Air Force Page #4

- My sister?

Sorry, I didn't get any details except that

she asked for Williams and Quincannon too.

Captain, we'll want your ship serviced

right away.

- Full gas load, ammunition for guns.

- Yes, sir.

Any repairs needed?

There's a wheel to be checked.

Everything else seems okay.

These men will give you everything.

- Sergeant?

- Yes, sir?

You heard what the colonel said.

Anything else?

- This car will take you to the hospital.

- Thank you.

- Who's your navigator?

- I am, sir.

- Come with me. I have a job for you.

- Oh, colonel.

Beg your pardon, sir.

- Glad to see you again, sergeant.

- Thank you, sir.

Did they attack Clark Field, Manila, sir?

- I've got a boy there.

- Yes, they hit it all right.

Hit everything in the Pacific.

Guam, Wake, Midway.

I remember your boy, sergeant.

- Twenty-seventh group.

- Yes, sir.

He's a first lieutenant now.

Flight commander.

He's a good pilot, then.

Don't worry. He'll take care of himself.

Thank you, sir. All right, fellas.

We got a job of work to do.

Let's get with it.

- Miss McMartin?

- Right down that way.

Thank you.

I can't see. Why is it so dark?

Hush, child. It's going to be all right.

But I can't see.

I can't see.

- Lieutenant McMartin?

- Yes, nurse.

You can only stay a few minutes.

She needs all the rest she can get.

Sure.

Sue.

Hello, kids.

Why, it's good to see you boys.

I was kind of scared.

I acted like a ninny.

We didn't know whether you had

a flat tire or something...

...or couldn't find the place.

Or...

Tommy, Bill, I'm so glad you're here.

- Kind of hurts when I cry.

- Don't, Sue.

I wanted to tell you about...

But I guess I'm kind of tired.

- He'll tell you.

- Who?

Tex.

- Tex Rader.

- What?

Please don't get mad at him.

It was all my fault.

He tried to make me

get out of the car, but...

- I guess he'd better tell you.

- Sure.

- Will you come in the morning?

- You bet.

Good night.

Sergeant, do you know

where we can find Lieutenant Rader?

Yes, sir. Right this way.

Rader. Rader.

Oh, hello, Tommy.

- Quincannon. How are you, Bill?

- I've been waiting for you. I went to sleep.

We just came from the hospital.

- How is she?

- Not so good.

That's what we came

to talk to you about.

- Suppose you do a little explaining.

- Yeah, go on, start.

- Say, what is this, the third degree?

- All right, she said it wasn't his fault.

Don't believe what she said.

It was my fault.

- Should've made her get out of the car.

- What car?

- The one I borrowed for the party.

- What party?

Give him a chance.

We were starting out

when the first planes came.

- Couldn't figure it out.

- Up early, weren't you?

- Or out late.

- Listen, will you?

- Say, I don't get...

- Never mind, Rader. Go ahead.

We spotted the planes, and

at the same time heard the bombs.

All I could think of

was getting to the field.

I told Susan to hop out and get under cover,

but she only laughed at me.

- You know how she is.

- Yeah, we know. Go on.

We got near the field, a truck pulled

across, blocking the road ahead of us.

It was a delivery truck from Honolulu.

I remember thinking as I jumped out

that the driver had been hit.

I was just dumb.

First thing I knew,

there was an explosion right in my face.

There was a Jap behind the wheel

with a shotgun.

It was a rotten shot. Sloughed him

over the head with his own gun.

Got the truck off the road.

Other cars were coming along,

trying to get to the field.

Was Susan all right then?

Yeah, but that's when

I should've made her get out.

She took the wheel and went carting off

toward the hangars with me hanging on.

Last time I saw her,

she was standing up in the car...

...yelling and rooting

like she was at a football game.

- How'd she get hurt, then?

- Machine gun.

The soldier who ran out

to drag her in was killed.

- What were you doing all that time?

- What do you think?

I notice you're not hurt any.

- Listen, wait a minute.

- Wait a minute, Tommy.

If I stay here, I'll...

Let's go.

- Say, you guys don't think...?

- See you later, Rader.

You wanted to see me, colonel?

- You find something to eat?

- Yes.

- How's your sister, McMartin?

- Pretty weak, sir.

The surgeon says it's hard to tell yet.

I'm going over again

when he makes another examination.

No, you aren't. We want this airplane

out of here before daylight.

- You're sending us back to the mainland?

- No, Manila.

We're safe here for the moment,

and the Philippines are in bad shape.

Our orders are to send them as many B-17s

as we can. Can you make it?

- Where do we stop to refuel, sir?

- Wake Island.

I can't promise you how long it'll hold out

or what you'll find there.

- Got the charts there, Monk?

- Yes, sir.

- Sergeant White.

- Yes, sir?

- How'd the engines rev up, sergeant?

- Number-three engine's a little rough, sir.

The men are pretty tired.

We'll overhaul it in the morning.

- We're taking off in two hours.

- Sir?

I think you're gonna see

that son of yours soon.

- Manila?

- Can you get that engine running?

We'll have her hitting home runs

in 90 minutes.

Tell the crew they can sleep

in the next world.

- We'll make it all right, sir.

- Good luck. Take off when you're ready.

By the way, tell your passenger

I'll have some papers for him.

- What passenger, sir?

- Hasn't he reported yet?

- Manila needs pilots. You're taking one.

- Who, sir?

Lieutenant Rader.

- Did you say Rader?

- Yes, and he's a good man too.

Three fighters got off the ground

this morning, and he was one.

Knocked off four Jap Zeros

before they shot him down.

He'll be recommended for a DFC.

Well, good luck again.

Thank you, sir.

Well...

...looks like you two fellas

talked out of turn a while ago.

Maybe you better go

and rustle up some grub for the crew.

- Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir.

- Java, lieutenant?

- No, I've been living on it.

You fellas must have a plantation

in Brazil.

I'll leave it here.

Maybe you'll want some later on.

- Is this here Wake Island?

- Yeah.

- How far is it?

- Oh, it's about 2300 miles from Honolulu.

- And we're gonna land on that dot?

- Yeah. It's not very big, is it?

Like trying to find a buckshot

in Central Park.

Gee, I wish there were

some traffic signs around.

- There are, but you can't see them.

- I mean like numbers and streets.

Yeah, but I call them latitudes

and longitudes.

- And they're just like signs, huh?

- Yeah, if the wind doesn't change them.

Say, lieutenant, how we doing?

Now, look, you're the fifth guy

that's been down here asking that.

- We'll hit Wake all right.

- Yes, sir.

I was just asking.

- Time to relieve the kid, Minnesota.

- Okay.

You want anything, lieutenant?

Yeah, I'd like to get out

of this flying boxcar.

Sure a long way to Manila.

Mary-Ann ain't no boxcar, sir.

She's a good airplane.

- Mary-Ann?

- That's what we call her.

There ain't a better airplane in the Army.

- Maybe, if you're talking about bombers.

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