 proudly we hail New York City where the American stage begins here's another program of the cast of outstanding players public service time has been made available by this station for your Air Force to bring you this story as proudly we hail another airman of the United States Air Force our story today is entitled the unbeatable Mac and this is the story of an airman who learned that appearances cannot only be deceiving but downright embarrassing as well as proudly we hail the United States Air Force our first act curtain will rise in just one moment you know many times a man is skilled in a particular job yet he's unable to find a use for it has this happened to you are you a service veteran with a service gain skill that's just going to waste well if you are then you listen to me because you may be able to put that skill to work as a member of the United States Air Force the Air Force needs experience and know-how gained in all the armed forces if you possess one of the critical skills needed to keep America's air defense strong you can put that experience to work in the Air Force and do so at a higher grade and with higher pay than you may realize you've earned credits toward a valuable retirement income protect that initial investment for full details you ride or visit your nearest Air Force recruiter ask him for the prior service man's folder this little folder will show you why today and tomorrow you're better off in the United States Air Force and now the first act of the proudly we hail production the unbeatable Mac Yeah, here son. I might end up in Miami this way. I want to be ready. Say, Wally, don't forget to bring along your chess board. You and Mac might get a chance to finish that game. Don't worry, Clyde, I won't forget it. No, I won't forget it. It's a small portable set just big enough to fit in my B4 bag. But small as the set is in size its meaning is a whole lot bigger. Because chess is one thing that doesn't depend on coincidence for its outcome like people's affairs do sometimes. But then maybe people's lives are not so much different than a chess game after all. Like my own with Mac always one move ahead. These tiny pieces are only an inch high but on just one move of them I've got a lot staked. A lot. Hey, Mac, you ready to go to the briefing? Yeah, Clyde, I'm ready. Yes, sure. Mac's ready. He always is for anything. Today that makes two of us. But I wasn't that way six weeks ago when he walked through that door for the first time. Far from it. Hi, fellas. Is this like bees barracks? That's right. That's us. Hey, Mac, what are you doing here? Hi, Wally. Long time no see. What is that? Wait a minute. Are you assigned to this base to our crew? Well, I'm not carrying these duffel bags just for exercise. You're now looking at a fellow scope watcher. Well, I'll be. Who would have thought this could happen? Come on, meet the crew. Hey, fellas, this is Sergeant Mac McDonald, my old hometown chum. Hi. Thank you. To say I was surprised, we'd be putting it mildly. Mac and I had both been listed in the Air Force at the same time and we stayed together until we finished our radar training at Kiesler Air Force Base. After that, we each went to different units. I hadn't seen him for over two years. And it was good to meet up with him again after all that time. Yeah, it's sure great, Wally. You know, when I read my orders and saw a 551st Airborne early warning control wing, I forget I'd run into you, but to get assigned to the same crew. Boy, that's something. It sure is. Some coincidence. Yeah. Hey, this my locker here? Yeah. Say, being the miserable letter writer you are, where'd you go after Kiesler? Well, I did it to our duty with aircraft control and warning in California. Scope watching? Uh-huh. Ground station. Also did some star watching on my off time. Star? Yeah, movie star. We weren't far from Hollywood, you know. And the last six months, I was an advisor with the Ground Observer Corps. You got an inch coat hangers? Yeah, yeah, here's a couple. Oh, thanks. Hey, tell me about this outfit. This is the first chance I've had to do airborne radar scope watching. It is. Yeah? Boy, you're in for something. Best deal in the Air Force. Yeah? What's the setup? Well, we're part of the Air Defense Command and the 551st Wing's job is to spot enemy attackers far offshore and direct fighters to intercept potential enemies. Well, that I know, but where do we come in? Well, give me a chance, will you? You're going to be watching the radar scope along with the rest of us scopers in a flying radar station, the RC-121D. And it's a lot different than watching a scope on the ground. Well, I can imagine. You know, the Sergeant of Wing told me I'd have to take two weeks of ground instruction training. Yeah? After that, you'll have four training flights before you get a permanent job. Oh, boy, I can hardly wait. That doesn't mean I'm going to neglect my social life. What's there to do off duty hours? Lots, depending on what you want to do. Well, you know what they say, all work and no play. Well, we don't have any movie stars up here in Cape Cod, at least not in the winter. But there are some mighty nice people around. I'll tell you what, I'll check with my girl and see if she has a friend. Fine. You better wait until my two weeks of training are over first. Oh, sure, Mac. Okay. Good old Wally. It's going to be like old times, right? Old times. Mac and I had bodied around together back home and I always considered him a friend of mine. But even though I was glad to see him join the outfit, I felt a little uneasy. As I told Dottie, my girl, a couple of nights later. Why do you feel that way, Wally? Oh, I don't know. We never had any trouble or anything. But what? Well, you see, in anything we've ever done together, he's always sort of been ahead of me. Like in school, he got better marks in sports. He always made the first team. I ended up on a second. I'll take right now, for instance. I'm a staff sergeant. I'm an M in first class. But I've never minded it. So he's a little better than I. So what? Yeah, Wally. So what are you letting it bother you now for? You're right. Why should I? You think you'll be able to find a friend for him? Of course. Air Force Sergeant's raid among my girlfriend. I'll bring one along to the service club dance two weeks from now. That's when he'll be free, isn't it? Yeah. Well, who knows? Maybe they'll fall for each other and we can have a double wedding. What do you do today? Oh, just ground training. What's that? Oh, refresher stuff mostly. You wouldn't be interested in that. But I am. Anything you do interests me. Well, I'm glad of that, darling. But as I've told you so often, you wouldn't understand what it's all about. Why not? Well, it's all technical. Nothing for a woman. Wally, sometimes... Sometimes what? Nothing. It's all right, Wally. How can a guy be so blind? A lot we do in the air defense command is classified. Still there's much that Cannon should be told. But I had other things I wanted to talk to Daddy about. Things more personal. I didn't see much of Mack those two weeks until the day of his first training flight. I took him out to the ship early that day before takeoff to make him familiar with it. Yeah, it looks a lot like a super constellation. Oh, that's what it is, Mack. Same ship used for luxury commercial travel. Yeah, for those two big domes. Those are the radar housings. That one on the bottom, the pot belly. That's for the horizontal scanner. And that shark fin on top for the vertical scanner. Boy, it sure is a lot of ship. Yeah. For the price of one of those, you could buy a thousand automobiles. The electronic gear costs a half million alone. No. Come on. Let's take a look inside. There's a 21-man crew, and here in Midship is the Air Operations Center. This is where we work. Boy, some setup. Yeah, try one of those chairs. Foam rubber all over. Hey, these two are comfortable. Well, when you're up here for 15 hours at a stretch, they have to be. Now, there are four radar scopes for us searchers. One each for the senior director and the duty director. Oh, but here's the plotter's desk. During your training flights, you'll rotate through each position. Oh, never dull moment. I can see that. And when we take our breaks, we've got those bunks back there. Foam rubber, too. That's our first-class Pullman. There's a galley, refrigerator, so... No ping-pong tables? No, but we can play cards. Oh, this might interest you. I've taught the fellas how to play chess. We sort of have a match going all the time. Oh, still added, Wally. Oh, those are some games we've played. Do you remember? Yeah. Yeah, I remember. Yeah, I'll have to see if I can still beat you like I used to. Yeah. We better go back and get ready for the flight. We went back to the barracks, got into our flight clothes, and reported to the briefing room. Man, this is Zebra four flights, and we're going to station Charlie. The coordinates will... 30 minutes later, we boarded the bus that took us out to the aircraft, and we put on our parachutes and other equipment and lined up alongside the ship. Crew, tank, hop! Prepare for inspection. Inspection over, we climbed into the ship and went to our positions. I settled down into my seat, flipped open all my switches, and waited for the communications check. We're going to AC-03, how do you read me? AC-03 to senior director. Loud and clear, stand by for light check. In 15 minutes, block time. AC to crew, stand by for takeoff. And we were off for 15 hours, duty patrol somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. And during that time, we were to watch the part of the air assigned to us through our radar scopes, and by way of the Air Defense Command's communication system, identify or intercept any unscheduled planes. Our flight that day was a routine one, nothing unusual except that Mack was along, rotating through each of our positions while we watched and advised. Hey, Wally, come on, sit down. How do you feel, Mack? Oh, full. Well, some dinners they give you up here. I'm glad you like the cookie. I was just telling Clyde that he tells me you're a champ of the chess league. So far. Well, how's about it? All right, the board's right here, always available. And so am I. Okay, let's go. Our rest period was an hour long, but it didn't take an hour to show that Mack could still beat me. Check and just check, mate. So I see. No, that's not bad, Wally. Thanks. Another one? No, not enough time. Oh, Mack, well, I think of it. You remember I was going to talk to my girlfriend about getting a date for you? Yeah, that's right. Well, there's a dance at the service club Saturday night, and Doddy's going to bring one of her friends along. Blind date kind of. Can you make it? You're kidding? I'll make it all right. Blind date or no. That's okay, Doddy. Doddy, this is Mack. Hi, Mack. Pleased to meet you, Doddy. Oh, where's your girlfriend? Is she coming later? Gosh, Wally, that's why I was late. Ruth couldn't make it tonight, and I've been trying to get someone else, and I just couldn't. I'm sorry, Mack, really, I know. Oh, think nothing of it, ma'am. If Wally will allow me the pleasure of a dance or two with you, so as I can get the scope kinks out of my system. Of course. Wally won't mind, will you? Oh, no, no. Go right ahead. Wally, you're a real pal. Okay, Doddy. And away we go. As I well remember now, Mack had more than a couple of dances with Doddy. But I didn't mind, not then. During intermission, we sat at a table having some coffee while Mack sort of monopolized the conversation. You see, Doddy, the Air Defense Command works under Connette. That's Connette, the Air Defense Command. That's one great big setup, working with blimps, picket ships, ground radar stations, civilian plane spotters, Texas Towers, and, of course, our flying radar planes. That's what you and Wally do? That's us. So if you've been lying awake nights, wondering if an enemy is gonna get through to drop some eggs on you, you can put away your sleeping pills. Mack, how do you know so much about all this? I thought you joined Wally's outfit only a short time ago. Oh, sure. But before I came here, I was a sector sergeant with the Ground Observer Corps. I had a brief civilians like you lots of times. Ground Observer Corps? Tell me about that, Mack. Okay. Well, first, there's only about, oh, 400,000 civilian observers in it right now, but they'd be better off with one and a half. For the rest of the evening, Dolly hung on everywhere he said. And afterwards, when I drove her home... What a nice fellow Mack is, Wally. And how well he can explain things. For the first time, I really know what you do out there at the base. I just don't see why you never told me. Well, Dolly, I... He certainly opened my eyes to a lot of things. You should be proud to have a friend like him. And that's the way it went all the way home. Mack, Mack, Mack. I suppose I shouldn't have allowed it to bother me, but how else could I feel when a girl gets so wrapped up in a fellow that she forgets to kiss good night to the guy who wants to marry her? If you're an ex-serviceman experienced in critical skills needed to keep America's air defense strong, well, then you're in luck. You see, right now, the Air Force needs men skilled in many important fields. So put your service earned experience to work your best advantage as a member of the Air Force team. Make the credits you've earned toward a comfortable retirement payoff. For complete details, you ride or visit your nearest Air Force recruiter. Ask for the prior service man's folder. See what a return to the service as an airman can mean to you. Today and tomorrow, you're better off in the United States Air Force. And now, the second act curtain of the proudly-we-held production, The Unbeatable Mac. Life can sometimes get as complicated as the electronic system on an RC 121D, except that you don't have a repair technician around to straighten out any kinks. Several evenings after that dance, I dropped around to the hobby shop at the service club to catch up on a little woodworking project of mine. Hey, Wally. He told me I'd find you here. Oh, hi, Mac. Just doing a little work. On your time off? Hey, what's at your coffee here? Some chess pieces. They don't look like chess pieces to me. No, I guess they don't. I'm giving them a sort of new look. Let me see. That kind of looks like a plane. It is. I don't get it. What's that got to do with chess? Well, here's the way it's going to be. I'm going to carve the pawns to represent jet fighters, the Rooks, Air and Sea Rescue Planes, the Bishops' Matadors, Knights' Recon Planes, the Queen's Sac Farmers and the King, the Capital in Washington. Yeah. So instead of a game of chess, I call it a flight of chess. A flight, huh? Go on. Well, the way I look at it, the chess player represents the RC 121D, in that he seeks out the enemy, too, and then brings in to play the forces that will bring about a splash or checkmate. Get it? Hey, that's not bad. Hey, you really got something there, boy? Let me know when it's done, huh? I'd like to try again. Oh, Wally, look, by the way, what's Dottie's last name? Dottie? Oh, Evans, why? Well, just wondering. That's all. I'll be seeing you. Yeah, sure. I stood there for a moment, watching while Mack went straight to the telephone directory. I made a pencil mark beside a number, went into the booth, made a phone call, and then left. I should have turned around and gone back into the hobby shop, but I didn't. I couldn't. Something drew me over to the directory, knowing what I would find when I looked. And I was right. Mack had made a check mark beside Dottie's phone number. I felt like calling her right away, but decided to wait until my date with her the next night. The following morning, we had a squadron briefing. And we've just received word that a con at exercise, Operation Cracker Jack, is coming up sometime within the next few weeks, during which a number of planes bearing simulated atom bombs will try to penetrate the air defense command defenses. The date of the attack will remain secret, but we must be ready as we always are. As Mack had said once, never a dull moment, always something exciting. But as it was, I was pretty much excited already in a different way. As soon as I got Dottie alone that night, I came right out with it. Yes, Wally, what is it? Did Mack call you last night? Mack? Yes, he did. What for? He just wanted to tell me something. What? Really, Wally? You sound like Mr. District Attorney. Sorry, Dottie. It's just I'd like to know. Well, to tell you the truth, it was something to do with the air defense command. Air defense command? Yes. Now, if you're going to take me to the movies, we better get going. The lights are on. Mother's waiting up for me. Yes, and I better get going. Really enjoyed the movie tonight, Wally. Thanks. Solid eye. My next night off is Friday. See you then. Oh, Wally, Friday? I'm sorry, but I'll be busy that night. Busy? But we always kept Friday nights open. I'll tell you what, call me Saturday, okay? I've got to run now, I don't think I'm a suspicious guy ordinarily, but circumstances seem to be far more than ordinary. I was beginning to put two and two together, and I didn't want to look at the answer. But Saturday morning at breakfast, I had to look at it. Hi, Wally. Sit down here, there's plenty of room. Good morning, Clyde. Hey, greetings, fellas. Hey, Mac. Hey, man, look at those scrambled eggs, will ya? The true hour cooks all graduated from the Waldorf. Well, if they didn't, they should have. Say, Mac, I've got a phone to pick with you. You can start picking, Clyde. How come you don't even say hello to one of your own crew? Not because I don't want to, I'm sure, explain. Well, I saw you walking downtown with that girl. What's her name? Donnie Evans? And I yelled at you, but you were so busy talking, you didn't even look up. Hey, yeah, look, forget it, Clyde, will ya? Sure, but, Mac... I said, can it, huh? Now, Mac, I've got something to say to you after breakfast. Oh, now, look, Wally... After breakfast, Mac, in my room, okay? Okay, okay. Now, listen, Mac, I want you to give it to me straight. Oh, Wally, you're way off course. Did you have a date with Dottie last night? Well, yes, in a way, but don't get sore. Sore? Sure, I'm sore. I have good reason to be, don't I? Wally... I should've known. It's been like this all the time, hasn't it, Mac? Anything, anytime, you always win out. If you think I'm going to take you on this time, you've got another thing coming. Go ahead if you want it. All I wanted to know was where I stood. Hey, lay off the panic button, will ya? I can explain the whole thing. Well, all right, I'm waiting. Well, not just yet. Yeah, sure. Maybe after the wedding, huh? Forget it. I'm not interested in explanations now or ever. I didn't call Dottie after that, although she tried several times to reach me, but I did some thinking. I told Mac I wasn't going to try to win a bank, but I was just talking. I knew I wouldn't give up. I also knew that I had to prove to myself once and for all that Mac couldn't always win. Only I didn't think I'd get the opportunity so soon. But today, just about an hour ago. Beautiful job of wood carving, Wally. Thanks, Clyde. Clever the way you got it figured. How does it work out? I haven't tried it yet. Well, it's got to be broken in. And it might as well be by the best player in the crew. Hey, Mac! Yeah? Come here a minute. Ah, Clyde, we've got a flight coming up. We have to be at the briefing in an hour. So what? Finish it later. What do you want, Clyde? How about trying out Wally's new pieces in a game? With him? Sure. Nothing but the best for the best. Well, he wants to. It's okay with me. What about the time? Well, sure. Sure, let's have a game. Now, this was what I had wanted. Though not quite so soon. I hadn't thought I was ready yet. But I decided on an impulse to get it over with. To try to beat Mac at just one game at chess. And maybe I could sort of... Well, break the spell. As we spread out the pieces on the board, it suddenly came to me. Those tiny planes representing Air Force units brought up a completely new concept of strategy to me. And slowly they revolved in my mind a plan to win. What kind of an opening move is that? Play the game. Let's go, you two. Time to get ready for the briefing. Okay. Yeah. Boy, that sure is some strange playing, Wally. I never saw anything like it. Neither have I. Neither have I. We marked the positions of the pieces, played to be resumed at the next opportunity. And now I pack the board into my B-4 bag. In a short time, we'll be on the flight. Maybe during a break, if I can only carry it through. Now here we are far out over the Atlantic. A lot of traffic today. I've worn out one grease pencil already. Round and round goes the sweep and what it'll pick up nobody knows. Oh, there's a blip. Recorder, this is ACO scope three. Have an initial track at 090, range 110, time 240. Recorder, ACO three. Your track is designated eight. He records it and I continue getting its altitude from the height finder and calculating its speed. Recorder, this is ACO scope three. Track eight is at 090, range 105, speed 240, direction west, altitude 10,000. Roger. In the meantime, he has notified the ground radar stations who check with flight plans. Within 30 seconds, I hear on the hot mic. Recorder, intercept director, track eight is unknown. A bogey. I continue tracking the blip while the intercept director waits for the interceptor planes which have been scrambled by the ground station to come within his radar range. We have no idea what the plane's identity is until we hear on the PA system. Aircraft commander to crew. I have just been notified by combat operations center that ground observer corps posts in Canada provided Cona and the warning in tip-off for Operation Cracker Jack. Our coast is under simulated attack. Good luck. Over. Within seconds, more blips appear on our screens and we have our hands full. But not as full as our intercept directors. He has to guide the interceptor planes by radar until they notify him that the enemy attackers have been theoretically shot down. But we won't know the results until after the flight. There's no time to do anything but track each clip as it appears. Finally, the operation's over. We're on our way home and we have time to take a break. Want to finish that game, Wally? Well, it's right here. Let's go. Well, Mac, this is it. Check and check, mate. Hey, congratulations, Wally. You're improved, and how? You've been I have in more ways than one as you'll find out after we touch down. Naturally, I'm feeling pretty good. After we land and go to the debriefing, I feel even better. Man, I've just received word that we intercepted successfully all intruders within our area. Do you men on the scopes and speaking for the flying crew, I want to say, well done. Want to stop for some coffee? I can't do it, Clyde. I've got something else to take care of. Hey, what's that, Wally, if I'm not buttoning in? Well, no, Mac, you're not buttoning in. You're in on it, too. I'm going to phone Dottie for a date with her for tonight. I don't care who has a date with her. Now, Wally, listen. I'm taking you along on this date as you have to be straightened out on something, too. Are you trying to be funny? No, I mean that. Come on, get in your class A uniform and let's get going downtown. No more back talk. Mac, haven't we had enough of this mystery? Where are you taking me? Just a minute. We're there. Top floor. Now, up this flight of steps, to the roof. The roof? How did you bring me up here for? What's up here? Look, you dope. That shack, you see it? Yeah. Now go on over and see who's inside it. Dottie, what in the world? Hi, Wally. Mac, what do you think we spotted three low-flying intruders in the operation? What do you think of that on my first time? Oh, that's good work, Dottie. I think you better explain to Wally here before he blows a gas. Wally, dear, don't look so dumbfounded. I mean, I can see you're working in the ground observer corps, but... Oh, it was like this, Wally. You never told me anything about your work, and if we're... Well, a wife should know what her husband's doing. So when I heard that Mac had been in the GOC, I asked him to help me get into it. Look, you clunkhead, you remember that night Clyde saw me with Dottie? Well, that's when I took her over to the local branch. Oh, what a dope I am. I signed up, did some training, and here I am. I know what work you're doing, but I can take an active part in it, too. But, Dottie, why didn't you tell you? I wanted to be a surprise for you. Well, that sure has been a surprise, but a nice one. Mac, I don't know how to apologize, but... Ah, forget it. I'd have probably done the same thing myself if I'd have been in your shoes. Well, I think I'll leave you two lovebirds together, huh? See you at the base, Wally. So long, Mac. Bye, Mac, and thanks. Certainly a nice fellow, Wally. Yeah. You can't beat a guy like that. Even when you do. Here's important news for all ex-servicemen. You may be qualified to enlist in the United States Air Force at a higher grade and with higher pay than you may realize. Right now the Air Force needs men who are experienced in critical skills, skills required to keep America's air defense strong. So for full details, visit your nearest Air Force recruiter right away. Ask him for the fold of a prior serviceman. Today and tomorrow, you're better off in the United States Air Force. This has been another program on Proudly We Hail, presented transcribed in cooperation with this radio station. Proudly We Hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center in New York for the United States Air Force, and this is Dick Herbert speaking, inviting you to tune in to the same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hail.