which, according to Harry's naviga-
ton, should be somewhere ahead OF
us. It was very early in the morn
ing. Harry's the best navigator in
the business, and he had said we
should be in there six hours from
the time we left the last island.
But of course his figures could be
a little out, or maybe the wind drift
would change-you never know. The
Pacific is too big a place to take
chances in, as Eddie Rickenbacker's
party found out. So after we'd been
out five hours we got the island on
the radio, and asked them to give
us searchlights, just so we wouldn't
miss their little pinpoint in the
dawn.
WED flown without change Of
course for five hours. Now Harry
took his final shots and we started
down the line to that island. Harry
had said six hours-it took us just
five hours and fifty-seven minutes.
The island was an atoll around q
shallow basin where Navy ply fly
ing boats could light. The atoll is
two feet above high tide at its high
point. On one side are labor con-
struction tents, cantonment build
ing for the tiny garrison, ack-ack,
searchlights, and even tiny movie
theater. On the other side is the
landing strip. I'll swear Harry must
have navigated not for the island,
but for that landing strip itself. For
without change Of course, all we
have to do is let our wheels down.
Some day want Eddie Rickenback-
er to meet Harry.
Gas we climbed out of the Swoose,
the island garrison asked us, very
excited, Did you see anything?'
When we said we hadn't, they went
off by themselves, whispering. I
wanted to know what was up, so /
asked their Colonel. Told him we
were on an important mission our
selves-had a top-ranker aboard
and what did he expect here at this
atoll?
Trouble he said. Looking at
his little setup, couldn't help think
ing of those poor guys who were
overwhelmed on Wake Island. But
the Colonel wasn't sure what kind of
trouble was coming. He only knew
orders had mysteriously come put
ting the Navy patrol planes on
extra-long hours, doubling shifts.
Somewhere, somebody was certain
ly on the lookout for something, and
those poor devils had to sit on that
aton and guess what it might be.
SIT didn't smell good. We gassed
up and got out forty-five minutes lat
er, just as it was cracking dawn.
By now, the equatorial front had
dissolved into spotted ceiling. I
suppose we'd been going an hour
when, through hole in this ceiling,
out suddenly popped four or five
ships down on the wrinkled sea. But
! could only look at one of them.
"Now you think you're a man,
with everything under control, yet
I'm telling you reacted to this one
the way fox terrier does to rat.
Because it was whopping aircraft
carrier! And after Java and the
Philippines, say carrier to pilot,
and he steadies everything for his
bomb run, tense as a violin string.
hoping his bombardier has the hair
lines of his bomb sight crossed on
its flight deck just over the engine