The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-12-15
CHAPTER "

BY this time, war with certain
countries appeared imminent. had
always believed that we would fight
Japan, and had always believed that
Japan would make the first thrust.
And I tried to figure OUT every
cadet that came through our school
tried by talking to him to find out
whether or not he had the urge for
combat, for I knew that the urge
was positively necessary. Not only
did a man have to have that GER
tain incentive to fly and keep on
flying, until flying became second
nature, but he had to have the def
mite urge for combat. When he
learned to fly automatically he
would control the ship without think
ing about the controls and have his
mind free to concentrate on naviga-
ton and the aiming of his guns
besides watching his tail for the
enemy.
From Ontario went to Lemoore,
in the San Joaquin Valley of Cali
fornia, and there / went through
one of the low periods of my life.
1t was not that Lemoore was bad,
for the people were wonderful-but
war was getting closer and closer,
and was getting farther from COM
bat duty. Finally, after war had
opened on December 7, I began to
write Generals all over the country
in an effort to get out of the Train
ing Center. After all, l had been
an instructor for nearly four years
and it was pretty monotonous. !
NEW that instructors were neces-
sary, but I wanted to fight, and I
thought that if I could get out to
fight with my experience, I could
come back later on and be even
more valuable as an instructor of
fighter pilots.
At last things began to happen.
On December 10, was hurriedly or
dered to report to March Field.
When these secret orders came, I
thought the day for my active entry
into the real war was near. Hardly
taking time to get my toothbrush
the radiogram said, Immediately"
Il jumped into a car and drove
madly through the Valley and over
the pass of TETON through the snow
at the summit at nearly ninety miles
an hour, to March Field. I arrived
there in blackout, and though l
was to see plenty of combat later on,
I'll take an oath that the nearest
I've been to death in this war was
when rode into March Field with
my lights out, trying to follow the
line in the highway that was not
there. Army trucks went by with
dim, pin-point blue lights, and as I
looked out of my car the trucks
would almost hit me.
When I finally got on the post
with my radiogram for admission,
] tore up to. the headquarters and
operations Office, expecting any min
ute to be told to jump in a P-38
or P-40 and go up to protect Los
Angeles. There were many others
like myself, for apparently all pi-
lots with pursuit experience had
been assembled.
Squadrons of pursuit planes would
come through daily on the way UP
the coast and we all grew envious
watching them. The only cheer
ing thing was the radio broadcast
which told of Capt. Colin P. Kelly
and his crew sinking the Jap battle
ship Haruna. In this engagement
Kelly became the first hero of the
war, and I was very proud. For
Captain Kelly had been under my
instruction at Randolph Field. I
could well remember that fine stu
dents excellent attitude for COM
bat pilot. He had broken his collar
bone in football scrimmage at
Randolph and had told no one on
the flying line. Looking in the rear
view mirror, / saw him flying with
his left hand on the stick; when I
corrected him, I learned sof the &C.
cident. Fighter Kelly had been so
anxious to get on with the course Of
instruction that he was completely
ignoring broken bones. Of such ma
terial are heroes made.
I still wanted to fight myself. I
could well remember the years and
years had trained in Panama with
the 18th Pursuit Squadron; I had
always been too young to lead an
element, flight, a squadron, OF
anything. Then suddenly I was told
here that ! was not only too old
imagine that, at age 34!-to lead a
squadron, but also too old to lead
even a group. In fact was too old
to fly fighter plane into combat.
! used to tell the Generals that from
being too young, I had suddenly
jumped to being too old. There had
never been a correct age.
But all the argument was to no
avail, and after waiting around
March Field for ten days we were
ordered back to our home stations.
I returned to Lemoore in the San
Joaquin. ] know there was no man
on Bataan any sadder that night
than I. Then came orders to report
to Victorville-at least here was