Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 20:26:41 -0500
From: Frontrnrusa@netscape.net
Subject: A World Apart - Part II

    This story is fiction and resemblance to anyone living
or dead is purely coincidental. I hope you enjoy the story.
If you have suggestions or comments, please email me, I look
forward to hearing from you. Frontrnrusa@netscape.net
Copyright 2002 Holloway H.

Army Air Corps - Part II
    I nodded my head in understanding; we were full of
excitement at the prospect of our future. Graduation came
and went and Tyler and I were back in Atlanta waiting in
line for physicals along with everyone else our age.  I
looked at other boys and felt nothing, I watched Tyler look
around and wondered what he felt but I didn't ask.  Once we
completed our physicals successfully we raised our right
hands and officially became part of the United States Army
Air Corps. We were scheduled to depart for boot camp in 10
days at Fort Knox Kentucky.
     That evening when we returned home I broke the news to
my parents, they were proud.  I assured them we'd be fine,
Dad took us out on the porch and poured us our first taste
of hard cider, I drank it but decided drinking wasn't for
me.  Tyler coughed and sputtered thinking it would taste
like regular cider, I slapped him on the back.
    Dad smiled at us, "boys you've got to watch out for each
other.  If you follow my words you'll bode well in whatever
comes your way."
    We both shook our heads, "yes sir."
    Dad smoked his pipe for a while then left Tyler and I
out on the porch.  After dad went inside I think the
situation actually hit both of us, we could get killed, be
separated from each other and all kinds of things.  We
walked out into the barn crawled up into the loft.  I leaned
against a bale of hay and Tyler leaned against me my fingers
stroked his face and hair, "Tyler what if I get killed?"
     Tyler turned his face to look up at me, "you won't,
we're going to come back home and live our lives together.
    I held him to me tightly, and "nothing is going to
happen to us Tyler, nothing."  We spent the next ten days
together, talking, having fun. We knew quiet well what would
happen should we show even the slightest trace of affection
to each other around others. Fort Leavenworth was the place
deviants were sentenced to prison for up to 10 years or more
and your family was notified and disgraced.

Fort Knox Kentucky - Boot Camp
     We caught the bus back into Atlanta on Monday morning.
Reporting to the recruiting office we were shuffled off with
another fifty guys to a military bus waiting outside the
recruiting office.  The trip to Fort Knox took almost a full
day.  Dinner was handed out as we rode, sandwich, fruit and
milk.  I wasn't real hungry, Tyler finished off the
remainder of my lunch. A couple guys behind us leaned
forward and introduced themselves, "I'm Charles Boyer from
Charleston and this is Timmy Long from Charleston."  We
shook hands and introduced ourselves. Charles and Timmy both
appeared to be my age, tall and lanky, it wasn't long before
we all talked like we had been friends all our lives, just
knowing other people took away a great part of the fear we
were all feeling about the future. Rain began falling about
1am in the morning, Tyler had fallen asleep and leaned
against my shoulder my first thought was to push him away
but I looked around and saw many other guys leaning against
each other, I knew I shouldn't be looking for problems that
didn't exist.  I'd fallen asleep only to be jerked awake
around 3am, I was cold, hungry and basically feeling
miserable.
    In the darkness a voice boomed "off the bus." We all hit
the exit at once until we were standing side by side in the
rain.  Then we turned with directions from the voice and
marched inside a lighted auditorium filled with school desk.
On the stage a soldier stepped to the edge of the platform
and yelled get to your feet.  We all jumped up and stood
rigid awaiting further commands. Over the next two hours we
completed paperwork then filled into the mess hall for our
first taste of Army chow. I was starved I looked at Tyler he
still had that little grin on his face. I put my tray out
and let them fill it with whatever than I sat down and ate
until I couldn't hold anymore only to be told
unceremoniously that whatever I took I ate.  I cleaned my
tray then went outside and milled around with the other
guys, smoking until Tyler came out then we stood off to the
side a little and whispered to each other, it seems we were
both feeling better once again.
     The Drill Sergeant formed us into neat rows and we
walked, marching haltingly to our barracks.  The barracks
were two story wooden buildings lined on both floors with
metal bunk beds running 25 on one side and 25 on the other.
The latrine as the sergeant called it was located at the
bottom of the stairs. Once we were all standing next to the
bunks the sergeant ordered us to lie down, "listen up,
you've got three hours to get some rest and then your day
begins, now sleep."  The guys scrambled to the top bunk and
others lay on the bottom bunks and tried to get some rest.
    I lay there looking at the bunk holding Tyler above me
and I felt safe. Once more I was jolted awake by the voice
this time I attached it to our sergeant.  "Line up now," he
yelled with vigor, his face hard and sneering.  He marched
us down past barracks after barracks of uniformed soldiers
pointing at us, laughing, some yelled, "I feel sorry for you
guys."  None of us dared return comments not with our
sergeant in hearing range the only thing we had learned so
far was that the sergeant would make our life hell if we
didn't do what he said.
    We stopped outside the infirmary and lined up single
file. Five at a time entered the building we stripped down
to our shorts and got physical examinations.  If the doctor
found something wrong that person was sent somewhere else
for further testing and the remaining guys would get dressed
and exit the building through an opposite door.  I was in
the second crew, I passed everything and was soon dressed
sitting outside on the grass smoking a Pall Mall waiting for
Tyler. Tyler's group was behind mine, four guys exited,
Tyler wasn't one of them.  My heart began to pound and I
started sweating even though it was still cool outside, then
the door opened and he exited smiling, he walked over to me
immediately he could see the look on my face, "I couldn't
find my watch, it dropped behind the bench." I smiled at
him; he took the cigarette from my hand and took a drag then
flipped it away with his finger. He bent toward me and
whispered, "We aren't taking up smoking okay?"  I nodded my
head and smiled at him.

     Over the next several weeks we got haircuts, uniforms,
learned to march, fire weapons and went out on bivouac. Guys
were paired two to a tent and Tyler and I were two. We were
aware that everything anyone did was watched and we
exercised due care.  In the early morning hours when it was
quiet we held onto each other as timidly as when we first
met, reminding each other of our pact together.  We found
ways to satisfy each other until we could be alone
somewhere. After nine weeks of training we graduated from
boot camp.  The entire platoon was allowed a week's pass.
Tyler and I caught the bus home, after having a good meal
with family and telling everyone about our training we went
to my room locking the door.  We undressed and fell into
each other's arms on the bed.  As swiftly and gently as I
could, I possessed Tyler until we both lay spent beside each
other. Over the next week we took every chance to visit with
family, see friends and be close to each other.  On our last
day we went down to the pond, found our raft and pushed the
raft to the other side then we found our spot and lay on the
grass.  Tyler laid his head on my stomach. We talked until
late in the day before returning home to pack and catch the
9pm train to Pensacola for flight training.

Flight Training Pensacola - 1941

     The train arrived in Pensacola late in the day on
Thursday. Tyler and I walked about a mile to the base's
entrance where we showed identification cards before being
allowed on the base.  A truck pulled up and carried us
across the base to the airfield and barracks.  We were
assigned bunks and footlockers, having nothing else to do at
the moment we put our gear away. At chow time the barracks
was pretty much full and we headed over to chow as a group.
The minute we walked in the chow hall we all noticed the
difference it was much nicer than what we had become
accustomed to at boot camp.  The tables had tablecloths and
instead of trays they actually had dishes, I thought to
myself `wow we've done okay for ourselves.'  Once we all had
passed through the mess line and were ready to dig in a
lieutenant a little older than all of us called attention.
We quickly jumped to our feet and stood tall, fingers curled
into our palms, thumb running down the hem on the side of
our trousers, just as we'd been taught at boot camp.  The
lieutenant walked around the tables before finding a central
spot where everyone could see him, "At Ease," we all relaxed
just a bit.  He looked around the room, "Welcome to
Pensacola and Army Air Corps.  Over the next several months
you will receive instruction and hands on training to make
each of you a pilot, the training demands your time and your
dedication, if you can't give either of them you need to
walk out of this room now."  He looked around the room
waiting for someone to rise, I know everyone's eyes were
darting here and there expecting the same.  He began again,
"Being pilots also means being Army Officers, tradition and
rule demands you be gentlemen with integrity and honor.  We
can't teach you integrity and honor but we can teach you the
fundamentals of being gentlemen.  From now on when you enter
this mess area you will remove your hats prior to entering,
you will remain standing at your table until everyone at
your table is ready to be seated, then and only then will
you sit, pray and then quietly begin to eat."  I looked at
him and waited for him to smile, he yelled, "Attention."  We
all stood rigid once more, he walked out of the door calling
"carry on," as he closed the door behind him.
    We all looked at each other than bowed our heads and
prayed before quietly picking up our forks and eating. After
chow we returned to the barracks where everyone told a
little about who they were and their hometown, we got to
know each other. Everyone in the barracks was a different
size and shape, some no taller than around five feet five
inches and others were well over six two and two hundred
pounds I guess they had planes to fit all sizes.  Before
taps, the lieutenant from earlier came to the barracks as we
began to stand at attention he yelled, "At Ease."  He
gathered us in an open area, "Smoke them if you got them."
Several guys lit up cigarettes.  He looked around the room;
"I'm Lieutenant Dickerson, over the next several months I'll
be your executive officer, if you have a problem personal or
academic I want to know about it before it gets out of hand,
do we understand each other?"
    Everyone yelled, "Yes sir."
    He actually broke a grin, "good now tell me your names,
he pointed to one guy after another and they told him their
name and where they were from, once the group was finished
he told us his first name was Harold and he was from
Jacksonville, Florida originally.  He had received his Pilot
Wings last year and pointed to them on his uniform the gold
of the wings glinting in the light. "In the morning after
chow you will all march down to the Flight Medical Facility
where you will undergo test to ensure your ability to pilot
one of the government's planes any questions?"  No one
raised a hand he turned "see you in the morning," and walked
out.  Less than 10 minutes later as I was undressing Taps
sounded and lights were extinguished.
    I listened in the silence for a few moments, Tyler was
already asleep, I looked down at him and wanted to crawl in
beside him instead I crawled up on my bunk and went to
sleep. Morning began with reveille at 4:30am.  I showered,
shaved, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and dressed in
under nine minutes.  As soon as Tyler was ready we walked
over to the Chow Hall.  As we entered we removed our hats,
and once served we waited until everyone at our table was
ready to eat before sitting down and digging in quietly. The
more time I spent being a part of the military the more I
knew I could make this my life.  The day passed quickly as
each of us were prodded and poked, spun around and stood on
tiptoes.  I was relieved when I was handed a card that read
pass.  I walked out in my shorts and T-shirt to a corpsman
that took the card, wrote my name down and then told me I
could head over to the next building for written testing.
The written tests were mostly questions about arithmetic and
logic, I answered them all then stood and waited for the guy
to grade them and tell me I could return to the barracks.  I
walked along the road by myself, it was almost chow time and
once again I was hungry, after all I'd missed lunch. I heard
several sets of feet running up behind me, I turned and
several of the guys from the barracks fell in beside me, we
walked back together talking and laughing about the ordeal
we'd just completed.  We all headed for the latrine as soon
as we returned then we cleaned up and headed off to chow, no
one else was in sight of returning anytime soon.
    It was amazing what a day of medical testing could do to
your appetite we ate like men starved.  Returning to the
barracks we passed about half the guys having completed
everything and heading to chow, Tyler wasn't one of them. By
the time we actually got to the barracks it was still empty.
I sat on the steps and waited. After 6:30pm I spotted Tyler
returning to the barracks I went out to meet him, the look
on his face scared me, "what's wrong?"
    He looked at me, "I failed the physical, they want me to
come back in the morning and take some more tests."
    I looked at Tyler putting my hand on his shoulder,
"you'll be fine, don't worry about anything.  Now hurry up
otherwise you'll miss chow."
    Tyler looked at me, "Zachary I'm not hungry."
    I knew better than to say anything else at this point,
we'd both have to wait until the morning to see what
happens.  I lay in my bunk most the night worrying about
Tyler, the realization of how much I needed him hit me like
a blow to the stomach, and nothing could take him away from
me, nothing.  In the morning we were split into two groups,
one group returned to complete their medical and testing,
the other group were given training manuals and told to take
the day to read their flight manual oh great! I thought, I
can't concentrate worth a darn and here I'm supposed to
begin a Flight Training manual.  I sat with the book open on
my lap not reading but looking out into the distance waiting
to see Tyler returning with a smile on his face.  Tyler
returned at almost 3pm.  I could tell by his eyes he'd been
crying as he walked.  He motioned for me to follow him we
walked a good distance away from everyone where we could
talk without being overheard.
    Tyler tried to smile, "Zachary I'm being sent home, I've
got a heart murmur and they don't want me anymore."
    I looked at him, I felt like the wind had been knocked
out of me, "Tyler you listen to me, I don't care if they
want you or not, I want you, I love you.  You'll go home to
mom and dad on the farm it's what we had planned anyway.
Once I'm assigned we'll get a place."
    Tyler smiled, "you still love me then?"
    I put my hand on his shoulder, "nothing could stop me
from loving you."  We walked back to the barracks and began
packing his belongings he had to leave in the morning. I
called home on the First Sergeant's phone, "Mom, can you
hear me?"
     "Yes, Zachary is everything all right?"
    "Yes, Tyler didn't pass the physical he's got a heart
murmur, they're sending him back home, I want him to come
there, he can help Dad on the farm is that all right?" I
heard my mother turn around and tell dad what she'd just
heard.
     Dad picked up the phone. "Zachary."
     "Yes sir."
    "You tell Tyler he's welcome here, I can use the help he
can have your room."
     "Thank you Dad, I knew I could count on you."
     "Are you doing all right son?"
     "Yes sir passed my entire test and I begin flight
training tomorrow. Dad you'll make sure Tyler's okay?"
     "Zachary he's just like a son to us, you know that."
     "Yes sir, I've got to go Dad."
     "Okay son your mother and I love you, we're real proud,
so long."
     The receiver went dead I put the phone back on the
Sergeants desk and returned to find Tyler. I told him the
complete conversation, he still looked unhappy, I told him
we'd sneak out later and find a place we could talk in
private.  I'd already explored the barrack and at the end of
the building was a room used for storage inside were a stack
of mattresses and a couple of boxes of blankets it wasn't
locked.
     Around 1am, I crawled down from my bunk and woke Tyler
he looked at me, I pointed to the end of the barracks. He
followed a few minutes later, I opened the door and we both
entered the darkened room, I pulled the door closed behind
me and locked it. I pulled Tyler in my arms and held him
tight, "I love you, you help dad on the farm for now, I'll
get things figured out understand?"
     Tyler looked in my eyes, "you sure?"
     I smiled, "positive."  I kissed him deeply feeling him
melt in my arms. We lay on a mattress and quietly filled the
need in each other before returning to our bunks.  I
realized this would be the last time I was able to touch
Tyler for five months.  The following afternoon the
infirmary sent a military truck to the barracks and a young
soldier picked up Tyler's suitcases and put them in the back
of the truck, I winked at Tyler as the truck drove out of
sight.  I called home two days later and talked to Tyler on
the phone he was settling in and was doing okay.  I wanted
to tell him how much I missed him already but I knew that
Elsie Morton the town's phone system operator could hear our
conversation. Before I hung up I told Tyler to give everyone
my love and tell everyone they were missed.  I knew he would
understand the message I was sending to him, I could tell by
the tone of his voice he did.  As I lay in my bunk that
night I had to fight back tears, I missed Tyler more than
I'd ever have guessed.
     Training began in earnest the next morning. After chow
we marched to a classroom situated at the end of a hangar.
On the walls of the room were maps and drawing of the inside
of a cockpit.  There were a couple of crudely made stick and
rudder contraptions on one side of the room.  Thirty-five of
us remained of the original fifty, some had left on medical
like Tyler and several failed the testing portion and the
rest requested reassignment.  All of us remaining were as
excited as school children.
     Captain Davis entered the classroom and we all came to
attention before returning to our seats. He stood at the
front of the classroom removed his brown leather flight
jacket and using a pointer and blackboard he explained the
theory of flight.  I listened to every word intently taking
notes in the back of my flight manual. He continued to talk
until 12pm when we broke for lunch and began again at
12:30pm on the dot. He continued until 6pm everyday for the
next two weeks including Saturdays.  Learning to measure air
speed, drift, coordinates, fuel consumption and more made me
so mentally tired by the end of the day that on weekends
when we could have passes I stayed in the barracks.
     Each month when we got paid I sent 76 dollars of my pay
and kept two for personal expenses. I knew Tyler would put
the money in the bank to go toward our farm. Our next three
weeks were spent learning instruments, parachutes and so on.
After almost seven weeks of instruction I was allowed to sit
in the cockpit of a plane.  The feeling was like nothing
else in the world.  My training moved forward quickly from
that point and I was able to demonstrate that I had listened
in all the previous classes.
     I was planning on taking a week and going home for
Christmas, most guys were planning on going home at least we
were until mid-day on December 7, 1941.  After the
President's announcement everyone was called back to base.
Within three weeks I stood on stage in the main hanger
receiving my gold Pilot's wings, the Colonel pinned them on
my uniform I received my commission and received orders
overseas.  I called home the minute I was away from the
guys.  Tyler's voice sounded the most fearful I'd ever
heard, I did my best to assure him I'd come home in one
piece, I promised I would.  Late in the evening I boarded a
train with the rest of the new pilots from my class and we
headed to San Diego for transport to an unknown destination.
After two and a half days of sitting up on a train I was
exhausted. All along the way ladies volunteering with
different organizations brought us coffee and doughnut, some
brought sandwiches, everyone wished us well and said they'd
pray for us, it made me feel ten feet tall to hear all the
words of encouragement and thanks.

San Diego California, 1942
    Having grown up on a farm didn't prepare me for my first
sight of a naval ship.  I studied the long, low in the water
steel structure for over 10 minutes.  The guns on the ship
were bigger around than I was over 30 inches.  I watched as
sailors dressed in white scurried around doing this and
that.  A jeep pulled up in front of several of us, the
driver saluted then offered us a ride.  He drove through the
maze of soldiers, sailors and marines crossing the street
and cars moving here and there to deposit us in front of the
transient quarters.   I was lucky enough to be the first one
to hand over my orders to the clerk behind the desk.  He
rolled the orders into his Royal typewriter and proceeded to
type information on the reverse side, he pulled the orders
out with a flick of his wrist, peeled away the carbon and
handed me my original back. I looked at the entry then
placed them back inside my jacket pocket. I looked at my
watch then headed off to get some rest.
    I found the room number, opened the door to four bunks,
a nice change from the old barracks.  I stripped down to my
shorts and T-shirt grabbed my kit and headed off to shower
and shave. The warm water felt good against my skin, it had
been almost four days since my last shower and I was feeling
pretty dirty.  I opened my eyes after washing my face in
time to see a young Marine looking at me.  I didn't blush or
anything, matter of fact I didn't even think about it I
nodded and he nodded in reply.  I finished cleaning up then
headed back to my room. I pulled back the army green blanket
and crawled in between clean white sheets.  I grabbed the
fresh pillow and punched it up under my head, I lay my still
wet head on the pillow when the door opened and the guy from
the shower walked in.  I immediately sat up, he looked at
me, "Hi, I'm Nicholas, Nick, Arnold."
    I reached out and shook his hand, "I'm Zachary. Sorry
I'm Lieutenant Zach Wilson."
    He smiled as I looked up into a set of wonderful gray
eyes and a shock of blonde hair.  "I'll let you get to sleep
we can talk when you wake up."  I agreed and crawled back
under the covers. I could hear him on the other side of the
metal locker climbing into his bunk.  I don't know what it
was but the sight of him made me excited and it took me a
lot longer to get to sleep.  I felt like I'd only been
asleep for a few minutes when I felt someone shaking me, I
opened my eyes and once again looked into those gray eyes,
"Zach get up otherwise you'll miss chow."
    I rubbed my eyes and sat up looking around until I got
my bearings and then hopped out of bed getting dressed, I
knew the entire time Nick was watching me dress.  When I
turned around he pointed to the door and I followed him.  We
walked about two blocks to a long low concrete block
building painted off white above the entrance was wooden
sign, "Officer's Club" we walked through the doors into the
blare of music from someone playing the piano and a group of
guys who obviously had too much to drink accompanying the
piano player in song. We walked back out the door and down
to the other end of the building.  We entered under a
similar sign which read `Officer's Mess" inside were tables
and people in low conversation.  We found a table and waited
for a steward to come around. A few minutes later a young
Negro dressed in crisp white came to the table carrying
glasses of ice water and silverware. He took our order than
vanished just as quickly only to return minutes later with a
large tray filled with our dinner plates which he expertly
sat in front of us before pouring tea in our glasses and
departing.  Nick and I ate with a hearty appetite and once
we were finished I was tired again so we walked back to our
quarters.  I undressed and crawled in bed, no one else had
moved in.
    Nick reached up and locked the door, I heard moving
around and then he sat on the corner of my bunk, I turned
over and looked up at him he didn't say anything he reached
under the cover, I didn't have the will power at that moment
to stop him.  I put my hand on his head and greedily stroked
his silky golden hair until my heart beat with the intent of
bursting through my chest.  Nick lifted his head and looked
at me, I put my hand on his shoulder and pulled him forward
kissing his lips, he grinned.  Nick lay under me as my body
drove long and hard into him, his whimpers driving me onward
until both our bodies shook and I lay exhausted on top of
him.  Satisfied, Nick stood and unlocked the door and
returned to his bunk, I heard him removing his boxers and
cleaning himself up.  I literally passed out until the next
morning.  I woke up feeling guilty as sin, what had I done.
My mind ran through a million scenarios each one pointed to
me telling Tyler and him ending up hating me for breaking
our pact.  I loved Tyler, what I'd done didn't change that
for me but I knew it would for him.
    The guilt I felt kept me occupied the entire day. Each
time I saw Nick I had to look away, finally I was able to
get to a phone and call home, Tyler answered, we talked for
a few minutes, "what's wrong Zach?"
    I coughed, "nothing it just I wanted to make sure
every one was all right at home, I miss everyone it gets
lonely here."
     "Zachary everyone is fine, we were talking about you
last night everyone sends their love."  Tyler's voice calmed
my guilt, I reasoned that this was war I might not live to
see him again. Early Sunday morning I claimed a seat on a B
52 for a trip to Hawaii.  I had heard stories about the
devastation but really didn't know what to expect, in the
seat next to me was Nick also heading for his new unit.  We
talked about what we might encounter we were still too young
and inexperienced to prepare ourselves for the devastation
we were to see.
    We landed at an airstrip in the dead of night; kerosene
markers were lit to assist with the landing and then
extinguished.  As soon as the plane came to a halt we were
ushered off and disbursed to our units.
    Nick grabbed my shoulder, "I'll get in touch,"
    I smiled at him, "just take care of your self."
    He nodded his head, "I will."
    I was whisked away in the opposite direction to a hangar
on the airfield.  I checked in with a duty clerk who gave
directions to the driver on where to take me.  I was in
Hawaii and had seen nothing, I was given a room with a bed
that I fell into sleeping until I heard reveille, I
showered, ate and hurried off for the first day with my
unit.  As soon as I entered the hangar about thirty guys
turned around to look at me and then turned back around to
their conversations. I found myself a place to sit and
introduced myself to the guys on either side of where I was
sitting.  Within minutes, Colonel Mill's our Commanding
Officer came into the room and we stood at attention
awaiting his command, "at ease."  He looked around the room,
"Lieutenant Zach Wilson get on up here."  I rose and walked
toward the Colonel stopping just inches from him, I started
to Salute he stopped me.  "Zach, take a look around the
hangar, these men are your family now, you'll count on them
and they'll count on you, I've read you were top of your
class at flight school?"  I nodded my head slightly. "Good,
you stay at the top and maybe by the end of this war you'll
be able to go home to the little woman and have some
children.  Otherwise the only thing that's going to happen
is I'll being sitting up one night writing to your family
why you didn't survive, those are letters I hate having to
write."
    I looked at the Colonel, "yes sir, I'll do my very
best."
    The Colonel shook my hand, "I know you will."
    I returned to my seat.  The Colonel talked about
schedules for a while before departing, soon all the
regulars introduced themselves. I was assigned to fly with a
two-year veteran pilot on a recon mission.  I took the stick
from the front seat while he flew over my shoulder from the
rear seat.  The aircraft was more advanced and it took well
over 45 minutes of questions before I got her off the ground
and when I did it felt like nothing I'd flown before the
power and speed were amazing.  We flew almost five hundred
miles before we touched down again I looked at the fuel
gauge flicking it with my finger to make sure it was right.
The plane sat just above empty.
     Lieutenant Zydecci slapped my shoulder, "great job kid,
you're a natural."
     "Thanks Z."
     Everyone I'd met so far had a nickname mine was to be
`Zach.'  Over the next two months I got plenty of flight
hours, but like everyone else in my unit I waited for the
day when we'd be called into action.  March 12, 1942, the
unit I was assigned to was issued orders to the Philippines.
Every plane was fueled to capacity and one by one 15
aircraft took to the air.  We formed into groups of five,
during the long flight I wondered what it would be like to
be in battle, to see people you knew and those you didn't
die.  My thoughts remained just that, thoughts during the
flight over.
     We arrived tired and low on fuel but we arrived at our
destination, I knew this wasn't the Philippines it may have
been an outlying island but it wasn't the main island.  No
one said a word over the radio as we landed, we exited the
aircraft and walked over to the hangar were we stowed our
gear before heading off for chow. There wasn't much on the
island, a make shift hangar, a small area of large tents and
a line of soldiers and sailors waiting to enter what must be
the mess tent.  We gathered in line and waited until we were
served, I ate like I'd not eaten in a month.  I made sure I
took a couple of packets of chocolate and placed it in my
jacket for the next time.  After chow we returned to the
hangar Colonel Mills was accompanied by a Marine Major it
appeared they were having a heated discussion in the corner.
Once the Major departed the Colonel began our briefing.  "At
this moment our planes are being refueled, at first light we
will head out on course, he looked at each of us, I'll give
you course headings in the morning."  He stopped and walked
down the aisle between us "no more training or speculation,
real battle with an enemy as well trained as each one of
you. Get out of here and get some rest tomorrow is going to
be a long day; we'll meet here at 0400 hours, dismissed." He
walked out without looking back at any of us.