Milford chronicle., 1952-04-04

Dear Friends:-
Wives never like to think about
their husbands "ditching' q plane,
but the Air Force must face real
ity and that's why they have Avon
Park survival
March the 3rd to the Sth Of this
year Hayes survived" in the
sWamps of Florida. Capt. Joseph
OLeary, of California, Hayes pill
OF and First Lieut.. John McKibbon
of Gainesville, Georgia. his eO-pilot
were so called roommate" Of his
for this little sOjourn. Also in their
camp were a Sgt. Truesdale of St.
Petersburg, Sgt. Hinson of South
Carolina and Sgt. Gimble Of Phila-
delphia.
Each camp, out of necessity, as
one can imagine, has an instructor,
By the end of their week of sur
Yival / needn't tell you, but the
Instructor is greatly looked up to
ard to the boys resembles Jungle
Jim, Superman, Tarzan and what
have you. TISgt. Josh Henson OF
WayerOss, Georgia, became this
particular camps idol.
These outings" have been writ
ten up quite extensively lately. In
February's COrOnet W. w. Chaplin
a nationally known radio cOmmen-
tator, has an article called eve
Must Survive" which is we'll worth
reading. Mr. Chaplin went on sur,
vival with a group of boys from
MacDill and his instructor, too, was
Sgt. Henson. These of you WHIT
are lucky enough to have TV vii
see Avon Park Survival televiseC
in the near future.
First of all, survival teaches on,
not to fear. Fear is one of the big
gest killers the Air Force mus
combat. Even though these boy
brought no food along for the sil
days, they survived and learned b.
making the swamps their home
that some kind of food is alway
available.
Supposing that they had lande,
in this mosquito. spider, snake in
tested terrain by parachute, the.
were quickly taught to make thei
chute into a teepee. The next thini
was food. Again using the para
chute Henson told the boys to us
q thread of the nylon ropes 70
fishing line. Fish for breakfast
lunch and dinner keeps one from
starving, but soon you want to var
your diet The boys at night di
their hunting with the aid of mach
etes and a flashlight. The prOpe
way to search for rabbits is with
bit of fiashlight, beside your eyes
so the light in the eyes of the rab
bit, radar fashion, reflects back I
your vision. The machete is use
to kill the bunny, of course. 10
O'LeaFy just could not make him
self kill a little cotton tail"-tha
is, until about the third day on SUI
yival. A new secret in hunting rat
bits, to all the boys and possibl
to you, too, is, by whistling, 20
can stop a rabbit from runnin
away. It works!
The next thing was Sktnning II
hare l remember Hayes and Pen
Isaacsj at home, getting two raj
bits last year and finally ended L
giving their catch" away after a
tempting to skin them. At Avo
the boys soon learned how to ski
their dinner, clean it in a stagnaI
stream and cook same over an Ope
fire. The first few we're not relish
ed by the boys, / can assure yOI
but after eating 90 some rabbits
even though they had tired of then
they ate them with less squeamisf
ness. Sergeant Gimble, full of frie
rabbit, mimicked Bugs Bunny a
week like Frank NJ. Smith of Lake
view avenue, Milford, was so adeI
at doing when we were in hig
SCHOOL, When the boys were read
to eat, and usually it was rabbi
Sergeant Truesdale, when told the
fare was cooked. never missed Il