 Susp and the producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrill he and adventure William M. Robeson Story you're about to hear may require accessory equipment in addition to your radio set Especially if you're a parent We suggest that you provide yourself with a glass of water to slake the dryness in your mouth and melt the lump in your throat and Also a handkerchief or some other suitably absorbent material to cope with your tears It is a story of unpremeditated murder The unwitting and unplanned killing of a little boy by his father It is a story in which fate overtakes love and tragedy lurks in the blue empirean It is a story you will not soon forget Listen Listen then as miss ruth huzy stars in firing run, which begins in exactly one minute How can heroism be symbolized? One example is in the shape of a bronze cross with an eagle on the center And a scroll below the eagle bearing the inscription for valor The ribbon is a broad band of blue bordered on both sides by narrow white stripes and edged with red This is the united states army's distinguished service cross Awarded to those soldiers who distinguished themselves by extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations Against an armed enemy. It is worn on the left side above the breast pocket And is one of the outstanding accolades our country can bestow Of the millions of men who have served in the armed forces of our country Only a comparative few have so conducted themselves as to earn this valued award The distinguished service cross of the united states army stands as a model for dedicated service and heroism of a high order It is one symbol of heroism, which only the brave and determined may attain and now firing run Starring miss ruth huzy A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense Some of them look like killers the aces of world war two and korea Others like mark a gentle and won't talk of combat Mark would never speak of war But i know that what happened to him in the blue new mexico sky that morning Left a scar deeper than any he'd had in action Mark had been in ace in korea And he's one more aerial gunnery meets than any other regular captain in the air force He's so good that for years He's been the number one test pilot on guns and rockets at desert proving grounds A pleasant life for all four of us once i'd learned to get used to sand in the rugs and scorpions in the backyard A settled life Almost like a civilians Until that horrible morning Mark had a rocket test flight so the day started early with the four of us at breakfast Hap would you pass a cream, please? Oh sure dad Hap hold the handle toward your father. I've told you i forgot Dad can i watch the drone take off me too? What big shot? Watch the flying fortress take off. I don't want your kids cluttering up that flight line today This is the last firing run of the series and there's also the small matter of school Sergeant Crenshaw said I should help him start the engines again Are you sure he did? Yeah, dad honest. All right, daddy. Are you gonna fly the big plane? Nobody flies the big plane it flies itself stupid Hap I warned you about talking to your brother like that. Yes, mother Look pd. Lieutenant Cameron, you know him. He flies the big plane only he flies it from the ground by radio Then dad shoots it down with rockets from his jet. See like this Finish your breakfast. I could fly the big plane I'll bet I can too fly. I flew my scooter yesterday right over the px You're a liar. Hap I'll not warn you again. Well, he is a liar. He's just going through a stage Oh now what oh Hi, Kathy Go play with your new conquest the colonel's daughter. Hmm. What a politician. I am not your school bus is doing 20 minutes So don't get lost You clear out two then and don't bang the door Oh, honestly never a dull moment Is this the big day darling? It sure is every brass hat and the pentagons waiting for the results. Goodness. Don't miss You sound like Don Cameron He offered to make the drone fly straight and level so I couldn't miss. Why don't you let him? Oh, this is a test sue enemy planes don't fly straight and levelly twist and turn and evade We don't prove the rocket if I shoot down a sitting duck just to look good That's my boy Well, I got a charge Will you be home for lunch? Yes Hap pd your father's leaving Where are they skip it probably heading for the flight line to drive the sergeant nuts. Don't worry Don't worry. He said And I didn't as I headed back for the dishes. My mind was on the day's marketing not on half or pd If I'd only known where they were Hap my father told me to stay off the field. It's okay, Kathy sergeant Crenshaw is my buddy. That's his drone on the runway Heck he already started the engines. He said I could help Well, come on. Let's go see him in the cockpit. Anyway, golly. Have my daddy shoot me come on You ever been in a flying fortress? No, but come on then I want to come too. You go home. You're a fiver. We don't want fivers around All right, pd. Uh, I didn't mean it but listen you go home anyway. You might get hurt here Come on, Kathy. Do you think we ought to come on? Hang on to my hand. It's so windy. It's blowing my throat like this, okay Going through the bomb bay Help me up It's spooky here. Oh follow me along the catwalk. Don't slip. Oh boy Here's the flight deck. Here's where the navigator sits and up there's where Help. He's not here. The sergeant's not here. Help, I want to go. Yeah, come on The second act of Suspense continues in one minute Another visit with Joe and Daphne Forsythe You're worse than they were Joseph Why why why who is she? Who's who who are you dreaming about? Was I dreaming you were talking in your sleep and giggling How about that? What were you giggling about? I can't remember Joseph you mentioned a girl's name. Oh, what name spas spas. Yes spas Candy spas it sounded like a dancer or a strip tease or something. Oh Oh What well, I must have said candy spots candy spots as a horse. I bet on them once You bet on a horse. Yeah, we had a pool I could have won three dollars. Well, you should have put the money into savings bonds. There are much better investment It was only 50 cents for 63 cents a day You can buy a 25 dollar bond a month and one year's worth of bonds will bring 300 dollars when they mature What's more, they are guaranteed to be winners. The whole united state stands behind them So don't waste money betting on horses. Put it in savings bonds. Okay. Can I still dream about horses though? If you do it quietly Say Why were you giggling about a horse? and now We continue with act two of firing run Starring miss ruth hussy A tale well calculated to keep you in Suspense You just finished breakfast Oh, all right Take one for kathy and one for your brother and tell them it's time for the school bus I can't understand a word you say with your mouth full I said happen kathy flew away in the airplane. Oh peaty don't fib like that He did now peaty listen to me. Mommy knows you aren't really a fibber, but other people don't So just try to say only what happens. What really and truly happens. All right. All right Now go and tell hap. It's time for the bus Peaty stop that fibbing. Hey, did mommy really and truly they got into his tummy and what kind of an airplane The big one the drone Oh no Oh, they couldn't have Peaty say help me if you're lying. I come on Air four six four seven from ground control air four six four seven from ground control. How do you read me six four seven? Our transmitter's okay lieutenant must be his receiver. Okay sergeant Mark you're coming in loud and clear the troubles at your end Air four six four seven from ground control. We read you four square. I say again we What though what's that dame doing here Joe tell her to get that cotton picking car off the flight. Oh, wait a minute. It's captain stacey's wife. See what she wants sergeant Air four six four seven. This is ground control mark. I'm afraid you can't stay out here mrs. Stacey We're running a firing test. Well, I know I I know sergeant. I'm not sure of course, but I think Well, it's possible that that my boy is in the drone What? Have I think so and colonel master's daughter. Oh now mrs. Stacey that couldn't be it just couldn't I think they are No, ma'am I buttoned up that drone myself I started the engines and lined her up in the runway and there's nobody in there. Are you sure? Absolutely certain. Now you just drive on home and I'll bet you'll find that young fellow robbing your icebox. I Oh, hi there peony I didn't see you in the backseat. No way your brother is peony. He says he saw them get in the plane Oh, so that's it Well, my little boy did the same thing when he was your age But peony we don't like storytellers in the air force They did to get in and got in the bag and you got out the front. Oh, and then you drove off Grove up in what that cheap what cheap which one the cheap with the red flag on it. He's right mrs. Stacey He isn't telling a story free of Suspense follows in one minute We have together Ample capacity in freedom to defend freedom This is nato the north atlantic treaty organization NATO's many achievements are plates of the shield which it is forging to protect peace and freedom But the shield is still thin and needs constant strengthening True nato forces in europe cause any potential aggressor to exercise caution But these forces are insufficient to remove all threat of attack As nato forces grow So do hopes of world peace The united states of america is a part of nato You should be aware of and alert to the objectives and programs of the north atlantic treaty organization And now We continue with act three of firing run Starring miss ruth hussy A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense On the ground it was horrible with don cameron trying hopelessly to contact mark and mark's unheeding voice Crackling from the radio jet 647 from ground control mark break off. Do not repeat. Do not make your run Mark break off abort your run I could see the vapor trails now high over the desert the white track of the ancient bomber crawling across the sky Mark tracing a contrail swiftly and precisely above and behind it overtaking it It was horrible on the ground, but when I thought of the terrified children in the cockpit, then it was unbearable I want my father I want my father. It's gonna be all right. Kathy pete you'll tell us the school bus must have gone by Mom will ask pete and he'll tell her maybe Maybe they won't believe them. Yes. Yes, they will too Kathy look there he is what? Oh my dad look see way high see the contrail We'll have my wildlife father. He's turning. Maybe he knows he isn't coming toward us. He's just turning up there Like he's waiting So it's no use. I can't contact him at all. What are we gonna do don't I don't know Pray that he misses that guy doesn't miss Lieutenant Can't you dive her for the deck and land dive that old racket pull the wings off it wait wait. There he is again Suddenly it was not mark at all That cold relentless voice chanting a song of death It couldn't be marked It was the voice of a a stranger a killer Stalking my little boy Stop him Sue snap out of it hang on to yourself Make it good he says I look sue. I'll do my best Just before he reaches his point of release. I'll try a high wing over It'll shake up the kids, but If the wings stay on there he goes lieutenant. There he goes wait Wait, we've got to wait till the last second Cassie he's turning toward us. He's coming at us. Oh daddy daddy daddy. No No, don't shoot. What's happening? We're turning No, I can't hardly believe it. He missed. You're foxteem lieutenant this time Oh darling, please. He won't miss twice lieutenant. You know that If we can just do it again just once more Lieutenant you better start your wing over. He's ready to fire The contrail from the jet reached swiftly almost gone fully for the lumbering bomber Something in its purposeful track told us all that within seconds the drone would be a screaming flaming pyre for the two children And there was nothing nothing that any of us could do to save them I thought of mark cool and deadly at the work. He did so well only seconds from shattering his whole life They felt darn tense at his control box ready for a last hopeless swerve of the clumsy ship And then it came to me the only way the only chance It might cost my son his life, but I knew I must try it for I knew mark If I could find the courage Don don't what do you mean? Let go. No. No. Don't try to evade him make it a sitting duck What do you mean? She's nuts lieutenant. He'll plaster it. No. No, he won't let you make him look good Give him an easy target don he'll let it go. I suppose he doesn't I know him do it All right. Oh, no straight and level with that guy. He'll splatter it all over the sky Left turn Yes, sir Yes, sir. Here we go See him. He's right on their wing. Can you do it don? Can you I've done it before but Never like this Okay, sergeant watch my gauges easing off her power Manifold pressure 18 inches sir dropping her gear Gear down sir I can do without that flaps down sergeant flaps down sir It was minutes, but it seemed hours before the big plane lumbered into the pattern wheels reaching awkwardly for the runway I closed my eyes and prayed And then when the plane stopped two very shaky children were helped out All Pete he said was see he did too fly the airplane and to this day. He thinks his brother can fly Mark's knees buckled when he climbed from his jet He knelt on the flight line and held half and Kathy closely very closely for a long moment When he looked into my eyes I saw gratitude and faith He still tests guns and rockets But sometimes in the evening after a flight I catch a distant look in his eye Know that he's closing on that ancient flying fortress over new mexico And then I go to him and touch his lips And talk of other things Suspense In which mithroof hussy starred in william and robeson's production of firing run Written by michael frost Supporting miss hussy and firing run were dawn bender eddy firestone dick beals Sam pierce and ken christie listen Listen again next week When we return with another tale well calculated to keep you in Suspense Has been brought to you through the worldwide facilities of the united states armed forces radio and television service