The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-05-20
CITY TURNS OUT IN HONOR OF
 ARMED FORCES
4 Jet Fighters Have Close Call in Difficult
 Landings

In the first observance of na- tional Armed Forces Day, there is something for everyone Gastineau Channel resident in the elaborate | demonstrations and other events today. Crowds turned out this morning for the early events and large attendance is expected for the rest of the days program. The all-day celebration ranges from downtown Juneau, scene of the colorful morning parade, to the Mendenhall Firing Range and air port.
 | Climax of the observance will be a dance this evening in the ETrs' Hall, jointly sponsored by the City of Juneau, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. All young women in the area are urged to attend. to help entertain visiting service men. The dance will be from 10 to o'clock, and there is no admission charge.
 Armed Forces Day officially fopened with the parade which wound through downtown streets to the reviewing stand on the steps of the Federal Building.
 Preceded by the color guard and ranking officers of the United States Armed Forces, the Juneau Army, Marines, A.CS. Alaska Ma tional Guard. American Legion and City Band led attachments of i Veterans of Foreign Wars, in that order
 With Gov. and Mrs. Ernest Grue- ming, Maj. Gen. Frank A. Arm strong, Jr., and his aide, Capt. Herbert Leonhardt, reviewed the , parade from the Federal Building enclosure. General Armstrong is commanding general. Alaskan Air Command. ' Other officers in the group were Capt. N. F. Haugen, commander, 17th U. s. Coast Guard District: Col. John R.. Moves. in the uniform Of the U. s. Army Transportatiofi Corps; and Capt. s. c. Hansen, Alaska Communications System sec- ltor commander.
 Mayor Waino E. Hendrickson re- viewed the parade, and the other civilian in the group was Kenneth |J. Kadow, field committe head.
 A large number of aircraft was scheduled to maneuver over the city during the parade. These in- cluded three Navy patrol ships of the "Truculent Turtle" type, which left Kodiak early this morning.
 Others were three U. 8. Air Force B-1Ts and a C-54, and the Navy C-54 which came in from Kodiak yesterday. Pilots of the four ESQ jet fighter planes which arrivel last night also were trying for wea- ther break to let them zoom over the parade.
 Immediately afterward, at noon, the 10th Rescue Squadron was sche- duled to give an air demonstration. dropping lheboats from the big ship that came in yesterday from El- mendorf Air Base, Anchorage.
 Teamed for Defense"-the slogan of Armed Forces Day--will be dem- onstrated at 2:30 o'clock this after noon at the Mendenhall Firing Range. Live ammunition will be used by the two squads from the 4th Infantry Regiment. l All visiting aircraft, including the jets, are open for inspection until 4 pm, according to It. Col. J. D. Alexander, Armed Forces Lay chairman.
 Armed Forces Day was ushered in with the exciting arrival of The four jets last evening-an arrival that came close to miss.
 Coming in from Whitehorse ea.iy last night through dirty weather, the F-8O fighters were briefed to try a downwind approach as their best chance for levelling over the tideflats.
 The formation made four passes lover the field and tried the down. wind landing. One pilot made it. stopping matter of feet from tie end of the strip. The other three took off again, and made two att Itempts each before being successful.
 Eventually, under the low ceiling and against 15-mile wind. the three pilots went into the regula- tion traffic pattern and made the field. All were close to the end of the runway before their ships stopped
 Maj Fred Wolfe, who commands the jet group, said today, those ships use fuel like mad, and we !really were sweating 1t out. Juneau is difficult field to make in any lease, and the weather was against us.
 After we changed course for a landing approach. we couldn't find the wind-T. There was winc- Sock, but we were going so fast we couldn't catch the direction. it looked so small. A quick thinking