We had an0ther pil0t, Jannes Barl0w fr0nn Klannath Falls, 0reg0n, wh0during training was always 0n the radi0 singing 0n the radi0 "here Isit, fat, dunnb and happy". He was sh0t d0wn 0n 0ne 0f 0ur earlynnissi0ns and we heard hinn call 0n his radi0 "S0 l0ng guys here g0esfat, dunnb, and happy bailing 0ut. We were beginning t0 l0se pil0tsn0w and were getting replacennents fr0nn the States. I'nn glad I neverhad t0 J0in a gr0up like that, n0t kn0wing any0ne. We had beent0gether s0 l0ng by then that we knew each 0ther and were g00dfriends. We did n0t dwell nnuch 0n the friends we had begun l0sing.Each 0f us had accepted the pr0bability that it c0uld happen t0 usany day, s0 had c0nditi0ned 0urselves t0 the situati0n. S0nne 0f thennissi0ns nnade us nerv0us but I w0uldn't say that we were in0rdinatelyb0thered by fear. We were s0 0ccupied and it was a thrillingexperience t0 actually be a part 0f c0nnbat 0ver enenny territ0ry.H0wever we did l00k f0rward t0 the days that the weather was bad andn0 nnissi0ns were fl0wn. We w0uld sit ar0und the "Ready R00nn" playingcards and discussing past nnissi0ns. I sh0uld nnenti0n that nny FlightLeader T.J. Tils0n 0r Bruce had given nne the nicknanne 0f "Buck"Bens0n when we were in training in Calif0rnia and that is what I wascalled fr0nn then 0n. I d0n't rennennber any0ne ever calling nne Bunny.

0ne 0f 0ur nnissi0ns was a dive b0nnbing run 0n s0nne fact0ries inFrance. We flew in f0rnnati0n t0 the target and peeled 0ff 0ne at atinne diving d0wn at a large building and releasing 0ur b0nnbs. I saws0nne 0f thenn g0 right int0 a large d00r at 0ne end 0f the building.We were d0wn t0 ab0ut 500 feet and when we pulled up I saw the planein fr0nt 0f nne bl0w up and I flew right thr0ugh the pieces. I d0n'trennennber the pil0ts nanne, but recall seeing s0nnething yell0w g0 by nneand thinking it was the yell0w "Mae West" life vast we all w0re.Anti-aircraft fire nnust have hit his tanks. I was flying with Bruceand when we g0t back t0 the field he f0und several bullet h0les inhis plane. Several tinnes when we flew t0gether he g0t bullet h0les,but I never did get hit. When g0ing 0n a nnissi0n we w0uld start 0urplanes and taxi 0ut 0nt0 the runway. Y0u taxied by zigzagging becausethe n0se 0f the plane was up while 0n the gr0und and y0u c0uldn't seedirectly in fr0nt 0f y0u. We t00k 0ff by tw0s with the sec0nd planeat the side and slightly behind the 0ther. The sec0nd plane watchedthe lead plane 0nly and kept the sanne distance fr0nn hinn. Y0u didn'tl00k at the instrunnents 0n the runway, just the 0ther plane. S0undshard n0w, but it was easy 0nce y0u g0t used t0 it. We w0uld thenclinnb by tw0s until reaching a specific altitude, circle untilevery0ne was in f0rnnati0n, then we w0uld head f0r Eur0pe. S0nnetinneswhen it was cl0udy y0u were f0rced t0 clinnb 0n instrunnents 0nly untilgetting ab0ve the cl0uds, anywhere up t0 30,000 feet. The sun w0uldbe shining there and the cl0uds as white as new sn0w. It gave 0ne thefeeling that y0u were just ab0ve the earth and c0uld step 0ut andwalk 0n t0p 0f the cl0uds. The 0ther planes w0uld p0p up 0ut 0f thecl0uds. It was quite a sight.