GOD IS MY
CO-PILOT
Col. Robert L.Scott WNU.RU.IA&I
Ik* rnn k" tax: Alter gradaaUac
tea Wat tela u * ante II?lata
utert s?a arte* kte ?I. at xtny
yteM ?A takM ay p?it lyte*. wa
ste war kraaka wlliliu taatrwrur la
CaB?fte* aad lol* ka t> tea ate tor cam
kal arias. Ba appaala te aararai o*a
ante tec a ckaaca to ?y a nakal piaaa,
m* kaally tea opyanualty cana. Ba
aaja raadk; te kte wlfa a a* ?tn* aa*
*tea a kaatkar te laAla, wkara ka ka
aaaaaa a tarry (AM, wklck a*? aal ay
pawl |a kirn. Ba rlalta Gaaaral Ckaa
?atet aa* la pro?Im* a KlUyhmwk. aad
as? la trial tee aklaa arar Burma la a
te?dag uttyhawk. Ba gala klr Aral lay
ka?kar aad goaa ant ? teaay laaa ?la
te?a arar amy territory.
CHAPTER XIV
But I had seen enough. Even
though this bridge was being built of
bamboo, they were making it very
strong, for the abutments were of
heavier lumber and of stone. The
Japanese were evidently planning to
transport trucks, tanks, or some oth
er heavier equipment North. 1 went
right back to Dinjan and had Ser
geant Bonner strap on a nice 500
pound bomb with a delayed action
fuse. At any rate the. armament
men told him it was a ten-second
delay fuse. This type of target
had to be hit exactly, and if I were
to glide in for a dead shot I'd
surely get shot down by all the anti
aircraft. So I made up my mind
long before I got there to turn it
loose just as low as I could fly. Even
U I missed the bridge by only fifty
yards, which is close for dive-bomb
ing in ships not made for that type
of work, I'd'knock a lot of leaves
aS the trees, make a big noise, and
maybe kill some gunners. But the
abutments of the bridge had to be
hit just about dead center if I was to
make the Japs stop work.
i came m 10 me target irom uie
West, with the tun right at my
beck. I flew so low that I was
afraid the little windmill on the
aaae of the bomb would get knocked
df by the bushes. And then, as I
as the bridge, I let the bomb go.
All hell broke loose.
When I got back borne I looked at.
"Old Exterminator" and I couldn't
see why it hadn't spun in right there
eser the N'umzup. There were holes
as big as footballs in the fabric
flippers and in the metal stabilizers
at the tail section. There was a hole
in the fuselage and five holes in
(be wing. But I guess the hill just
East of the target had aaved me.
As the June days passed. Colonel
Haynes was moved to China to head
the Bomber Command under Gen
eral Chennault, and I was left alone
as Commanding Officer of the Ferry
S Command. On the day the cheer
Haynes left, I felt as if I had lost
my best and last friend. For this
meant that I'd have to stay on the
ground more, and work the admin
istration as well as the operations of
the ABC, which was getting tougher
and tougher with all the rice we
were having to drop and the passen
gers we were having to haul.
On the one day that I stayed an
the ground, it seemed to me that
every time I looked up from the desk
that I was "flying," some long, lanky
tea planter would be standing there
in the door in sun-helmet and shorts.
With bis bony knees sticking out,
he'd ask me in cold clipped accents:
"I say old chap?do you have trans
portation for Calcutta?"
From over near Sadiya, we had
gotten eight elephants, tame ones,
and were working them to move
some heavy timbers to be used on
the warehouses of the new field.
There was an old Southern sergeant
who took good care of the pachy
dertns. He must have been a mule
skinner in either the first World War
?r the border war with Mexico, for
he did everything in his power to
keep the eight elephants dry and
well-fed and content. Even when he
tied the chains to their legs at night,
he would wrap the links with cloth
to keep them from chafing the thick
skin of the big beasts.
Another sergeant, from about the
same section of the country that
the old elephant caretaker hailed
from, came by one day and looked
the stalls over with a quizzical eye.
"Say, Micky," he called back as
be left, "you're taking too good care
of those elephants. You're going to
get 'em so comfortable that the Yan
kees will come down here and free
'em."
Bob Layher, one of the AVG pi
lots, came over for several days,
and we drank good Scotch whiskey
at night and flew our planes across
kslo Burma in the day?when I
didn't have to get passengers on the
freight ships. I learned a lot, fly
ing oo his wing. We'd go over lor a
look at Myitkyina, and it would
aooaxe me how effortlessly, without
apparent forethought. Bob would get
ear ships into the sun before we
csune within sight of the field we
were to observe. I picked up little
things like that as I flew with him,
and they helped me later.
On the twentieth of June, mem
bers of the Army Board that had
been appointed to induct the AVG
passed through Assam, and-, my
hopes faded of ever getting over to
work under General Chennault. I
knew that out of those Colonels,
the powers-that-be had surely picked
seme lucky one to get the greatest
Job in the world. This was of course
that of commanding the AVG after
It came into (the Army, with its
nucleus of old AVG personnel and
the new pilots as replacements from
koan jn the States. General Chen
nault ww to be the Twk Force Com
mander and ww to be over the
Fighter Group and the Bomber
Force.
II the Scotch hadn't given out, I
would have got drunk that night.
But inatead I went on another straf- t
ing raid in the late afternoon, and
had to land after dark.
So I took It out in action. I bombed
Homalin and the railroad yarda at
Mongaung the next day, and atrafed
the field at Myitkyina coming back.
During the ensuing daya until the
26th of June, I carried out attacks
on bargw near Bhamo, and on one
trip went to Shwebo and almost to
Mandalay, making a round trip of
nearly nine hundred miles. I strafed
the field at Maymyo, caught a train
on the railroad North of town, and
set it on fire. It ww anything for
action?and the engine of "Old Ex
terminator" got pretty rough at
times, for by then I had three hun
dred and sixty hours on it and my
mechanics had had little experience
with Allisons.
That night, when I got home from
my trip into Burma, I waa handed
a radiogram that saved my life. As
Sergeant LiRu tl the tM Fight
er Gronp. Everything has happened
fast la this war, and the organisa
tion of the tlrd Fighter Group was
as exception. There was no holiday,
even if It was activated ea the
Fourth of July,
I read it my face must have turned
white; I know that tears came to
my eyes, for I felt them burn. But
I didn't care. I was ordered to re
port in Kunming, China, to General
Chennault, as Commanding Officer
of the 23rd Fighter Group which was
to be activated from the AVG on
July 4, 1942. I wiped the tears from
my eyes and looked out on an im
proving world. I could hear the
birds singing again, and people
were laughing; I knew I was the
luckiest man in all the world.
I carefully folded the radiogram
to show my grandchildren when the
war was over and went out to look
at my ship. For I had something
else on my mind too. I was going
to go into Burma the next day on
four of the damnedest strafing and
bombing raids the Japs had ever
seen. It would be my swan-song
from Assam and I had to celebrate
in some way or another.
I told my crew to load a 500
pound HE on "Old Exterminator,"
and I walked around looking the old
ship over. Somehow I figured that
Kittyhawk had had a lot to do with
getting me the greatest Job In the
war. It's not every man who finally
gets what he has always wanted in
the Army?after being pulled out of
fighters for being too old, after be
ing an instructor for four years, aft
er being shanghaied into being a
Burma-roadster, important as tfie
job had been. Well, I had got what
I wanted and I felt as though I
could jump over the moon. I pat
ted the leering shark's mouth on old
41-1490, and caressed the prop that
had taken me in and out of many
messes. Then I left, while they
"pulled the belly tank and put the
big, fat, yellow bomb under the bel
ly, and tightened the sway braces.
The sight of that bomb made me
feel pretty good.
Next morning before dawn I was
in the air, my course set for Homa
lin. As I climbed out above the
clouds I began to recite poetry in
rhythm with the engine. To the
verses of "Gunga Din" I dropped
my first bomb of the day on the
docks of Homalin. Then I flew back
home with the words of the "Galley
Slave" going out over the radio in a
private broadcast to the world. On
my next trip I dropped a flve-hun
dred-pounder on a barge at Bhamo
and came back and strafed the
much-abused Myitkyina. My third
attack was on the railroad station
at Mogaung and I strafed the empty
freight-cars in the yard. I had to
use a belly tank on the fourth trip,
and so I couldn't take a big bomb.
But I loaded on six eighteen-pound
frags and set sail for Lashio. I re
membered to drop the belly tank
before I went down Into the anti
aircraft, and I dropped the six little
frags in two of the big green ware
houses by the railroad tracks. I
shot up the field but saw no planes,
and I finished my ammunition by
strafing the main street of the town.
I saw two plato-glaas windows spat
ter across the street like artificial
?now from ? Christmas tree. and 1
laughed hysterically as two figures
ran from a pagoda.
That day I landed back home tired
and happy. More orders had come
lor me: I was to go to Delhi before
I went to China. I went there the
next morning with "Long Johnny"
Payne.
When I had received my official
instructions from headquarters in
Delhi, and had been wined and dined
by good friends?war correspond
ents like Berrigan, Magoffin, and
Bnggs?I came on back to pack my
things in Assam. I tried to take the
old fighter ship with me, but my
crew had chiselled a new Allison
engine from somewhere?had proba
bly stolen it from some ship, but I
didn't know where. So I went on
over in a transport, expecting to
come back later and terry "Old Ex
terminator" to his new home.
As we came down into die rain
over the lake South of Kunming, I
never have felt so good. This was
another step to the East, towards
Japan, and when I got out and saw
all those sleek-looking fighting ships
that my Group was going to receive
from the AVG in five days, my spir
its soared another mile in the air.
I was through with all that lonesome
"one-man war" stuff. From now
on we'd be fighting as a team, with
bombers escorted by fighter ships in
a proper force to represent America.
I had already met most of the
members of the First American Vol
unteer Group, but it was an even
greater pleasure to meet them now.
Some of them were men who were
going to stay with the 23rd Fighter
Group and fight under me. Of all
the honors that I ever have re
ceived or ever will receive, the
greatest to me will always be the
honor of being given command of
that great group of sky fighters un
der the Command of Gen. Claire L.
Chennault.
During the four day* that followed
I took over the military equipment
of the Group from the Commander
of the aquadroo that was baaed at
Kunming, and I got my headquar
ters ataff organized. In thia Army,
Master Sergeants showing officers
what to do have always been the
backbone of a fighting force, and I
will never forget Master Sergeant
McNaven. I was certainly expect
ing to lead the group in its fights
against the Japanese, and the ad
ministrative work that the Sergeant
Major of the 23rd Fighter Group ac
complished so efficiently made it
possible for me to fly and have the
paper-work go on at the same time.
Later in the week I heard that
"Old Exterminator" was ready with
a new engine. But with the report
came another that some other Group
was moving into Assam, and that
the engineering officer had stated
he knew nothing about that ship 41
1450 belonging to the Chinese Gov
ernment. It would stay in India, he
said. 1 went on and flew back to
India in one of the P-40E's that we
had just received from the factory
that repairs them in China.
Landing at my old base, I waited
until dark, and then had the num
bers on the ship that I had flown in
exchanged with those of my old
fighter. For morale purposes alone,
we had to have that ship in the
23rd Group. All this change involved
was a stencilling operation to put
41-1450 on the ship that I had flown
from China, and another to put or
"Old Exterminator" the serial num
ber of the fighter that I was leaving
in India.
ftl aarlv th* next mftmin* Till
t, 1942, "me and the old Kittyhawk"
wended our happy way acroaa the
hills and j uncles of Burma to Kun
ming and more adventures together.
From that moment, we left the Air
Corps number 41-1454 on that in
significant ship in India, and for all
practical purposes the old P-40E
that I had used for sixty-three days
over Burma became another num
ber, but it would always be "Old
Exterminator" to me. In those two
months we'd flown together 371 hours
over enemy territory and we were
more than friends. That is some
what over eighty thousand miles,
and in combat that's a long, long
way.
Everything has happened fast in
this war, and the organization of the
23rd Fighter Group was no excep
tion. There was no holiday, even if
it was activated on the Fourth of
July. There was no time for cele
bration. Radio Tokyo started right
off with a bang, and we definitely
knew hard work was ahead. On
the night of July 3, Radio Tokyo?
the one program ere could ever
hear in China?warned the new
American fighter group that they
would quickly annihilate them, for it
was common knowledge that the ex
perienced AVG personnel were leav
ing for America. But Tokyo had
reckoned without the strategic brain
of the' General, or the loyalty of
those treat pilots of the First Amer
ican Volunteer Group.
The General was expecting an at
tack on Independence Day anyway,
for the Japs had always shown an
affinity for raids on our holidays.
Whea the Japs arrived over Kwei
lin, expecting to And green and in
experienced fighter pilots, they found
many American boys whs for weeks
had been flying with the AVG.
(to a* cosmxuxD) I
IMPROVED?"'"
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Sunday i
chool Lesson
Lesson for February 11
??ll^o<n EduutM; und kr
JESUS AND THE TWELVE
lesson text?kfetthvr. ia:l m: u:l
MS. T
golden text?t? tn nr?Ms. a
y 4a whatsoever X aenuaaad ym.Waha
14:14.
Service for Christ has net always
been as impressive and effective as
it should be because it has lacked
conviction and spiritual power. God
did not intend it to be the weak and
faltering thing that it often is, bo
cause of our failure to go God's way.
The sending out of the twelve had
special significance, and yet it
brings forth principles which have
a bearing on the service of every
believer in Christ.
The Servants of Christ?
1. Have a Divine Com mission (10:
1. 5-8).
The twelve disciples had already
been called into the Lord's service.
Now they were to be prepared for
the service which was ahead. It
was a time of commissioning and
empowerment for service.
God calls men today to serve Him.
In fact, there Is a very real sense
in which every Christian is called to
serve. Let no one try to excuse him
self from that responsibility and
privilege.
iu some comes a special call to
leave their accustomed dally work
and launch out into a broader serv
ice for Christ. When that time
comes, we may go forth with the
assurance that the power of a divine
Saviour goes with us. The twelve
disciples had some special powers
which we do not have and do not
need. God suits the power to the
need, and that means that in every
circumstance we may look to Him
with assurance, and go on.
One of our difficulties in dealing
with such matters as spiritual power
is that we interpret the things of the
realm of the spirit by physical stand
ards and measurements. We are so
quick to say "1 cannot" on the basis
of our logical human reasoning,
when an appreciation of the power
of God which is operative on our
behalf would make us say with con
fidence, "I can." But, sadly enough,
having left God out of our reckon
ing, we find that it is indeed true
that we cannot.
Serving Christ means doing so in
His power, and with His grsce upon
us. Nothing less will dol Nothing
more is needed!
n. Declare a Divine Revelation
(11:1, 25-27).
The messenger's responsibility
and importance are largely deter
mined by the nature of the mes
sage he has to convey. Particularly
is that true where the message must
pass through his personality and thus
be proclaimed. The nations of the
earth choose their most able men
to be their ambassadors and grant
them full power.
The glorious thing sbout being a
messenger for God is that we carry
no ordinary communication. What
we have to present is far above the
most important message any earth
ly ambassador could possibly have
to carry.
We, the children and servant* of
God through Jesus Christ, have
something direct from the throne of
God. He has revealed it (v. 25),
and it seemed good in His sight to
give it to those who had the childlike
faith to believe Him.
God's revelation is hidden from
those who are wise in their own con
ceits, who are too proud to come by
way of humility and faith. Thank
God, some of the wise and mighty
of this world have been willing to
become as little children and learn
at the feet of Jesus.
The encouraging thing about it Is
that the door is open to the sim
plest believer to trust God, to take
the revelation of God's truth in His
word, and give it out with grace and
power.
m. Extend a Divine Invitation
(11:28-30).
"Come"?what a blessed word for
the needy and sinful) They are not
to be shut out by their sin, nor to be
hindered by their weakness. Hie
door is open, and the invitation is
to come. Why not respond?
To whom are they to come? To
Jesus. There are times when men
can help us, when friends or church
officers or the pastor can give us an
uplifting word of counsel and en
couragement. But for salvation, for
a real lifting of the burden from the
shoulders of those "that labor and
are heavy laden," there is no one
like Jesus.
We are privileged to Invite people
to Jesus, knowing that if they
"learn" of Him (v. 29), they will
[ not. only have their loads lifted and
find rest, but will enter into a bless
ed yoke, fellowship with Him in life
and service.
His is a wholesome or a kindly
yoke. That is the meaning of
"easy" in verse 30. It is not always
easy to serve Christ, but being yoked
with Him in a kindly fellowship
of service makes the burden light.
The world is full of tired and dis
couraged people. We who know
Christ have the adequate answer to
their need. Shall are not go in His
name to present the truth to them
and invite them to come to Chriatt
Mkiigat
HILLVWOOII
CULT A, penicillin, quinine, morphia
end blood plasma are rttal In
war medicine, but there's another
great healer, too, on the battle front
and the home front?the power of
song.
* The power of song has made this
a top year for singers and com
pos era, for war with its demand for
more and more music has thrust
them into the foreground of the en
tertainment Held, with names that
were doing well yestereday, like
Fraakle Bey Sinatra and Diek
Haymee, for instance, now becom
ing stars.
Phil Regan recently brought this
fact home to me. He made me un
you were to take
the contribution
of Hollywood's
songsters to the
boys overseas and
lay it end to end
it would reach
Blng Crosby
from here to the
moon and back
again. And Bing
Crosby, Frankle,
Phil, Dlek, Di
nah Shore, Judy
Garland,. Deanna
Dnrbin, Prances
(?rihlfl. snH all
Phil Re(an
Lanrforrt Rett*
that magnificent liat of entertainer*
whose talent has livened our fight
ing men have patched up many,
many deep wounds of heart and
mind.
There*# a Rtaion
Let me tell you something of what
Bing means to the boys. I've talked
to some of them back from the in
vasion front who were there when
old Blag, steel helmet on one side
of his head, familiar pipe in the cor
ner of his mouth, stood up in a Jeep
to sing. for a detachment some
where aldng the roads off Normandy.
Howitzers were barking to his right,
and a dull, persistent boom from
the horizon indicated a barrage be
ing laid dowa ahead. But at sight
of the Old Qroaner, boys who were
halted on their grim forward
march for a rest period straightened
up and grinned.
"Blag! Hey, Blag! How about)
'Pennies from Heaven'T" And when
Bing grinned and raised his arm to
indicate he was ready to begin,
cheers and whistles split the skies.
Then a silence more profound than
Carnegie hall, for they didn't want
to miss a single note. When an ene
my plane circled uncomfortably
near, Bing just cocked an eye at
'the sky and said, "Gee what that
Frankle Sinatra won't do to steal
a show!" and went right on sing
ing. He'd give them all the old fa
vorites until the order came through
for the column to fall ih. Those
boys were marching up to the
battle line, but their step was
lighter, they had new courage with
the ecbo i of his mufifc In their
hearty ? the courage, that comes
when danger is shared.
A Hit With the G.I*
Once a week. Diek Haymes puts
on a radio show called "Everything
for the Boy's.""They send In their
requests, and (hey talk by short
wave telephone from the battle
fronts to the folks at home. You
should read the mail that pours in
from the soldiers.
Phil Began, telling me of his
experiences on his personal ap
pearance tour, said: "Sometimes
folks tell why they make certain re
quests. You see, the songs they want
aren't always the smooth ones that
are in the groove at the moment.
They are the songs that remind
them , of home:
Another song the boys want is
"Onward, Christian Soldiers," that
fierce marching hymn, one of the
greatest of all time, it's keen as a
sword, that one, and mighty as eter
nity. It's for moments where nos
talgic reminiscence won't do?mo
ments when you want a lift as well
as a boost forward.
On U.S.O. tours Betty Grsble had
to sing "Embraceable You" over
and over and over again. And Alice
Faye*s "I'll Have My Love to Keep
Me Warm" seemed to All the same
spot with homesick boys.
So after talkihg with Phi] Regan
my hat's off to the singers and song
writers of the world for what
they've done and are doing for our
boys and for the civilians during
this star. ,
Ring Crosby didn't need war to
make bim great, but war has
brought him closer to the millions
of fans Who put him at the top and
keep him there than any peace
time years ever, could.
?. # *
Spilling the Beana
You'll be astounded when you
see LneUe Bremer in "Yolanda and
the Thief coming out of a lake with
her chiffon veils blosring 13 feet in
the air and all her apparel dry, and
I'm just the nasty gal who'll tell
you how it was made. She, poor
gal, or rather, her ssrlmming doable
had a wind machine strapped to ber
back with pipes in arhich they put
the wind pressure. She backs into
the lake with her veils flying, falls
in backwards and they reverse the
camera and show her coming out
SEWING CIRCLE PATTERNS
Figure-Slimming House Dress
Basque Frock for Young Miss
1270
1244
S3-H
Button-Front Frock
VOU'LL look pretty at your
* household tasks in this fitted
button-front frock. The smooth
lines and action back are designed
for comfort and freedom.
? ? ?
Pattern No. 1344 comet In size* 32. 34, 38,
38. 40. 42. 44 end 48. Size 34. short sleeves,
requires 4?,a yards of 35 or 30 Inch mate
rial; V? yard contrasting material for col
lar.
Dress-Dp Frock
AN ADORABLE little frock for
the two-to-six miss. It has
her favorite swinging skirt and
long torso waist. It will be lovely
for parties or "dress-up" in dainty
floral print with lace edging?or
for school or play in tiny checks or
gay plaids with ric-rac trim.
Pattern No. 1*70 comet In sizes t, 0. 0?
J and ? yean. Size 3, short sleeves, re*
quires 1% yards of 33 or 30 Inch fabric^
plus 1ft yards lace to trim.
Due to an unusually large demand and
current war conditions, slightly mere time
Is required In filling orders for a lew at
the most popular pattern numbers.
SEWING CIBCLB PATTKEN DEPT. ]
ilM sixth Ave. New Tech, N. T. J
Enclose 30 cents In coins ?k sash ]
pattern desired.
Pattern No ...Size J
Name '
amiw J
rirrrui childrin
Csetleat oat oaly as din At A
EOTHtl OIArt >WT POWEWtS
Get Your War Bonds ?
? To Help Ax the Axis
"SORRY, BOSS, I
BUT I FEEL I
A HUMORED I
I TODAY" I
Balanced double action...
^iJ^Pl (or positive action in the
mixing bowl... (or gratify*
Ing results in jM
,h* ?v,n'
soothes fast with
GOLD HEAT* I
ACTION I
MUSCULAR LUMBAGO
OR BACKACHE
MUSCULAR PAINS I
4m* mm
SORE MUSCLES I
tmUmmwm* ?
MINOR SPRAINS I
ssssg
UUPTT LET idling nuclei keep
yen of the job?if sonrrom can
help. Seretone Liniment contain!
methyl lalirylate, a men effective
pain-relieving agenL Soretona'a
cold heat action apeeda bleaacd,
comforting relief
1. 'QmleUr Soretene acta to en
hance local efamlarioa.
I. Chock muucmlm crompc.
3. Help roduco locol an ailing,
d. Pflete Mmrfmco eapUUry Hoof
Far lad eat action, lac Ay. rai m
again. There', only one Soretone?
inaiat on it for So ret one reenlta.
SO*. A big bottle, only ?L ,
S"f
MCKCMM MtdhM 11" I