 Proud lay 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 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 tipper airy 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 Colonel Hill Are you sure he's in? Won't I do I'm I'm not a Colonel yet. I can see that major cotton major Richard cotton at 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 man the Air Force men at that and No, you never can tell when someone might drop a feather or something out of a plane that's dangerous But didn't you know a feather dropped from a height of 10,000 feet say we'll 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? we live and learn don't we and This is still the way to Colonel Hills 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 do know him now Yes, about the appointment sure 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 Suppose I might as well lead you to the Colonel myself. You seem bound and determined to get there Here in this building. I work for the Clemens courier and I'm supposed to get a story on the 1100 third 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 1100 and third and its planes. Oh planes Well, this is gonna come as a great surprise to you But the Colonel can tell you more about the 1100 and third in the planes we fly than anyone else Even me I such modesty I'll be 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 way 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? So that's your name Carol one good to see you Stan, but I'm here on business Something this gentleman doesn't seem to believe you have met I see he insisted on escorting me said it wasn't safe around 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? And your cotton? Adam said she'd come to see me on business Yes, sir. I'll wait outside Adams isn't it Carol Adams. That's 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 1103 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 and But but what 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 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 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 What's the 1100 and third that's mine? That's the 1100 and third 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 about their medium bombers the backbone of today's Air Force? There are striking power almost as fast and maneuverable as a fighter But they carry a punch no fighter can match and for a 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 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 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 Let's take a lot of men to fly each plane each B-47 has a crew of Three the 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 a thousand 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 The B-47 has flown over the North Pole It's 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 Jealous of a machine have a hundred tons of metal or of what you think about it and about the men who fly it You know what I mean much as I love those planes Carol. 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 Mind if I use a typewriter this one all right sure go right ahead guess that doesn't 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? 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. It's been a pleasure. Oh Time means nothing to the colonel. He wastes it regularly Save 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 co-pilot my navigator on my own life Unable to 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 makes them up out a whole cloth, too Of all the commanders in the world. I have to get one who won't believe my story Oh, I want to thank you for what you did to my speech. I didn't do much I feel like the man who was so surprised to discover that he spoke prose and Did I really say all that? I just took the ideas you'd written down talked about them. What you did is perfect Just what I wanted to express only you said it better And I was 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 than 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 we hail 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 almost a hundred 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 the 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 Twenty minutes to see him about right Captain Lucas is making a visual check through forward inspection window I'll report to you what he found in a minute 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 here 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 unless it's locked in that front landing here doesn't look as though 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 Colonel Hill says you're not to try a landing under any circumstances the 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 autopilot so the plane will head toward the empty countryside to the Northwest In the meantime keep working the hydraulic system That gear will free Roger tower Tell the colonel that if he doesn't think of some way to get me out of this soon I'll have to parachute down to make my report And 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 Whole mission every plane returned without trouble except my best flyer Anything new? No, sir. They still report no change and 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 is it Colonel Hill your KC 97 any of them still loaded How fast can you get them into the air in condition to refuel an almost dry bomber? 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 Lieutenant Drew I know there's nothing else in the air 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 tanker is airborne without delay Watch it don't fall out B-47 the plane you're going to refuel Went to the Northwest sir that means runway aids the best to use your show now Anything that will save time. It's a good crew. I've got that is resliers I think it must be inside the plane the whole crew is here before me. Good luck a fighting chance now Tower said a tanker was gonna come up to give us an in-air refueling But I didn't think I'd 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 and altitude like this Yeah, but what else can we do if we try to pour on a coal and climb to save some future fuel We haven't got we'll pull away from that nice tanker. I saw leave in the ground nothing else to do Wait a minute Here's the tanker now talking 1-2-5-4-7. This is tanker 1-2-3-2. Do you read me over? tanker 1-2-5-4-7, read you fine come in 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 there? Yes, twice. Good. You know the procedure then sure. I Fly up to you and you say fill her up More or less. How much fuel do you have left by my figuring about minus two minutes at this moment? His lovely engines are still running out of habit. That's all that's feeding them habit and hope Sergeant Barker is the tail boom operator. He says he's the best in the business I've got nothing to worry about all you do is follow his directions and hold steady Roger You're carrying enough fuel to keep us in business for a while. I can fill up for 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 and this is Clancy the boom operator I can see you ready any time start moving in Don't forget to remove the cover from the refueling receptacle on the nose Roger it's off Ready for contact anytime Flaps down stay the way you are lined up with our number three engine 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 Feeling better by the minute as these tanks get heavier pressure disconnect Roger I'll start the counter Roger At three I give a full flap for a second right and as soon as we're clear you shove the O4 and give her the gun Ready one two five four seven two T one two three two Thank you. 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 was on duty flats fixed at all hours service with a smile. Well, the smiles on me now that there's fuel in this plane I'm going upstairs with this more room to move around 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 to the shakes Our thanks to all of you for your quick work One two five four seven a Madison Tower Have fuel can travel 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 Just to stay in the air last just six or seven hours a lot less if I don't fly out 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 freeze. I've been doing that Hydraulic system that activates the moving parts develops about 25 horsepower Time if the power is reaching the forward landing gear it should make itself felt that was my theory, but Wouldn't seem to be reaching there a way to freed it by now Suggests 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 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 What am I supposed to do decide? Chances are you're both right? It wasn't anything much But it 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 There's 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 Okay, 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 of material for your story? Oh plenty. Thank you. Don't thank me that she was on the other foot Are you going to be covering the ceremonies? I don't know 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 what 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, I take this girl with you That's an order to 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 to 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 have 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