The Bird of Time

Friday, February 4

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:48:00 +0000

Flak started again about 3:00 AM & lasted till nearly 5:00 but it was too damn cold to get out of bed. 5 planes went down near here.

A B-17 attempted a landing here with one engine knocked out but it cracked up killing 5 men. A casualty the Germans don't know about.

General Anderson, CO of 9th Bomber Command gave us a talk after 6 hours of classes - it was quite interesting. He explained our ultimate aim as a combat outfit - that of destroying the enemy air force so that we have complete air superiority when the invasion comes.

Thursday, February 3

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:47:00 +0000

Classes started today. Had talks by various combat personnel from this theatre who have had vast experience in the type of combat we will be in. For the first time in the army - our talks were really valuable and instructive. Had talks on combat crew organization, radio & its uses, British flight control systems, and flak. We are all beginning to realize that this war is such a complicated game - one can never hope to learn everything.

his evening I experienced my first air raid. The sirens blew at about 8:00 PM. It is a crystal clear night with a full moon. Soon we could hear the distant ack-ack & bombs and see the search lights. It still seemed far away though - I can't seem to realize there is a war going on.

Wednesday, February 2

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:47:00 +0000

Supposed to start classes today but they are postponed for a day. Had a talk by a colonel from one of the active B-26 Groups already here and we are beginning to learn the set-up and one just begins to realize how vast and intricate and detailed our operations will be. Losses in other groups have been less than 1 of one percent so far - by far the best record in any theatre of operations. We are in the 9th Air Force which is a tactical force deployed to aid the ground forces in the coming invasion of the continent. Our preliminary raids are more or less training for this coming invasion.

Ray Olshak and I went for a long walk this evening over to the village of White Roding and saw an old church 600 years old - it was one of the eldest structures I have ever seen.

Played hearts & censored mail in the evening.

Tuesday, February 1

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:46:00 +0000

Looked over base today and it is quite nice except for a few things. The English don't go in for elaborate plumbing - we have 4 wash basins for 300 officers and they are 3/4 of a mile from any of the quarters. We walk 1 mile to mess and must wear dress uniform for the evening meal they are certainly making this a gentleman's war.

We are allowed 1 bar of soap, 1 package of gum & 2 bars of candy per week and as yet there is no stationary available so very few letters. Incidentally, I helped censor mail this evening - it is quite an experience.

Monday, January 31

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:46:00 +0000

Worked on barracks making it livable. Nearly froze last night so I moved in with Olshak in one which is lined with beaverboard.

Am learning a little about what these Englishmen have put up with. You certainly have to hand it to them because they have gotten along on so little and taken so much and yet they are more determined than ever to fight. Most of them ride 20-30 miles a day on a bicycle to & from work, eat practically nothing, heat their houses on 3 lbs of coke per day per person, wear wooden shoes because of lack of leather and many other things. I certainly have to admire their courage & determination in spite of their damned Imperialism.

Sunday, January 30

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:45:00 +0000

What a wonderful bed that was last nite - had the first hot bath in 30 days and was it wonderful. Took off at noon for our final base - not going to Scotland after all. Flew over English countryside and over dozens of airfields in 2 hours flying time. Most of squadron landed at the wrong field but I found it O.K. Field is brand new - only 50% completed but we will have nice layout when we get it fixed up. We live in a hut that looks like a huge barrel split end to end and one half of it used as a barracks. However they are quite cozy. It was just like a class reunion meeting all the boys again. Lucas my tail gunner was sure happy - he saw me taxi up and he just jumped up and down waving his arms and hollering. Spent evening discussing trip with those who had to come by boat.

Saturday, January 29

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:58:00 +0000

Took off with the dawn over Casablanca, up the coast of Portugal & Spain, past occupied France, over the Guernsey island & to the tip of the Cornish peninsula. Landed at Newquay - a former resort town and is it ever nice. We were expecting to be Jumped enroute by J.U. 88's & had the turrets loaded & manned but no incidents. It was beautiful weather - 100 mile visibility all the way.

It is cold and damp here in England but really beautiful - the quaint old structures of brick & stone look almost like castles overlooking the surf pounding on the rocks below. All of England is surrounded by a cliff about 300 ft. high.

Here we have no Army quarters so we are quartered in a hotel which is really wonderful. Beautiful women for waitresses and good food makes it wonderful. However this British monetary system is driving me crazy.

Stanfield & I went to a movie in the evening - had to elbow our way down the narrow pitch black streets - not a light showing anywhere. Henry Aldrich, & Laurel & Hardy were on.

Friday, January 28

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:03:00 +0000

Richard Carl Callison 1 year old.
Into this Universe, and Why not knowing.
Nor Whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing.

Up at noon again - this sleep is wonderful. Couldn't go to town as there was a French-Arab riot the Arabs are celebrating their independence day so there is apt to be trouble. Played cards and worked on ship. B-24 crashed on take-off last nite & they suspect sabotage. Capt. Loesch saw an Arab climb out of one ship and run - they found the gas turned off. We looked our ship over but no trouble. Leave in the morning so to bed early.

Thursday, January 27

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:03:00 +0000

Slept till noon today and then went into town again and just sat in the sun at one of the sidewalk cafes all afternoon just loafing. Went to show in the evening - saw "Return to Paris" a propaganda show but quite good. Early to bed.

Wednesday, January 26

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:02:00 +0000

What a day. Garwick got in today and he speaks fluent French. I went to town with him and he had the Arabs & French going around in circles. Later we went down to the part where a bunch of the prostitutes from the Medina came to sell their wares. They would get a customer and spread their blankets in the bushes - there were dozens of the girls there. Garwick later cornered a French Major & Captain over at the officer's Club and he talked them into taking us into the Medina in their car & showing us around. We drove down to the red light district and after dodging M.P.s we finally found the street about 4 blocks long which was one continuous "row of houses." We elbowed our way down thru the droves of girls who would grab onto us and just hang on. Sometimes they would get about 3 of them and drag us into their parlor. There they would rub up against us, try to take our pants off, pull up their dresses, and everything imaginable to try to get us to patronize them. We spent 5 hours there and was in every house there - it was one of the damndest things I have ever seen. Boy, it would have been wonderful not to have to worry about disease - for as low as 50c we could have slept with very attractive women.

Tuesday, January 25

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:02:00 +0000

Slept till noon - then went to town in the PM. Back on Flying status now and ship is O.K. Walked around the French quarters and bartered with the Arabs for a cigarette case & billfold - made of camel's leather. They are handmade & really beautiful. Went to a show at the Red Cross in the evening - saw Olson & Johnson in "Crazy House." It was one of the best comedies I have seen for a long time.

Monday, January 24

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:02:00 +0000

Got bawled out royally for leaving hospital last nite but don't care much. Slept all day and went into town again tonite. Three of us climbed over the wall and went down into the Medina tonite - it is off limits. It was an experience I shall never forget. We rode for 30 minutes in a horse-drawn cab thru narrow alleys just filled with grime and these black cloaked & hooded Arabs - it gives one the impression of the Ku Klux Klan. Finally wound up at a couple of French prostitute's room - we wanted them to put on a burlesque show for us but they wanted $4 apiece which we wouldn't pay. Our cab took our money & promised to wait but when we left - he was gone and so was the guide. We wandered around for 2 hours before we found our way out of the maize of alleys - we finally found an M.P. who took us back. Stood Nelly up to go into the Medina.

Sunday, January 23

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:01:00 +0000

Slept in hospital all day - tooth still hurts like the devil. The rest of the squadron finally caught up so a bunch of us went to town again tonite. We found a bar in the basement of a hotel over in the French quarters that was open and there we picked up a French girl. She was one of the dirtiest talking women I have ever seen she wanted me to sleep with her. I guess she is a prostitute. The Four of us talked her into taking us down into the Medina or native quarters where she lived if we could slip by the M.P.'s as the Medina is off limits. However we couldn't get by so she agreed to meet us tonite with 3 girl friends. We did get her story though. She lived in Paris when the Germans came and they shot two of her sisters, her brother and father for refusing to work for them. They threw her into a concentration camp with her baby which soon died from lack of food. She escaped to unoccupied France & on a destroyer from there to Oran. The Gestapo was close behind her though and chased her clear to Casablanca when we landed there.

Saturday, January 22

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Flew across 1000 miles of the Sahara desert - not even a shrub or a rock for 600 miles - just sand dunes. After crossing the desert we had to fly over the Moroccan Mountain range to get to Marrakech. Some of the peaks were 15,000 ft. high and all snow capped. Snow in Africa but it sure was pretty.

The Arabs live in adobe houses - a cluster of them in the most desolate places. They will find a dry river bottom where there are a few shrubs and build a town there - 300 miles from a road and desert all around. There were hundreds of these in the dry rock foothills - and no visible means of support. Marrakech has hundreds of all kinds of planes - even some French fighters and trainers.

Reported right to hospital & they treated my tooth and put me to bed. Tonite I got up, dressed, and went to town. It was all blacked out and
everything closed so just looked around and then went back to hospital and went to bed.

Friday, January 21

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:04:00 +0000

Took off from Liberia & flew up to Dakar - the westernmost tip of Africa. Dakar is next to the worst Malaria spot in the World. We had to wear
our pants tucked into our boots, repellent, and everything to keep away the mosquitoes. They have the weirdest looking trees there - they are about 8 ft. in diameter and only about 15 ft. tall with no leaves & very few branches.

Went over to the dispensary with wisdom tooth trouble and they were going to send me to a hospital for 3-4 days but the Major persuaded them to let me go on to Marrakech.

Played hearts in the evening.

Thursday, January 20

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:59:00 +0000

Rained all morning so I just lay around and slept. Started reading "Topper Takes a Trip " after lunch and didn't stop till I finished it at 9:30 P.M. It is one of the funniest books I have read.

Sent out my laundry & my boots to be repaired spent a couple of hours trying to get them back for we are finally leaving tomorrow. Thank God for that.

Wednesday, January 19

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:04:00 +0000

Wallace James Bodker 21
And this was all the Harvest that I reaped, I came like Water and like Wind I go.

Played golf today - one of the most beautiful courses I have ever seen carved out of the jungles up on the far side of the Firestone Plantation.

There are about 40 or 50 white employees including twelve wives who use it. We borrowed some clubs and played nine holes out in the hot African sun - I hit a 66 - about 40 better than my first game at WSC.

Tuesday, January 18

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:50:00 +0000

Went on a Safari back up into the hills - walked about 10 miles back and saw a bunch of native villages. Some of them were very crude and dirty but others were very clean and almost modern. The small children - 6 - 10 years old are painted white when they are ready for their jungle schooling. The "country devil" then comes and for a fee takes the kids back in the bush for their education. We saw a 12 year old girl as fully developed as our 20 year olds. We also ran into two girls taking a bath in a stream. They just giggled and didn't mind us at all till I started to take a picture then they screamed and threw mud at us. Played ping pong all evening.

Monday, January 17

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:13:00 +0000

We were finally allowed to go up to the Firestone Plantation - about 5 miles up in the hills from here. A naval Lt. who is stationed there picked us up in his car and showed us everything. They have several thousand acres with about 100 trees/acre. We saw the big tank trucks bringing the liquid latex into the plants and then we tapped a tree ourselves and watched the white liquid drip into the cups. It hardens into a good quality rubber immediately. We then went up to this Lt's. house - leased from Firestone - it is a beautiful brick house with beautiful lawns & flowers right on the edge of the most beautiful golf course I have seen.

Then we went over to a huge native village and saw the bunches of native huts - they are all round, made of mud with thatched roofs. They have a bed room & parlor - the whole thing about 15 feet in diameter. They were cooking up some "palm oil" - a horrible smell -and cassava - the native potato which they live on. We bought a half stem of bananas for 15c and saw the half naked men and women bartering for goods at the trading post. We saw the witch doctor with all his hocus pocus and he did a very mystifying dance with a small boy contortionist helping him. They were both painted up & had head dresses and bells and bracelets all over them. The children and women smear mud over their faces to make them beautiful.

Sunday, January 16

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:01:00 +0000

Betty Darlene is 17 years old today.

For some we loved, the loveliest and the best, That from his Vintage rolling time
hast prest.

Happy birthday Betty - wish I were there but I guess this is war. Spent a very uninteresting day doing absolutely nothing except hiring a native to take us for a ride down the river in his dugout canoe. Nice boat. Saw "Man From Down Under" this evening.

This hot climate & nothing to do is just making one rot. Sleep 14 hours a day and just too lazy to write letters or anything. Some of the boys went across the river (court martial offense) last night and watched the native dance.

One of them even got to beat the Tom Tom. They all got "jig jig" - black variety. Just shows decaying effect of climate & locale & inactivity.

Saturday, January 15

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:51:00 +0000

Sweated out "Ben the Barber" today - he is a native who does the barbering here. Surprising as it sounds, he did an excellent job with a pair of scissors and hand powered clippers. Two of us sent a native boy with $5 across the river to buy a quart of Scotch. We never saw him or the money again - this is worse than New York for being a clip joint.

Time is beginning to drag terribly - just laying around & it looks like we will be here several days yet. Spent the evening trying to see the native dance with their drums across the river but couldn't see much.

Played hearts with the gang for an hour or so.

Friday, January 14

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:19:00 +0000

Re-read yesterdays entry as 13th and 14th were assigned to the same entry.

Thursday, January 13

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:56:00 +0000

Have to lay over here a day so just looked around and slept. Went thru a British Wellington, a Grumman Goose, and a Lockheed Hudson. Talked to a boy from Scotland who is stationed here and he told us all about where we are going. His Scottish dialect was really quite 'different'. The natives here are still the surprising element though. We walked over along the river today and saw Jacob there he is the chief of the tribe across the river. He had brought one of his wives across with him - he has two and he was telling us all about his love life. "I've got two wives and one girl friend," he laughed as he told us. "I sure hope my wife doesn't find out about the girl friend though or I will sure be in the dog house." He is always popping out with some expression such as "What's cooking, Doc," or "I'm cooking with gas on the front burners now," or "Get on the ball, youse guys." He is the foreman over about 28 boys who work here on the post. In spite of their still primitive practices they are quite highly educated though. Most of them speak almost perfect English. They were selling this liquor at $8 a quart - not one penny less. They apparently paid $6 a quart and thus made a $2 profit. Tonite they brought over some White Horse Scotch and Three Feathers. Someone asked them for Canadian Club and was told they were all out. They said it cost too much. They said it cost them $8 a quart and if they sold it for $8 a quart they couldn't make a profit so they would have to sell it for $10 a quart and no-one wanted to pay that much. They are really quite shrewd. Jacob was also telling us that wives cost 8 lbs. each (about $35) but if he caught anyone making love to his wife, he could take it to court and sue him for 10 lbs. However, the working man's wage is 20c. to 35c. a day.

Elrod and I were talking to our barracks orderly and he was in the 8th grade up at the Catholic mission they have near here. At the mission, there are about 200 negro boys going to school - they can go clear thru college if they can afford it. It costs $32 per year for grade and high school and $18 a month for college. They earn this money by working during their vacation here on the army base. We asked the boy if he had some shoe shining equipment and he didn't because he didn't have the 35c. necessary to buy it. We knew he could make 50c. a day by shining the shoes of the fellows in his barracks so we went up to the PX and bought him the stuff and gave it to him. The first day, he earned 50c. and he was the happiest boy you have ever seen. We also had him invest some of his new money in Liberian coins which the fellows bought lc & 2c pieces for a nickel or dime each as curios. He has made more money than he knows what to do with. Every time he sees Elrod or I he runs over and tells us all about it. He shows his appreciation more than any white kid you have ever seen. If our American boys had the ambition & guts these kids have, each and every one could have a college education.

This little orderly said that some of the boys gambled or spent their money on girls but that he saved every penny. He couldn't understand why we would pay lOc. for a 2c. Liberian piece. He couldn't see any profit in it for us. We have to lay over several days here now so today, Friday, I had my laundry done and did more resting up. The base company here has a 2 year old chimpanzee - it weighs only about 25 lbs. - when it is full grown it will weigh about 125. This chimp is almost human in intelligence and everyone spent at least 2 hours watching his antics I have never seen anything so comical. They also have a grey gibbon here - about 10 lbs. - and a small dog. This gibbon and dog play together constantly - the monk always having the upper hand in their wrestling matches - his human like hands lets him grab on to the dogs legs and trip him or pull his ears. I took pictures with both the gibbon and chimp wrapped around my neck. The rest of the squadron anyway about half of them - have caught up with us so it isn't so lonesome now - so far I have been traveling with another squadron and didn't know a soul. They have a swell day room here with a small library and a short wave radio - we were listening to good old American jive - playing records, ping pony, Chinese checkers, and reading most of afternoon. Went to a show - "Assignment in Brittany" - in the evening. It was a story of the French underground - it was quite interesting.

Wednesday, January 12

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:41:00 +0000

Africa - the land of dense jungles and vast deserts. Landed in Liberia on the African Gold Coast today in 96 degrees of sultriest weather possible. The field is hacked out of jungles just a few miles from the coast on a large river. Up the river is a huge Firestone Rubber Plantation but the rest is all jungles inhabited by natives who are the blackest Negroes I have ever seen.

We went to a beautiful brick building with a tin roof all covered with about 1 foot of thatch - for mess. Had the best meal since I left the U.S. Had a cold shower and slept till briefing then walked over to the bank of the river. The Negroes there were selling Nigerian 2 c. pieces for lOc., gibbon monkeys which they caught wild in the jungles for $3, and of all things - 1st grade whiskey, scotch, or anything you wanted made in U.S. but absolutely unobtainable there. Where the natives got it we couldn't find out but they sold 14 qts. in just a few minutes for $8 a quart and they had all anyone could ask for across the river at their village.

They speak English almost perfectly and some have been educated at a mission nearby. Tonite they are having a native tribal dance beating their drums and all - it is an eerie sound. They have dugout canoes which they race up and down the river in. The boys who come across the river and said native "jig jig" would come across river that night for those who wanted a prostitute. One little boy was blonde headed and only half black. They are 100% infected with malaria and venereal diseases.

Tuesday, January 11

noreply@blogger.com (CF) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:59:00 +0000

Off to "The Rock" as Ascension Island is called. I was the only one of our squadron to get off - just can't keep my plane grounded - damn it. After 76 hours of flying we hit the tiny island right on the nose - very lucky I guess. Ascension is a very interesting place - it consists entirely of volcanic ash with almost no plant life at all a little being found on "Green Mountain" the center of the island. The base has been blasted out of solid rock and ash and is quite good considering. All the barracks are out on a cliff overlooking the ocean which is very clear & blue at this spot. We went down to the beach but didn't have time for a swim although it was a beautiful little lagoon entirely surrounded by cliffs.

There are about 50-100 natives on island in a small fishing village which is only resource.

Went to a movie in the evening - theatre was carved out of the lee side of one of many caves. They had just carved ledges on slope of hill and this was the gallery. The screen being placed below on a platform built up. Morale is surprisingly high - some men having been there for 18 months.