Air Force Page #2

- No, this is not a local flight.

Okay to taxi up to north end of ramp.

Use runway two-eight.

Wind west, one-five. Go ahead.

Roger.

Roberts to flight, all planes follow me.

Use runway 28. Wind west, 15 miles.

Take off at 30-second intervals.

Let's go.

- Looks like they're gonna run all right.

- Thank you, sir.

- Check the tail wheel, will you, Robbie?

- Yes, sir.

- I'm going upstairs.

- Okay, Tommy.

Don't get us lost.

Want any help running this thing?

- Hi, Tommy. How's Monk doing?

- Knee-deep in maps.

Well, looks like you got your date,

all right.

They say that Hawaiian moon's awful big.

Better watch out, Tommy,

or he'll be your brother-in-law.

No, Susan's a smart girl.

She won't marry beneath herself.

Go on, you can't make me mad.

Take a last look.

- Goodbye, San Francisco.

- Hello, Honolulu.

Hey, there's the Golden Gate.

Christmas crackers.

That's an awful big town, San Francisco.

Strictly a one-whistle stop.

There's only one city in the U.S.A.

And that's New York.

Oh, you're just another hometown hick,

Weinberg.

- What's wrong with California?

- California?

The sun shines and nothing ever happens.

Before you know it you're 60 years old.

It's no different from New York.

My sister's been trying to get out

of Brooklyn for 40 years.

Brooklyn? That ain't New York.

Once you cross that Brooklyn Bridge,

you're out of this world.

The only noise you hear

is the hardening of your arteries.

When I used to drive a hack...

...I had a pal who crossed that bridge

back in 1929.

- I ain't heard from him since.

- Me, I'll take Minneapolis.

Minneapolis?

Why, the grass still grows in the streets.

Besides, that ain't your hometown,

Peterson.

The hayseed's still sticking out

of your hair.

Yeah, but I can still milk a cow.

I bet you can't.

I'll get mine out of a bottle. That's

the closest I ever wanna be to a cow.

You're handy with the old bull.

Gee. Gee, we're sure lucky.

- Why? What do you mean?

- Oh, this whole trip.

Well, what about it?

Oh, a million fellas would give anything

to be in our shoes right now.

Why?

I don't mean just this flight.

I mean, well...

Everything we've got to look forward to.

How far do you think you'll get

as an enlisted man?

A lot of enlisted men get commissions.

Look at the training you get,

and the experience too.

Look, if you don't go through flying school,

you don't rate.

- I don't believe that.

- I know.

- Well, what are you in it for?

- Not for long.

I've had enough.

I'm getting out next month.

- You're getting out, huh?

- Yup.

- Well, I'm not.

- That's right, stay with it.

You stick to what you believe in, kid.

Don't listen to guys like him.

What are you gonna be in another 20 years,

sergeant? A brigadier?

No. But my boy is.

Him and me sort of like the old Air Corps.

You stay in the box, son,

and keep right on pitching.

Yeah.

Coming up forward, kid?

Yeah. Keep right on pitching.

- Everybody all right?

- Fine, sir.

- Good.

- Coffee, captain?

Yeah, please.

- Thanks, sergeant.

- Yes, sir.

- You want some coffee, Winocki?

- No, thanks.

- How's it going?

- All right, sir.

- I want to talk with you.

- Sure. Can I talk too?

Sure, go ahead. Get it off your chest.

- I want to get things straight with you.

- I think I'm straight.

- I don't know if you are, sir.

- I think I know what's bothering you.

- Do you?

- Yeah. And in a way, I don't blame you.

- You wanted to fly, be a pilot, didn't you?

- Who doesn't?

- You had your chance.

- Did I?

- Yeah. You blew it.

- That's what you think.

You couldn't make it. You scraped around

a while. When the going got tough...

Yeah, and you threw me up for grabs.

I didn't run you into Driscoll's plane

and cut his tail off.

- Oh, I know it was an accident, but...

- For which you washed me out of school.

I could have been flying one of these

if it hadn't been for that.

I didn't wash you out,

the board washed you out.

- On your recommendation.

- You lacked flying ability.

You should have been eliminated sooner.

I want you to know that nobody

held you responsible for Driscoll's death.

- Except you, sir.

- Not me either.

Get that out of your head.

Now, look, Winocki...

...there are two other men on this ship

who washed out as pilots.

McMartin's a bombardier, Hauser went in

for navigation. They're both good.

You're a good gunner

or you wouldn't have the rating.

We need you

like we need the whole gang.

It takes all of us

to make this ship function.

Now, get this into your head:

We all belong to this airplane.

Every man has got to rely on every other

man to do the right thing at the right time.

You played football, Winocki.

You know how one man

can gum up the whole works.

You gotta play ball with us, play the game,

or I'm gonna get rid of you.

Nice speech.

But my enlistment runs out in three weeks.

- You're quitting, huh?

- Yes, sir.

Well, that's your privilege.

But until that time, you're still in the Army.

Don't you forget it.

- Yes, sir.

- I'm sorry for you, Winocki.

- Anything else, sir?

- No, that's all.

Oh, Peterson, if you want entertainment,

tune in on the broadcast frequencies.

- I'll stay on the command set.

- Yes, sir. Thank you.

San Francisco. Mr. Litvinoff, the new

Russian ambassador to the United States...

... arrived yesterday

on the China Clipper...

... and departed immediately for the capital

to confer with the president.

Washington, D.C.

Tension in the Pacific and the Far East

has relaxed...

... as a result of the peaceful mission of

Japan's special envoy, Mr. Saburo Kurusu.

Mr. Kurusu and Admiral Nomura

have assured the press...

... that Japan's intentions

are wholly peaceful.

They will meet again tomorrow

with Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

Seattle, Washington.

A final labor conference

was held here this morning...

Weather report from Hickam Field, sir.

- Did you get a good sleep, Chester?

- Not much, sir.

I didn't wanna miss anything.

- How's the kid doing, sergeant?

- Fine, sir.

He likes the ship

and I guess Mary-Ann likes him.

Good. How about Winocki?

I can't make him out.

No, sir.

Thanks, Chester.

Beg pardon, sir. Isn't that

a picture of Captain Monk Hauser?

Yeah.

- Well, that's...

- My father.

Gosh, I'm pretty dumb.

I should have realized.

- Well, there's not much resemblance.

- Oh, sure there is. I can see it now.

I've seen him in a book I got

about the Lafayette Escadrille.

- Yeah, he was in it.

- Yeah, he sure was.

- Gee, he could sure fly.

- Yeah.

I wish I could fly like him.

Yes, sir.

Well, it won't be long now

before you see Diamond Head...

...sticking out of that ocean.

Suits Weinberg.

I used to dream

about getting out of traffic jams...

...and going someplace

where a guy would have elbow room.

But this is overdoing it.

Two thousand miles and I ain't seen a fish.

I kind of like it.

- Like being on the prairies when I was a kid.

- Funny thing.

I never thought there was nothing

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