 Proudly we hail. 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. Our story is entitled Next to the Real Thing. This is the story of the officers and men of the Air Defense Command who are constantly on guard to detect and smash a sneak enemy air attack. Our first act curtain will arise in just a moment, but first... Want a job? A big job? A job with the biggest future of them all? If you're single between the ages of 19 and 26 and a half, you may qualify. Naturally you must be in top mental and physical condition. Training isn't easy, but it's the best. You'll graduate as an aircraft observer, win your silver wings and be earning more than $5,000 a year as an Air Force Lieutenant. There's no aerial navigation, radar, the theory of gunnery and bombing, many other highly specialized subjects. As an aircraft observer, you'll be aerial quarterback of an Air Force team, a man who calls signals for his plane and crew. If you qualify, you can begin classes within two weeks. Approximately 14 months later, you'll be a crew member aboard one of Uncle Sam's finest airplanes. For full information, visit your local U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force recruiting station. And now your Army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production next to the real thing. This is a story of time, a race against the clock. A story of the Air Defense Command in action protecting the continental United States against attack from the air on one momentous night, not so long ago. It starts in the afternoon in headquarters of the Air Defense Command at Ent Air Force Base Colorado Springs, Colorado. A message comes in on the teletype from Washington received by Intelligence Officer Captain Joseph Wood. The time? 3 o'clock. Sergeant, this flash message looks hot. I'm going to ask the boss to come back here. Captain Wood's boss is Colonel, now General, Woodbury M. Burgess, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence for the Air Defense Command. Burgess here. Duty officer, sir. I got something interesting here, sir. Just flash from Washington. Do you have time to come back? What's it look like? Flash from Washington? Sure is. Well, take it down to security room and decode it. Just a second, I'll come along. There you are, Colonel, decoded. Authoritative Intelligence reports... Hmm. Show, this is serious. What do you make of it, Colonel? Let's check the map first. I put the location is right about here, Chuck. That's the way I read it. And here, and here. It's mighty close. Let's go back to the rest of our dope, and what do you get? By George, that could mean... Censored. Just call this Intelligence Material X. It concerned the mission of the Air Defense Command, defense of the U.S. against air attack. But it didn't quite fit into the picture somehow. So the Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Brigadier General Kenneth P. Burgess, was called in. Can't you cut this any finer, Woody? Exactly what does this X mean? Joe, the General wants intelligence to be clear of Oya. Well, it's like a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes it fits, sometimes it doesn't. Now, we already told you how serious this X could be, Ken. On the other hand, it could mean nothing, nothing at all. Only we could someday positively interpret some of this intelligence. So we'd know when it's the tip-off. No, that won't happen that way, Ken. We can't depend on any long-term warning of a Soviet air attack on the United States. That's why we must study every bit of intelligence we get, like X upside down and backwards. We just can't ignore any item that may have bearing on their launching an attack. Glad you don't. In operations, we need whatever little advance information you've got. You know, Ken, Russia's got several hundred Tu-4 type bombers they could hit us with. Yeah, I know. They must assume they know our targets and they know how to hit them. If they pressed an attack, we'd be lucky to stop 30% of them. That's a nice thought. And you had that to what X could mean. Which is why we called you. Have you been in touch with the Defense Forces, east and west and central? I'll call them the first thing. They're studying X now. Not if I army anti-aircraft to stand by for further instructions. Have them send out their canned alert to all units. Right, General. Now, let's re-study X and collate it with other intelligence material that we have. This goes on into the night, speculating, pondering, wondering, trying to fit X into the jigsaw puzzle of Soviet intentions. Now, an alert shack near Presque Isle, Maine. Inside, all other fighter interceptor pilots are on 24-hour duty, dressed in flight gear, ready to go on a minute's notice. Most of the pilots sleep, but one talks to his radar observer teammate. The time? 11.45 p.m. Hey, Buck, take a letter. Hello, Johnny. When are you going to learn to work this typewriter yourself? Later, later. Come on, let me dictate to you. This is the last time I'm your radar observer, not your secretary. Come on, you got the paper in? In a minute, in a minute. Okay, shoot. Uh, dearest, most beautiful, most darling, Ellen. Think that's friendly enough? She'll get the general idea. Okay. Uh, Ellen, it's the middle of the night, and I'm all alone guarding the continental United States. All alone. We get scrambled into the air, and no sleeping beauties will be airborne as soon as us. A mere detail. All alone, with only me and my trusty F-94, and a dumb radar observer named Buck you met last month. Listen, insults I don't have to type about myself, buddy. This is probably the last 24-hour alert I will stand, because any minute I expect special orders to come in from the chief staff himself, saying... Not so fast. Jay, what is it? Saying I am just the boy they are looking for. Ah, I say again. Ah-ha. You think I'm going to spend the rest of my life being scrambled to identify some pilot that loses his heading? You don't know, Johnny. Someday you might get up there, and instead of reading an NC civil aeronautics number on that fuselage, it'll say Russian Air Force, heading for New York. Fat chance. Well, it's a chance, buddy. That's why you're here. You're playing for keeps, whether you know it or not. No, pep talks, please. And I'll take care of this Ellen chick while you're gone. Buck, you wouldn't do that, would you? Oh, you should see the way she eyes me when you're not looking. Like when you went after the cigarettes last week. Hmm. Uh, Ellen, let's meet this weekend in Boston. Just the two of us. Oh. I won't bother to bring Buck along because I just covered that he is a no-good, double-cross and unfriendly chief. A routine night in an alert shack. Four walls and two restless airmen. And back at the intelligence room, there's command headquarters in Colorado Springs. Another kind of frustration. Right, Harvey, that's the way we size it up here. We'll be in touch with you. How would they have to say it, Western Air Defense Force? They agree with our estimation of X. At least each command now knows as much or as little as we do. Well, we checked Eastern Air Defense Force and Western and Central as well. There's not much else we can do now. Without a crystal ball, that is. Captain's right, Woody. Nor do we get more dope on X. What time is it? It's 20 after 10. Well, let's put X to bed and ourselves. Yeah, might as well. Something further may come in tomorrow. We'll have more to go on. No bed for me, gentlemen. I have the intelligence duty watch. Oh, by the way, what's the code name in case you have to rouse me out of bed in the middle of the night? Windy Night. Windy Night. Mm-hmm. Well, here's hoping it's a calm, peaceful, windless night. Good night, Captain. Coming, Woody? Yeah, right, Ken. Night, Joe. Good night, General. Colonel. I'm the Chief of the Center, duty officer Captain Eason speaking. Yeah? Mm-hmm. How long go? Further verification? I see, right. What was that, Bob? Western, they got a report from Alaska. What's up? Sighting over Nunavak Island, four vapor trails at high altitude, could be enemy planes heading our way. Who made the sighting? That's just it. Could have been an Eskimo, for all I know. Any verification? None. And it's only a supposed sighting of vapor trails, not actual aircraft. Hmm. It's like seeing the footprints and not the fogs. I know. Can you wake up your boss? Well, I have to now. Well, what we got in this afternoon, this could put everything up for grabs. The birds is here. Colonel, Captain Wood speaking. Wendy Knight, sir. Right, Captain. For now. Call our Canadian Defense Command friends at St. Hubert, tell them we're looking for trouble. And you? I'll stand by and wait for the Colonel. Got a feeling this is going to be a big night. Minutes later, Colonel Birches joins Captain Wood. Together they check all the information they have on the Nunavak sighting, weighing it against Information X. Another phone call brings General Burgquist to headquarters. The time? 1 a.m. What about this Nunavak sighting, Woody? Well, it was made about an hour and a half ago. Four vapor trails at high altitude. Heading eastward toward our west coast. Who made this sighting? Well, ground observation is all we know. Have they been seen since? The plane's been spotted? Yeah, we just queried Elmendorf base in Alaska. Oh, anything coming yet, Joe? This may be it now. Let's take a look. Nothing further at present here. That's all they say. Well, try them again, Joe. We have to get a clarification on that sighting. Oh, afraid we won't be able to, Colonel. What's that? This line's being relayed by the west coast. Yes. They just said all their lines to Alaska went out. Radio teletype and phone lines both. It works. They're completely cut off. No communications with Alaska. Possibly sabotage to screen oncoming enemy bombers. Possibly just a bad break. Meanwhile, things are humming. Phone calls on the classified circuit and radio teletype messages are exchanged between headquarters ADC and its subordinate commands, Eastern, Western, Central, and the Pentagon. At 2.20 a.m., the vice commander of the air defense command, Major General Frederick H. Smith, is called at his quarters. General, this is Ken Berquist. Windy night. Something hot? Well, you think so? I think you better get down here. The vice commander does fast. He's briefed on Intelligence X and the Nunevec sighting, the time, 3.30 a.m. What you just told me about X, I'm inclined just on the basis of the Nunevec sighting to call air defense readiness right now. Certainly should be considered. No further dope on the Nunevec planes? None. Now they could be on their way now or have turned back. Four possible enemy bombers, each with maybe an atom bomb headed toward us a few hours ago, and we don't know where they are? That's the size of it. What's the estimated time of arrival with Seattle radar net? Well, we figured their ETA at 4.30 a.m. An hour and a half to go. What are you going to do? Plenty, Ken. We can't have another Pearl Harbor. Well, you could tell Weston to alert its aircraft control and warning sites, have their radar and maximum search. Or call a full air defense readiness for Weston. But general, according to the map, those planes could just as well hit Chicago from Nunevec as Seattle. Or both, simultaneous attack against the West Coast and the Midwest. You're thinking about putting both Central and Weston on readiness? Well, then I wonder about Eastern. Why would they hit Western and Central alone when most of our potential is in the East? Oh, here comes Captain Wood. Easton Air Defense Force just called in. What do they got? Five unknown coming in over Prescott, Maine. Good Lord. This could be it. Simultaneous attack East, West and Central. This triggers it, boys. The entire air defense command goes on full air defense readiness as of now. You are listening to the proudly we hail production next to the real thing. We'll return in just a moment for the second act. This is the beginning of the jet age. A new college men who can qualify can join the best jet school in the world, the United States Air Force. After a full year of training, you'll win the silver wings of a pilot, plus the prestige and pride of being one of the best in a great outfit. If you qualify, you can be an aviation cadet. For full details, see your nearest U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Recruiting Officer today. You are listening to proudly we hail, and now we present the second act of next to the real thing. The first full air defense readiness for the United States has just been called. The time, 3.11 a.m. This triggers it, boys. The entire air defense command goes on full air defense readiness as of now. I'll get on the hotlines to western, central, eastern, strategic air command on the Pentagon. Joe and I'll take care of calling tactical, air research, development, air proving, and training command. And the alert teams to handle things here, intelligence communications and combat operations. The entire nationwide aircraft control and warning network is on readiness. Thank heavens. Don't forget the boss. I'll call General Chidlaw myself now. It's his ball. It's up to us to help him carry it. The boss of the air defense command, General Benjamin W. Chidlaw is rushed from his quarters to the base. In the security room, he's given an estimate of the situation by a wire recording made previously by Colonel Burgess so that the others can continue their duties. With an impending air attack, every minute counts. His briefing over, General Chidlaw strides into the combat operations center to take command of the air defense of the country threatened by attack. The time? 3.26 a.m. I want to talk to the defense force commanders. First, General Nelson at Eastern. He works on the line now. General standing by. Has the Navy been contacted? Western and Eastern alerted, both sea frontiers. How about tactical, strategic, and training commands? They have been alerted. On our own base, all teams have been alerted, General. They're working now in intelligence communications and the combat operations center. Fine. Now let me talk to Eastern. On the phone now, General. This is General Chidlaw here. Hello, Nelson. What about those Presque Isle unknowns? Let's see what did happen to those Presque Isle unknowns. Let's go back to that alert check near Presque Isle Main half an hour before. The long watch continues. The time? 3.10 a.m. By the way, you shuffle those cards. You're going to take the spots off. Hey, buddy, you accusing me of doing... Uh-oh. A scramble. Let's go. A scramble. Five minutes tops for the pilot to get his sleek, jet-powered gun mount at all with a Lockheed F-94 interceptor into the air. Start his sharp nose-hanging climb to unknown planes. Intercept them in the black of night, then to identify or destroy. Once airborne, he calls the Air Defense Direction Center below. He has his own radar operator sitting behind him, eyes glued to his small radar scope. But he needs ground-control interceptor's powerful radar to pinpoint the target and send him to it through the vast dark sky. Pawnbroker, this is Red One. How do you read me? Red One, this is Pawnbroker. Read you loud and clear. Vector 090 Buster. Bogie at Angels 10. 090 Angels 10. Roger, Pawnbroker. That means 10,000 feet at a heading of 90 degrees on the interceptor's compass. That's where the unknown is now. Soon the interceptor and the Bogie the unknown will meet. As the ground-control interception watches their two lips on his radar scope and moves the fighter into an interception course. Red One, this is Pawnbroker. Bogie is 2 o'clock. Your Angels. 50 miles passing Starboard to Port. Don't see him, Pawnbroker. Probably a boxcar. See anything on your radar box? Negative, buddy. Nothing yet. Pawnbroker, this is Red One. What now? Vector 010 Buster. Roger, Pawnbroker. 010 it is. Punch, Red One, punch. He says punch, Buck, you got it? There's nothing on my screen yet. Not a blip in sight. Pawnbroker, this is Red One. No joy. Got it, Johnny. Blip ahead. Contact Red One to Pawnbroker. Judy. Not a visual yet, Johnny? No, don't put me on him, buddy. Target is 40 degrees, Port. 10,000 yards. Our Angels. I'll turn her a little. Target is now 20 degrees, Port. Turning. Too much. Target 5 degrees, Starboard. 3,000 yards. Roger. Roger, how's that? Steady. Target dead ahead. You're in firing position. You see him yet? Yeah, all right. There he is. Just broke out of that cloud. Multi-engine, all right? Can you tell what he is? Negative. Going in for a beam pass. Eyeballing, buddy. Here we go. See what I saw? Yeah. Big, beautiful letters. An airliner. Poor guy must have been blown off his course by this crosswind. You can take your finger off the trigger now, buddy. Red One to Pawnbroker. I have one airliner. A Stratocruiser at Angels 8. Heading 190. Speed 2, 3, 0 knots over. From that Stratocruiser at Angels 8. Heading 190. Another Bunk Vector 3, 6, 0 Buster. Identification of the friendly aircraft is reported to the control center that scrambled the interceptors. Passed on to Eastern ADF and on to the combat operation center in Colorado Springs. There, things are still humming. The time? 3, 41 a.m. Keep on the phone. What was that, Ken? Aircraft control and warning reports that complete nationwide network and readiness. A miracle. Considering all the emergency communications lines, which had to be put into operation, and the additional people that had to be brought in, it took only three quarters of an hour. We need miracles, Ken. Anything from Eastern on those press-guile unknowns yet? General Smith is on the hotline with them now. What about the Nunavoc sightings? The lines are still out. No further reports. That was Eastern, General. A scramble identified the unknowns. What were they? Instead of five unknowns, it was three. All friendlies from Europe. Weren't they cleared from Gantah, Newfoundland? Yes, sir. Their flight plans were filed all right, but they were blown off course. So the trigger cause of our readiness turns out to be a few old buddies. We had no way of knowing. That's right, Fred. We could never tell. There's still that Nunavoc sighting. With an ATA of 430 at either Chicago or Seattle? Do I tell Eastern they can relax? No, nobody relaxes until those Nunavoc planes are disposed of one way or the other. Time drags for all in the combat operation center. On the three huge plexiglass maps of the continental U.S., every plane, airliner, private plane, transport, military or civilian, is plotted and tracked from takeoff to landing. Then it's the zero hour. 430 a.m. 430. Here's something any minute. If they're on time. Or haven't changed course. Or if they're coming at all. Or don't slip under the radar at Seattle or Chicago. Radar operators along the entire radar network, from the Midwest to the Northwest and down the West Coast, anxiously scan their scopes, watching for the blip that means enemy aircraft are weeing in with a plain load of destruction. Later pilots sit in or near their powerful, warmed up, fully armed interceptors, waiting to be scrambled to identify or destroy. General Chidlaw and his staff hang on the minute hand of the clock in combat operation center, listening for the ring of the phone that might report contact. Watching and waiting. And the time drags. Seconds become minutes. Minutes become a half an hour. Then an hour. The time, 5.42 a.m., more than an hour after the zero hour. More coffee, Bob? Oh, thanks, Joe. I've had enough tonight to last me a lifetime. Yeah, I guess we all have at that. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a little let down. Could have been the real McCoy, but it turns out to be a false alarm. I'm sure everyone feels the same. Let down, but relieved that it wasn't. You figure we're out of the woods now, Joe. General Setty was waiting for three things before okaying and all clear. What three things? First, that all potential danger is gone. It is now. Next? Next, that the entire command reached its maximum state of readiness. We did that, and before the zero hour of 4.30. It should be quicker next time with what we learned tonight. Exactly, and that was the other thing General Chidlaw waited for. For everyone, from him down to the police. I'll get it. COC Captain Wood here. Mm-hmm. Oh, fine. Okay. What was it? General Chidlaw just canceled the readiness. Anything else? A report from Western. The lines to Alaska working now. That's one thing we already know we need. What's that? Direct communications with Alaska. No relay to Alaska via Western. It starts from all the commands. It's been quite a night all told. A long one. I'm ready to hit the sack. And so the first full air defense readiness for the entire air defense command in the U.S. came to an end. Now, back to that alert check. The boys are nearing the end of their alert watch. The time, 6 a.m. Come on. How long is it going to take to type one simple line? Do you want to type this post script yourself, buddy? Okay, okay. You ready? Yeah, I'm ready. Go ahead. And so, Ellen, maybe I won't be going for a while. They claim my valuable services are needed here. And maybe they're right. Last night, we took part in a full readiness alert. The same as if there had been enemy bombers. Because no one knew different until I went up and single-handed identified the planes as some airline jockeys who got blown off course. Oh, single-handed my eyebrow. Buck was asleep in the back seat over a hot radar scope. What? Resting for his weekend in Boston. So get him a date with your girlfriend because I learned that I can't trust him with you or vice versa. See you soon. Buckets of love. Dearest most beautiful Ellen. Your friend John. Think that sounds too formal for an ending? No, no. It sounds real friendly like. I wish our relief would get here. I'm ready to leap off of Boston now. And so ended the events of that fateful night. The vapor trails over Nunevec were never seen again. The planes of planes they were that caused them. As for Intelligence X well it's still an unknown quantity just as it was that night. The night the air defense command went into high gear to protect the country against a possible air attack. And fortunately found later it was only next to the rail thing. The man who calls the signals the quarterback is the hero of his team. There's an aerial quarterback who's a hero on his team too. The quarterback is the aircraft seeing eye using the science of radar to guide his plane. He's the man who's the number one single caller when it bombs away. He's the man who directs his plane on every mission it flies as master of the instrument console. You can become this man by becoming an aircraft observer in approximately 14 months you'll win your silver wings graduate as a lieutenant in the Air Force with an income of more than $5,000 a year. If you're between 19 and 26 and a half single and in top physical condition be an aircraft observer. For details visit your local US Army and US Air Force Recruiting Station. 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 and inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hail.