Release $13

UNITED STATES ENLISTMENT BROADCAST

JULY 16, 1941, KOIN, 10:15-10:3OPM

ANNCR: KOIN presents..........................."Soldiers of the Air"

MUSIC: THEME "SECOND CONNECTICUT REGIMENT" (475) UP AND FADE INTO BACKGROUND

ANNCR: This evening KOIN is pleased to cooperate with the United States

Army Recruiting Service in presenting the thirteenth of the series of regular weekly broadcasts, bringing you the informal, informative, and interesting story of the Soldiers of the Air.

MUSIC: THEME UP AND OUT

ANNCR: Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we present the final episode in the

life of our Soldier of the Air-, Larry Foster. Vie have already heard about the first twenty weeks of his training at Palo Alto Field, California. Tonight we shall hear about the final ten weeks that completed Larry's training as a flyer in Uncle Sam's Army of the Air. As usual, Bill "Butch" Harris is with us. I have an idea

Bill wants to keep Larry's feet on the ground, and not to let success run away with him. How about it, Bill?

BILL: Larry --- I mean Lieutenant Foster, is a pretty level-headed fellow.

I don't think he's going to get any fancy ideas about himself. Maybe I have been kidding him a little too much.

LARRY: I've been having a good time, if that means anything to you.

ANNCR: I guess we all have, Larry. I know this much; — after following

your career, I've begun to feel like a ground aviator myself.

LARRY: That's where we all start from — the ground'.

BILL: Yeh, and that's where we all land, too'.

ANNCR: Larry, what was the first thing that you did, when you began the

home stretch as a flier?

LARRY: Well, first they assigned me the very latest designed crate -- one

that makes around 500 miles or more an hour.

ANNCR: Don't tell me you hoppod off at that speed right off the reel.

BILL: They are not that cureless with pilots, Mr. , nor with planes, for that matter.

LARRY: Hardly, Vfhen a pilot gets out of a sensible "crate”, one that makes 350 miles an hour, he's got to take some time off to get acquainted with the 1000-horse power motor that’s going to drive the new plane at 500 miles an hour.

ANNCR: Just how do you get acquainted?

LARRY: The first thing the cadet does, is to sit in the cockpit for about two hours to get used to the motor.

BILL: You ought to see that motor '. That plane almost runs by itself.

LARRY: And if you think the 300-m.ile boat is a bucking broncho — you ought to try the 500-mile baby.

ANNCR: I suppose the instructor always goes along on the trial spin.

LARRY: I’ll say he does'. He doesn't trust uny cadet, no mutter how good he is.

BILL: The instructor lets the pilot handle the ship, but he's right on the job, to see that nothing goes wrong.

ANNCR: How about all these acrobatic stunts you've been tulking about? Are they done with the 500-mile machine?

LARRY: Yes, they are. Of course, the pilot is pretty well broken in by the time he gets to the fast plane.

BILL: Yeh, but take it from me, doing stunts at a 500-mile speed make acrobatics something else again.

ANNCR: It's quite a hurdle from the lighter to the heavier plane in so short a time, isn't it, Larry?

LARRY: There isn't such a great change in the method of running the plane. It's getting used to the speed and handling the crate with ease and confidence as one does the lighter machine. 2-2-2

BILL: After twenty weeks of instruction and many hours of flying, a pilot should be able to handle the best of them with a little practice.

LARRY: These ships I have been flying recently are pursuit ships. The newest type, called P. 40.

ANNCR: What's the sensation you get moving at five hundred miles an hour?

LARRY: I don't think anybody can describe it. I do know this — terrific speed affects most when you dive. When you dive you are more conscious of speed. Or, maybe I should say "unconscious'’.

ANNCR: You mean you lose consciousness?

BILL: Nothing else but '.

LARRY: Vie cull it "black-out". Black-outs are not only confined to diving though. Many times the pilots "black-out" in an ordinary "rat race".

ANNCR: What's a rat race?

LARRY: "Rut racing" is really a game -- a sort of follow the leader.

BILL: Yeh '. Imagine playing follow the leader at fifteen or twenty thousand feet elevation '.

LARRY: It's done at such high altitude that few people have ever seen the routine.

BILL: It's like a dog fight in buttle. The planes go so fust that you can't even take a good photograph of them

ANNCR: Pretty serious business isn't it, Larry, going into a black-out at a time like that?

LARRY: It doesn't seem to be. Some of the boys black-out three or four times during a "rut race". The funny part of it is, that if you don't black-out, you're not running the plane right.

ANNCR: That’s peculiar'. Unless you lose unconsciousness, you aren't a good pilot '. It sounds incredible '.

3-3-3

BILL: When a pilot "blacks-out" it means he is giving the plane every ounce

of performance.

LARRY: The best plane in the world can give only what the pilot takes out

of it. The mental attitude and the personality of the pilot determine how really good the plane is.

BILL: The instructor encourages the pilot to be aggressive and independent.

LARRY: It's every man for himself in a dog fight. You are on your own in emergencies.

ANNCR: I had an idea that fighting in the air was controlled by orders

from the commander, by radio.

LARRY: The instructor prefers to have the boys do all their manoevering

by signals.

ANNCR: What do you mean? By the urn method as you do in traffic?

BILL: (LAUGHING) Cun you imagine what would happen to a guy's arm if

he stuck it out of a window when he was going at 500 miles an hour?

LARRY: Relying on signals is much the safer way. During a battle radio

is likely to go out of commission.

BILL: And, over the radio the enemy is likely to pick up the plan of attack.

LARRY: We had to learn four basic signals from the leader's plane.

ANNCR: Whut are they?

LARRY: The first is the "tail wiggle", That's horizontal movement done

with tho rudders when we are flying in a V formation. The tail wiggle means "to get into string" or to form a straight line. And if the planes are flying in string form, the tail wiggle means to get buck into V. Number two is "wobbling wings". This is done with the ailerons. Wobbling wings means to build up in a larger formation. Number three is the "Up and down tail hop". That is done with the stick and means "break down to the next smaller unit and follow the

leader".

4-4-4

BILL: The up and down tail hop also means, land, if the leader lands.

LARRY: The fourth signal is the "quick wing wobble". It is practically a vibration.

BILL: When they get the quick wing wobble signal, the leader really means, "watch what I do and be ready".

LARRY: Just to illustrate how ready we are to do what he does, I'll tell you of an incident that happened. We were "rat racing" one morning, when tho leader’s engine went wrong. He jerked his stick back and forth to jolt the carburetor into action. This caused the quick wing wobble. Tho trick didn't work and the engine went dead, So he picked a spot and landed in a farmer’s field. Then he looked around to see what had become of the rest of us. There we were — all of us — sitting in the field beside him.

ANNCR: That's what I call discipline.

BILL: If you hud seen that little field, you would have thought it was magic '.

ANNCR: Larry, in the "rut race" just what does the leader do?

LARRY: Everything he cun think of in the way of acrobatics to test our skill.

BILL: The leader tries to do everything that might happen in a dog fight.

LARRY: We do stunts like snap rolls, loops, vertical roversements, dives, spins, Luffberry circles. Circling is one of the most useful stunts in battle manoevering.

BILL: To the fighter pilot, the turn or circle is what the left hand is to the boxer. In a dog fight the man will win who can make

an inside turn, or who can turn within his opponent’s circle.

ANNCR: Can you explain some of the stunt flights, Larry?

LARRY: Yes, I think I can. There's the snap roll. That's flying straight ahead at terrific speed, then rolling over, and righting the machine 5-5-5

BILL: I used to do that stunt of rolling in a dive.

LARRY: We call that spining. Vie get up around ten thousand feet and start to spin earthward.

ANNCR: What is a vertical reversement?

LARRY: It's kind of hard to explain that one. Flying level, the pilot makes a steep bunk and reverses his direction. Then suddenly he banks at 180 degrees, stands the plane on its tail, and again reverses direction.

BILL: Is that clear, Mr. ?

ANNCR: It sounds to me as if the pilot is flying in all directions at once.

BILL: Oddly enough the pilot knows what he is doing.

LaRRY: To me the Luffberry circle is the real thriller.

ANNCR: What's the Luffberry circle?

LARRY: That's a formation in which several planes fly in a circle. Each pilot protects the tail of comrade. The enemy plane cannot get in unless it exposes itself to destruction. A modern plane goes so fust it is almost impossible to shoot it down from the inside.

BILL: If a pilot wants to get the better of his opponent, he's got to get on his tail, or behind him, and he's got to be good.

ANNCR: Well, Lurry, just how good a pilot do you think you turned out to be?

LARRY: With all my talk and training I guess I'm still in the ABC class.

BILL: You can't make a real pilot in one year’s time, no matter how intensive the training is.

LaRRY: We young fellovrs think we are pretty good at the end of the thirty-week course, but when we see the old hands at work, we realize we have a lot yet to learn.

6-6-6

BILL: It doesn't take long to make old hands of Cadets, once they are assigned to, and work from their permanent home base. That's where the real army munoevers begin.

ANNCR: I suppose, Larry, now that you are assigned to your home base, you're all set to go.

LjiRRY: Yes, I'm eager to get started. But I won't be here at the Portland Base.

ANNCR: Where will you be stationed?

LARRY: I've been assigned to Hickman Field, Hawaii.

BILL: And what a field that is '. The lust word in airport construction.

ANNCR: Have you been there, Bill?

BILL: I v/ent out there when we stopped over at Honolulu for u few days on our way buck from the Philippines.

LARRY: Where is Hickman Field located, Bill?

BILL: At Pearl Harbor. The Field looks like a vast lawn, except for the immense concrete runways.

ANNCR: How long do you expect to be there, Lurry?

LARRY: Two year s.

ANNCR: How about you, Bill? Going along?

BILL: No, I'm staying right here. I sure would like to go though. Hawaii is a great country.

ANNCR: Going to miss your Buddy, Bill?

BILL: I sure urn. But I've been in the army too long to expect sentiment to interfere with discipline. A soldier is always expecting to move. He never knows when the order may come.

ANNCR: And you'll be missing Bill, won't you, Lurry?

LARRY: (WISTFULLY) I'm afraid I'll be lost at first without Bill. (MORE CHEERFULLY) But when I need a bawling out, I'll —-

BILL: When you do "Dog Face", wire me. But not collect.

7-7-7

ANNCR: Friends of Soldiers of the Air, tonight we conclude the series

that for thirteen weeks has brought you the story of Larry Foster. We have followed him from the hour of his induction into the Air Corps until tonight when he leaves us a full pledged second lieutenant, ready for active service as a real air pilot. You have heard Larry tell his own story, and you have heard Bill "Butch" Harris, his friend and advisor. Strangely enough, in real life Larry and Bill are friends. They are two Portland boys, Robert Wiebe and James Atkinson, students of Hazel Kenyon, radio advisor for the Portland Public Schools. During the past year Larry (Robert) and Bill (James) have appeared many times over KPBS in student roles, and for the past thirteen weeks they have given their time to appear in Soldiers of the Air over this station.

Sc completely sold on a soldier’s life have they become that both are arranging to contribute further to the United States Army.

James will continue to appear on this station in the new program, under the sponsorship of the U. S. Army Recruiting Service, and Robert will - - - but hold on - - - suppose we let Bob tell his own story. What are you going to contribute to the U. S. Army, Bob? WIEBE: Everything I have — in other words, myself.

ANNCR: 'What do you mean, yourself?

WIEBE: I’m enlisting in the U. S. Army Air Corps'. I'm going to be in

real life the Soldier of the Air that I've been playing for months.

ANNCR: Congratulations, Bob. I'm sure you are choosing wisely.

WIEBE: Yes, I think I am. The longer I played Larry, the more convinced

I was that the Army really has something to offer fellows like me — fellows with a high school education, and no money — but

a lot of ambition.

8-8-8

ANNCR: I can understand your liking the Air Corps, but just what arc you

WIEBE:

ANNCR:

WIEBE:

ANNCR:

KIRK:

going to undertake? What will you study?

Radio, I hope. You know, Mr. _____, it’s sort

of funny but when I started in at Benson I begun on aviation, and then somehow I got off on air, instead of airplanes, and I’ve been going in strong for radio ever since. So now, if they will let me, I'm going to study radio at Chanute Field.

Perhaps, when you graduate, Uncle Sam will send you buck to the Portland Air Base.

And if Uncle Sam lets me come home, maybe you'll let me come back to KOIN and tell all the other young fellows just exactly what it means to be a Soldier of the Air in real life.

You’ll always find a welcome, Bob. So long, and good luck.

We have another guest with us tonight whom I know you will all enjoy meeting again. Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Weldon H. Kirk from the District Recruiting Office.

First, I want to thunk Bob Wiebe and Jimmy Atkinson for their parts in making this series of broadcasts a success. Also I want to extend my thunks to Radio Station KOIN and the Staff for their fine cooperation with the Recruiting Service in putting this program on the Air. The Recruiting Service will continue on with another Series of Soldiers of the Air Program, which will be released soon. We will all miss Bob Wiebe, by the way it is now Private Robert 'Wiebe U. S. Army Air Corps. Private Wiebe was enlisted for the Air Corps lust Friday and we secured a leave for him so he could appear on this last Soldiers of the Air Program. Vie of the Recruiting Service are proud to have hud the privilege of enlisting such a fine young man and we are quite sure he -will go

to the top in the Service.

9-9-9

(• **

(Cont'd)

KIRK: I understand he is leaving for Jefferson Barracks, Ho., at the

Air Corps training center. Happy landings to you Private Wiebe.

WIEBE: Thank you Captain Kirk. My only hope is that I can measure up to everybody's expectations.

KIRK: Before closing, I would like to make an announcement for the District

Recruiting Officer, Lt. Col. B. H. Hensley. The Army now has vacancies in many for young men in the Service, which we must fill within the next 15 days, some of which are, Infantry, Field Artillery, Coast Artillery, Medical Department and Quartermaster for service in the Hawaiian and Philippine Islands, also Air Corps, Aviation Ordnance here in the States. May I suggest the first thing in the morning you come down to the Recruiting Office in Room 323 Main Post Office Bldg, and make your application. Thank you and good evening.

ANNCR: Thank you very much, Capt. Kirk. Friends of Soldiers of the Air, for many weeks you have been listening to the story of Larry's development as a soldier, from the day of his enlistment and induction, until he has won his wings, become a pilot, and is commissioned as a second lieutenant in the air corps. ’With tonight's program we conclude this series. There will be new stories of the air in store for you, however, so long as Uncle Sam needs men.

MUSIC: THEME (475) UP AND FADE INTO BACKGROUND

ANNCR: These programs were produced in cooperation with the U. S. Army Recruiting Service, and the Oregon Writers' Project. Soldiers of the Air has been presented from the studios of KOIN, the Journal, Portland.

ASSOCIATION OF PORTLAND, Dhfc