 proudly we hail from New York City where the American stage begins here is another program the 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 that Sergeant Virginia Brown of the United States Air Force our story is entitled power team this is the story of the control tower operations you'll find at every Air Force Base both here and overseas proudly we hail that Sergeant Virginia Brown and Sergeant Mary Lou Davis the officers and men of the 1917 Airways and Air Communication Squadron at Westover Air Force Base Massachusetts and all of the women in the Air Force our first act curtain will rise in just a moment but first it's smart it's patriotic it's important it's your opportunity to join the women in the United States Air Force think seriously about your future and get all the answers about women in the Air Force at your nearest Air Force recruiting station it's a prestige career in a prestige service for prestige women join America's finest women who serve beside her finest men in the United States Air Force and now your army and your Air Force presents the proudly we hail production tower team if this C-97 was a civilian plane you call me a stewardess but in the Air Force I'm known as a flight attendant I'm on a flight back from Germany with a whole congressional committee on board they've been in Europe touring military installation been a nice flight and I've enjoyed talking to that nice congressman from Georgia that's my home safe job my hometown I'm Sergeant Mary Lou Davis you know I used to dream back and making a flying of taking trips to Europe I thought they would just dream until I joined the way in fact I can hardly wait until we get to West overfield Massachusetts and I can tell my roommate Jenny all about the trip Jenny is staff sergeant Virginia Brown she's a supervisor in the control tower at West over where we're both Air Force 8 4 3 5 this is West over tower South East at 10 with guts to 25 taxi into run-up position and hold Looks like they're going to take that C-54 on the parking area into the shower Yeah I always get a big kick out of that imagine a plane getting a van They better not forget to wash it behind the years Jenny doesn't handle that tower assignment by itself there are two others with her Sergeant Peter Grayson he's in the flight data position and am in first class Robert Maxwell who handles the law this get-like radio contact Pete Grayson is a very special guy he might be out there They are on duty from 0800 to 1600 that's 8 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon I'd hate to think of what a mess things will be in down on the ground if it works for that tower team. What if I try to run a big city without traffic lights According to this flight plan there's a jet bomber due for takeoff Yeah 15-20 to be exact say Jenny You suppose those jet jockeys will make it to Miami by 15-30? If they had a headwind maybe otherwise they'll make it in 8 minutes You'll have them in Miami before they take off you know Well just to say I certainly never thought back in good old climate called Oregon I'd ever see a plane that when it's back to that D-47 and from a control tower too Say you're Jenny but you never thought you'd see Mary Lou as Pete's best girl either Oh I don't know. Pete had that certain look on his face from the first minute he saw Mary Lou over at the NCO club You said it Jenny. Now there is a gal She's undoubtedly the nicest, sweetest, smartest, off the landing There he goes again, must be love, must be happy, must be Now when you've been married as long as I have you learn to be more objective about those birdie gals in the Magnolian moonlight country Oh get a load of him Married for 6 months and already he's talking like a Dutch uncle Well that's how it goes. Things move fast in the Air Force you know Maybe so, but how many red-butter guys could be objective about Mary Lou is beyond me Ever seen that gal smile? It's enough to melt eyes off the winds of a B-36 Oh Mary Lou, hurry on home, this guy's impossible West over tower, this Air Force 8-4-3-5 We are ready for take off Air Force 8-4-3-5, this is West over tower You are cleared for take off on runway 15 Roger Your exact time of departure was 1-5-3-8 8-4-3-5, Roger and I Yeah sure, one arrival with what kind of light up? He's getting it as a repair truck on the edge of runway 15 He's waiting for clearance to cross Did he got a radio? Nope Then give him the green light on the biscuit light, runway's clear Roger Okay, he's got it Here's the arrival report on 2974 Oh thanks Pete Well, according to this, Mary Lou is the flight attendant Yeah, who, here comes my Georgia gal Complete with perfume from Paris Bet that's where you want to see her, Ginny Oh I want to see the perfume all right There's another reason why I want to see her Huh? What's that? Well, she's promised to help me wax the floor of our room That's life, out of the airplane and into the airport Maybe so, but I'm gonna hold her to that promise I sell the lieutenant No thanks Sergeant Captain, it's nice and home Thanks, I'll have a cup of cream, two sugars please Maybe our passengers in Sergeant Lutton might like some Well, I've already served the passenger sir And those other two cups of Sergeant Lutton Two cups? Never knew a flight engineer was so thirsty Well, I didn't need her sir, but he tells me the reason he re-enlisted in the Air Force Is so he could get a good, strong cup of coffee Don't you believe it Sergeant? He may be fond of our coffee, but that flight engineer of ours Gets lonesome for those dials and gauges There'd be no way for him for more than five minutes That's why he signed up again Is that a complaints giver? It certainly is not Lutton's got those engines purring like gifts Say, I bet that's why he likes our coffee I know I'm gonna regret this But what do you mean? Well, maybe he's drinking the coffee black And running the engines on the cream Oh, people think my job as a pilot is easy Mary Lou, you're a living doll Oh, yes, listen, in this large it making sounds like a big old wolf Just so long as he's busy helping to fly a plane But on the ground he's just as proper as he can be Only because I respect your engaged status, honey child You're practically married Well, you've been looking at your wife ever since we left Paris Well, maybe you're right I've got a wonderful idea Uh-oh, you've got something more than just an idea if I know you What's up? I was just thinking that I ought to introduce you to Ginny Ginny? Sergeant Virginia Brown She's my roommate at Westover All the boys at Westover think she's real cute Mary Lou, I do believe you're playing Cupid May he play Cupid? Well, Sergeant Ben Ludd, now you've been picked on It was the furthest thought in my mind Uh, by the way, what does Ginny look like? Well, she's 5'4, has brown hair, gray eyes Dancers just wonderfully, like Ray Anthony's orchestra Makes a wonderful appetite She's just a dog There's our checkpoint, getting near Westover Better turn on the safety belts and no smoking sign And check in with the field, Roger Westover Tower, this is Air Force 297-4 Over Air Force 297-4 This is Westover Tower, over 297-4, the Westover Tower We are 10 West of Worcester at 2,000 Request landing instructions Southeast at 10, with guts up to 25 Taxi into run-up position and hold Roger, out See, was it still the same? Right, no change Air Force 297-4, clear to land Land in runway 15 Wind south, southeast with guts to 25 Report to tower on downwind leg, over Tower from 297-4 Well, Pete, here comes Mary Lou Better start practicing that new dango step Air Force 297-4, entering downwind leg, over Roger, 297-4 Give Sergeant Davis a buzz, will you? Sure thing Sergeant Davis? Yes, sir Everything squared away, Sergeant? Yes, sir, all cigarettes out, all safety belts fast Check, fasten yourself in, we'll be down in a few minutes Yes, sir Okay, let's make the gum check Gas, cross feet on Undercarriage, wheels coming down Mixed room, full ridge Props, 2100 RPM Check, 25 degrees flat Flaps coming down Base leg, text giver West over tower, 297-4, turning base Air Force 297-4, you are clear to land You are number one in traffic Wind south, southeast with guts to 25 Roger tower Turning final Tower 297-4, turning final Roger 297-4 The other side, left gear It's not down yet, light's not showing Something's wrong, let's go upstairs Right, come on baby West over, 297-4 going around We're having trouble with our gear Roger 297-4 What's the word giver? Don't know yet Air Force 297-4 to west over tower We're going to climb to 3,000 feet Make a landing gear checked Over Sergeant Lutton, stand by for a check on landing gear Roger Maybe the odyssey's not working properly Maybe Or maybe the downlocked solenoid on the left gear is fouled Or maybe we got a short in the panel light You'll have to check everything Make yourself comfortable giver We got two hours worth of gas to find out whether we got a short circuit Or a long heading Doesn't seem to be a short in the panel, sir I've checked the light too That left gear looks alright from here, but I can't be sure Okay, let's go down and let the tower make a check They may spot something we can't see from our angle Roger's giver Air Force 297-4 to west over tower We're going to make a low approach past the tower Will you make a visual check on our left gear? Over Roger 297-4, welcome Here we go Properly, I say again Your left gear appears not locked properly You are listening to the proudly we hail production tower team We'll return in just a moment for the second act Choosing a career is a serious task for June girl graduates You want a job that's important A job with a future A job that's exciting Well, the United States Air Force needs young women with your talents The Air Force needs you for America's most important job, defense Go to your nearest Air Force recruiting office for complete details About a career in Air Force blue It's interesting, exciting, important America's finest women stand beside her finest men in the United States Air Force You are listening to proudly we hail And now we present the second act of tower team Hundreds of pairs of eyes are looking out Watching that C-97 as the officers and men inside Check and recheck the equipment As Mary Lou up there talks to the passengers Putting them at their ease Down here in the tower, Lieutenant Burke, the base operations officer Is talking to the pilots Suggesting one possibility after another Going through the emergency procedure step by step All that the rest of us can do at the moment is to Cross out the air and train for them up there 297-4 from tower Try the manual pump again Over How is your gas? Over What's your decision? Tower, this is Harris in 297-4 The field is clear Take over, Sergeant Yes, sir 297-4 Wind is south, southeast at 10 with gusts to 25 Use runway 15 Over Roger, tower Bob, get on the squat box and alert the field Tell the emergency crew to space out along the right-hand side Of runway 15 You can't tell where that deer might let go They have to make a landing Roger West over tower to 3681 Hold clear of the active runway We have an emergency in the air Return to ramp 3681 to tower Welco, Roger on out Pete, give all vehicles near runway 15 The warning red and green on the biscuit Roger I'll close the field Attention all aircraft in vicinity of west over This is west over tower The field is closed All aircraft in or near traffic pattern proceed to altitude 4500 And circle to left Emergency in progress I say again, emergency in progress We're not sure that our left gear is locked properly But we're going to shoot a landing Might be rough, but it's the best risk Passengers okay? Yes What's up, Mel? One of them was a pilot in the war He looked out and saw the crash equipment And he knew what it meant Well, they're grown men Tell them what we're going to do And get into a seat, strap in and stay put Remember, you've got to deliver that bottle of perfume Yes, sir Captain, if anybody can get us in I know you can Well, thanks, Sergeant I'll do my best I just give her Yes, it is Buck up, Eric, my boy We are going to make the most beautiful one-wheel landing you ever saw 297-4, this is tower Cleared for runway 15 Emergency truck will stand by Roger Attention, crash crews All emergency crews The C-97 now landing is yours Right gear is okay The left is doubtful Roger, tower Here it comes Happy, you're really going to grease this one in Thanks Wish I knew that for sure Anyhow, I'm sure going to try They're over the end of the runway 50 feet up about 40 Come on, you'll have to wait To put additional strain on that wheel They're almost stopped Have you got their arrival time marked on the log? Yes, sir Air force 297-4 landed at 1600 You're wrong, Pete He landed at 1601 Now, what were you saying, Sergeant Evans? I just wanted to say that the 1600 shift is reporting for duty Sergeant Evans, the control tower is all yours Here's the mic Okay All aircraft, all aircraft This is Westover Tower The field is now open I repeat, the field is now open 191 Air force 2119-er This is Westover Tower Over 21's landing instruction Westover Tower to Air force 2119-er Use runway 15 Wind south southeast to 10, gusts to 25 Over Roger and out Air force 3681 This is Westover Tower Wind south southeast to 10, gusts to 25 Yes, that left gear held after all We're on the ground now over at the snack bar Captain Harris set that big C97 down as gently as you'd set down some heirloom China Now you can see how we all feel about that team in the tower And why we depend on them and have confidence in them No matter how tough things are on that plane When you hear their voices so calm and assured Somehow you feel better Well, my face is powdered Guess I'll go John P. and Jenny and Ben Hi, y'all Hope you saved at least one soda for me Oh, after sweating out that landing It does a girl's morale good to pretty up a bit You didn't have to You always look good to me Now, that's the way I like to hear boys talk Hey, hey, hey, hey What's this boys stuff? Yes, don't forget Mary Lou One of these days you're going to be Mrs. Pete Grayson Don't you worry, I won't forget By the way, not to change the subject exactly, Jenny How have you been getting along with our flight engineer? Oh, well, just fine Mary Lou Oh, really? Sergeant Laden, I mean Ben Was telling me while you were out brandishing that powder pop How much he liked dancing to Ray Anthony's music How he liked homemade apple pie and swimming Yeah, it's well to meet someone who likes the same things you do Oh, what a funny coincidence Wouldn't you say so, Ben? Well, uh, yeah, I guess you might say that That's how it is Mary Lou's waxing the floor of our room Me? Well, I'm sitting here admiring this beautiful bottle of perfume And watching her After all, when Mary Lou gets married It'll be my turn at waxing every week If that nice looking flight engineer keeps his promise To take me out every night he's here It's just possible that I might be in the market For a wedding myself You know, times have changed Just a few short years ago Women were completely left out of this man's world Today, in more and more instances Women are proving that they can assume The role of skilled technicians In positions once thought of as solely for men A case in point is aviation Today, in our rapidly expanding Air Force Women are taking their places alongside men as Cryptographers, control tower operators Cryptographers and dispatchers These are but a few of the vital services Being performed by the women of the Air Force If you're between the ages of 18 and 34 And can qualify, visit your nearest United States Air Force Recruiting Station today Ask about the WEF, the women in the Air Force They need you now 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 Mark Hamilton speaking Inviting you to tune in this same station For another interesting story on Proudly We Hail