The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-01-05
w.N.v. RELEASE

pOrtS.
The Job Of being ferry pilot had
to 60 on nevertheless. As the leaks
developed again In the tanks of the
Pass, I went back to flying the Doug
las transports into Burma and Chi
ma. One day while I was acting as
co-pilot for Colonel Haynes, we load
ed two disassembled Ryan Trainers
In the CAT and headed for Kun
ming. Besides this cargo we had
some ammunition and food for the
AVG at Lowing, especially a bottle
Of Scotch whiskey to be left as q
present for General Chennault.
We landed at Lowing and deliv-
cred the designated cargo. The air
raid alert came just as we were
talking with the General. He didn't
even change expression, but calmly
said, Guess we're going to have
some Japs--you-all had better get
those transports Off the field"
The Flying Tigers were already TAX
ing off, their shark-painted noses
cleaning in the sun. Lord, but my
mouth watered as I saw them-Pd
have given anything to trade my
Colonels eagles and that delivery
wagon" that flew for the gold bars
of a second Lieutenant and one Of
those shark-nosed pieces Of dyna-
mite!
But we started the Douglas up
and took off for China with the cargo
Of trainers. Even as we cleared
the field and climbed towards the
Salween, heard the call "Tally-
Ho" from the AVG, and then others
more like Here come the sons OF
bitches" A few seconds later the
Jap bombers arrived over the field
at Lowing and we knew all the
transports couldn't have gotten off.
The AVG radio man, "Micky" Mi
halko, called, They're bombing hell
out Of the field" Then, in lighter
vein, he said the Japs were falling
like leaves--or he hoped they were
Japs, for he could see many smokes
from burning planes. Every now
and then we could hear one. Of the
AVG say to some unlucky Jap,
"Your mother was a turtle-your ia
Their was snake, and then the
rattle of fifty-caliber guns over the
radio.
We stayed low in the gorge of the
Salween until we got to the old
bridge near Paoshan, then turned
East for Yunnanyi. Behind us the
Japs damaged the tail Of one of our
transports with bomb, and also
blew up the bottle of Scotch that l
had brought General Chennault-it
had been left in one of the jeeps
that was hit. But they had paid
heavily for the transport tail and the
quart of whiskey. ! believe that
even the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union would have approved
Of the trade-for the AVG had shot
down thirteen of the Zeros and bomb
ers, while as usual they lost none.
At Running, with the surprised
Chinese looking on, we unloaded the
two small training planes from the
fuselage of the big Douglas. Then,
after something to eat, when I had
just about arranged with the AVG
squadron commander to 60 along
with them on the morning raid into
Indo-C China, we received a radio
gram that changed all plans.
Colonel Haynes and were Or
dered to leave Immediately for
Shwebo, Burma, down on the Man.
dalay-Rangoon Railway, and evacu-
ate the staff Of General Stilwell. It
seemed that the Japs had crossed
another place on the Irrawaddy and
were about to capture the entire
American Military Mission to China
the Ammisca. We didn't even
know whether or not there was a
landing field in Shwebo, but / found
it on map and in the late after.
noon we took off for lower Burma.
We flew through black storms all
the way to the Mekong; then, turn
ing South, we found better weather,
even if we were getting into Japa-
nese-controlled skies. We landed at
Myitkyina and while servicing ESQ
that we would have plenty of fuel to
take General Stilwell anywhere he
WdllICu w SOJ, we lCdLHSO ITOLn q
British pilot that we would find a
small field to the Southeast of the
town that was our destination.
Flying as low as we could without
hitting the tops of the jungle trees,
we followed the Myitkyina-Mandao
lay railroad to the South. We knew
that all the British had evacuated
the area about Shwebo except for a
small detachment left with the
wounded; so we were expecting trou-
BILE. I know that neither of us had
ever before been so careful at watch.
ing the skies. ! had my ever-ready
movie camera right by my side, but
in the excitement / forgot to take
pictures as we flew over the burning
towns of central Burma. Long after
wards, Colonel Haynes told everyone
that / had missed the best pictures
in the world, but I imagine he would
have dumped me out of the ship If I
had raised that movie camera in
stead of diligently watching the
skiae