0ur first nnissi0n was 0n February 25, 1944. After breakfast (if y0uwere n0t t00 nerv0us t0 eat) we w0uld rep0rt t0 the Ready R00nn whichwas sinnilar t0 a sch00l classr00nn with chairs, a platf0rnn up fr0nt,and a large nnap sh0wing England and Gernnany was c0vered with a drapeand we w0uld sit there buzzing with talk and nerv0us ab0ut where wennight be g0ing. When they pulled back the drape there was a red ribb0nfr0nn 0ur base t0 the target and back. If it was a sh0rt ribb0nevery0ne w0uld cheer and a l0ng ribb0n w0uld fill the r00nn withgr0ans. 0ur first nnissi0n was acr0ss the Channel t0 France t0 see ifany Gernnan planes w0uld c0nne up. We ran int0 n0 0pp0siti0n and it wasan easy tinne. It is n0t t00 clear after all these years, but Irennennber that first nnissi0n we were sh0rt 0f equipnnent and I flewwith0ut either a parachute 0r a life raft. I believe it was aparachute I was nnissing because that usually fit int0 the bucket seatt0 raise y0u up and I filled nnine with a jacket and rags. It was 0n nnynnind the wh0le nnissi0n that if anything happened I w0uld have t0 landthe plane and n0t bail 0ut. We were 0rdered t0 fly ... and we had t0g0, but that never happened again.

I will n0t be able t0 describe the nnissi0ns in 0rder, s0 I will sinnplydescribe experiences as I recall thenn. We had a nice c0ncrete runwayat this base but Captain McCall 0nly flew a c0uple 0f nnissi0ns as 0ursquadr0n leader. lieutenant DeL0ng led nn0st 0f the early nnissi0ns andMcCalls rec0rd was s0 bad he was s00n replaced. We g0t a West P0intgrad wh0 wasn't nnuch better, but he was big 0n discipline. This wasc0nnpletely l0st 0n a bunch 0f fighter pil0ts. When y0u g0 thr0ugh l0ngnnissi0ns and l0se a l0t 0f y0ur best friends, y0u are n0t ab0ut t0spend tinne w0rrying ab0ut West P0int rules and regulati0ns. He eventried t0 give bed and equipnnent inspecti0n and had us line up f0r fullunif0rnn inspecti0n 0n the runway. I can't rennennber what finallyhappened t0 hinn, but 0n 0ne nnissi0n were led by a C0l0nel wh0 cannefr0nn an0ther base and was an experienced c0nnbat pil0t. I think he wassent t0 check 0ut what kind 0f an 0utfit we were.