damply to my neck. I checked my watch. So far, we were still on schedule, but time was tight. If we were going to get in the air at all this morning, it would have to be soon.
I was pretty sure that Colonel Peck was uneasy about the mission. I knew him too well, all his mannerisms. He’d been brooding about this ever since Nevada. And the closer we got to take-off, the more irritable he became. He kept ordering me to check the maps, over and over, plotting alternate courses, fuel consumption figures, alternate targets, everything. His tension was infectious. None of us were happy.
And now this. A morning so gloomy it felt like twilight. Could we even get off the ground?
We stood around underneath the plane, an uncomfortable clump of men in baggy flight-suits, and listened to the awful stillness of the fog. Far away sounds were simply swallowed up. Nearby sounds were amplified. Lieutenant Hope—I was suddenly struck by the irony of his name—wouldn’t shut up. Even when I moved away to the other side of the bird, I could still hear his inane little jokes. “This is Bob ‘fogged-in’ Hope calling anybody. Is anybody out there? Say, did you guys hear the one about the leprechaun and the penguin?” There were groans and a thump as somebody hit him with a parachute. “Don’t worry about me, fellas,” he said, climbing back to his feet. “I’m goin’ home after this. I’m not spending my Christmas with the army.”
A chorus of hoots and catcalls greeted this response. I turned away in annoyance and saw the headlights coming out of the fog. I stubbed out my cigarette and called out, “Ten- hut!” The crew snapped to attention where they stood.
Generals Gable and Donleavy climbed out of the Jeep. Colonel Peck and Colonel Reagan climbed out after them, followed by the new sky-pilot. “At ease,” said General Donleavy; he looked unhappy. General Gable stepped forward and spoke gruffly. “I just wanted to come out here myself and ... wish you godspeed. I know some of you have been having second thoughts about this. I don’t blame you. I would too. I’ve been having second thoughts about this since the day I was first briefed.
“But I want you to know that despite all my fears and concerns, that I fully support this operation. In fact, I envy you. You men are going to save a lot of lives today. If this device works as well as we hope, then millions of young men—on both sides of this terrible war—will not have to meet on the battlefield. You have it in your power today to save millions of lives, both civilian and military, and spare the world years of suffering and destruction. Just keep that thought in mind and you’ll do fine.” He glanced over at Captain Fonda. “If any of you want to see the chaplain before you take off ....”
At first, most of us were too embarrassed, but then Stan and Ollie stepped over to Captain Fonda and bowed their heads. And then Bogey. And Colonel Peck. I followed. And the others came behind me. All except Taylor and Johnson, the skeptics. They strode down to the tail end of the plane and ... upheld their military traditions. General Gable glanced over, decided not to say anything, and deliberately turned his back.
Captain Fonda was slim and gentle, almost too gentle for a war. He had a long, lanky way of speaking; the words came softly out of him like honey poured from ajar. He was a different kind of sky-pilot. He didn’t talk about God so much as he talked about the spirit of God inside each and every one of us. “You know what’s right in the world,” he said. “Stand for it. And others will stand with you.” It made me feel good to listen to him.
Afterward, I noticed, Jaeckel, the new kid, hung behind and knelt to confess. Captain Fonda made the sign of the cross over him, then helped him back to his feet with a friendly clap on the shoulder. That was what I liked about him; he knew how to be just an ordinary guy.
Colonel Peck collected his keys from Ollie,
I was pretty sure that Colonel Peck was uneasy about the mission. I knew him too well, all his mannerisms. He’d been brooding about this ever since Nevada. And the closer we got to take-off, the more irritable he became. He kept ordering me to check the maps, over and over, plotting alternate courses, fuel consumption figures, alternate targets, everything. His tension was infectious. None of us were happy.
And now this. A morning so gloomy it felt like twilight. Could we even get off the ground?
We stood around underneath the plane, an uncomfortable clump of men in baggy flight-suits, and listened to the awful stillness of the fog. Far away sounds were simply swallowed up. Nearby sounds were amplified. Lieutenant Hope—I was suddenly struck by the irony of his name—wouldn’t shut up. Even when I moved away to the other side of the bird, I could still hear his inane little jokes. “This is Bob ‘fogged-in’ Hope calling anybody. Is anybody out there? Say, did you guys hear the one about the leprechaun and the penguin?” There were groans and a thump as somebody hit him with a parachute. “Don’t worry about me, fellas,” he said, climbing back to his feet. “I’m goin’ home after this. I’m not spending my Christmas with the army.”
A chorus of hoots and catcalls greeted this response. I turned away in annoyance and saw the headlights coming out of the fog. I stubbed out my cigarette and called out, “Ten- hut!” The crew snapped to attention where they stood.
Generals Gable and Donleavy climbed out of the Jeep. Colonel Peck and Colonel Reagan climbed out after them, followed by the new sky-pilot. “At ease,” said General Donleavy; he looked unhappy. General Gable stepped forward and spoke gruffly. “I just wanted to come out here myself and ... wish you godspeed. I know some of you have been having second thoughts about this. I don’t blame you. I would too. I’ve been having second thoughts about this since the day I was first briefed.
“But I want you to know that despite all my fears and concerns, that I fully support this operation. In fact, I envy you. You men are going to save a lot of lives today. If this device works as well as we hope, then millions of young men—on both sides of this terrible war—will not have to meet on the battlefield. You have it in your power today to save millions of lives, both civilian and military, and spare the world years of suffering and destruction. Just keep that thought in mind and you’ll do fine.” He glanced over at Captain Fonda. “If any of you want to see the chaplain before you take off ....”
At first, most of us were too embarrassed, but then Stan and Ollie stepped over to Captain Fonda and bowed their heads. And then Bogey. And Colonel Peck. I followed. And the others came behind me. All except Taylor and Johnson, the skeptics. They strode down to the tail end of the plane and ... upheld their military traditions. General Gable glanced over, decided not to say anything, and deliberately turned his back.
Captain Fonda was slim and gentle, almost too gentle for a war. He had a long, lanky way of speaking; the words came softly out of him like honey poured from ajar. He was a different kind of sky-pilot. He didn’t talk about God so much as he talked about the spirit of God inside each and every one of us. “You know what’s right in the world,” he said. “Stand for it. And others will stand with you.” It made me feel good to listen to him.
Afterward, I noticed, Jaeckel, the new kid, hung behind and knelt to confess. Captain Fonda made the sign of the cross over him, then helped him back to his feet with a friendly clap on the shoulder. That was what I liked about him; he knew how to be just an ordinary guy.
Colonel Peck collected his keys from Ollie,
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