 This is a very important moment, a very important scene, unfortunately it's happening more and more frequently. To some of you it may be unfamiliar, yet others of you may recognize the significance of that army command car and the curious look on the faces of that combat crew. And among them is the young man to whom this day is one of precious remembrance and importance. Yes, that's rear gunner Corporal Williams, or Pee Wee as the boys call him. This is his day, but there were a lot of other days before this one, and it's worth telling about. It's quite a yarn. It all started where it started for most of you, right in that glass fishbowl. But what happened after that? Well, let's just track this story down. Yes, there's always a certain quote in the Air Force for enlisted men. What branch do you feel you're qualified for, Williams? Kind of thought I'd like to get close to one of them flying fortresses. Well, he got close to a big plane, all right, very close. That's known as really starting from the bottom. And maybe Pee Wee and a lot of other little fellows don't feel so important, but the gunnery schools are always on the lookout for men short on height, long on ambition. Morning, Pee Wee. Morning. You know, Pee Wee, you look like you'd kind of fit in the inside of that fishbowl. Well, I'd sure like to be in there, sir. I'd like to shoot a gun again, too, sir. Have I ever handled one before? Well, not one of these caliber 50s, no, sir. But I had an old shooting iron back home I used to like. Used to knock down them black killers with. Black killers? Well, sir, oh, them scrows. We call them black killers. They're mean bird. They used to raid the duck nest, sir. I got so that I could peg them on the wings. Pretty good shot, huh? Well, not bad, sir. Sergeant. Yes, sir? Take Pee Wee over to the skeet range. He might make a gunner. Right, sir. OK, Williams. Let's go. OK, Williams. Paul! Is that all I have to do, hit that little thing? That's all you have to do, sir. OK. Paul! It's not a switch. Williams. Sir. Pee Wee, how'd you like to go to gunnery school? Oh, yes, sir. Like that fox. You'll be hearing from him. They're aviation's mightiest little men. Where do they come from? From every corner of America. And here they are, student gunners at one of America's three vast gunnery schools. Yes, and there's Pee Wee. It's his first day, and he's on the brink of a new world. And they will be divided into small groups of six to 10 men. Each group will have one instructor who'll be your guide and teacher throughout the five weeks of this course. The job of the aerial gunner is a vital and important one. The lives of your combat crew and the success of a mission depend on your shooting ability. Your government is aware of the importance of flexible gunners in the victorious pursuit of this war. They know that the fire from your guns is the fire of freedom. Good luck. Aim well and shoot straight. Tick, tick! Aim well and shoot straight. That's a hopper. You know, back in Coney Island, I was a regular passie for a shooting gallery. Used to blow all my dough trying to win a Cupid to offer my girl. My girl, she's nuts for Cupies, and I can't hit the side of a bond. You mean you got prizes for shooting? Certainly. Oh, heck, you know. Back in Kansas, we didn't get nothing, except maybe the pleasure of hitting down crows. Well, at least you had a workout with a gun. Me, I'm starting from scratch. Let me tell you something, sweetheart. I'm itching to start. And me, too. I wonder how long for them classes start. How long? My brother, you're starting in right now. You increase the sight base. The buttons you do to the diameter of the ring sight in order to keep the same miles per hour reference sight. Well, you have to increase the diameter. It's very good. Questions and answers every day faster than bullets. This is a class in exterior ballistics. In other words, what happens to that bullet after it's fired? What are the five forces that affect trajectory? Propellant charge. Movement at a mount. Air resistance. Gravity and drift. And what do you think? After two weeks of going to school, Pee Wee finds himself on the BB range. The red flag. That means there's firing going on. Berlin and Tokyo beware. These young marksmen are picking up the odd of rapid sight alignment of the proper handling of a gun. No country club or millionaire shooting lodge offers a finer skeet range than this one of Uncle Sam's. Gunners on wheels, trucking on down. This is the moving base range, and it's plenty tricky. A little surprise for the boys who thought they were getting to be expert shooters. With the truck rolling along in one direction and the targets flying out in a dozen different directions, well, just try it, Pee Wee. Not bad, Private Williams. Looks as if you're learning a few new twists. It's a gay day and a sweet song. When these lads start heading out for actual firing on moving targets, assimilating combat shooting on the ground to ground turrets. How you doing there, sir? Yeah, you can get in there. I'll track your target and fire on whistle. Accounting the kill, tabulating the score of each student. The bullets dipped in different color lithographic paints leave their mark on the canvas, thus enabling the instructor to see how many hits the gunner has scored. Pee Wee, we get low to my score there. Boy, if I had to go like that 50 caliber, just thinking of the amount of Cupid dogs I could have knocked off of Coney Island. You can't win any Cupys in the Air Force, Benny. But if you keep on shooting like this, we'll let you get a couple of jabs. He saved some for the rest of us, Sarge. Not so fast there, Gunner. More ground school and study and midnight oil. But all the better to shoot well. Site harmonization is the adjustment of the site to the gun so that the line of sight will intersect the trajectory of the projectile at the desired range. We're sure learning some mighty fancy words. You said it. If I wait till the boys in Brooklyn hear me make with this scientific routine. Williams, what type of aircraft is this? JU-87B German Stuka. Identifying characteristics? Fixed landing gear. Negative Dahidra wings. And from this side? It's a square fin in the offset cockpit. Not bad. Yes, Pee Wee is far from that Kansas farm now. He's explored a labyrinth of technical and ballistic knowledge that makes the American aerial gunner the keenest in the world. Hey, Betty, give me a get-up. What's with you? Well, I just got a letter from Lieutenant Ames. And he's holding a spot for me on a B-24. No kidding. Putting you in a tail? Yeah, he figures I kind of fit there, see? You know, that's about the best news I ever had. Hey, you've got a coming here. Well, you know, back around home, the guys used to kid me, you know? They used to say I was the most unlikely to succeed. Well, they kidded me so much, I began to think they had some. But this letter is going to change all that. You said it while you belong in that fishbowl like, uh, like, uh... Like corn in a husk. Sure, sure. You can tell them all the time it is now. Sure. Look, Pee Wee, I've been taking a gander at this war. And let me tell you something. The more I sit for my tail seat, it's the gunner boys that are giving out with the stuff that's going to decide this clan bait. Well, yeah... Of course, it's only my personal opinion, but... Well, you know, the way I look at it, it takes all kinds of guys doing all kinds of jobs to win this war, see? But ours is... I figure it's a mighty big job. And by golly, it makes you feel big just to be in it. Hey, fellas, hurry up. It's nine o'clock. We're due out in the range for night firing. Oh, this isn't the 4th of July. It's just shooting in the dark, learning the use of tracer bullets. And in case you didn't know, the object of tracer bullets is to give the gunner an idea of his accuracy and lead. Those gunners will tell you that this is fascinating stuff. Those bullets, by the way, are chemically treated so that they light up, giving the gunner a perfect preview of where his live bullets are going. Hey, Benny! Yeah? Where you going on your pass? Listen, some after four weeks in this school, I'm gonna realize a lifelong ambition. Get her up again, mister. Oh, give us a break, will you, soldier? You know, you're gonna shoot me in the back-up seat. Gunners of the ground, farewell. Yes, it's the fifth and last week and what a week. The gunner takes to the air, putting into practice everything he's learned during the past month. He's about to get a sniff of ozone at an altitude of 10,000 feet. You gonna harmonize and check, Pee-wee? Yes, Sarge. Properly monitored. Right? Scared? Well, I'm nervous, but not scared. Good boy. No, they're not scared, these budding gala heads of gunnery. They're eager and anxious to get the feel of actual combat. And here, in air-to-air shooting, they get it. Approaching the tow target, the gunner's aim is level. This is straight beam firing and is the first step in air-to-air shooting. Unstow your gun, get ready to fire when target comes into range. Congratulations, William. Thank you, sir. Yes, this is a golden moment. A moment of proud achievement when Pee-wee Williams, along with hundreds of other gunners, gets his diploma. This diploma is his passport into the vistas of victory. Meet the crew. Is that a block? Is that a doile? I'll do it. You may be Sergeant. Yes, how are you? Sure. The fishbowl's waiting for you. One room apartment, just for you. Well, it looks like Holmes. All right, man, you fix it, man. Realizing a long, visual dream, Pee-wee, a full-fledged, flexible gunner becomes a part of America's vast, striking Air Force. And he joins the valiant fliers, heading for a place called over there. Happened thick and fast over there. Pee-wee got his first taste of combat under fire. Zero posting from the left. Those weeks at Gunnery School are flashing through his mind. One dawn, July 15th, the crew took off on a bombing mission, a particular mission of strategic importance. Pee-wee discovered that sitting out on the tail turn of a bomber is a great spot, because you can always see the enemy before he sees you. They also found out that the guy in the tail is protected by the finest all-steel armor played in the world. They were ordered to attack an elusive Jap aircraft carrier. Once the target was sighted, every keen-eyed member of that crew swung into action. The pilot bombardiers, the gunners of their stations. 600 pounders of TNT blowing up right in Hirohito's face. But then the real trouble started. 5-0's heading in, manned your stations. Not through yet. One more trail and I'll stand by. It looks bad. They're just waiting for us to drop. I hope those gunners can hold them. The English service model has been awarded by the ward department in the name of Congress to the following name, Corporal L.A. Williams. Corporal Williams, it's an honor and a joy to share this memorable day with you. War doesn't always allow us much time, so just let me say that I'm as proud of you as the crew members and crewmates whose lives you saved. I've had the pleasure of presenting medals to many gunners since this conflict began. And when the armed air force pays tribute to you, it also recognizes the heroic and brilliant work of the gunners who since the beginning have proved how indispensable they are in achieving victory. Their importance to the air force can never be stressed too much. Our pilots fly the planes. Our navigators tell them where to go. Our bombardiers bomb their targets. Those same gunners are continuing every day to help blast the enemy from the sky. But you are the men who bring them home safe. You gunners are the modern Knights of Fire, the administrators of life and death, an integral part of the greatest all-American team. You and thousands of intrepid, valiant gunners of the Army Air Force with this distinguished service medal, I wish you the best of luck. May God bless you all. Thank you.