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NO MOVIE TONIGHT
24 5011RS At j, 8-29 FISLD

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PART ONE.
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It is anot.her one of t.hoae hot. un-
costortlbia a!t.ernoons at North field on
Gua=.. Gr\r J bie-Lad clouds hang Eot,lon-
less in the sk;y thrutening t.o looae
the ,i.
t.orrents of nino St.retching as tar
can see, silvery ~29's
renely on their hard-st.ands. the field
sit
as
se-
is .a auiet as • little Southern t.own on
a SUndl;y afternoon. In the sort s!'.adow
under • wing • seal! group ot ~en is
tl')' ing to escapo the opprell8ive heat .•
The aUence is brOt(en only by the clank-
ing o! a aut-Ie chain behind a gnollne
true... purring down the t..axhay or the
• putt-putt of. Jeap with • broken muff-
ler. In the hollow or. llOW1.d o! coral
• tohree ordnlnce.GrI are arranging boobs
. in rows beside an open bo::t.b-bay 1I'bUe
!~th.r dCWl. crew chief wipes the 011
·froll an 'ng1ni MCGUe with lena caress-
ing strOll:lIa.
It. i8 juat. aft.er lunch and t.ha
ground crew a:en are drUt.1ns back by
ones and t.wos t.o continue work on t.heir
• airplane". Their unhurriod 1Il0v~nt.s
give lit.tle indicat.ion of t.he at.rese un-
der ",Mch they have been wordng ever
~l.he firat. millSion. They go quiet.l.,y
t and lte.hodlca.lly about. their jobs; 1I'het
, see.:.8 like indltrerence 18 act.ually 8
sureneas devalopad by long experience
under trying conditione. They know the
fault.s and virtuea and, inner workings ot
t.heir nirplanaa as ot (I dotll'ly beloved
friend.
In a large wooden-bench-filled roar.
.!h!. f!.i8!'t. ~re.:s begin to gst.hor for the
brierina:. Phot.ographs of· previous
st.ri~es and Jap inetellat.ions cover the
walla. and on a a:r.all st.aye up tront
...udal. chlirtaor
fora.Lione and t.ake-oCC
data, • corporal in ratigues is finish-
ing. up ot today,'. t..arget. '!'be Colonel
enters and the brlet1n£ begins.
The intcr:r.at.ion is not. new
ot t.he Mil. The,. have bHn over all t.his
t.o
durinG a:&.V' hours at. target. st.udy clas...
es. prel1ainar-y and SP8cialb:ed bricfinr.:
&n,)'
sessions. In very correct.. fact.-fi.ll.ed
sentences t.he intelligence officer i8
rniewing t.he genem infoJ"llO:ltion t.hey
&Ust. dl have: the aportance of t.he
t.arget.. t.he gtography of the erea and
t.he ant.icipated en~ opposit.ion.
"Your target. t.onight. 1.a Un Jiu.
the 1Irgut. cit.)' on t.he island ot Sh.1l<o-
ko." he sa'8. "It. used t.o be the tourth
largest but welve alread,J t.aAen caN ot
t.he ot.hers."
Good r\IIt.ured jeering greet.s t.he
weather otficer. EvoT)'one knows that. he
nearly IIl..ys says the saee thing - wea-
t.hor w1.ll be bad. This t.ice 1e no excep-
tion. With wrr huaor he describes t.he
"int.eresting" a.!..tuat1o:l in the area 8fld
concludes by aa)'ing that. bcnbing will
probably be by inatru::lent.:l.
The operat.ions officer stresses
rescue and ditching procudurtls. wat.ches
are synchronb:ed, end t.he chaplain of-
fers e prayer. The laat. speaker ia the
Colonel.
Ho is • tall. youngish. ensrgetic.
c1e;ar-8l:lOlcing citizen of Texa8 (and the
USA). with a brilliant. rucord u a 8-26
group cOJl1lll8nder in t.he 8uropean thoat.re.
A hard t.ulal.ast.er dur1ne; the training
period. hu p.aaion8te~ insiaLs on per-
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tection and strict. cUscip1ine "'in the
air. The ICen respect. and like hie; tor
hie fr1encl,y uruMr. and because of
a ..... Uut.lon t.hat their t1e;ht air dis...
cipline haa been responsible for saving
ItOra than a te1l' lives.
Flourishing a half-=Oll:ed cigar, he
rall'1ews their
pride but. without.
.ccocaplls~ ..nts.· rit.h
boastfulness. re=.:1nda
the: ot t.heir part in t.he llhole B-29
program t.oward .inning the war and B0ing
hOlr.e, and concludoa wit.h a fe. words a-
bout corale. )lorale, he t.eUs t.b_. ie a
tunny t.hing. He has it on good aut.hority
tor instAnce, t.hat aorale is closelJ."
asaoeiated .ith sex. Oh,yes. It has de-
tinUely been proven t.hat. the ottspring
of cell. ot an outfit whoae c.orale is I1ieh
ue invariably boya. and the lower the
EOrale Lhe g..... ter the pftrcentage
girls! The t.an 1.Iough. It will be a COlt-
parat,ively o&s.)' .cluion - t.he Colonel is
of
never flippant. before a. toc~ one.
With clOCK work precision each
speaker uses hla allot.ed t.1I:e end pre'"
a8MS the tacts tully and clearly. "he
operational data is t.oe auch for any one
brain to hold, so the men break up into
8.%&11 groups for sp4l:c1.al1zad briefing ot
20 minutes each for pilota. navigators.
bcx'.bardiers. rader .en, gunners and
radio operet.ors. They taka not.es, ask
quoaLions and list.en attent.ively. There
10 no tonr.alit.)' and no ,,'ut.ed t1.lll.e. The
aesaione over, t.he Clen dash over to the
Il:e5S hall for a tull, heavy t::oal and
Lhen Lo relax or write a lott.ar.
In the un hall t.h.e c.on est heart.-
ily. There ore a ~ew pract.ical jokeaLars
but. llloat. ot t.he ll:f:In just tolk about ex-
periencea on previous lfl1seio:ls. tho ~
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• vie last. night. or ~e final
today's strike.
detAil:! of
• 111e1 are ;YOUl'lg, t.hen 8-29'er5 _
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the old t1A:ers are In their m1ddle or
lata henties. Since February t.heir
outtit hIS been over Ja~n eve:-y t.wo
• and a half days. J.!any of t.hos. frca t.he
early days hIVe ccapleted -their thirty
• nYe abdona and gone hOE:e tor a leave
and ot.her Jobs. Scz.e are dead and will
• never go hoce. But &ACne those _n lIlho
will £0 out t.onight tew have lella than
.!~ or 20 dulons to their credit. and
all are struggllng t.o l<eep trem Utltall1'
cnaldll8 up anoihar one betore t.he 21s-
don is cOIIplet.ed. They .enOol that ..Uhin
another MO:'lth the . .ss hall _ill bc fil-
led with new faces - replac~e:'lt.s. fresh
rl"Olll Ute schoch of Kansas, TeDS and
!lebru.c.a. and upperoaoat. in the a1nd of
each:DBn 18 the nlJcl)er )5. a private es-
tiat.e on Lhe end 01' the "1' and dis-
charge free the ar"CY'
• • • the whoob of tho Urat have left the
Talte~ot!
time 1.s approaching. !)own
along the runw.y the ground cre. lI:;en
have done their Jobs well. EYen now en~
ginas are bd."1B start.ed, eoughing great
clouds or blue "OfIe out of the ex-
hausts. As flight crews begin to arrive
and the airplanes are roadled for ~ke­
off the field bursts into a Curious act-
ivity. Out in front oC the nose of a
8-29 the crew chief raises four fingers
of his left hand and nu.=bor four engine
sputters and roars away J throwing a in th.e :eming.
ahonr oC gravel behind it. He rahea
hia hands slowl,y upward
doors =ia1c his ~vugent.s
and t.he boltb-bay
and close. He
givea the pilot the "high signll and the
"City of Ft. Gibson" Goye:l glngl:lrly but
sajestlc.l11y dO\lln the t.axbrsy. The roar-
ing 8n,;ines ot 8-29' II flanldng her route
lend LhWldfU'OUS applause LO her journey"
In • lIo1e::n proceell1on the ponderous
gu.nLs follow one another do.,..n t.he t.axi-
way. Two, tour, su. elgt1t .... t.hey 'Wait.
at t.he head ot the run.., tor the signal
to start.
'!'he second hand of
reaches sixty and the Plan
wort(. At a sienal frCll"l the
t.he
begins
eloclt
to
tc.er
eng1nu of the tint airplAne begin to
race, she starts roll1.n.g, reaehes fl,rL'18
speed, leaves the ground, retracts land-
ing gear and clears the end ot the run-
_y; aU in accordance with a schedule
that accounta for every fraction of a
aecond or t.his operation. Before one
airplane hu covered ball the runwa, the
next. hollS .oved into poaltion and lI'hen
ground the second b already rolling.
In rapid succeuion they roar down
the runwa,a all obllervers wit.h stop
....tchile tae ever»' operation. Sltocthly
ar.d gracefully they llft their gr-ea.t
Jl6ight int.o t.he air - 130.000 Ibs. of
alrplan(l full oC fiary death into the
air evary fift.y secDflds frCllll each run-
~y.
The Colonel and llQl;e oC his st.srr
are in the tower. Their work is dono for
t.he time being - now they watch the re-
sults of their planninp: and training.
There gee:! the "City of Spr1.r.gfield"
her pUot. on his 34th l:Iiulon a.nd a Lech
sergeant of a radio operator on his
3Sth. And there is n\ldler 13. Ctlrrying a
~ of • radio oper~tor on his l)~ais:....,
31on. Next 1, the ReiLy of ,ueens" I
going up tor the 34th tke, wings w0b-
bling up and dOlffi in toho prop-wa~ ot
t.he airplAne ahead. That boiWardier who
Just thia ..omina asked tor a leave to
go hce. Lo be with his cother who is
srave},y i l l - he is in nwtber it1
getting his wheels off Lhe ground. s.nd
thare b
Just
nwcl>er 9 - no t.M) J::en in her
erew frOlll tho 5&l:le atat.••
The litt.le group of grotL"td cre. and
dint.enance lten who have been patiently
st.anding at. the end of the field swing
their head. onee again frOl:l left. to
right. The last plane haa go.~e by.
It has been a littIc over an hour and a
M f since t.he firat of the 1)0 air~
planes took ofr. Ever)·thing is silent
again. Darkness has settled over the
Held and the taxiways are deserted. The
Colonel ccc:.es do'lll'l frCllll the tower •
cl1d:Js into his Jeep and drivea of! to
hie quarters. The spect.ators begin t.o
disperse and with nasbl1ghts ew1:l&ing
at t.heir sides t.he IUIn r.8.it.e their way
slowly toward the barracka area. There
will be 11 lot of airplanes over Japan
tonlO\L.
'MIey lourn.. corr.er wherl;l a sign is
nailed to a troe. It raads "NO llOVIE TO-
fUCHT". 'l'e11, thl;lre will be no Uwa J1..":lO
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(lunnor
-- (lunnor Central F1r. Control •
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Radio Operator

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• Karl&ator Co-pllot Pilot

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• PART TWO
•
• There ant fin iVings of 9-29" in In talking about 'Wounded and he~
, of -Honor -8CKlI'Ig the B-2:9 .Een.

• t.he JrlarUn85: lho 7Jrd on Salpan. t.he

58th and '13th on Tinan and the 314t.h.
i841 t.he :nan invar1ably bring. up the.
name of S/Sst Henry Irwin. A radio op-
erator, ha had the additional duty of
!lot every mon in the Group is a he-
ro or superman, but the)· all do give the

•
and )15th on Guam. All or LhelD..(:omprb.. 1mpNlsaion of knolling their Joba lind do-
ina: 1Il0" than 500 airplanes are beading releaaing phoephorus bombs thru & chute 1."Ig their work "ell. The aaost super-
tor Japan tonight. in the airplana. \;'hUe over the target

• The,. will strLo:o at. Civc cities:

one of the bombs stuck in the chute and
e1i,f'lc1ency of B--29 operations did not. f
ccne about over night. There _re mi3-

•
takes, learn1n£ 8S sc:cet:1=es cost.ly,
Utsincxa1ya. Ichincadya. tsuruga J and an and tra11!.1n,g -.-tIS long and arduous. Col.
oU ronnery at. ICawasakl in addit.ion to
• St.orrie, who devolo?Od tight.. . fonr.ation \

• U_ Jia, taroat tor tohe 29th Group

the )lAt.h Uing.
of
flying t.o a h1Eh clegree with his "hot"
B-26'a, aould CIllke his men fl.,}· the B-

• The 29th bas already been over J.~

an 54 tid.. The first a1u!on, a day-
I 29's the $aU .... Y. T1mB after t1a.e he
lIOU.1d taKe thu for practice bo::.bing

• llght. incendiary attack on Toldo, na on

the 25th or February. The Iten have been
miaaiona.Over Jap held PoOta island
Ildlea away). Por four hours t.he~' would
(60

•
fly the giant boltbera .c.anually with
'bac", regularly ever since. Bet.ween lo!ar-
wingtips a1.clOst. t()l,lchlllg. tinley used to
eh tenth and nineteenth t.hey took part. COM back wringing vet .1.tb persp1.ration

• in t.he r. .oull bUtf. tha t burned out

of Toldo, 22S or nagoya :and 26$ or Coaka-.
51S

To.nb:ht.. each or t.he JO .irplanl!l~ or the

but t.hey have leamed that tight fon:;a-
tions ere the best. defen8<;l against. figh-

• Group 18 carrying 40 or t.he n~'

pound "fire bor:bs" to be dropPed on a
t.ers."-

• city of 52.COO, 1Qportant. !HI an

island port and the center ot a
inter-
large
The Clen on t.he ground were learn-
ing too - developing new techniques.

• t.extile indust.ry converted t.o war pro- discoverln8 short. cuts and perfect.ing
ductlo:l. t.he akill of handline Clore airplanes in
2 hours than La Guardia !ield does in a

• The Group haa It good record for "".

• bombe over the target and total area
destroyed. But there have been lossl!IlI • • •
• too. Of tho 2<)1 B-2<)'a lost up to June
16th a falr ahare have been frOl!l the 29 The mission of 13 July. 1945 Thirt.een hours have elapsed since

• tho There hav~ been wounded

twelve purple hearts. But in the words
alao -

of 3. lll8dical officer, "That. figure does-

the airplanea took off. At !lort.h Field
/ten have just. fin1l5hed breakfast. and

•
want off prwture1,y. Bllrided and:Sutf- wander out to tho field to wat.ch for tho
n't ~eQn =uch. In this racket t.here ar- ering intense 8g0ny fTO«l bums, he nev- first airplane t.o ret.urn. At about ten
en't many wounded. The w.en oit.her come ertheless carried the blazing b~b a- ndnutea t.o eight t.ho faint black spot.s

• back in one piece or not at all." That

wal!l more truo in th~ old days than it 18
gainst his body all the way to tho fli-
ght deck and threw it out of the Pil-I
loft to the nort.h ""'st becOllle di3tin¢-
Iahable 88 airplanll13. Stand1ng on no ce-

• nO'lt'. "Super Duttbo" rescue planes

29's) and our sub.'I'.arin8! !\ave
(B-
helped
ot's window. His act aavud th6 airpLene
and the lives of the crew, but almost
I
rClllon,)' t.hey begin to make directly
the field.
for

• bring baci< both Itlln "in one piece"

wou-"lded who "ould otherwise
their Uves.
and
have lost
cost him his olin. Sgt. Indo b now re-
covering in a hospital in the atatell. He
received th(l first Congressional Uedal
The first one looks like he 1s coo-
ing in too high, but the pilot. pulls her
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• nO$6 down and the wheels touch the
STound no core t.han a hundred feet. from
number ot the alrplano l names ot crew
m.em.bers, type end load of bClllbs.
nnth the cloud,. Flack and tight.er op-
position was very light. - no =en hurt.

•
g1150-
t.he end of the run...)'. Kere cac:;es one line load. take oCt t1=o and other such and no airplanes 3eVtlrely da.c.aged.
ritn an engine dead. The Ittitl -.:at-ching deL. has already been entered.

• read the tac1l.iar nu:es and nw:berll and

unconsciously check each one in. Here The cen arrive and take posslIssion
Ta:.orrcnr • pllotoUaph1c plane will
bring back pietures ot' the ~ge-if the

• cor:.e the "elLy of l;:uoenll" and nur.ber

t.hirteen lind all the others. Soon both
ot Ute place. They are !.n vel")' good
spirits (itla a good feeling t.o be back
weather peMllits.

•
runways erG busy with the roaring of M1- again). Congregating around the coffee The brie!1ng roc. graduallr beCCl:W15
tuminl; aircraft.. counter they £ostlculate with ~Ands hol- deserted. The Red Cross girls pick up
ding dfaret.tes and talk excitedly nth their eti1pty corree cups and t.he i.ntelli-

• As each plane ca:.es to rest on the

sue hardstand fl"OQ which it. start.ed,t.he
ItDULha full ot doughnuts.
first. opportunity t.he t. .!te:'!
Thts
or
is
or.e
t.he
air-
gence officers f,ilther up their pa~rs.
All the inlorcation will nOlf have to be

• engine a let. go one ltOre burst. of powllr

t.hen alow do-n and stop - with one last
plane have ~Ad t.o t.alk t.o t.heir friends
in anot.her. Gener&l Power J COl:IHnding
anali~d and digested and lessons learn-
ed will be applied on the next .!ll1ssion.

• s~eete. Dirty, sleepy, hune~', and JXlr-

spiring the Qfln cl.1Jr:b out of their air-
oIt1eor or the w1r.S. has also arrived to
get first mnd infor:Dlltion. Cre.. by
Statistical cent.rol will draw
colored line on a graph and
another
tho head-

•
planes. They chat.ter incessantly as crew the :en :lit down and t.he business lines bec", hoa:.e w1ll 15cre8.lC. nSUPKRFORTS
they drag t.heir gear after t.hem and go of interrogation begins. The boalbard- HIT JAPAN AGHfl". but to the IWn go~
ort t.o t.he wa1t1n6 tnacks. It. ha3 been iers and radar ~en are int.errogated sep-

•
off to their q~rters ilIa just a ~tter
a long grind. 1.4 too 16 houra in the a1r arately. of one mission done is 0tIe: less to EO.
but. they cannot rest yet.. Firat. they

• ~st go to the supply rOOlll to tum

their parachutes, flack suita and ot.her
in
It seems to have been a successful
It is a1&ost noon again. In the
quonset huts t.hat. aerve as living quar-

• paraphemalUi and than t.o be interroga-

ted whUe the IOiss1on is still fresh in
lIl1ssion and all aircraft. are accounted
for. Of t.he thirt.y t.wo airplanes
st.rted out. all but two were over
that
ters the heat. beats down tlercely frOlll
the ceilings. A warm breeze wiggles the

•
their .c1nda. the pin-up girls tacked on the ..alla and
target. ()je skidded on take-off but. no bangs B acresn door down tho street.
In t.he briefing rooa the woodtin da:.age was done. Anot.her developed en-

• benches have been arranged into U-ahaped )lothars, sweethurts and babies s=1le
gine t.rouble on the wa)' out and landed da.n from their dime store picture fram-
bootha so that each craw r..ay be int.erro- sat'ely at. Iwo J1na. Bombi.ng was ent.ire- And in the cots placed side b)'

•
ell.
gated aeparately.and off in one corner ly by radar due to clouds over t.hl:l tar-
aide Along the walls of the huts the
the Red Cross haa cortea and doughnuts set (t.he weather AS bad). For the same I tired ~n are asleap.

•
relldy. The intelligence officers are reason i t WAa impmible t.o aee t.he d8l!l-
equipped with prep81'ed (omll listing age done and no pictures could be taken
qu.estiona fo! thtl crews to an!l1l'er. The

•
but. a greet. red glow was observed be-

•
•
•
•