THE WAY MY THREE INCH GUN WAS POSITIONED ON THIS MOUNTAIN I COULD FIRE EITHER FIRE AT ENEMY AIRCRAFT OR OUT INTO THE BAY AT ANY ENEMY BOATS THAT COULD BE USED IN AN INVASION. I ALSO HAD CONTACT WITH OUR INCOMING AIRCRAFT.
FOR SOME REASON THIS DEVELOPED INTO A FRIENDSHIP WITH SOME OF THE PILOTS, MOSTLY THE ONES THAT WERE TOWING OUR TARGETS. ON ONE OCCASION THIS PILOT ASK MY IF THE NEXT TIME HE WAS TOWING FOR HE WOULD GIVE ME A BIRDS EYE VIEW FROM THE AIR.
WELL THE TIME CAME AND I PROCEEDED TO THE RUNWAY TO MEET HIM AND THE PLANE HE WAS USING WAS A NAVY VENTURA TWO ENGINE BOMBER. I HAD MY COLD WEATHER CLOTHING ON SUCH AS IT WAS. THE PLANE CREW HAD LEATHER AND SHEEPSKIN FLYING GEAR. I DIDN'T NOTICE AT THE TIME BUT MY CLOTHING WASN'T THAT WARM. I WAS SOON TO FIND THAT OUT TO MY SORROW.
WELL WE WERE IN THE AIR AND AT ABOUT SIXTEEN THOUSAND FEET WHEN THEY LET THE SLEEVE OUT THE OPENING IN THE REAR OF THE PLANE. I MEAN IT WAS COLD UP THERE.
I WAS POSITIONED IN THE LEFT GUN BLISTER WATCHING THE BURSTS FROM OUR GUNS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LEFT ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AND THRU THE OPENING WHERE THE MACHINE GUN STICKS OUT I GOT COVERED WITH OIL. WHETHER IT JUST HAPPENED THAT WAY OR WHETHER ONE OF OUR BURSTS WERE TOO CLOSE I DON'T REALLY KNOW, AND AT THAT MOMENT I DIDN'T REALLY CARE. NATURALLY BEING CALM AND COOL I DID WHAT ANY RED BLOODED AMERICAN WOULD DO. I WENT OUT OF MY MIND. A WEEK OR SO PREVIOUS TO THIS I HAD SAW A VENTURE BOMBER WITH THE LEFT ENGINE OUT CRASH JUST BELOW MY GUN POSITION AND THAT ADDED TO MY PANIC.
THE PILOT QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE FINE. I WASN'T ABOUT TO GO ALONG WITH THIS. ALL I COULD SEE WAS THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE END FOR ALL OF US.
I COULD SEE THE PARACHUTES WERE HANGING IN THE BOMB BAY AND I FIGURED MY BEST BET WAS TO PUT ONE ON. OF COURSE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IT WAS DONE, BUT WHAT THE HELL HOW HARD COULD IT BE.
AS I REACHED UP TO GET A CHUTE THE FLIGHT ENGINEER CALMLY CAME OVER TO AND LIKE A BIG BROTHER HE SAID WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT. I SAID I'M GOING TO PUT IT ON AND IF I CAN I'M GOING TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE. HE LAUGHED AND SAID IT WONT DO YOU A BIT OF GOOD. IF YOU FALL IN THE BERING SEA THE WATER IS SO COLD YOU'LL BE DEAD IN TEN MINUTES AND THE CRASH BOAT WILL TAKE AT LEAST TWENTY MINUTES TO REACH YOU, AND IF YOU LAND IN THE MOUNTAINS IN THE SNOW THEY WILL NEVER FIND YOU, SO WHY NOT STAY WITH US AND EVERYTHING WILL BE O.K.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU I WAS SCARED HALF OUT OF MY MIND BUT THERE WASN'T MUCH I COULD DO AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY THE CREW ON THE PLANE WAS DEBATING WHETHER TO CUT THE CABLE OR FLY AROUND ON ONE ENGINE UNTIL THEY COULD WIND ALL THE CABLE IN, WHICH TAKES A LONG TIME. THE WINCH IS VERY SLOW. WELL THEY FINALLY DECIDED TO WIND THE CABLE IN. NOW I GOT TO TELL YOU I WATCHED EVERY TURN OF THAT WINCH. I THOUGHT THEY WOULD NEVER GET IT ALL IN. EACH TURN SEEMED LIKE A LIFE TIME TO ME. ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS WERE WE GOING TO CRASH.
FINALLY ONE OF THE CREW CAME BACK AND TOLD US TO BRACE OURSELVES AGAINST THE BULKHEAD OF THE PILOTS COMPARTMENT BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO LAND. WE FOLLOWED ORDERS. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS FROZEN TO THE BULKHEAD BUT IT WAS NOTHING BUT FEAR THAT MADE ME THAT WAY. I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU I DIDN'T EVEN FEEL THE PLANE LAND. WHETHER THIS WAS PANIC I DON'T KNOW, BUT ONCE THE PLANE TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND FINALLY CAME TO A STOP THE PILOT CAME BACK AND REMARKED THAT ALL WAS WELL AND WE DIDN'T EVER HAVE ANY WORRIES. I DON'T BUY THAT STORY AT ALL. I MEAN AT ALL.
AFTER WE GOT OUT OF THE PLANE THE PILOT CAME OVER TO ME AND SAID WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK WHEN WE GO UP WE'LL HAVE AN A20A. IT'S A REAL HOT PLANE AND I'LL TAKE YOU FOR A REAL RIDE IN THAT ONE.. AT THIS POINT I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO USE THE WORDS THAT I USED ON THE PILOT, THERE WAS NO WAY HE WAS GOING TO GET ME UP AGAIN. STANDING ON THE GOOD EARTH WAS AS HIGH AS I'M EVER GOING TO GO AGAIN.
ALMOST EVERY TIME HE WOULD COME IN FROM A BOMBING MISSION HE WOULD CALL OVER THE RADIO AND ASK ME IF I WOULD LIKE ANOTHER RIDE IN HIS NEW PLANE. I WOULD JUST SAY REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU THE LAST TIME. HE ALWAYS GOT A GOOD LAUGH OUT OF MY LAST RIDE...