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.