European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 25, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse C is .1 i f i r ii Ato rank meant nothing a combat or should be meant nothing Bill by Early fall i . Actually leading cur entire Squadron on missions and there wore several explains who wore rubbed wrong a a Load by ,1 no lieu Ednanl one of Hern was assigned id Rny Light of Lour and retired 10 , a my on., Ray Iraj combat i deadly Serinus. Il0-and-death in a. And a lir jul a i a. Pc n Captain of a ship i 0b is to the enemy lighters and order Ivhon to a drop Wing lank.-. To Ond when to attack and n to were Over Germany and the Puy was Hying As Tail end Charlie but lagging Loo far Back in Iho rear an j ignoring my order to loan porn lir Back he could to picked Oil by a 109 sneaking up on or. And we d never know it. Man. I got hoi. I did a big band Roll and Cam in behind him. He never saw to. Then i lived a burst right Over his canopy the Bastard saw int he closed up immediately and did Whin to was Lold. Bui i could t understand a Guy like that without discipline and team work we d All to killed. The Captain filed a complaint against me Lor tiring warning shots at him to were both called on the carpet. To was sent packing and i was complimented. I was aggressive and reliable and while lighter jocks Don t Lack egos and a Tew Guys might be thought they could Oulley me. There was nobody in the entire group who claimed they could outlet me. Doing out there in front your Job is to see the enemy ahead of anybody. A few Days later i was assigned As group Leader Ond led All three squadrons on a bomber escort mis Sion Over Germany. Andy Bud Anderson ragged me by calling me the group Leader is usually the group s commanding officer. Although i acted pretty Malter of Lack about it actually there was t much to it i was responsible Lor getting us to the rendezvous Point with the bombers and position ing each . I i did ,.-. ,. Quick prayer will used in Tir Ihl spots in. Don t let i screw anyway. I figured thai As group Leader i there were an , i least i d yet first crack at them and that. whal happened on oct. Leading the group on a bombing Over Doromon. I scored live Vic tonts Iho first Ace in a Day. I Lake credit Lor being plenty Lucky we pro j up our two i of . A. Holland. And i a Quad Urlo escort them then look Oil my i Range about l.," o Miles ahead we were Over Stem Huder i Ako Wien i Iitlerj specks about to combat is Call it. My Incus out in Infinity and Back sea Ichiyi i a Snr..Jri t.sky inc tune to be Able to see at such distances a Gilt thai1 hard to explain and Only and Anil i Tould do in tin other Guy who had excellent by sight on the ground. Took it on Faith that the two of us actually saw Somo Lhing lir Oul there this time i did t even radio to the others bul jus Kepi us heading Loward the German lighters from Oul of the Sun. To were at 28,000 loot and closing fast soon. I was Able to count 22 individual species i figured they were me-109s. Just sitting up there waiting Lor our bomb ers. And i was right. They were just circling and waiting and did t Roe us coming at them out of the in. We closed to about 1.000 Yards and if their Leader saw a i. He probably thought to were additional 109s because to made no Effort to scramble out of our Way. In the lend. I a is the Only one Cyl in firing Range i came in behind Iligir Tail end Charlie and was about to begin hammering him. When he suddenly broke left and ran into his we Gran. They both bailed out. It was almost comic scoring two Quick victories with out firing a shot. Dut. Apparently the big shortage in Germany was not of air planes but of pilots and icy were probably under orders to jump Lor it in tight spots. Afler the War. M was Learned that a few of their leading ar.--. Had in.it., than 1.000 combat a is and Hai Edna More than 0 time by . A 1 air planes in that y had Dropp d the r i i tanks arid re spinning arid using in a was a " of i it i blew up a 103 from Rqn Yardeny th. Victor when i turned and saw another a Ling in behind me Man. 1 pulled Back a throttle damned hard i nearly stalled rolled up and Over Cam m behind on a my right rudder and Sirn Manri ugly Linn j 1 111. Guy. so. And i a thai 109 Asil h Wen a Il theatre Lour a nor Neil later i i 1i s Lanny a a a run. I filled up at about 1.000 a. He in sir Chr no a ground. That night at the officer s club i tool a pounding tie other Squadron leaders were furious i cause i did t Ivilo them in Lorth 1 kill which to a a o it. All by our Squadron they Sal 50 mils Bai k with the bombers listening to our radio chatter he s m Walch your Etc. While i a ,.". Her request for our vector Over Beers. I told them the Darner a truth there just weren t enough krauts to go around " and pc i Kay did t let me forget that two of my Vilm vere scored without firing a shot. He presented Rne a pair of silk panties he wrote across the Bottom Hill Billy Parachute drop these when year egrets on your Tail f3ut in ii slurs inc strife said in belter in their front Page headline five kit is vindicate Ike s Deci Sion. Group recommended Rne Lor the Star wcx7" s . N /.luvifeiv.id nor Elor be Arr and his fellow lil Pillor excerpted from an by Chuck Yeager and Leo Janos. Published by Bantam books. Inc c 100 i. By Yeager inc by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved distributed by los Angeles times Syndicate. Chuck Yeager Center with ground Crew of hit 51, named clamorous Glenn n after his wife just As the 1 was in which he broke the Speed of sound Yean later. Ber25, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 15
