 From New York City, where the American stage begins, here is 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 called A Little More Time. It tells of an incident in the flying career of Major Richard Cotton, and of a girl, Carol Adams, a newspaper woman out to get a story. Our first act curtain will rise in just a moment, but first, it's a long, long way to Tipperary, but just a short trip downtown to your local United States Air Force recruiting station. Why not volunteer now for the United States Air Force? And it won't be long before you'll know your way around, around the world, that is, for travel opportunities at no expense to you. Join the United States Air Force. You can get the full story from the friendly people down at your nearest United States Air Force base or your local United States Air Force recruiting station. Yes, serve in blue, Air Force blue, and do it today. And now your United States Air Force presents the proudly we hail production A Little More Time. Excuse me, I wonder if you could tell me where I can find Colonel Hill? Oh, yes, just follow this walk until you come to the building marked H and go in and ask this... Oh, Colonel Hill, are you sure he's in? Won't I do? I'm not Colonel yet. I can see that, Major. Cotton, Major Richard Cotton. That's your service, ma'am. How nice. And I'll find Colonel Hill that way. Yes, but this is a dangerous place for a girl like you to be walking around in broad daylight. Someone might see you, and it's all full of men, Air Force men at that, and, uh... No, you never can tell when someone might drop a feather or something out of a plane. That's dangerous. Well, didn't you know? A feather dropped from a height of 10,000 feet, say, will have enough force behind it to knock over another feather if it should meet it. Which is where the expression you could knock me over where the feather comes from. Is it now? Mm-hmm. We live and learn, don't we? And this is still the way to Colonel Hill's. I was just appointed to the security police. My chief job is to keep young ladies from annoying the Colonel and vice versa. Ruth will be glad to hear that, I'm sure. I imagine your appointment was very sudden and self-made. Ruth? Oh, yes, Mrs. Hill. You, uh, you do know him, then, huh? Yes, about the appointment. You're right. I just appointed myself. Sort of a temporary job. Well, I don't see why the Colonel should have all the luck. If you weren't so pretty, someone from Information Services would answer your questions. Thank you. Well, I... I suppose I might as well lead you to the Colonel myself. You seem bound and determined to get there. Here, uh, in this building. I work for the Clemens Courier and I'm supposed to get a story on the 1103 wing. They're going to receive a citation. Oh, well, if it's information you need, what can the Colonel tell you that I can't? And better because I'm not married. If I were looking for a story about how a young man spends his time in Clemens, I'm sure I'd be sent to you. But I'm looking for a story about the 1103 and its planes. Oh, planes. Well, this is going to come as a great surprise to you, but the Colonel can tell you more about the 1103 and the planes we fly than anyone else. Even me. I... Such modesty. Well, the Colonel ought to be in the next room. Oh, that sergeant over there should be keeping people away, but he knows better than to stop me when I'm bringing in a pretty girl right through here. Colonel Hill, Major Cotton reporting with a new aide. Just a second, Dick. But I am just speaking for the men. This is a team proposition and a team honor. I... Well, I'll have to finish it later. What can I do for you, Dick? Oh, Carol. How nice. Oh, so that's your name, huh? Carol one. It's good to see you, Stan, but I'm here on business. Something this gentleman doesn't seem to believe. Oh, you've met, I see. He insisted on escorting me. Said it wasn't safe around here. Well, I'm sure you had nothing to worry about as long as Dick was with you. It was just the way I felt. Ouch. What have I done? Major Cotton, Miss Adams said she'd come to see me on business. Oh, yes, sir. I'll wait outside. Adams isn't her. Carol Adams. That's a nice name. Thank you, Major. And maybe I was wrong. Maybe I would have had something to worry about without you around. And on that note, you may leave, Major. Always quit while you're ahead. Yes, sir, but I'm not yet even. Much less ahead. Well, Carol, what can I do for you? My editor sent me out here to get a story on the citation. The 11-hundred-and-third medium bomb wing is to receive. The man who usually covers Madison is sick, so the boss sent me over. Well, I'm always glad to see you, Carol. But? If I ever heard a man start a sentence meant to continue with but, that was it. Well, I would rather see you at some other time. I'll admit. I've got to get a speech ready, and, you know, I'd prefer doing almost anything else in the world. Help me with my story. I'll help you with your speech. No, you don't have to do that. I'll help you with your story anyway. Go ahead. Well, to start with, what is a wing? A wing? Well, I guess that is as good a place to start as any. A wing is a basic unit in the Air Force. It is a mobile, self-supporting unit capable of independent operation either in the field or at an established station. A wing is generally broken down into groups, squadrons, and flights. Am I going too fast? No, no. Keep on. Maybe I'll understand in time. A wing has groups, squadrons, and flights. In that order? Mm-hmm. A flight is a tactical, not an administrative unit. There are usually three flights to a squadron, which is the smallest Air Force unit that is self-sufficient. Our combat groups consist of three combat squadrons plus a tanker squadron. A wing is a combat group plus non-tactical groups for supply, maintenance, medical service, and so forth. And what's the 1103rd? That's mine. That's the 1103rd medium bomb wing based here at Madison AFB. The medium means its range and payload. Generally speaking, bombers are classified as heavy, medium, but they're subject to change. And you fly B-47s. What are those? They're medium bombers. The backbone of today's Air Force. They're our striking power. Almost as fast and maneuverable as a fighter, but they carry a punch no fighter can match and for long distance. They're big, but they don't look big in flight. They look lean and narrow with their sharply swept back wings, and they can go like a bat out of... Well, they're powered by six turbojet engines, each of which can deliver about 6,000 pounds of thrust. The B-47 has a range of about 3,000 miles without refueling and can carry more than 10 tons of bombs. The plane itself, floated and ready for action, weighs about 100 tons. And that's a medium bomber? Well, the name is a little misleading, isn't it? Yes, that's a medium bomber, weighs about 200,000 pounds, carries more than 20,000 pounds of bombs at more than 600 miles an hour, and handles like a fighter plane. Must take a lot of men to fly each plane. Each B-47 has a crew of three. A pilot, co-pilot, and a triple threat man, a navigator, bombardier, radar operator. The reason why three people can manage this plane is partly due to the K system, an electronic system that takes a lot of the man work out of the whole complicated job of getting to a target, bombing it, and returning safely. Each B-47 has more than 1,000 electronic tubes in it, and there are some 27 miles of electric wiring connecting all the parts and controls. Are you beginning to get the idea? Yes, it's big and fast and complicated. And very efficient. A B-47 has flown over the North Pole, has flown across the Atlantic in a few minutes more than four hours at an average speed of 650 miles an hour. Another B-47 stayed up in the air some 35 hours, flying better than 17,000 miles in that time. If I were Ruth, I might be jealous. You're jealous of a machine? Mm-hmm, of 100 tons of metal, or of what you think about it and about the men who fly it. You know what I mean. I don't think Ruth has anything to worry about. Now, look, here's a citation we're going to get and all the stuff. Why don't you read it over and see what else you want to find out and then ask me? Why don't you let me read your speech, too? Maybe that will give me something to go on. Oh, well, if you want to. Here it is. First draft, anyway. Thanks. Hmm? Mind if I use a typewriter? This one all right? Sure, go right ahead. Yes, that does it. Well, you've been banging away at a great rate. Did I say all that? More or less. Yes, come in. Oh, it's you again. Would you mind waiting outside, Dick? I just wanted to see if you were through with Carol yet, sir, or vice versa. Not quite. While you're looking over whatever that is, why can't she ask me the questions? Well, if that's all right, Carol, it's up to you. I'm almost finished. I imagine I've taken up enough of your time. Pleasure. Oh, time means nothing to the colonel. He wasted it regularly. Saved my life once. How did he do that? Well, there I was. There I was up in the air with a couple of million dollars worth of aircraft, my copilot, my navigator, and my own life. Unable to land. Don't believe a word of it. Major Cotton has a wonderful imagination, Carol, and he likes to use it to impress pretty girls. He makes up fascinating stories about danger and his courage. I have to get one who won't believe my stories. Carol, I want to thank you for what you did to my speech. No, I didn't do much. I feel like the man who was so surprised to discover that he spoke prose. Did I really say all that? I just took the ideas you'd written down, talked about them. What you did is perfect. It's just what I wanted to express, only you said it better. And now as for this man who's been talking to you, I have to warn you, Carol, against believing anything. Oh, but, Colonel, I was just telling her about the time that you saved my life. Oh, that. Well, it was different then. The planes were new. We didn't know as much about them. Well, what was it? What did you do? I didn't do much of anything. I just stayed on the ground. He was up in the air. Of course, if it had only been Dick, that would have been different. But he had a fine co-pilot and an excellent navigator up there with him, as well as a valuable plane. B-47 was newer then. We hadn't had so much experience with it. And all I did was sit there on the ground and listen. One, two, five, four, seven to Madison Tower. Indicate a light, show front landing gear is not locked into landing position. Roger, one, two, five, four, seven. How much fuel do you have? Fuel gauge shows enough for another half hour or so at this rate of consumption. Continue to orbit and keep in touch. Roger, if we can't get this straightened out, get ready to catch us if we have to bail out or make a crash landing. You are listening to the proudly-vehiled production a little more time. We'll return in just a moment for the second act. Say, high school seniors, what are your plans now that the school term is ending? A smart man looks ahead, investigates his opportunities before making any important decision. There's a wealth of opportunity waiting for you in your United States Air Force. As an airman, you can learn a technical specialty that will prepare you for a promising future and catch this. If you want to continue your education, you can actually take accredited college correspondence courses from some of the country's leading universities while in the service. Now, these are just a few of the many advantages of an Air Force enlistment. For a comprehensive preview of your Air Force career, pick up your free copy of Pocket Guide to Air Force Opportunities. Get it at your nearest Air Force recruiting office or your nearest Air Force base. Remember that title, Pocket Guide to Air Force Opportunities. Get one today. You are listening to Proudly We Hail, and now we present the second act of a little more time. Major Cotton and his B-47 are circling over the base, unable to land because the front wheels are stuck and won't extend to landing position. The B-47 looks light and slim, which she is, but like a well-proportioned woman, she's heavier than she looks. There's 100 tons being supported by those thin wings. The long, thin-looking fuselage has as much space as a 50-passenger airliner, but the B-47 is so crowded with equipment that there seems to be barely room for the three-man crew who are squeezed in one in front of the other as though they're riding a bicycle built for three. At the moment, the co-pilot, Captain Jim Lucas, Captain Fred Whiting, the navigator and Major Dick Cotton, the pilot, are discussing the situation. One, two, five, four, seven to Madison Tower. No change. Colonel Hill says you to continue to orbit as long as your fuel holds out. No more than 20 minutes fuel left now. Madison Tower to one, two, five, four, seven. 20 minutes to see him about right. We're going over the textbook again. Nothing new. Captain Lucas is making a visual check through forward inspection window. I'll report to you what he found in a minute. He's just coming back. Roger, waiting your next call. Well, Jim, see anything? Nothing you didn't know. Front gear is not fully extended, that's all. Panel indicator seems to be right. Gear certainly isn't locked into landing position. Right. I take it you don't think it would support us if we should try to land on it. This baby's heavy. It would hold up a butterfly. Large butterfly that is. All right, thanks. I better tell the base. One, two, five, four, seven to Tower. Calling Madison Tower. Come in, one, two, five, four, seven. Anything new? Visual check shows front landing gear not fully extended, not locked. Would probably collapse as soon as any weight was put on it. Roger. Colonel Hill says you're not to try a landing under any circumstances with a gear that way. Roger. I'll keep on as long as possible. That's it. Colonel Hill's instructions are to stay with it but to be prepared to bail out. Set the autopilots on the plane or head toward the empty countryside to the northwest. In the meantime, keep working the hydraulic system. Maybe that gear will free. Roger, Tower. Tell the colonel that if he doesn't think there's some way to get me out of this soon, I'll have to parachute down to make my report. I've never used this seat ejection system. Hope it works. Colonel Hill says to tell you the seat ejection system works. He's used it. But until you have to, keep trying everything. Every plane returned without trouble except my best flier. Anything new? No, sir. They still report no change. Well, if we had a little more time, there must be some way. If they could stay up there longer, we could lick that problem. We'd find some way to lock that gear in place so they could land. Wait a minute, those tankers. Get me Captain Walden right away. Walden? Yes, sir. Colonel Hill, your KC-97. Any of them still loaded? Two of them. How fast can you get them into the air in condition to refuel an almost dry bomber? About 20 minutes. Might be down at 50. We don't have 20 minutes. Major Cotton's orbiting overhead with about 20 minutes fuel left. Maybe less by now. Get up there at once. Yes, sir. Right away. I'll use the PA to get the crew if they've left the hangar. I'll take the plane up myself. Use anything you want, but get moving. Right away, sir. The crew of Tankport to Captain Walden immediately at hangar three. Emergency. Hangar three. Lieutenant Drew. I know there's nothing else in the air, but will you give orders that Captain Walden is going up in his KC-97 to meet Major Cotton and refuel the B-47 if he can do it in time? Yes, sir. Nothing is to stop him. Make sure there's no delay of any kind. I'm going to the hangar to see that the tank was airborne without delay. I'll find what the other seats have got to them first. My instructions got there before me anyway. What do you mean? The hangar door is open, see? The tractor's pulling the plane out now. Watch it! Don't fall out! I'm just trying to signal to Captain Risley to start warming up the engines. I've got time to lose. Ha! It's caught my signal. Yes, and there's Cotton's B-47. The plane you're going to refuel. I went to the Northwest, sir. That means runway eight's the best to use. It's your show now. Anything that will save time. That's a good crew I've got. That is Risley. I think it must be inside the plane. The whole crew is here before me. Good luck. I'm fighting chance now. The tower said a tanker was going to come up to give us an in-air refueling. But I didn't think they could do it in time. I should have known better. It's in the air now. We can get some juice in here before these engines cut out on us. And they eat it up so fast at a low speed in altitude like this. Yeah, but what else can we do? If we try to pour on the coal and climb to save some future fuel we haven't got, we'll pull away from that nice tanker I saw leaving the ground. Nothing else to do. Wait a minute. Here's the tanker now talking. One, two, five, four, seven. This is tanker one, two, three, two. Do you read me over? Tanker. One, two, five, four, seven. Read you fine. Come in. We'll intersect your path at the end of this leg and fly back over the field with you making contact as soon as possible. Have you ever refueled in air? Yes, twice. Good. You know the procedure then. Sure. I fly up here and you say filler up? More or less. By my figuring about minus two minutes at this moment these lovely engines are still running out of habit. That's all that's feeding them habit and hope. We'll be with you in a minute. Sergeant Barker is the tail boom operator. He says he's the best in the business and you've got nothing to worry about. All you do is follow his directions and hold steady. Roger. You carrying enough fuel to keep us in business for a while? We can fill up four thirsty crates like yours. Good. Just enough to fill up this one. That's all I ask. We're right behind you now. Closing in. This is Clancy, the boom operator. I can see you. Ready any time. Start moving in. From the refueling receptacle on the nose. Roger. It's off. Ready for contact any time. Flaps down. The stage you are. Smoother than cream. My compliments to the chef. Maximum flow established. Roger. I'm speeding up a little and pulling the nose up to counterbalance the weight of the fuel. I'm feeling better by the minute as these tanks get heavier. Press your disconnect. Roger. I'll start the counter. Roger. At three I give a full flaps for a second. Right. And as soon as we're clear you shove the O4 and give her the gun. Ready. One. Two. Three. Four. Seven. Two. T. One. Two. Three. Two. Okay. Just show full as they do now instead of empty. And everyone was showing empty. Glad you're satisfied, sir. Just recommend this to your friends in case they run out of gas in this neighborhood. I'll do that. What about the rest of your commercial? Mechanical oil was on duty. Flats fixed at all hours. Service with a smile. Well, the smile's on me. Now that there's fuel in this plane. I'm going upstairs with this more room to move around. And when I get up there Captain Lucas is going to take the plane over for a while because I'm going to take time out for the shakes. All right, thanks to Ollie for your quick work. One, two, five, four, seven to Madison Tower. Have fuel. Can travel. Five, four, seven. I'm going to try to work that stuck landing gear loose somehow now that I've time. Colonel Hill suggests you don't go too high. I'm worried about fuel now. We use it up too quickly at low altitudes. Colonel says you're not trying to go anywhere. You're just a stay in the air. You've fuel enough to last just six or seven hours. A lot less if I don't fly at an efficient speed and height. Colonel suggests you stay out of the cold upper reaches of the air for the time being. Try to retract and extend the landing gear. Hope it frees. I've been doing that. The hydraulic system activates the moving parts develops about 25 horsepower. In time, if the power is reaching the forward landing gear, it should make itself felt. That was my theory, but it wouldn't seem to be reaching there or we'd have freed it by now. Suggest you keep below altitude where cabin pressure is needed. Captain Lucas can get through that pressure door again. He may be able to trace the hydraulic lines and make that gear work. Oh, so that's why I wasn't supposed to go too high. Well, thanks. Makes sense. We'll try. The gear will probably work. I'm sure it will. Or if not that, something else. Or am I just a little light-headed from relief? The gear did work. But you see what I mean? All I did was sit on the ground and listen. Yeah, you see what I mean? See why I do anything for him even if he does cast doubt on my stories? Well, what am I supposed to do? Decide? Chances are you're both right. Well, it wasn't anything much, but I made an impression on the major here because he was a part of it. As I was saying, the B-47 was newer then. More than a thousand of them have been built now. Now it's routine. But the B-47 major cotton was flying that day. It was one of the first B-47s modified for in-air refueling. I don't know what we would have done if it hadn't been fixed that way. Well, Carol, I can't thank you enough for rewriting my speech for me. Wait till I tell Ruth you were here doing my work. Did you get enough material for your story? Oh, plenty. Thank you. Don't thank me. The shoe was on the other foot. Are you going to be covering the ceremonies? I don't know. It depends on whether the regular man's well enough to do it. I'd like to, though. Well, maybe it can be arranged. Oh, what's his name and where does he live? Maybe I can see that he has an accident or something. Oh, nothing, nothing serious, you know. That's enough of that. Major, you must have duties elsewhere. Oh, sir, are you ordering me to leave? Yes. Now take this girl with you. That's an order, too? Yes. Yes, sir. Come on, Carol. You heard what the man said. And if she needs any more information, you ought to give it to her. If you're able. And that's an order, too. The airmen in today's United States Air Force are going places. They're advancing rapidly and new specialized careers. They're attending the world's best technical training schools. They're serving in interesting assignments at home and abroad. You'll be amazed at the hundreds of career opportunities open to you. So find out about it today. Serve with the Air Force and you serve the finest. Visit your nearest United States Air Force recruiting station for complete details. 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. And this is Mark Hamilton speaking, inviting you to join us next week at the same time for another interesting story on proudly we hail.