Fighter Squadron Page #5

coming home soon?

Yeah.

Four more missions

on this tour.

Only one more, if

this lifts today.

She knows you've signed

up for another one?

She never tried to

talk me out of it.

You got a good girl.

If only Brickley didn't have

that crazy rule

against marriage.

As long as he's in command,

we'll have to stick with it.

Mission's been scrubbed.

Fan mail?

This one, gentlemen,

is from a young

lady in Texas...

Blonde hair, big blue eyes,

and an oil well

in her back yard

that pumps out money.

Probably begging for

my hand in marriage.

Don't you know any poor women?

I avoid them.

A teletype came from

General McCready

ordering Brickley

to headquarters.

Smells like Gilbert.

Brick just left.

I have a message, sir.

"New fighter group 604 and 605

"will be assigned to escort

duty with 10th Bomber Wing

when fully operational."

Signed, "Curran."

Oh, hello, Brick.

Have a cigar.

Oh, you don't smoke.

Brick, we don't see

enough of each other.

I've been pretty busy.

Yeah. You've been

flying missions, Brick.

What do you think of

the combat policy?

I'll make the

question official.

I respect General Gilbert.

He's a perfect combat flyer.

His ideas were O.K. A year ago

when we didn't have

enough planes,

but he's out of

date on two counts

since the last five groups

became operational.

Belly tanks?

The target escort having

to hold on to them.

Staff requires full

flying time over target.

We get jumped on the way.

Our planes can't beat

the Germans with tanks.

The boys that find that

out haven't survived.

The second those

fighters jump us,

we should drop those tanks and

knock them out of the air.

They won't be around

tomorrow to give us trouble.

And, uh... what else?

We've enough groups

to send experienced ones

in ahead of each mission.

Smash up the airfields,

pin them down.

Yeah, uh... including

your own group?

Yes, sir.

That's a hard nut

to crack, Brick.

Statistics show

that our losses

are four times greater in

low-altitude operations...

Flak, machine guns,

rifles, pistols.

They even throw pots and pans.

The objective is to get

the most bombers over the

target free of attack.

If you believed in it,

you could persuade staff.

It seems a long time ago

since you fellas came to me

from the Eagle squadron.

It's been a lot

of flying time.

Brick, can you stand a shock?

I've held off as

long as I could.

I want you to give

up your group.

You're my best man.

I wanted to make you a

brigadier a year ago,

but your heart was

set on flying.

Take over a new group...

The 604th.

Make that a crack outfit, too.

I was afraid it

was a desk job.

You'd be no good

behind a desk...

Losing weight,

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