 proudly we hail from New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with a cast of outstanding players public service times and made available by this station for your Air Force to bring you proudly we hail another airman of the United States Air Force our story is entitled the competitor this is the story of a young airman whose eagerness to excel led him into a mistaken conclusion the mistake which he was later glad to set right our first act curtain will rise in just a moment but first are you a service veteran then listen carefully this message is for you you may be qualified to enlist in the United States Air Force in a grade that will surprise you if you possess one of the critical skills needed to keep America's air defense strong the Air Force offers you an opportunity to put your skill to work and at a higher grade and at higher pay than you may realize right or visit your Air Force recruiter for the special prior service man's folder it's full of important detail you will see why today and tomorrow you're better off in the United States Air Force and now your Air Force presents the proudly we hail production the competitor airman first-class James Burke here Burke there's a flight schedule for West Palm Beach 45 minutes from now 1100 hours you'll call me when I'm to report to the flight line yeah just sit here and passengers waiting them to hear your name shouldn't be long oh you lucky guy West Palm Beach Sergeant Edward Baker the operation Sergeant doesn't know how right he is this is a trip I've been looking forward to for some time but for different reasons than just to enjoy the Florida sunshine although I hadn't quite expected it to be this way but then things don't always turn out the way we expect the last few months particularly have been full of surprises for me sitting here waiting for the plane I can't help thinking back to two years back really that was after I'd enlisted and started my basic training at Lackland Air Force Base I did okay there and so did everyone in my training squad except one Dave Underhill I remember one day when I was talking to his father so you haven't dealt with Underhill huh well I wouldn't call it trouble exactly difficulty it'd be more like it what's the matter with him I wish I knew just doesn't seem to be able to keep up I mean my flights had a gig nearly every day and Dave has been responsible for most of them sounds like a hopeless case oh no not that he's not incompetent maybe he's just a hard luck cut oh hold it here he is hey Dave Dave come here a minute will you oh sure what is it Jim Dave the flight sergeant tells me that you got gigged again today your blanket was wrinkled that that's right and I don't honestly know how that happened when I left the barracks this morning it was okay but yesterday your shoes were in shine yes I was on guard duty the night before and I forgot about it I suppose so and all the others yeah I was having Dave it's these gigs that you're getting that are keeping our flight from being tops in the squadron I know that and I'm sorry about it I've been trying my best ever since the first day I got here but things just seem to go wrong for me sure so look Dave do me a favor with you try to remember that if we want to move into the higher brackets gonna take an extra effort by each and every one of us okay okay Jim I'll try I'm sorry if I'm letting you down you're letting anybody down it's not me but the flight yeah sure but you well okay I'll try fine now you better get ready we'll be we'll be falling out soon okay I'll be ready seems like a nice guy yes and he tries his best you can't be too tough on a guy like that several weeks later our basic training came to an end I lost touch with Dave after that because our order sent us to different places mine to a training school which prepared me for my first assignment assistant boom operator of a KC 97 seat tanker plane of an air refueling squadron in the strategic air command I'm staff sergeant Amiel Gabrowski boom operator of 67809 I'm gonna be your guide and mentor as well as your boom companion well I'm glad I made you so I didn't aim here only one word of advice keep your eyes open someday you'll end up lowering a boom to ice for sure that's spirit I like to see and for this crew you're gonna need it out of the whole wing our plane and another one from our squadron of the two leading tankers in performance that's the whole wing mind you yeah so you can take it from there I've got you so I'd you can count on me yeah well I hope so that's we're out to make ourselves the leading tanker and that means we all got to put out sergeant Andrews crew that's the other tankers they aren't any pushovers so I'd I always played first string no matter where I was football baseball anything I'll be right in there with you fine now let's get down to the plane I'll brief you on it I think the broski was right after several flights I found out that his crew was tops but as the sergeant had said the other plane 67808 was almost on a par with us and there was a good deal of friendly rivalry between us a chow one afternoon about six months after I'd been assigned to the squadron hey you guys you see the latest performance charge we're neck and neck again with guess who 67809 who else don't worry Smitty you won't be for long you guys don't have a chance by the end of the month we'll be so far ahead you'll need two booms to catch up here here the bottom rung has spoken yeah well I might be a bottom rung but the ladder I'm on is hired yours hi sergeant goes hey what do you think Burke here thinks they're gonna beat us out this month and I say his office boom right sides I don't know what maybe you forget he's from the competition sure but I've just come from the orderly room you all know Haley's being transferred out tomorrow yeah but we got a replacement coming in that's what I thought no orders have come down yet and since there happens to be a temporary shortage of assistant boom operators on the base oh no don't tell me our plane might have to be grounded looks that way gosh I'm sorry to hear that hey Smitty you can stop pounding your skull now trying to figure out who's gonna come out on top this month you know something Burke what's that sergeant I've had my eye on you for some time now you know your job seemed to be on your toes maybe if I'd speak to the commander about you commander well what for I'm not on your crew no not yet not yet yeah but if I give you a good build-up he just might have you transferred to my crew so we can fulfill our schedule we've an important mission coming up go on you're kidding sergeant I wouldn't be too sure of that even though I thought sergeant Andrews was kidding I wasn't too sure that what he had said couldn't come about considering that his plane had a regular flight schedule this meant that they would do a job that was part of the sack mission whereas our tanker was scheduled for a training flight only the next morning oh Jim morning sergeant Gobrowski what's the matter only on your mind oh you know what I told you last night about what Sergeant Andrews said oh that will forget it well I wish I could well you can now I've just been talking to the first sergeant he's got orders down assigning an assistant boom operator to the squadron are you sure yep sergeant couldn't have given me better news not even if you'd have told me I inherited a million bucks they say life is but a series of ups and downs which is okay as long as they don't happen too close to get it but at the time I was up and down so much I felt like a yo-yo the next day after my talk with Sergeant Gobrowski I went up to squadron headquarters on an error hey Jim Jim Burke hey it's Dave on her hill oh gosh it's great to see you again Jim sure say what what are you doing here I'm assigned here I just flew in an hour ago okay what outfit 150 they are refueling squadron hey that's my outfit your outfit hey that's great sure is what's your specialty kid clerk no I'm an assistant boom operator KC 97 C you are you must be assigned to 67808 they've got a vacancy there no I'm assigned to 67809 six but that's my I David you I are you are you positive with that oh that's what they just said in there oh but this is luck yeah yeah boy that it is how long have you been here I I've been about six months huh well it sure is good to meet someone you know this is my first assignment it'll sort of give me moral support to know you're around Jim yeah yeah yeah why don't you worry Dave you'll you'll be on the best crew in the Air Force the best hey Sergeant Gobrowski now what is it Jim just thought I'd be the first to let you know I just found out Sergeant Andrews must have pushed that deal through there's a new assistant boom operator assigned to work I mean your crew that must mean I'm out what are you talking about about the new assistant be oh Dave underhill he told me he's assigned to 67809 boy somebody's off I saw the squadron orders with my own eyes he's assigned to 67808 he is oh boy oh talk about living dangerously what I should have known known what well Dave was in basic with me in my flight he used to be sort of mixed up guy and I guess he I guess he's still that way well I'm sure glad I'm staying with 809 and that 808 has a full crew again that way we'll still be able to compete on a fair basis well you can forget about competition with them Jim forget it how come for this month anyway I just got the word they got a maintenance problem that's going to keep them grounded for a few days so we're going to take over their mission oh swirl once take off our morning so be prepared for a good pre-flight of course every pre-flight check of a KC 97 has to be a good one but for flight like this it had to be extra good 24 hours a day there are fleets of B-47s a lot somewhere so that in case of an enemy attack these jet bombers will be able to strike back at once our mission was to refuel one of these strato jets a job that's just a bit different than driving into a filling station with your car and saying fill her up and a boom operator take up your position to prepare for refueling contact boom to AC we'll go over the order of the aircraft commander sergeant Kibrovsky lies down in the plastic pod at the rear of our tanker ready to operate the boom through which will flow the fuel needed to replenish the supply of black cat the code name of the B-47 receiver boom operator have receiver in sight approximately six miles switching over to radio VHF black cat this is green star three boom go ahead boom over Roger take up refueling position Roger ready for contact ready for contact forward 100 feet with a minimum of words sergeant Kibrovsky calmly guides receiver piloted into a position for the end of the telescope boom fits into the receptacle on the nose of the B-47 contact made contact made and now the precious fuel flows through the lifeline refueling the one function for which a million and a half dollar aircraft was designed and built and which makes possible the world's most powerful deterrent to aggression the intercontinental bomb it's a big job but one that proceeded smoothly thanks to the steady hands and eyes of sergeant Kibrovsky and the rest of the crew of 67809 another mission had been successfully accomplished and naturally we felt pretty good so after we landed and had our post flight debriefing we decided to relax at the NCO club well fellas that puts us on top for the month yeah but there's another month coming up that's a trouble there always is oh I wouldn't worry I have a bunch we're gonna be on top from now on what makes you think that Jim well you all know they got a new assistant boom operator yeah and well see I was with him at basic and from what I've seen of him since then he hasn't improved much there's a guy that starts out with the wrong foot on everything he tries and I figure it's gonna take sergeant Andrews a while to get Dave on his right foot I mean he means well Dave does but like like like I remember one day I remember one day we were given a compass problem to work out see Dave got the azimuth okay and his compass but he looked down the opposite end of the arrow which led him back toward camp into the squadron area I guess we're ended up boy we'll believe it but he followed it until hi fellas so wrapped up and telling my story that I hadn't noticed but standing right behind he was Dave how long he'd been standing there I had no idea but you can bet that was one story I wish I'd never told you're listening to the proudly we hail production the competitor will return in just a moment for the second act when you make an investment you wanted to pay off right well man how about those years you invested in the armed forces learning skills gaining experience valuable to yourself and your country you can make those years pay off and big dividends today by becoming a member of the United States Air Force yes if you've been in any of the armed forces you may be eligible to enlist in the Air Force in a grade that will be a pleasant surprise you see the Air Force needs men skilled in certain important fields and you may be just such a man if so the Air Force offers you an opportunity to put your previous service experience to work and to collect on those credits you've earned toward comfortable retirement your Air Force recruiter has a folder full of details so write or visit him right away ask for the prior service man's folder and you'll know why today and tomorrow you're better off in the United States Air Force you're listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of a competitor if I ever entered a contest for the most embarrassing incidents sure I'd win it with what I experienced that evening when I saw Dave standing behind me in the NCO Club happens a suddenly that I don't know what I expected him to say or to do but certainly wasn't what he did do hi Jim how's it going oh fine fine did mind if I join you no no not at all fellas meet Dave underhill he's uh I mean he's no friend of mine from basic glad to meet you I've been hearing a lot about 67809 and its crew I got the number right this time Jim yeah yeah Sergeant Andrews tells me you're almost as good a crew as his is almost you better take another look at the performance figures as of tonight okay okay no hard feelings you're bound to have a good crew with a guy like Jim on it I'll cut it out Dave hi it's the truth you know back in basic he was made acting assistant flight leader on his first day and turned out to be the best one in the whole squadron and that's a fact because I was there yeah we know he was just telling I was just telling him about basic Dave and some of the things that happened there just when you came in I did didn't you hear why I heard you saying something but I couldn't tell you what it was oh well the past is behind us and let's keep it there huh well I think I'll be heading back to the barracks I'm beat you mind if I come with you Jim okay I'll see you later fellas you know Jim it's it's really terrific getting assigned to a KC 97 flying crew yeah sure as Dave is no other plane like it it's a smooth-riding plane all right but there's nothing like being a part of a top flight crew and in connection with that I'd like to ask a favor of sure Dave what is it well since I'm sort of new at this and remembering how you used to help me along at basic I I wonder if you'd give me some pointers you know the kind of stuff that only experience can give you all right it's not that I'm an eager beaver but if there's anything I've got my heart set on it's becoming a full-fledged boom operator I made two of us I don't know how much I can tell you that you haven't been taught already but one thing I know every spare moment you get study up on refueling procedures in sock manual 5031 got everything there step-by-step hey you know something what Jim I was forgot you remember of our closest competition oh gosh I hadn't thought of it that way just kidding Dave here's a barracks anytime I can help you I'll be glad to just let me know okay okay Jim and thanks a million pass a catch up please why anybody wants a spoiler steak with ketchup beats me man I hope you saved the steak for me plenty here Sergeant Andrews see your crew is back at action yep and you guys better watch out we're going to catch up with you you sound pretty enthused how come I got reason to be things are turning out better than I expected Dave Underhill the new assistant BO what about him well he seems to be about as good as Haley was fits right in like a glove yes sir looks like he'll be okay what Sergeant Andrews said shut me up for a while I'm surprised to hear that Dave was turning out okay yet peculiar as it may sound I wasn't I if there if there ever was a guy at odds with himself it was me and I'd been that way ever since David built me up to my crew that night in the NCO club I was ashamed of myself for having talked about him as I did still I wasn't convinced that Dave would ever be anything more than the kind of guy who tries his best always but never quite makes top grade several days later I reported to the briefing room for a special crew briefing welcome Jim join the gathering Speddy what are you doing here I have you joined our crew by some unlucky chance kid and I'm still on 808 by the grace of Sergeant Andrews and my efficiency report I thought this was a briefing for our crew and I thought it was one for ours must be a mix-up all right oh sergeant Nebraska how come we got two crews here for one crew briefing I don't know but we'll find out soon enough when the wing commander arrives wing commander hey there must be something big coming up yeah yeah oh here is now all right man give me attention please now as you know the Air Force is constantly striving to improve its knowledge of the capabilities of its planes and men in line with that flight's been scheduled for a KC 97 tanker from our wing the mission of obtaining the maximum navigation and training utilization from it and to get this maximum it'll be necessary for a tanker to remain aloft much longer than usual so we've decided to use one plane with two alternating crews and I've chosen you men because you're the top two teams in the wing I know you'll make the mission a success that's all for now further details to be given to you later why would they go and do a thing like that do watch him they want this to be a success and why do they pick sergeant Andrews crew for her the commander one of the top two crews it was look sergeant this is a kind of a thing where a crew has to be tops all the way from the aircraft commander down to the assistant boom operator and and in their case their assistant be always a man who hasn't had much time to become to become you know a similar worry about it Jim the Air Force knows what it's doing the only thing necessary is for each man to do his job to the best of his ability I know but just a minute Jim I look I'm 100% behind you when it comes to trying to come out on top and everything we do but on this thing it's going to be different than usual that are competing with Andrews crew we're going to be working together for the success of one mission that's right so what do you say we really do work together and forget about the competition until this mission is over sure sorry but it's going to be awful peculiar now or maybe but I'll guarantee you it'll be interesting interesting it was but for a different reason than either the sergeant or I thought within the week orders came down for the execution of the mission and it was decided that sergeant Andrews crew would take care of the pre-flight inspection and our crew the post flight however each crew would accompany the other on its inspections and early that morning with Sergeant Kibrovsky and myself standing bar let's go Dave boom first latch lever latch lever and latch position storage latch secure all dust covers removed okay let's get the boom support stand in place right all right place it under the boom there just forward of the renovators I'll leak some of the return lines or skates well that's it pre-flight check complete Sergeant Andrews this being the first time I've ever seen you in action all I can say is you sure make a pre-flight look easy they're coming from you sergeant that is a compliment say Andrews in checking the surge boot inflation like an old hand if you do as well on the flight I'll have to have to wet you know nothing Dave I'll tell you later shortly after that we took off our crew took over the first two hours of flight and I can assure you having someone looking down the back of your neck isn't exactly a comfortable feeling what after the first couple of reliefs I suppose we began to get used to it okay time to relieve you alright Sergeant Andrews no how do you like our tanker I tell you Nebraska it's exactly the same as ours no difference and you know something else I think it's that way with our crews too I never thought I'd see the day when you'd say that I changed my mind about a lot of things especially Dave he handled his in-flight duties just as well as he had the pre-flight kept half expecting him to pull a boner just like in basic but those basic days are beginning to seem like prehistoric stuff yeah first few hours we made out well but then those first few hours grew into six eight 12 14 16 hours what time is it 1 30 a.m. or p.m. a.m. why never knew 16 hours could be so long I don't know Jim everybody else holding up yeah considering that none of them has been up in a plane as long as this at one stretch before they're doing very well they look kind of tense though you know this isn't new for me now how come Dave before I got into this I used to be a scanner on a C124 and you know how long they stay up sometimes oh yeah yeah I know Sergeant Andrews your shift is up okay good broski take over why don't you grab a catnap Dave no thanks I got some things I want to do from where I sat at my scanners position I could see Dave out of the corner of my eye going along as crewmates with coffee and sandwiches kidding and laughing with them from a semi-druppy crew of an hour or so ago they were bright and alive again and somehow their spirit was contagious and went over into us to a couple of hours later when the plane started into its landing pattern we all felt as though we could go on for a lot long about half an hour later in the briefing room our mission finished we found our wing commander waiting for us it was four o'clock in the morning but he still took the trouble to come to us and tell us personally what we were sure glad to hear and speaking for the whole wing I want to congratulate you not only completed your mission successfully you also established an unofficial Air Force record for flying a KC 97 the longest time ever in one flight 18 hours and 40 minutes well done men I'll get some sleep congratulations Sergeant Andrews it's same to you Burke you know I never thought we'd end up congratulating each other on the same mission neither did I but we deserve it don't we for once I agree with you but wait until tomorrow with pleasure hey Dave I'm gonna hear a minute yeah sure what is it that's having to tell you and I don't know how to begin think I've been pretty much of a dope see I thought that you could be like you weren't basic and Jim you're not telling me anything new I know what you've really thought of me you have sure you remember that night in the NCO club I heard you telling the crew what I did it basic oh well I hoped you hadn't you didn't seem upset right now I didn't but I'll have to admit that I was at first and then I remembered how you went out of your way to help me at Lackland even though I was a trial to you so I made up my mind not to let on that I heard you and that I was gonna prove to you one day that I wasn't the same old Dave you once knew oh but they've all I can say is you have shown me you sure have that was six months ago now here I am waiting in the operations building Dave should be along any moment now for he'll be making the trip to West Palm Beach with me we're both going to take a course of training there that'll turn us from assistant boom operators into fully qualified ones there's only one thing wrong with this pleasant prospect and that is Dave and I can never be on the same crew again otherwise it couldn't be happy oh there he comes now hey Dave come on let's go we've got a lot to learn both of us today and tomorrow you're better off in the United States Air Force right now plenty of former servicemen are discovering the truth of that slogan they're taking a look at the new advantages available under the Air Force's liberalized re-enlistment policy and they're signing up for a profitable interesting tour of duty with the Air Force team you see the new Air Force policy offers a choice of us and overseas assignments plus a paid 30-day delay in reporting if requested and listen even before you enlist the Air Force may be able to guarantee you technical training and critical skills in some cases this guarantee can be made even though you've been out of the service for more than a year so remember veterans regardless of your former service or how long you've been in civilian life you'll do well to find out about the new liberalized re-enlistment policy of the United States Air Force talk it over now with your nearest Air Force recruiter 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 this is Ralph Roland inviting you to tune in the same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we hail