 Proudly 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 for your army and your Air Force to bring you this story as proudly we hail the United States Air Force story is entitled focus on me galley as proudly we hail silver star winner major George McKay jet photo reconnaissance pilot and all the officers and men of the 67th tactical reconnaissance group US Air Force our first act curtain will rise in just a moment but first young men you can be flying the fastest most modern jets within 18 months as an Air Force aviation cadet jets are easy to fly safe too when you learn the aviation cadet way the Air Force spares no pains to give its future pilots the finest most thorough aviation training in the world it's not easy work not by any means it takes a good man to make the grade but the rewards are worth it here's what you'll get when you complete training the silver wings of an Air Force lieutenant earnings of more than $5,000 a year and an unlimited opportunity for leadership in the jet age if you're interested in a career in flying begin as an aviation cadet to qualify you must be between the ages of 19 and 26 and a half single and a high school graduate for further details visit your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station immediately and now your army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production focus on me galley it is the mission of tactical reconnaissance to obtain by visual photographic and electronic means from the air by day and night all information that is a value to the air ground team for the planning accomplishing and assessing of tactical operations against the enemy that's what the book says that means if you're a reconnaissance pilot like Major George McKay you fly day and night good weather and foul to keep tabs on the enemy how important is this will you and the other boys in the 67th tactical reconnaissance group supplied 90% of the intelligence information going to UN forces in Korea here's an example it all started in Seoul a joint operations center the nerve center of 5th Air Force 8th Army air ground operations it was 1100 when the JOC combat operations officer Colonel blood got a phone call from the intelligence officer of the 4th fighter interceptor group Colonel blood speaking major right here Colonel what have you got major trouble Colonel trouble but kind of trouble mix and make count this morning where well both our morning flights report the same thing lots of makes parked the red fields across the yellow and on tongue and taught them cool bringing in reinforcements are they right we figure they've got 200 makes a ton cool about 300 and on tongue and is high and that's not also that's enough our boys say they also saw a twin engine bombers on the ramps a lot of bombers are you sure that's what they said about 140 140 the reds never had nearly that number of bombers or mix either for that matter well just passing along what it's worth Colonel course the visual count like this isn't always too reliable visibility being what it is from 30,000 feet across the other I understand major with all those bombers the reds might be fixing to hit our airfields that's what we figured and all those makes they could plover our swio damn strike this afternoon and that damn is less than a hundred miles from those red fields a major we've got to get a reliable make count before sending out this afternoon strike what we have another saber jet patrol due back any minute won't do I'm going to check with my operations deputy in intelligence here but there's only one way to handle this what's that I'm going to call Colonel day's wreck wing we need immediate photo reconnaissance corroboration Colonel day speaking Colonel blood here Jim what can we do for you we need immediate photo reconnaissance Roger where this is a tough one Jim and tongue and tattoo what's the scoop saber boys report a high make count on those fields this morning also 140 twin engine bombers sounds like they had a busy morning it's this afternoon I'm interested in if you follow me understand Colonel I'll notify Colonel Smith's wreck group right away to get one of his best men off the ground call Baker over at the fourth fighter interceptor group he's been alerted to furnish your man with an escort right we'll call you as soon as we get a picture probably inside of two hours good deal I'll be standing by to hear Jim day here got a hot one for you JOC wants a wreck mission at once now here are your instructions fine major McKay and bring him here right away and have airman Gilbert get fourth fighter interceptor on the phone while the sergeant located you your Colonel call the fourth fighter interceptor group Colonel Royal Baker the fourth is just on the other side of your field at Kimpo outside of Seoul just had a call from Colonel day at wing operations JOC wants a photo mission sent up immediate yes but operations people just told me about it up down tongue and tongue that's the baby all right kind of cover you want for your boy normal cover ought to do it 12 high cover at 35,000 8 medium cover at 20 25,000 and four right with your photo boy okay who's gonna be one of our best major McKay you'll take good care of him you said for me Colonel well McKay just came in I'll send him right over right by George better get into your flight gear right away what's up Colonel you're gonna take some pictures of antung and tartung coup you take off in 15 minutes and that's how you first learn what sort of work you'd be doing that day a few minutes later you're dressed for work your colonels checked you out of what he knows about the mission and you're in a Jeep bouncing across Kimpo field to the briefing shack of the fourth fighter interceptor group to meet the saver jet boys who'll be your escort outside there's an old friend of yours captain Ralph Banks George McKay what do you say Ralph I guess you'd be the wreck pilot on a deal like this we don't send boys on a man's job gonna be 24 of us saver jets make sure you do that job well with what I've been told about the high MiG count I'll need every one of you remember I haven't got any guns buddy that's one thing I can't forget what does you guys say alone unarmed and unafraid oh no no we say alone unarmed and unafraid well this time at least you're not alone buddy I don't want to ever be alone in MiG alley you'll meet both guns or no guns briefing about the start any minute squadron commander just went inside and let's us get inside and get the dope fine Dick Ayersman will be the formation leader I'll be your close cover leader suits me you've got me back in one piece before I'll try to do the same this trip hope so Joc wants pictures of antung and ta-tung coup real bad briefing is a matter of giving you and your escort all the information on hand which will enable you all to perform your mission and return safely you sit in the crowded room jotting some dope down on your mission card filing other facts in the back of your mind first the group operations officer gives you all your start engines time 1135 takeoff time 1145 in and out routes to target flight altitude then the intelligence officer all right gentlemen let me have your attention please this is not a routine photo rec mission it's high priority ordered about a half an hour ago by joint operation center for photo corroboration of an unusually high Megan bomber count that we reported on on tongue and ta-tung coup fields earlier this morning Joc must have pictures of those fields as soon as possible are you 24 saver jets are escorting mckay to see that he gets his pictures and brings them back because of the big count is as high as we think the sweet ho damn fighter bomber strike will have to be called off this afternoon and if those bombers are on those fields we can expect our UN fields to be hit so fewer sabers will be available to escort the fighter bombers on whatever strike is mounted because the 86s will be needed for interception here at base fifth Air Force can't make a decision until they have mckays pictures now since mckays in an RF 80 rest of you are in 86s it'll be spotted by the migs right away and they'll go after him you're to stop them now you can expect to be outnumbered and you can expect funny a flack here at areas B C and F and all along the yellow in front of both on tongue and ta-tung coup any questions no no questions intelligence has just told you all it's really important plenty of migs and plenty of flack and the Reds will be determined to stop you from getting your pictures as determined as you'll be to get them then the formation leader and nature heirsman takes over I'll leave the eye cover of 12 at angels 30 Brian will leave the 8 medium cover at 20,000 and the bank's flight will take care of close cover sticking with mckay all the time you're all familiar with how the migs operate on a mission of this type so there's nothing new on your evasion tactics radio will go to Baker channel after takeoff Charlie channel approaching the target area and one thing if you get hit try to make the West Coast and that wraps up the briefing on the way out banks gives you a nudge you're in good hands buddy we'll get those pictures and no sweat what kind of camera you got in there today long range K 22 in the nose all that means you'll be making runs right at the target pointing your buggy like on a gun rerun right affirmative forward a bleak we call it what altitude I'll start my runs at 10,000 break off at 6 there's no need for us to go up any higher than 20,000 then we can let down to 10,000 when you give the word good deal buddy see upstairs right right 10 minutes so now it's all set up you go back to your side of the field climb into your RF 80 a shooting star stripped of its guns and armed with only camera and film take off soon you've joined up on banks and his boys heading north with them hovering protectively about you as you cross the bomb line you can hear the formation leader heirsman reporting in the entire formation to tactical air direction center fireball this is early bird leader over fireball here early bird leader go ahead fireball this is early bird leader inbound six seven one two over rider early bread now that means the formation leader heads an escort for the 67th tack rec group and as the 67th 12th sortie of the day you look up through your canopy and see 12 high power swept wing saber jets glinting silvery high above at 30,000 below them eight medium cover boys and near you are your close cover they're all there to run interference for you and suddenly you feel protected and important like a star half back but it only lasts a minute you're in me galley now and trouble is on its way ahead just across the yellow you can see the red airfields and trouble is on its way for sure five minutes from the target the trouble crackles in your headsets tell me how how high early bird two very on Roger to have been psyched there's a real lot of them must be 25 settled out to wait till they make their move that's what they're doing starting this you look up to see a swarm of big smash through your top cover and blacken the sky with swirling silver dog fights you hear banks wingman we got bandits with us nine o'clock Roger it to I see them they got the case spotted they're on our tail while listening to the proudly we hail production focus on me galley will return in just a moment for the second act here's an important announcement for high school graduates if you can qualify as an aviation cadet you can become a commissioned officer in the Air Force you'll earn more than five thousand dollars a year as an aviation cadet you'll get the most thorough training in the world in the new field of jet aviation you'll be flying jets yourself within 18 months flying easily and safely a skilled jet pilot with a new world of aviation before you the training is rugged the discipline rigid but when you graduate with a commission you'll have a career ahead of you that will take you far in both military and commercial aviation if you are between the ages of 19 and 26 and a half single and a high school graduate you can qualify for this training and for a wonderful jet future visit your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station today you are listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of focus on me galley you're in the middle of a score of dogfights in me galley and no guns in your photo reconnaissance jet plane in your earphones you can hear the battles raging about you read the guy on your tail watch him break you need those are your close cover boys suppose to stick right with you all the time if they can but they've got too much to handle right now okay right king too late that's what on you and as you bank and yank your ship around a red hot stream of cannon shells curve over your canopy the ugly red-nosed high tail makes zooms under you with no guns that's all you can do evasive tactics they call it let's settle down boys got those bogies at four o'clock early bird three he's got him early bird leader how about telling Charlie down there he's breaking to the right I'm going after him to get on your wing early bird stay there and watch he doesn't pop his brakes while the dogfights cover the sky you reach the first photo target and tongue it sits right across the river with more jets than you ever saw before parked on a big field you're anxious to get in there quick take your picture move to your next target and get on home all those jets you call banks red one this is red five over red five this is red one go ahead letting down to 10,000 now to start my photo run Roger my wingman and I'll cover you the other two boys are busy understand here we go you let down carefully to 10,000 so that you'll be in the proper position when you start your run proper position means you finish your run so that you won't end up in red Manchuria air at 10,000 you call banks red leader this is red five how's it look no mix now make it fast red to a red leader about it's high at nine o'clock have them in sight red to can you make them a K yeah going in then stick huh no sweat you push the stick forward sliding sharply toward the antung feel in your windshield scores of flying and photographic calculations flashing through your mind wing level the plane must be a perfect camera platform wind drift so you stay on course angle of approach no skidding you're in your run now a forward oblique now which means that the camera in the nose of the ship is shooting down an angle to head and you've hit the toggle switch that starts the camera the green light on your instrument panel is bleak in every three seconds indicating the times your K 22 is actually photographing it's like a bomb run once started you can't deviate from your path so you forget about miggs and flak and keep the plane true on course down from 10,000 to 9,000 8,000 7,000 concentrating on the target on the runway you can see three pairs of miggs one pair perched on the edge lining up for takeoff another pair rushing down into the wind and another soaring swiftly from the end of the runway airborne pointing skywards to join the attack the attack on you but now it's 6,000 you turn your switch off and scream up an auroring chandelier regain altitude and head for target number two down the river red five to get your pictures have yes good pictures red leader need you take some more negative buddy that run was enough for here good deal then let's haul out of here down to the next target for a run there brought your buddy up to 10,000 again she is buddy to tongue cool yeah it looks like they got as many jets as and tongue yeah see any twin engine bombers not yet but they may show in a picture you're ready to start your run I've got 10,000 affirmative starting run now stick again huh we may not be so lucky this time you can say again bandage 12 o'clock high take them banks turning into a bread to do a red leader screaming down out of the sun before your escort to get between you and them to fat deadly makes draw beads on you and now you feel absolutely naked you really miss not having guns now with guns we could fight back but photo wreck pilots aren't supposed to fight back they're supposed to evade and deliver their pictures home so you evade using every trick in the book some that haven't been written and many you never thought of until this sweating fearful vulnerable moment as they slam down to you you start a slow turn to give them an easy deflection shot and just as they're about to start firing you break sharply to the left bank yank and then pop your dive flaps and watch the murderous pair shoot past and away on the day you got rid of them they almost got rid of me buddy ready for another try how's it look most clear to me a red leader look again red two six o'clock medium I see him red leader 10 of them starting the runs we can take these babies let's go I'm going to buddy keep those boys busy so again you start into your run pointing the nose and its camera tattoo cool feel across the aloe keeping your plane on the slanting run you're committed to over your left shoulder you see two minks whistling down a neat firing passes the red glowing embers and their cannon shells marching closer and closer to your tail and as they skid out of their diving banks the shells shoot out ahead of you and then another pair of minks run on you from the right and then you're at 6000 feet not a minute too soon and you break sharply into the curve of the downpouring minks jam your throttle to the firewall and roar down and away in a screaming turning dive as the minks shoot over your canopy then suddenly it's all over for you and you're alone on the deck far over ahead the sky is marked with vapor trails and flat bursts and distant battling silver planes you've got your pictures you want out red leader this is red five do you read me out and clear red five over I'm ready for home how about getting me there gathering up my little flock now red five you have me in sight affirmative red five joining up on you now how about the rest of the formation early burden is high and low cover boys are in a hassle right now they can't leave I'll let the tigers stay I'm ready to return the pigeon right where with you make sure you get those pictures in the soup and develop good deal I'd hate for anything to happen to him now a minute later your close cover is grouped about you need them because your job is only half done now the fight are bombers and fighter interceptors do their job at the target but it's no good if you get to the target and then don't bring your pictures back home it would be a waste a tragic waste so your escort stays with you faithfully until you're home on the ground your camera is taken from the nose of the plane and into the photo lab you go into your 15 squadron intelligence room for debriefing you're tired and sweat soaked like nothing better than a cold shower and a cold drink but you've got an intensive cross examination to go through first debriefing no point is too small for the intelligence officer no casual answer will satisfy him like this you say it was rough yeah I'd say it was rough how do you mean rough in what way all makes mostly how many makes well I didn't get a chance to actually count them well were there 20 30 40 well the first bunch that bounced me I'd say maybe 30 when was that about 10 minutes out of Anton are you sure it was 10 minutes that's pretty far out for them well maybe closer to five minutes where they attack from high cover spotted them three o'clock high they said three o'clock Congress direction East how high well they said very high must have been close to 40,000 feet since high cover was at 30,000 you sure high cover was at 30,000 where were you and so it goes and then you get down to the business of the target after you give them your visual count of makes and twin engine bombers and anything new you saw it either feels he lets you go you go over to the photo lab to see what's happened to your pictures Colonel Smith and you enter together inside all sorts of people are waiting for the results everybody's heard about the mission how's it go up there George ran into a little trouble I heard it was something more than a little couldn't have been too rough Colonel I got the pictures think they'll turn out sure of it good man hey where's my photo interpreter right here sir all it doesn't burns McKay's pictures ready yet in the wash now sergeant says in a minute I will read them wet print them up later that's what we figured Colonel in the meantime get Colonel day over at wing on the line yes sir Colonel bladder JOC is waiting for the dope now so they tell me well we hurried all the way I bet you did on the way back a special ball and Jack all the way I'm calling for Colonel day give me Starfire those 86 boys right about that high mid-count George pretty close from what I could make visually Starfire Colonel Smith calling give me six to one I will soon know for sure six to one Colonel Smith calling a like to speak to Colonel day Colonel Smith calling sir just a minute please Colonel Smith Colonel days in the line Smith here Colonel got the dope up any minute in the wash now thanks Sergeant just slip it down the table here and turn the light on under the glass just putting it on the table now Colonel hold on and I'll give you a count that's you know and tongue 37 make 15 swept wings in the marshaling area in the east end of the main runway there I'll hold it burns yeah Colonel we have 37 makes it on tongue east end of runway go ahead burn on the parking ramp on north side of runway 48 48 single engine make 15 type aircraft 48 makes on parking ramp on north side of the runway only eight twin engine type jet bombers at Antung 10 of them a tattoo anything else burns I sit till I can make a more detailed study of the print that's the poop so far Colonel thanks a lot we sure appreciate it that's our job going pretty fast even for you boys are in three quarters when I found you pretty good I'll tell McKay here he took the pictures how soon can we get the prince will start running them off now happen to you by courier in two hours tops plus a more detailed photo interpreter report good deal you know I'm glad that bomber report was wrong but you've still got a high mig count certain things may be changed this afternoon understand bye thanks again your job is completed now the printers and dryers and photo interpreters and couriers and then JOC take it from here and everyone was pleased with the results your pictures corroborated the unusually high mig count that being the case JOC called off the sweetheart damn strike I'm glad they did that damn it's pretty close to their mig basis the pictures also showed those fields are still strictly make basis oh no twin engine bombers like we thought not many more unusual very few oh that's good news least we won't be bombed ourselves for a while yeah what sort of strike to JOC send out instead of the damn one in North Korean headquarters at Pyongyang another against supply concentrations at once on oh that's a little further away from those red fields good move how'd they do great far as our rec pilot there could tell from his before and after visual you reconnaissance guys are everywhere we also had a couple of photo joes up there for bomb damage assessment but our photo interpreters haven't finished their report you a variety George that's what we have in this outfit I believe it those guys you got flying for you Colonel they're quite a bunch yeah they're quite a bunch our nation's future lies in the skies get in on this exciting future as an Air Force aviation cadet be a leader in this coming movement if you can qualify you'll be trained in the latest aviation techniques learning with pay it won't be easy of course it takes hard work intelligence and initiative but if you make the grade you'll receive the silver wings of an Air Force Lieutenant within a year wings that are your keys to leadership in an air age to qualify for this opportunity you must be between the ages of 19 and 26 and a half single and a high school graduate if you can measure up see your local Army and Air Force recruiting officer today it's an air future when your place in it now as an aviation cadet this has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with the 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 the same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we hail