 Proudly, we hail. Stage begins here as another program with a cast of outstanding players. Public service time has been made available by this station to bring you this story. As proudly we hail the United States Air Force. Our story today is entitled The Rescue at Macklin. This is the story of heroism, of exceptional bravery, with a tremendous job being done by the officers and men of the Air Rescue Service. As proudly we hail the United States Air Force. Our first act curtain will rise in just a moment. But first, high potential. What do these words mean to you? To a young man concerned with his future, they can mean success in his chosen field. Because the young man with the high potential in today's specialized world is the one with specialized training. And you can get that training as an airman in the United States Air Force. Today Air Force schools all over America are graduating skill specialists in literally hundreds of jobs. Previously unskilled men are now highly qualified x-ray technicians, aircraft repairmen, and intelligence specialists. And these are only a few of the wonderful assignments open to ambitious young men. There's a job to suit every aptitude and interest. You're of military age and on your future. And your Air Force offers some of the finest specialized training to be had anywhere. Yes, the young man with the high potential for success is the one with the good training. So start coming in airmen in the United States Air Force. The friendly people at your local Air Force recruiting station will be glad to talk it over with you and give you complete information. See them soon. And now your United States Air Force presents the proudly we hail production, The Rescue at Man- We would like to quote to you from a letter. A letter sent by Colonel Walter Reeves, commanding officer of the 84th Air Rescue Squadron, based at First and Talbrook Air Force Base in Bavaria. It is addressed to the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, and it starts like this. Gentlemen, I would like to recommend to the men in my squadron for the Sikorsky Award. They are Lieutenants Louis Ehrlich and Robert Pennick. On January 14th, 1954, they took part in the Air Rescue operations at the village of Meklin in Switzerland. In my opinion, they showed exceptional bravery and courage on this mission, going beyond the actual call of duty. Following is an account of this operation. Well, Louis, he's ready to fly. Very willing and able, that's my girl. You know, when I joined the Air Force, I never thought I'd end up flying a whirly bird. You're not sorry, are you? Not on your life. Top does it for me. Yeah, this will have to be good if that Avalanche situation in Switzerland lost for you gets any worse. How long have we been on the alert now? 48 hours? Yeah. I feel sorry for those people there. Imagine, tons of snow perched above you on a mountainside, you in a valley with everything you own and know around you, and all of it in danger of total destruction. I wonder what I'd do, stay or leave? Well, I'd hate to have to make the choice. Don't you think the Swiss government would make the people leave? Well, how can they? They'd have to move half of Switzerland. Yeah. Besides, just because it's Avalanche weather doesn't mean they're going to be any. There was a terrific scare last year, too, and nothing happened. Well, I was still in the States then. First in Talbrook wasn't even a name to me. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I keep forgetting. You know, we've gotten to know each other so well in the six months you've been here. We've done so much flying together. It's hard to remember the time when you weren't my co-pilot. Let's go inside, see if there's any news. Roger. Oh, it sure is warm for January. Yeah, that's what makes for Avalanche weather. Lots of snow first and then a long warm spell. Yeah. And here's the alert room. Looked mighty quiet. Well, it may look mighty quiet, Lieutenant, but it won't be in 10 seconds. Morning, Colonel Reeves. Morning, Lieutenant Erlich. The news is in from Switzerland. The 84th is needed immediately. Three Avalanches this morning are more expected. We're ready to go, sir. It's all very good, honey. We'll take off at 1130 hours. Yes, sir. Attention. Attention all rescue pilots. Report to briefing room. I say again, report to briefing room. Hey, we better get a move on. We're going to get our gear and be in that briefing room. We're not only going to have to fly in the air, we're going to have to fly on the ground. All right, Bill. Sophie, Carl. Come on, I'll tell you. You're all right, Doctor. The Avalanches passed us by, got their dunk. I thought just for a moment there that we would be killed. I too. It's so quiet now that the snow has stopped rushing down. What shall we do now, Otto? There's not much we can do. We cannot get to our village if it is still there at all. And we cannot go forward. Avalanches was all around us. People have to stay here. For how long? We have very little food with us. I still am, my brother. My brave wife. You will alarm the children. I know. I am sorry, Otto. We should not have started there. We had to go. The message that came said your grandmother was very ill. But we knew the Avalanche might come at any moment. At least we should have left the children home. Perhaps if they had been left home, they would have been killed by the Avalanches. No, that is true. Who knows what is left of our little Mecklen? If the weather continues clear and warm, we can last several days. But if it does not, it will be hard. Perhaps we should get ready for staying here a little while. Yeah. We should maybe build a shelter in case, huh? Karl, Sophie, we will start making blocks out of the snow. We can always try to get back home if it gets too bad here, Otto. We can always try, but we do not think we would succeed. But if the Avalanche was bad, they will not be able to come for us. Let us hope there is someone there to come. It is possible that the whole village has been wiped out. Oh, do not talk like that, Otto. I will not think that our families and friends are not safe. I am sorry, Beth. We have a loaf of bread and some cheese and a little roost. We will eat just a little bit at a time and it will last longer. Maybe a plane will fly over and see us and tell someone we are here. And if they do, who will come and get us? And suppose someone does know we are here, the problem is what then? There is a chance. Remember, we read in the paper when there was that flood in Holland. Yeah. There is a certain kind of plane, except it has no wings. It has funny kind of big things that go round. Oh, I remember. It comes straight down. Yeah, that is the one. Do you think maybe? I will not think, Otto, but I will do something better. I will pray. Now the fuel here at Ball will be the center of operations. You all know what you have to do. I am going on to Mecklen. Erlich and Penny will be going there too and I will be flying back and forth from village to village. Seems there is a new avalanche somewhere every time you turn around. Is everything clear? Yes, sir. Well then, let's go. Erlich, Penny. I will fly close together. I will come down at Mecklen with you. I will assign your mission and then go to another disaster point. Yes, sir. The advance weather report is bad. The temperature started dropping. It is supposed to blow up quite a storm very shortly. That is going to make rescue operations difficult, but it should not stop us. Don't do just about everything before, Colonel. Yes, in most cases we will be transporting injured people from these small villages to Ball where they can get proper medical treatment. However, it is entirely probable that we will run into other assignments. You know, such as rescuing people from isolated areas. Has Mecklen been badly damaged, Colonel? Well, from all reports, it has been almost completely destroyed. Everything clear? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Mecklen, here we come. They are putting the three injured people into your chopper now, Erlich. They are all in a pretty bad way. It is hard to believe there was a town called Mecklen here this morning, Colonel. Yes, there is hardly anything left of it. Just a few pieces of building scattered here and there. How did the rescue workers get here, sir? Well, they were parachuted in this morning along with supplies, and they have done a remarkable job. Putting up tents, digging out as many as they could. Yes, it is quite a job. Where are you flying next, Colonel? Well, I am going over to Karlstadt to check on operations there and then back to Ball. Now, you should be well on to completing your second trip by the time I get there. Now, remember, we can't rest, eat or sleep until this job is done. I don't think we could, sir. Oh, hold it, hold it. One of the rescue workers signaling, let's see what he wants. Oh, you wanted us, Mr. Frank? Yes, sir, Colonel. One of the injured men has just revived. He tells us that there were four people on the mountain when the avalanche started. His brother, his brother's wife, and their two children. Well, what were they doing out there this morning with the threat of an avalanche hanging over them? The grandmother was very ill in a neighboring village. It seems they thought she was going to die. One son at least thought he should be there. He took his wife and children with him so that they would all be together in case anything happened. Something happened, all right. Something happened. Now, does this man think his brother and his family are still alive? He does not know. Naturally, he hopes. What do you think, Mr. Frank? Could they have survived? Well, one is not sure, Colonel, but it is possible. These people here know these mountains like the back of their hands. With the danger overhead, it is probable that the father took the safest possible way. I see. He may have been able to avoid the slide or he may have been able to hide in a mountain cave until it was over. Well, then we must assume that they're alive. Yeah. Now, how badly injured are the people in Lieutenant Erlich's job? Well, two have many broken bones, but they are sure to survive. One may have a concussion of the brain and injuries inside. About him, we are not sure. Must they get to a hospital immediately? It's only the sooner the better. But will they survive if there is a delay? The doctor told Mr. Hertz that there would be not too much danger if your helicopter tried to find his brother first. However, it must not take too long. Yes, I see. Erlich, Penny, will you come over here for a moment? Yes, sir. Now, unfortunately, I must go on to Karlstad and then to Baugh. I don't know how long I'll have to stay at Karlstad. Might be there for several hours. I think you'd better take these injured with you and conduct a search for the Hertz family. Pick them up if you can find them and if not, drop them some supplies and come back for them later. I hope we can find them in this snowstorm, Colonel. We have to find them, Lou. The way the temperature is dropping, the storm is increasing. They might not even last a couple of hours. Yes, Penny's right. If they're in alive, you'll have to take them off. Of course, you'll have to use your own judgment and bearing in mind that considering the altitude, four extra people will make your aircraft pretty heavy. Now, check your weight and balance chart immediately to know your full capability. The aircraft commander, Erlich, will be up to you to make the on-the-scene decision. Get them out if you can. Yes, sir. Oh, and Erlich? Yes, sir. Good luck. How are the children, Bert? I'm afraid, Otto, they are chilled through. Help will come soon. Do not try to fool me, Otto. In this storm, no one will come. It is true no one can come on the ground, but there is always the air. Oh, not even a bird would fly in this weather. A machine of man can fly where a bird cannot. I pray so. I, too, pray. Should we light a fire with the little wood that we have found? Better to save it for a real emergency. If we use it now, it will be a waste. There is no more food, only a little bread. I know. I... I have loved you very much, my husband. You have been good to me and to the children. I have loved you, too, Bert. But we must not talk like this as if we're going to die. We will be saved. I wish I could believe it. We will be saved by an angel. Angels only come after you again. Not this angel, by Bert. This is an angel with propellers. You are listening to the proudly we hail production, The Rescue at Macklin. We'll return in just a moment for the second act. Have you noticed you see the smart blue Air Force uniform with growing frequency these days? And that's because more and more alert and ambitious young men are recognizing the countless advantages of being airmen. They know that nowhere else can they get better specialized training and enjoy such splendid benefits as those offered by the Air Force. They're a proud lot and they have a right to be, for they're serving their country in the finest Air Force in the world, and they're building good careers for themselves. They're serving in such interesting jobs as control tower operators, jet maintenance specialists, and weathermen. And these are just a few. Actually, there are hundreds of jobs for alert, intelligent young men. So if you're of military age and a bit undecided about your future, we suggest you visit your local Air Force recruiter soon. He'll tell you how you can join those proud men in the Air Force Blue. Remember, there's no better time than right now to decide your future. And when you think of your future, think of your United States Air Force. You are listening to Proudly We Hail. And now we present the second act of the rescue at Meklin. Otto and Burt Hertz waited and prayed for their angel with propellers. Although to be absolutely correct, their angel did not have propellers. On a chopper, they're called Rotor. As pilot Erlich and his co-pilot Robert Tenney took off in the little village of Meklin, they wondered what was in store for them during the next couple of hours. The critically injured passengers had to be delivered to a hospital as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, out in the storm, high on a mountainside, were four people whose lives were also at stake. The storm was getting worse. The temperature was dropping rapidly. And the pilots knew only one thing, that they were there to save lives. And save lives is what they were going to do. The old pressure normal? Roger. The mixture rich? Roger. Is that tideling speed? Roger. Let it warm up a few minutes. We'll go. The passengers okay? Well, they seem to be in pain, Lou, but they're all glad we're going to look for the Hertz family. Well, according to this crude map the brother drew, we should follow this line here. It'll be tough in this storm. The trouble is there are no landmarks. The avalanche swept away every building. We also have a fuel problem. We can't spend more than a half hour looking for them and still get back to ball with our passengers. We've got to make that half hour count. Well, we're warmed up now. I'm going to engage rotors. What switch on throttle set to 1700 RPM? Roger. Rotor speed 90, 100, 120, 130. Rotor engaged. Roger. What switch off again? Roger. Check magnetos. Magneto's registering normal. Well, Lou? Yes, Bob. I believe as they say we're off. According to this map we're at this point here. What sign of anyone down there so far? Ah, fortunately we don't bounce up and down the way a regular plane does in a storm like this. Otherwise we'd never be able to get down so low. That's just one of the many advantages of flying without leaves. I wish the service wind wasn't so high, though. Flowing the snow around so badly I can hardly see the ground. Hmm. According to the brother, judging from the time the avalanche started, they should just have reached the point we're at now. Yeah. Should have. But where? I think I hear something. It may be my angel. I can't see them off. They sound close. It is the snow. One cannot see 20 meters in weather like this. Maybe if we shout. Maybe if we scream. They won't be able to hear us bird over the noise of their engine. Oh, they must see us, Otto. They must. They cannot let us stay here to die. Help! Help! They're going away. They cannot. But they are. 1736 hours. Ah, just five minutes more we have to head back. We've got three injured passengers to think about. We keep on straight ahead or shall we circle around? The brother said he's walked this path many times before and they couldn't have gotten farther than this point even if they were running to avoid the avalanche. We'd better retrace ourselves, Roger. Are we getting any lower loot? I'll come down as close to the ground as I dare. Do your job. I bet we must do something in case they come back. But what? I have it, but I have it. Our firewood. We will burn it. Maybe they will be able to see the fire. Yeah. Yeah, Otto. Yeah. Carl, Sophie, get the wood ready to start the fire. We must be quick and sure. It must burn right away. Boy, I am shaking so you must light it. I will burn it. It is coming closer, Otto. Fire. It is burning. Yes, Bert. It is burning. Otto, children, we must try. They must see it. Bert, listen. We are playing. We don't spot them now, Bob. We're going to have to head for the hospital at Baal. Ah, no, Lou. We have no choice. You're keeping your eyes glued down there? Sure am. So far the... Hey, what's that? Where? To the right, about two o'clock, low. I don't see a thing. But you've got to. It's right down there. Oh, wait a minute. I do see something. Looks like it might be a fire. That's what I thought it was. Uh-uh. It's gone again. Oh, it's got to be them. Don't cross your fingers. I sure hope so. I'm going around for a closer look, see. If it is him, Lou, what are the plans? Well, if we can possibly take them, we will. That's for sure. I've checked the wind velocity. We're okay there. It's not too high for a landing. There it is again, Lou. It is a fire. I can even make out two figures, both standing, waving their arms. That establishes two things. At least two of them are alive, and at least two of them aren't badly hurt. The ground slope's mild here. We should be able to come down. And I've checked our weight and fuel remaining, and we have five minutes at the most to land and get them on board. We should use the hoist. I'm going to get real close, and ask a few questions, and we can make a decision based on facts. Right. If two of them are badly hurt, the hoist would be impractical. If they're all okay, it would make things a lot easier not to have to land. Roger. And be hurt! Are the children with you? Is the snow very soft where you are, or is it packed? If the snow is soft, then it means we have to use the hoist. With the load we've got, we can't take a chance on sinking into soft snow. Roger. Are you ready? Ready? Well, Bob, elevator going down. Enants who saved our lives yesterday? We brought you here to the hospital, Mrs. Hoates. No one will ever know whether or not we saved your lives. You are Lieutenant Erlich? Yes, ma'am. And this is Lieutenant Penny. Hello. I am grateful to you both, but you are wrong, Lieutenant Erlich. We do know that you saved us. My husband even now may lose the use of one of his legs because of the cold. If we had stayed there overnight, there is no doubt. We just came over to find out how you were, all of you. The children seem to be all right, but I am fine. Otto will be well. I know it. Oh, that's wonderful. Otto asked me to go and find you if I could. He would be very pleased if he could see you for a moment. We're due to go on another mission in a little while. I think we have time. Oh, I am glad. Will you come with me please? Of course, ma'am. Otto. Otto, I have found them. They are here. That is good. Ask them to come in. Won't you come in, Lieutenant? Thank you. Thanks. I do not even know your names, but I asked Bert to find you so that I could have a chance to say thank you. Really, I'm twice grateful to you. Once I am grateful because you saved our lives. The other time, I'm grateful because my children now know something they never knew before. What's that, sir? Well, yesterday on the mountain they learned about Americans, something they could never have gotten out of books. Too many in my country, in all of Europe, think that America wants only to tell us what to do, to run our lives, to get us into a war. Now my children know that what you believe in, what you stand for is wonderful. They can understand now that it is because you so firmly believe in freedom that you fight the forces that are against freedom, not because you wish personal gain. You have democracy in Switzerland, too? Yeah, I thank God for it. But the children, they take it for granted too much. From this unexpected lesson they have gotten from you, they have a further understanding, a better appreciation. And that is why I wanted to see you. To thank you for saving our lives, to thank you for being free. It is the hope of the world. So are you, Mr. Hertz? You, your wife, your children. We will say a little prayer for you. The Sikorsky Award for Service Beyond the Call of Beauty was awarded to Lieutenant Lewis Erlich and Lieutenant Robert Kelly of the Air Rescue Service, United States Air Force. Air power is peace power. And today the United States Air Force is seeking alert and ambitious young men to become airmen and help safeguard the peace and security of your country. While serving, today's airmen are attending the world's finest specialist schools. They're learning such interesting and rewarding skills as photomapping, guided missiles, aircraft electronics and many, many others. Upon graduation, they're highly skilled specialists ready for interesting and good-paying assignments in the United States and in many fascinating countries around the world. If you're a young man of service age, you owe it to yourself to investigate the amazing career opportunities open to you as an airman. In addition to an outstanding career, you'll enjoy educational and travel benefits that are second to none. You'll wear the blue, smartly styled Air Force uniform and you'll enjoy the respect and prestige that goes with being a member of the world's finest Air Force. Visit your local Air Force recruiting station and talk it over with the friendly people there. They'll tell you how you can qualify as an airman in the United States Air Force. This has been another program on Proudly We Hail, presented transcribed in cooperation with this station. Proudly We Hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center in New York for the United States Air Force Recruiting Service. This is Dick Hartley speaking, inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hail.