Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Page #7

like to get me a small ranch.

Something that'd run about

40 or 50 head of cattle.

A nice well and a house.

It'd be wonderful for kids.

I've always been kind of

nuts about ranches myself.

You know, in a decent year

you can make real dough

out of 40 head of cattle, if you've got feed.

- Why don't we do something like that?

- Well, I'm game if you are.

- Okay, it's a deal.

- Good.

Of course, now if we had 80 head of

cattle we'd really have ourselves a layout.

- Yeah, and our own meat too.

- Oh, yeah, milk, butter, eggs,

the whole works.

You know, a guy who's got himself a place,

he doesn't have to worry about anything.

- And with a little hunting near.

- Oh, sure, that's easy.

Gosh, I'll be glad when this war ends.

In the event of an emergency

there will be no assembly.

No last minute instructions.

We'll just take off.

If you should develop motor trouble within

a half hour after leaving the Hornet,

fly back to the ship and land in the water.

The Navy will try to fish you out.

If trouble should develop after that

time, you'll have to keep right on going.

Because by that time the fleet will

have to fire on any craft overhead.

I don't want you to throw out the

extra cans of gas as you use them.

That would leave a perfect trail for

the Japs to follow back to the Hornet.

Save the cans and throw

them all out at one time.

Now let me repeat something

I've said previously.

You are to bomb the military targets

assigned to you and nothing else.

Of course, in an operation of this

kind you cannot avoid killing civilians.

Because war plants are manned by civilians.

If any of you have any moral

feelings about this necessary killing,

if you feel that you might think

of yourself afterward as a murderer,

I want you to drop out. We'll

find someone to take your place.

And I promise you that no one

will blame you for your feelings.

Barring any sudden switch in plans,

we'll take off tomorrow night.

There's one thing more.

When we meet in Chungking

I'm going to throw you a party

that you can tell your grandchildren about.

You're a great bunch of guys. I'm

proud to be associated with you.

Good luck.

- 12 cartons of cigarettes.

- 12 cartons?

Say, what gives with the Army?

I've never sold so many

cigarettes in my life.

- We're chain smokers.

- You must eat them. What kind will it be?

Oh, any kind.

- You just want lots of cigarettes.

- You hit it right on the head.

All right.

That'll be $7.20.

Now hear this. Our carrier task force

has been sighted by enemy surface vessels.

All Army pilots and crews, man

your planes for immediate takeoff.

There goes a Jap just three

minutes after we sighted her.

Yeah. That means she had two

minutes to tell Tokyo what she saw.

Now hear this. Get all

bombs loaded on the double.

- Are you all packed?

- Have been for five days, sir.

Good. Better watch how

those guys handle the Duck.

I will, sir.

And don't tell anybody

about that bumped turret.

I won't, sir.

- Hey, we're off, aren't we?

- Yeah!

Oh, bomb me, daddy!

I think I've got everything packed.

- Swell, thanks.

- I'm sorry we couldn't have

picked out a little better weather for you.

- We'll make it. So long, Felton.

- Give them a pasting they'll never forget.

We will. Look, thanks for everything.

You guys in the Navy, well,

you're okay. Be seeing you.

Now hear this. Clear the

flight deck to start engines.

Hey, how about my change?

They're giving us fifteen

extra cans instead of ten.

Good. At least getting off now

will put us over Tokyo in daylight.

Don't forget about the barrage

balloons in daylight too.

Oh, next you'll be telling me it's good

because you can get better

pictures in the daytime.

- You're not kidding about that, either.

- Let's give her a final check.

Hey, Bob.

- What?

- Are you up ahead?

Fourth spot.

See you in Chungking.

You said it, brother.

- How they doing?

- Doolittle will be off any second.

Then Hoover, Holstrom, Gray

and Davey Jones, we're seventh.

Seven's a lucky number.

Ted, Ted. Hey, Ted, Ted, hey.

Put these some place, will you?

- What are they?

- Sizzle platters.

I've got the phonograph in my ship.

But I haven't got room for the records.

We'll meet in Chungking

and cut a Chinese rug.

Okay, Shorty.

- Take care of these, will you, McClure?

- Right.

- Pilot to gunner.

- Gunner to pilot. Go ahead, sir.

Take a look at the turret

if you get a chance.

I've been working on that,

sir. She's still jammed.

We'll use the auxiliary power if we have to.

Right, sir.

We've got ourselves in a

fine jam, haven't we, Lawson?

Well, this is a great time to think of that.

Oh, no, I mean having to

take off ahead of schedule.

Oh, I'm sorry, Davenport. I

guess maybe I'm a little on edge.

- Bomb bay clear?

- Bomb bays clear.

- Clear on right?

- Clear on right.

- Clear on left?

- Clear on left.

He made it. He made it.

Get your flaps up.

Hey!

Good luck, fellows. Hand

them a couple for the Navy.

- We sure will, Miller.

- And thanks to you.

Wish I were going with you. So long.

- So long.

- So long.

Goodbye, boys.

- Four more ahead of us.

- Let's start the engines.

Let's go.

- Clear on right?

- Clear on right?

Clear on right.

Clear on left?

Clear on left.

Those Navy guys are

moving up to push us over.

They're not gonna toss this ship overboard.

Come on, baby. Give.

Give. Give.

Check hydraulic pressure.

- Hydraulic pressure okay.

- Check brake pressure.

Okay.

There goes Bob.

Two more ahead of us.

Check fuel booster.

Hey, Army. Ted!

Give them for me.

When we get to Chungking, we'll

tell them it was a Navy show too.

They'll know that when they see

how broke you are. Good hunting.

- Bomb bay doors closed.

- Bomb bays closed.

- Pilot to gunner. All set, Thatcher?

- Everything okay, sir.

- Wing flaps down.

- Wing flaps coming down.

There goes Hallmark.

We're taking off, fellows. Happy landings.

Phew!

Yeah.

Both the flaps up.

We didn't even have them down.

How do you like that? I

wonder what else we forgot.

Coffee, sandwiches, water, plenty.

Pilot to gunner. Thatcher.

Gunner to pilot. Go ahead, sir.

- You all right, Thatcher?

- Yes, sir.

You'd better get started on those cans.

- We've burned over 40 gallons already.

- Yes, sir.

Well, we're on our way.

If anybody's carrying a rabbit's

foot, hang on to it tight.

What's our position, McClure?

I figure about an hour and

58 minutes from the coast.

Get that, Thatcher? We can expect

their fighters any time now.

- Keep your eyes open.

- Watching, sir.

There's nothing in sight. Could

we try out this turret again?

Okay. Relay switch on.

It works all right, sir,

but that emergency power's not going

to hold out long if we run into trouble.

Turning it off now.

- How far are we behind our first gang?

- About an hour.

Then we really can get set for trouble.

Yeah, but nothing like what the

guys behind us are going to run into.

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