Flying Tigers Page #3

knew a redheaded girl by the name-

Selby, michigan. Selby mi-

Hello, michigan.

What a football team.

I used to date a little

- what do you call those? Majorette.

Yeah, a majorette.

What a football team.

My name's mcintosh. How are you, mac?

I come from nowhere.

You got a girl there?

Uh-

bentley's that gal's name.

A tall brunette with a p-40

figure and plenty of armor.

Boy, I can't wait till I get back. "back"?

Yeah, you don't think I'm gonna

make this my life's work, do you?

Give him time, boys.

He'll catch there's a war on.

I know there's a war, but you

fellows have no part of it.

We're all out here

Dough.

Sure, that we are, but it's good

to know every check you cash in...

Means a jap's

cashed in too.

Wait a minute, fellas. We're

all making the same salary:

600 bucks a month

and 500 a jap, right?

Back home most of us would kill rattlesnakes

whether there was a bounty on them or not.

I know, but you're protecting your

own home. This is not our home.

It's not our fight. It's a business.

And I hope business is good.

What's the matter with him? His

brother crashed behind enemy lines.

We found him after the japs

got through with him.

I didn't mean anything personal

- we know you didn't, woody.

Let's take a walk.

Yeah, but-

get down!

Tails up!

Let's go.

Come on, alabama! Where are we going?

The bank's open!

Is anybody hurt?

Not yet.

Which one do I take? Are you crazy?

Wait till you get combat training.

"training"? Me?

I'm losing dough!

And I'm running this outfit! Get back!

1,500 smackers up there,

and that guy cuts me off!

There's a shelter at the first

aid. What are we waiting for?

I don't know,

but I came out here to fly.

Hey, woody!

That ain't the way!

Stop, stop!

No! No!

Come back here!

Smart fellow taking plane

- no bullets! No ammunition?

what?

No got-

Contact him by radio.

Him no take earphone.

Let's contact jim!

Yeah!

Aggie dispersal calling

aggie blue one, gordon.

Aggie dispersal calling aggie

blue one, gordon. Go ahead.

Aggie blue one, gordon, back

to aggie dispersal. Go ahead.

Hello, gordon. Wingman

jason took off in p-40 ship.

He's unarmed and without

radio communication.

Request you locate and signal him to

return to base immediately. Go ahead.

Okay!

Get your checkbook out, general.

Woody! Woody! Woody!

Woody, are you all right?

Oh, I'm all right.

Well, I walked away

from that one.

Hey, whose side

are you on?

Report to my office

immediately.

Okay, pappy.

A few more landings like that,

and he'll be a japanese ace.

Where do you think you are, with

some broken-down flying circus?

It would have been a cinch. I was riding

the murder spot right above those japolas.

If I had ammunition, I'd have

blown them clear out of china.

And you washed out

a good ship.

You talk like that crate

is more important than me.

I can't afford to lose

either planes or pilots.

Pappy, it's like I told you

down at the barracks:

All I get out of this is the dough,

so you can't blame me for trying.

In a skeet match, the guy who knocks

down the most pigeons wins the cup.

I can't have grandstanders

trying to hog the show.

Results here are based on

cooperation and understanding.

Discipline in the air is strict

because that's the only way...

An outfit like this

can operate.

Wait, hap. All right,

I'll admit I was wrong.

I made a mistake.

Okay.

In this kind of warfare, a fella likes to

feel he's flying with somebody he can trust.

What do I care? It's every man for

himself, isn't it? Not these days.

Wait till you look back and see

a jap sitting on your tail...

In a ship

that you can't outmaneuver.

Then you'll know what I'm

talking about. Okay, pappy.

From now on, I'll study my lessons

and practice the piano every day.

There won't be

any more trouble.

I'll be a modest, respectful

soldier if it kills me, I swear.

okay, woody.

you got a cigarette?

Keep them.

Thanks.

You got a match?

Afraid you're gonna have a little

trouble with that ball of fire, skipper.

Oh, woody's all right.

Gets a little off beam

once in a while,

But he's gonna develop into

the best flier in this squadron.

That's what counts.

You see how he went after those

three japs? That took nerve!

Yeah, he's got nerve,

all right.

Got a cigarette?

These are the planes

you'll be tangling with.

Know them

so you can identify them.

Plenty of these planes carry

detachable auxiliary gas tanks,

Which give them

great range.

These tanks are dropped when

they reach the objective,

So they don't lessen the

plane's fighting efficiency.

The kawanishi 96 can carry about a

half a ton of bombs as well as scout.

But the most modern fighter, and the

toughest one to crack, is the nakajima.

It isn't fast,

but it's light and maneuverable.

If you find yourself in trouble and have to bail

out, there's one important thing to remember:

Do a closed-chute fall.

Drop as far as possible outside the

combat area before pulling the cord.

That's to prevent our little brown

friends from following you down...

And machine-gunning you while

you're hanging helplessly in the air.

It's a quaint little habit

of theirs.

And watch for the man

who's hit the silk.

Protect him

whenever possible.

You know what I'm not

gonna do, pappy?

I'm not gonna ask you what to

do if that chute doesn't open...

Because you'll say-

take it back to the factory.

oh, yeah.

No hits, no runs,

no errors.

There must be something

I'm doing wrong.

Yesterday I unloaded

a whole case of shells...

Before I seen I was firing

at my own shadow on a cloud.

You keep shooting at those clouds,

the angels are gonna get sore at you.

Thirteen for our team and

nobody benched. Nice work, boys.

Thirteen? You ain't superstitious, are you?

If you are, the next time

I go up, I'll make it 14.

Yeah, I'll bet.

I could take that scoreboard down

to the bank and cash it in right now.

Two thousand smackers,

and today's only Thursday.

Any of you hangar pilots

top that?

I knew a fellow who tied it once,

only he didn't live to spend it.

It's too bad he waited. If I hit my

stride, you guys can take a vacation.

At my expense, of course. How

does it feel to be a one-man team?

I don't get it. You're not

the first ball carrier...

That didn't appreciate

his interference.

Give me that

in straight english.

Twice I've been on the tail

of a nakajima...

When you've cut in

for the kill and the credit.

- Hold it, blackie.

- Wait a minute.

Let him talk.

There's only one guy

Woody jason.

Listen, sorehead,

Every time I ever cut in on

you I probably saved your life.

If I were you, I'd be the last

guy to talk about cutting in.

I saw the tunnel that my pal lefty

matson dug in the cleveland air races.

Probably figured his turn wrong.

Everybody saw what happened.

Oh, sure. It was all cleared

up in the investigation.

But they forgot

to smell your breath.

Quit it! Save it!

attention, "a" flight,

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