 Proudly we hail. 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 for your Army and your Air Force to bring you this story. As proudly we hail the United States Air Force. The story is entitled, Follow the Leader. This is the story of a combat leader in Korea, Major Jeremy Partridge, squadron commander of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, and all the officers and men who served under him. Our first act curtain will rise in just a moment, but first, how would you like to be a kingpin on the air crew of the United States Air Force plane? That's the navigator. He's an aircraft observer, a commissioned officer, and he gets there by enlisting in the aviation cadets. It's a great life, but only men young in spirit and years can fill this exacting job. If you can qualify, your advanced training by the Air Force will turn you into a first-class navigator. Then you'll be a kingpin on the aircraft team. You'll be equipped with the finest navigation tools known to aerial science. See what your chances are for joining the aviation cadets of the United States Air Force. Full details are available at your nearest recruiting station or Air Force base. And now your Army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production, Follow the Leader. Being a squadron commander, especially in combat in Korea, is like nothing else in the world. Though a squadron is the smallest component of the Air Force, if you are the CO, you're responsible daily for the lives and welfare of close to 200 men. 38 of them combat jet fighter pilots, not to mention millions of dollars worth of material and equipment, including 25 expensive and delicate saber jets. Hour by hour, through the long day, your decisions affect the lives of the men serving under you for nothing is more important than that those men will be happy and do the job expected of them. Your day starts pretty much as anyone's anywhere. 6.30 a.m. Just about the same time the stateside commuters are hitting the deck to catch trains to their offices. Maybe they hear birds outside their windows. You? Here in Korea you hear another kind of burden. Your birds, F-86 saber jets, being warmed up for their day's flight north to Megali. Your day started. This day will probably be no different than any other in your tour. No better, no worse, but it's going to be a long one and you've got to be on the ball every minute. But first you take a few minutes out to read a letter from home from your wife. You were half asleep when you read it last night and you hardly know what it said. My darling Jair. I was just awakened by little simpies crying for a morning bottle. You can set your watch by that dependable darling little rich. She's inhaling away madly now and I have one of the few chances in the day to write to you. Big news. Sissy's about to walk. She stands, daggers in moments, then falls with a resounding crash, quite astonished at what she's been doing. I must send you another picture of her as soon as she's growing into quite the little lady. Today will be a busy one for us here. Sissy must go to the doctor for a check-up and Billy needs a haircut, so it terrifies him so. But you don't have time to finish the letter, not now. Right now you've got your squadron to look after, so you put the letter and your thoughts of home in your pocket. Grab Chow and jeep down to the flight line. First thing you want to know about is the fragmentary order. A daily order from Fifth Air Force, Eighth Army Joint Operations Center, telling each squadron what its missions for the day will be. It's 700 hours when you step into the operations shack to check with your right-hand man, Ops Officer Major Charles Fitzsimmons. Good morning, Skipper. Hi, Fitz. What's in the frag order for us today? Practically the same as last night. Just one change. JOC, send over a correction this morning? Affirmative. There's so 900 mission here. Escort for fighter bombers. Eight of us to cover for them, huh? Mm-hmm. 86 is a hitting railroad bridge across the Chinampo between Sinanju and Anju. Well, that shouldn't be too much sweat there. Now there's other missions. Oh, patrolling the yellow. Makes today, huh? I hope so. I'll be leading. Now, let's see. I'll shift the flight commander and leave Sims and Mandel in one element and Lieutenant Teague flying in your wing. Teague? One of the new boys? Yeah. You finished his combat training up at Group already? Graduated Clobber College yesterday. This'll be his first mission north. Good deal. I picked the right flight then. I could check these new boys out myself whenever I get a chance. How's the pilot roster look? Pretty good. Two grounded by the flight surgeon. Nothing serious. Mm-hmm. There's 35 pilots, minus four being rotated back until we get those four new boys out of training. Oh, pilot's okay. But with planes, we got a little problem. Now, let's see your aircraft status report. I'll be right here. See? Same as when you checked it yesterday afternoon. Mm-hmm. None pulling commissions since then, huh? No. Still only 16. And two of those you've assigned a group training squad in this order, right? That's right. Along with two of our instructor pilots to train the replacements. So we got 14 planes for our day's missions. Can do with 14 planes, but we ought to have more just in case. Engineering says they're doing the best they can. Yeah, we all are. But we can do better. Let's talk to the engineering officer and get the poop on all these down-check aircraft. He's a good man, Rizio. Yeah, of course he is. But maybe he's got a problem. We can help him lick. Let's see him. Rizio, what's the score on these out-of-commission planes? Well, lack of parts, mostly. Just look at my board. A-O-C-P, A-O-C-P, A-O-C-P, written next to half the planes. Aircraft out-of-commission parts. Parts of tech supply's job. Lieutenant Gaten says he can't get the parts. I'll see Kate in a minute. Let's say, look at your board. Eight flight. Six aircraft in a flight and only one in commission. Yeah, it was on my way to tell you about that. Well, they're not all A-O-C-P. Two of them are 100-hour checks, routine maintenance. What's holding them up? The flight chief, Sergeant Bocek. Bocek? He's our best NCO. Was. Family problems got him fouled up now. Why doesn't he talk to someone before he gets everyone fouled up? He will, Major. I talked to him into seeing you. He requests a personal interview for this afternoon. Okay, tell Bocek I'll see him in 1500. Uh, Major, I wouldn't be too rough on the guy. Something must really be eating him. If something is eating him, there's only one thing I want to do. Help him. Like this, he's no good to anyone. Himself, his squadron or the Air Force. Kate, engineering says you tech supply people can't seem to come up with the parts to keep our aircraft in commission. We're trying, Major, but the parts we need are scarce. How do they expect us to get these planes in the air if they won't give us the parts? All right, steady boy. Those are jets out there, not jennies. Can't patch them up with bailing wire and adhesive tape. Each of them is as delicate as a Swiss watch and needs just as delicate parts to keep running. Yeah, but the parts, where are they? Well, don't you realize the supply problem? From the factory in the States all the way over here, each of those parts has to go some 10,000 miles by train, boat and plane to get to the particular aircraft that needs it. Yeah. See what you mean. That's another thing. Sure, we could send half those planes up right now. But we've got safety standards. We value the pilot's life. We want the plane to take him to his job and bring him back. Yeah, thinking about parts, I'd forgotten, I suppose. All in all, it looks like an insurmountable problem. Impossible. But how does that saying go? The difficult we do at once, the impossible takes a little longer. That's it. Now, about tracking down the parts. I'll try a group again in some of the other squadrons. I'll tell you what. Try some of the other groups in the area. If you have any more trouble, I'll be at my office. Sergeant, ask Captain Quimby to come into my office. Captain Quimby is your adjutant. As your administrative assistant and personnel officer, he helps you keep the squadron running smoothly. While you wait for him, you take a few minutes out to read that letter from your wife. And the beautiful television set you gave me before you went overseas is quite worthless at the moment. The new apartment has only DC current and since the set only works on AC, electrical terms are the TV man. All sorts of extra parts are needed converter or inverter. I've forgotten witch, aerial and so forth. I'll shop around and find some that aren't too expensive, but they're so hard to find. You wanted me, Major? Huh? Oh, yes. A couple of things to go over. Sure. I'll be back at 1430. There's some things you can take care of while I'm in briefing and in the air. Sergeant Bocek, Flight Chief of A-Flight, will be here to see me at 1500. If I'm still in debriefing, hold him here for me. What's Bocek's problem? I'll find it out this afternoon. He requested a personal interview. I've got another personal problem for you. Airman Smith. Oh, yes, his allotment to his wife. It seems Smith's wife is going to have a baby so she can't work anymore. She needs more money so Smith increased his allotment last month. So? He got a letter from her. She hasn't gotten the extra money yet. Oh, for crying out loud. It hasn't really had time to go through yet. I know, I know, but Smith is worried. Well, I don't blame him. All right, let's get on it. Give the finance clerk all the dope. Tell him to send a tracer immediately to Finance Division Denton. Well, do. And about tomorrow's monthly briefing of Airman on last month's squadron activities. Yes. Arrange to get used to the briefing room for tomorrow afternoon. Right. What'll you cover in the meeting? I've got a list here on my desk someplace. Here it is. These will have to be prepared. Number of enemy aircraft destroyed by the squadron. Number of trucks, tanks, troops, and locomotives put out of commission. Battle damage suffered by our pilot, you know the usual. Give the boys an idea what they and their squadron are doing, right? When you work as hard as they do, you want to know how it all adds up. And I want them to know they're in the best squadron in Far East Air Force. Number one. I think they know that already, Major. Seeing you reminds them every day. Oh, yes. Be sure to note that Captain Dawson got his fifth MiG last month. That makes him a jet ace. I'll take care of it. It's 1100 now, so you grab an early chow, check again about those downed aircraft, and then go to be brief for the mission. Patrol along the yellow means you'll be MiG hunting, and MiGs will be hunting you. When it's over, you see Lieutenant Tig, the new boy who's going to fly your wing today. Lieutenant! Lieutenant Tig! One me, Major. All set for the mission? As soon as we leap off, the better. Real Tiger, huh? I've been waiting for this since I was 10. And you've got the Spirit Kid, but don't be over-eager. It can cost you. I understand, sir. You've got the best jet fighter training in the world. Now you're going to use it. Just stay close on my wing, do what you're told, and keep your eyes open. We'll do, sir. Okay, let's go upstairs. You are listening to the proudly-behaved production Follow the Leader. We'll return in just a moment for the second act. How many of you young fellows go down to your nearest city airport on a Sunday afternoon and watch the planes come in and take off? When you see the planes gliding down under their landing strips, do you marvel at the skill of the pilots who fly them? And when you see the planes take off and disappear into the horizon, do you watch them out of sight wishing you were there at the controls? There's no more need for any of that wishful thinking. If you've got what it takes to be an aviation cadet in the United States Air Force, you too can fly the big silver birds. You have to be young enough, and smart enough, and well enough if you want to qualify as an aviation cadet. Only the best are accepted. Your local recruiting station or nearest Air Force base can give you all the information. You are listening to Proudly We Hail, and now we present the second act of Follow the Leader. Some 20 minutes later, you're upstairs, the four-plane V of your flight dancing through enemy skies at more than 500 miles an hour, racing through the heart of a pale blue staked-out battleground seven miles up, your head swiveling constantly in the cockpit, your eyes searching each quadrant of the sky desperately. For this is Meg Alley. You check with your flight, first calling your young wingman, Tick. Coco, too. Stay in there, closing my wing now. Settle down. Roger, Coco Leader. Keep looking at me, but keep flicking your eyes and pass me to the sky, high on my port. Got it, Coco, too? Affirmative, Coco Leader. Well, do. Got it, Coco Flight. Keep the sky covered. Roger, Coco Leader. Red Radar's probably picked us up by now, so keep your eyes peeled. They'll try to bounce us from above. Roger, Coco Leader. Telly Ho. Bandits, nine o'clock, very high. I see him. Eat him, Coco. Roger, I have them in sight. They haven't spotted us yet. They will. Coco, too, hold tight where you are. I'll give the call for us to break into them. Roger, Coco Leader. Coco, three, move your element out a little so we can maneuver. Roger, Coco Leader. Coco, Flight, going to 96 for a climb. We'll make the interception at angels, 40. They're starting their run. Okay, men, hold tight till I give the word. Then break, sharp, left, and up into them. Steady now. Now, break! Like a well-drilled team, your flight breaks sharply, up and into the down-slanting minks as they're glowing cannon shells curve harmlessly to where you were. And then another screaming turn and half-roll brings a lone meagre floating fat in your sights, and you let go of your clippings. Missed him. Negative, Coco Leader. You've lasted this rudder. He's starting to smoke. Here's your chance, kid. Finish him off. Coco Four, let's join up on Coco Leader. Dive after him, Coco Two. Don't lose him. I'm right behind you. Mix chickened out, Coco Four. Don't dick these hot new savers. Coco Two, watch him. He's breaking away. But now, Teague's traces are pouring in on target and suddenly they make flames in ugly red. Staggers in mid-air like a hit bird then comets Earthwood. I got him. Coco Leader, I nailed him. You sure did, boy. And I shouldn't. I thought he was going to get him, just like they said. Coco Leader, this is Coco Three. Joining up on you, low on fuel. Roger, Coco Three. Time to return to pigeon and pancake. Coco Three. This is Coco Two. Got myself a meagre. Wow, what do you know? Got to call the kid Eager Teague, huh? Boy, it was something. I just got that... Save it, Coco Two. We got to get home first. On the ground, you clamor out of your plane and hurry from the flight line. Past young Teague with an excited ground crew clustered about him as he demonstrates with his hands how he got his first mate. Into intelligence for debriefing. Change from your flight gear and then into your office. The pilot's day is virtually done. You're just half through yours. The time? Almost 1500. You've got a couple of minutes to read that letter. I spent a wonderful weekend with Mother, left the children with Mary, Colonel MacDavid's wife, and flew up to Washington. The plane trip was a dream. Whenever I fly, I feel somehow that I'm closer to you, that I understand better a part of you I rarely see otherwise. Of course, I know the flying you do is quite different. Major. Oh, yes, Quimby. Sergeant Bocek is here. Oh, 1500. Yeah, he's prompt, anyway. Let's see why he's not so prompt with his aircraft. Send him in. All right. You can go in, Bocek. Thank you, sir. Master Sergeant Bocek, a flight reporting is instructed, sir. At ease, Sergeant. Come over here, sit down. Thank you, sir. Cigarette, Bocek? Yeah, thanks, sir. Here you are. Light up. A smoke may help that worried look you've got. Thanks, Major, but it'll take more than that. Lieutenant, Kateen tells me something's bothering you lately. So much you can't do your work. Yeah, I guess so, Major. Well, we all have some kind of worries. Thing is, sometimes they get too big to handle alone. I guess that's me, Major. Minor kink size right now. I suppose you tell me about it. All right. Well, Major, it's sort of a... Well, I... Go ahead, spill it. I'm going to help you if I can. You know that. Yeah, I know, Major. You helped plenty guys in the squadron. So? Well, uh... It's my wife. Oh. Yeah, she's sick. Real sick, sir. She doesn't tell me how sick in her letters, but I know she's... She's hurting real bad, man. I might just as well be on another planet to help I can beat her where I am now. You sure she's sick, Bocek? Not just, um... No, no, no, Major. It's nothing like that. See, my... My mother's letters, she... She sort of hid something's wrong with Martin. They all sort of hid nothing. You can put your finger on, but I... I don't know, sir. Martin needs me, sir. All right, now. Take it easy, son. Yeah, I tell you, Major, sometimes I... I just think I'm going to flip. I keep thinking about taking off, trying to get stateside somehow. I don't know how, but somehow I... Now, Bocek, don't hit the panic button. There's always a way out. You and I will figure it. Yeah, if you only could, Major. There's a way we can find out about your wife. Well, how's that? We'll have the base Red Cross representative send a wire right away to your hometown Red Cross. We'll have the ungarbled word for you before breakfast. Is that a deal? It's a deal, Major. I... I don't know how to thank you. Yeah, forget it. And really, forget it. Get your assistant to take over a flight for you and hit the sack. Major, the replacement pilots are here. Here. I thought they weren't due till tomorrow. Maybe, but they're waiting to meet you in the briefing room now. All right, let's get on the stick then. See what kind of material we drew this time. And hut! All right, at ease, men. Be seated. Smoke, if you wish. Now, gentlemen, I'm Major Partridge, your CO. They call me the old man, just like every other squadron commander, but I'm still not old enough to like it. Now, first, welcome to the 51st Fighter Interceptor Squadron. We're glad to see you. Especially the pilots who you'll be replacing so they can be rotated home after their 100 missions. Now, make it brief for you. First, I'm sure you want to know how soon you'll climb into a saber jet. The answer is a few days. Second, you want to know how soon you'll tangle with migs. Well, that won't be until you've gone through training squadron here. I know, I know. Some of you've been in training 18 months or more already. But you've still got things to learn. After date things, you didn't get it, Nellis. You've got to learn the area, the latest mig tactics, our tactics. Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the saber, which is every bit as hot as you've heard. And all that takes time and work before we can afford to send you north to McGalley. And make no mistake about it. On the other side of the yellow, red pilots just like you are going through the same thing. But the training you've already got and will now get pays off better than theirs. You've got a 15-to-1 edge over them and planes knocked down, even though they outnumber us many times over and always outnumber us in the air. I'll turn you over to your operations officer now, Major Fitzsimmons, and he'll give you the straight poop. First, good luck. It's 1600 hours now, so you call the engineering officer into your office for probably the most important meeting of the day. The aircraft status report. How many planes will be in commission for tomorrow? Uh, 13, the way I figure it, Major. 13? Didn't you get any planes in commission today? Yeah, but battle damage knocked out several. What kind of damage? Can it be fixed in a hurry? With about 12 hours' work, maybe. Well, I'm positive tomorrow's freight order will require more aircraft than today, maybe as many as 16. You've got to send those two planes again tomorrow up to group for the training squadron. That means we need at least 18 planes. And we ought to have a couple of spares. Those artificial horizons will put two back in commission when we install them, and battle damage planes could be repaired. But I know, I know. Your engineering people have been working 24-hour duty periods too much this month. It's rough to ask them to work all night again so soon. That sure is rough. Major, get me Captain Quimby. Right here, Major. Oh, you heard? Yes. Rizio's right. Those engineering joes are hurting for some rest. Yes, we all are, but it can't be helped. We've got to get those planes in the air tomorrow. Understand. With our commitments from higher headquarters, there's no other way out. Engineering has got to work all night again tonight. If Rizio could pick some of his men who haven't drawn 24-hour duty lately... Can do. There aren't many, though. Even then, they won't like it. You think I like to ask them to do this? Happy, efficient squadron. And all that gets clobbered when I turn around and I have to slave-drive the boys. I'll understand. They know that's just the way the ball goes. For this squadron to perform its mission tomorrow, so the group can perform its mission, and Wing can perform its mission, those planes must be in commission. 24-hour duty, it's our only out. I'll get on the right away, Major. Good. Quimby, check with the mess hall. Tell them to make sure those engineering boys get a good hot meal at midnight. Another chance to read that letter from your wife. My darling, I hope you're getting these daily letters of mine and that they mean as much to you as to me. But this is the only way I have of holding on to you. And then the paperwork begins. Official letters to be read in written. Directives to be read in filed. Orders to be written and posted. Two, commanding General Fifth Air Force through commanding officer 67, fighter interceptor group. From commanding officer 51st Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Requisition for airmen. One, regard the subject of letter. This unit will rotate 32 airmen in the next 30 days. The children miss you terribly too. Even little Cynthia, who only knows about you from your picture. Billy's a Cub Scout now and wants to go away to camp. He was unhappy when I told him he had to stay home to be the man of the family, but now he's quite brave and quite proud about it. Three-day passes will be given to airmen who are doing meritorious service. And finally, the paperwork is done. It's a show club where the top three graded sergeants are having a little party. You're dead tired, but they expressly invited you and you can't let them down. You shoot the breeze in a while and then you're off to chow. Well, how do we do when the day's mission fits? Good score. Fighter bomber missions plastered the bridge across Chinampo. Migs? Two, Teigs and yours and Jackson got one earlier. All we do is well tomorrow. We will if we get those aircraft into commission tonight. Then to the officers club. Hi, Major. Well, my big clobbering wingman. We really nailed him, didn't we? Nice shooting, boy. You know, he did break, like you said. It was a 30-degree deflection shot. From the way you started, you're going to have a good tour, Teague. But don't let it go to your head. Oh, not me, Major. That was just my first lesson. So, now what did you learn? Listen to the Major and follow the leader. Stretched out on your cot really beat. Trying to keep your eyes open while you finish reading your wife's letter. And so that's all for tonight, darling. All I love from the three who miss you terribly. Yes, yes, who is it? Captain Halle, duty over, sir. Oh, yes, yes, come in. Sorry to wake you, sir. Okay, what's up? A frag order from J.O.C. for tomorrow's missions. Just came in at 2,200. Oh, all right, let's have a look. Looks like it's going to be one of our biggest days. All those missions. Ah, so I see. Well, engineering better deliver those planes tomorrow. Incidentally, we've got a wire from USAF headquarters, Washington, about Sergeant Bochek. What's it say? Red Cross and USAF recommend his immediate reassignment to base nearest home for compassionate reasons. Wife very ill. I don't know. I'll go over and tell Bochek to pack his bags. We'll get him on the first plane leaving tomorrow morning. Roger, sir. Oh, seem to have dropped the letter on the floor when you fell asleep. No, sir, never mind. I can see it from here. Good night, Captain. Night, Major. Your wife, Joanne. Well, it took all day to read your letter, Joanne. I don't know when I'll be able to write. Learn to fly. Serve your country in the air. Be an aviation cadet. You'll get the finest aviation training in the world from the United States Air Force if you're accepted. To qualify, you must be single, be between 19 and 26 and a half years old, and be otherwise qualified. If you can meet the test, join the world's best. Join the aviation cadets. When you successfully complete your training, you'll win your wings and become a commissioned officer. For complete details, visit your local recruiting station or your nearest Air Force base. Make flying your future. 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 for the United States Army and United States Air Force Recruiting Service. This is Kenneth Banghart speaking, inviting you to tune in the same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hail.