Evening star., 1956-03-13
By MAC HYMAN
Copyright. 1854. By Mac Hyman
CHAPTER XVII


CHAPTER XVII
And it was worth listening to, too. The
General got to reading off this paper some Of
the most powerful sounding words I ever
heered, all about how the Air Force was
mighty proud to have such men as they was,
and how 1t was because of such men that we
had the greatest Air Force In the world.
and all such things as that. He took on
about it until there just seemed there warnt
nothing else he could say about them: so
then he started back and went through it
again, and then after he wore that out, he
got started on them one at a time. He called
out Lieutenant Bridges name and said how
it was that Lieutenant Bridges had landed
the plane and had helped to pull the CO.
pilot out of the burning wreckage of the air.
plane, and how this reflected glory on him.
self and on the Air Force too and so on like
that. 1t was really something to hear. too.
1t made you proud just thinking that you
knowed such man by the time he got
through with him. I turned to Ben to say SO,
but his face was all wrinkled up again. and
then I heered him mumbling, That's right
too. because he done it too and he deserves
it, Because he stayed there and we run of
like towards and :"
Ben. that amt so! You amt no coward
and besides was the one that got us on
that bus and . :"
Listen" Ben said looking out the win
dow again. Hes going to get started again."
So looked back out just as the General
was beginning to take on over Lieutenant
Gardella, and this time he kept at it good
while, too. He said lot Of good things about
him and went on to tell how it was that he
had gone back in the plane and pulled Lieu
tenant Cover out of the burning wreckage
after Lieutenant Bridges had pulled him out,
and how this was beyond the call of duty
and how 1t reflected glory and all: and then
1aA vNk rx@fvar TiA1YfA rArA
way he navgated and how he pulled Lieu
tenant Kendall out of the burning wreckage,
which was beyond the call of duty too: and
then he started in on Lieutenant Kendall who
didn't pull nobody out of the burning wreckage
but who at least went back in the plane to
pull somebody out, only there warnt nobody
else to pull out, which warnt his fault, so he
had done things beyond the call Of duty too
and had reflected some glory; and then he
went on for while longer that way saying
things that you never would have thought
could happen with them in the airplane. 1t
made you right proud just to be amongst
them when you stopped to think OF them
running in and out of that plane, pulling each
other out, and really would have been en-
poying 1t ifn it hadn't Of been for Ben, so
miserable the way he was.
But he was hating himself good bit. and
when the General said. I'm view of the bold
ness and daring of the above named officers
who have reflected honor on themselves and
on the Air Force, each Of these officers Is being
awarded the Air Medal" thought it was
going to be too much for him.
The band struck up and the General
began stepping up to each one Of them to
pin the medal on. and could hear Ben give
q sigh each time he done it.
AN Air Medal" Ben said. "Just like thati
And we ;. we
yeah, Ben," said, "but If we had Of
stayed in that plane, We would be- dead
and 80"
Then the Real Shock
But then Ben said Hush, listen :"
because the General was stepping back up
to the loud-speaker again. He tapped on 1t
a couple Of times with his finger and then he
stood there minute clearing his throat while
some Of the newspapermen took pictures Of
him, and then he pulled out this other piece
Of paper and got himself deep breath. and
got started up again. He went off slow at
first saying how he had some other medals
to award and how he was proud to do it and
all like that just getting kind of warmed up;
and the first thing knowed he was talking
about us. looked at Ben and said, Listen,
Ben, he's :" but Ben already was: he waved
his hand at me. and turned back to listen.
and by this time the General was going
pretty strong too, taking on over me and Ben.
And he really done job Of it too. 1t was
lot better than any of the rest of them-he
said as how we had give our lives for our
country which was about as far beyond the
call of duty as you could get. and how we
reflected glory on ourselves and on the Air
Force, and practically everywhere else, and
then that for Will Stockdale Deceased and
Ben Whitledge Deceased, he didn't have just
one medal, but two, the Air Medal and Purple
Heart both!
And when I heered that I reached over
nd elo E2oy, hoa M eo;l ;efa
to that, will you? We got two medals, Ben.
We got two medals. and we aint even dead!"
But Ben begun shaking his head from
side to SIDE saying. mo, we amt. Not really
we aint. When they find out we amt dead :"
when they find out, they'll probably
give us one for pulling each other out, Ben
Why doggit, you know they will"
But he shook his head again and started
climbing down off the box. saying There
amt no use talking about It, We might as
well go on back and get 1t over with"
So we climbed down and headed on back
toward the Orderly Room with Ben looking so
droopy it's wonder he could even make it.
He just plodded along with his head hanging
down, and when they started on another lively
march with the drums going and every
thing, he didn't even try to keep in step with
1t.
tried to perk Ben up by walking in step
and strutting to the music and marching
backward and all like that, but he wouldn't
even look at me. So finally I cut that out
and got to talking about how everybody was
going to be surprised to see us, and how glad
they was going to be to find out we was still
alive. and all like that, thinking it might
perk him up bit. I said, "Just wait until
Sergeant King sees us. Won't that be some
thing though?" and I took on about it a
good bit that way.
And it did come off pretty good there at
first too. Sergeant King was so surprised when
we came in through the door, he didn't even
believe 1t for a few minutes. He was setting
there reading a magazine with his feet prop
ped up on the desk and when we stepped in
and I said, well. bet you never expected
to see us no more, but here we air!" he was
so surprised, he wouldn't even look at us for
minute, and just kept setting that way for
the longest sort of time before he finally come