Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1950-07-19

brass hat general IueSday. He
two horses and two colts (the colt
and his name is Major General
really brass because 1 asked hi
on request and l think it must
name still stands.
Gen. Stearlcy has been the
Commanding General of the 18th
Air Forces for the past two years.
This includes units in eight
Southeastern states. His head
quarters is at Robbins Air Bass
near Macon, Ga.
Col. Walter w. Aycoek, Intclli-
gence Officer of The 54th Fighter
Wing. took me into the base hos
pital Emergency Room mow be-
ing used by all visiting dignitar-
les to the Air National Guard
mancuvcrS as GHQ) and when !
thought about the roaring. bluSt-
ering generals of the cinema, l
quite obviously stood at attcn,
ton while my heart thumpcd
out The Star Spangled Banner"
on my backbone. And then !
waited for his at ease.
He didn't at ease me but came
over and shook my hand, intro
duccd nc TO General j. L. Riley,
Commanding General of the 54th
Fighter Wing. and furthermore
he asked me to have a scat. !
was quite shocked by his look
ing as if he ate three meals
day and read Dick Tracy like
ordinary people. But you have to
act like a Noman-of-thc-World
some time so right away [ gulpcd
and shot my first question. Did
you get air Sick?," at him. Th-
general had just flown in on {
CAT from Robin Field and he
explained that he was quite deaf
due to the altitude and lGotorS
of the plane: If the worst comes
in the next few days, and | duti'
fully join the Air Forces, I will
always have memories of myself
shouting at Major General
as only a civilian can.
This was Gen. Stcarlcy's first
trip TO Myrtle Beach, and al
though he was to be here for q
few hours, he seemed to be very
impressed with the look Of
things. l Immediately went into
long spiel I had memorizcd
from a Chamber of Commerce
folder about our gay little city
by the sea. He was very impress.
I'd and said so. I could tell NJ
was. AS to the probabilities Of
Myrtle Beach being the training
site of the Fighter Wing in III.
future. he referred me TO ="
other Hats" flying in later.
General Stearley," l said, re
turning to my most business like
voice, what do you think about
the use of jets in this Korean
ness?" Most of the newspapers
ire saying that jets are so fast
hey overshoot the target ever
before they get the range sight
ID, and that they really arc not
80 good for ground support after
all. "Foolishncss. foolishness, -
said the gcnaral, The jet is ar
excellent ground support fighter
)omber." 1t seems they can fight
in high attitudes and bomb l"
low attitudes. zone of the main
disadvantages, though" he said,
rs that they consume an OK
trcme amount of fuel" That Is
something for our scientists te
work on.
A rumor had been Seepin2
around about Gen. Stearlcy's IN
ture assignment with the All
Forces. I dare not say what. but
I asked him if it were true. He
looked at me as if l were Judith
Coplon talking to him over :
tapped telephone wire and
hoarsely whispered, my dear
hat is not for publications. 1t
turned out to be not true. or
partly not true, after all. But il
made me feel like the presidents
confidential secretary, anyway
Somehow the conversation II
know not how got around to the
food in the army. Gen. Stearlcy
said that in the past the Wacs
md other wCmo1S' divisions have
1ecn getting the same rations As
he men do and the women
rain 20 pounds just like that.
Women do not use as much eno"-
" as mon do in thri} work, and
not one of them The saysD can
bear to leave anything on their
nlateS. Scotch in 'Cm, I guess, y
said the general; The rations
are being cut in proportion to
their needs and they want it that
way. But my remedy Of the
situation is to place mirrors and
Gales at the entrances Of the
ness halls and let them sec for
themselves!"
By this time I had guessed
that generals do eat like other
people, and 1 didn't want to de-
tain him too long, and l said so:
He asked if I had eaten and I
said, Eyes, in the Officers mess"
We had chicken and, like the old
song, I watched to see if mine
hoped off the table and started
marking time" The coffee was
also very good if you could i'm
aginc yourself out on the river
on an old fish fry AMI you oldn't
know the coffee was made with
river water.