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Old 02-19-2018, 10:49 PM
Matt Wiser Matt Wiser is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Auberry, CA
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And this particular story arc is finished....and note the honor give to the squadron's mascot...



335th TFS Offices, Sheppard AFB, TX: 1650 Hours Central War Time:



Major Matt Wiser was at his desk, clearing out some paperwork before going to the Officer's Club. It had been a busy day, with four missions, and seeing off General Yeager and his F-20 demo flight, and to top matters, a 335th bird had come back with some significant battle damage. The CO was glad that he wouldn't have to write any letters, but still....the squadron had been lucky, as it had been over two weeks since they had lost anyone. Though, as the Major knew, that kind of luck wouldn't last forever, and they would lose more people and airplanes.

Guru put the last of the papers into his OUT bin, opened one of his desk drawers, and pulled out the J.C. Penny's Christmas Catalog. Since it was highly unlikely that he'd be able to hit the local shopping malls....then he heard a knock on the door. “It's open! Show yourself and come on in!”

His Exec, Capt. Mark Ellis, came in, clipboard in hand. “Boss,” he nodded. “Got a few things for you before knocking off.” The XO saw the catalog on the CO's desk. “Doing your Christmas shopping?”

“Yeah, since we don't exactly have an intact shopping mall. Get something for Mom, my grandparents...”

“And Goalie.”

The CO nodded.“Okay, Mark. What have you got?”

“First, aircraft status report for MAG-11. We'll have twenty definite for the morning, and maybe twenty-one, assuming Kerry and Pat's bird is cleared after the check flight,” the XO reported.

“Good. They're flying one of the new ones from Japan, right?”

“They are,” Ellis said.

Guru nodded. “Okay, they get their bird back, and that new one goes to Dave Golen. He and Terry brought their bird back and their crew chief wasn't too happy about it.”

There was a grimace from the XO. Their IDF “Observer” had brought a damaged aircraft back-with a neat 57-mm hole in the right stabilizer, and a dud SA-7 missile in one of the right engine's afterburner feathers. “They do like their birds returned in the same shape it left in,” Ellis reminded his CO.

“Doesn't always happen, and they know it,” Guru said. “All day job for the repair?”

“Kev O'Donnell says it will be,” replied Ellis. “The engine change takes an hour or so. The elevator replacement is the big one.”

“And that leaves us with exactly one spare,” Guru noted. “Tell Ross to find a couple of sets.”

“Will do, but he's not in the habit of making promises he can't keep,” The Exec said. “Which he's told you before.”

“He has,” Guru recalled. “Okay, just tell him to do his best. What else?”

“One other thing about that bird,” said Ellis. “If Terry had to eject?” First Lieutenant Terry McAuliffe was the GIB for Golen in that crew. “The seat wouldn't have fired. They'll pull the seat and check it out.”

Guru winced at that. If the crew in question had to bail out, only Golen's seat would have fired, and McAuliffe would've gone in with the plane. “Not good....” the CO observed.

“No,” Ellis agreed. “Supply requesitions,” he went on as the CO went through the rest of the forms. “And Chief Ross found some more laser bomb kits.”

“How many?”

“Three dozen.”

Guru thought for a minute. “Okay. We're likely to do some more of those UNODIR strikes, and I'd like to know who in the Tenth Air Force ATO shop is sending us after point targets with the wrong ordnance. That 'Liberation Radio' we hit yesterday got the ordnance it deserved, not what the ATO called for.”

Ellis nodded. “General Olds going to do some digging at Nellis when he gets back?”

“That, and maybe kick some asses into gear,” Guru smiled. “What else?”

“We're making Buddy an honorary O-3 tonight. Got some kind of doggie coat for him to wear with squadron and wing patch, rank insignia, and so on,” the XO said, referring to the squadron's mascot.

Guru nodded. “That's going to perk up morale around here, though things are pretty good at the moment.”

“And he'll be upholding Roscoe's tradition,” said Ellis. He was referring to the legendary Roscoe, the mascot of the 388th TFW at Korat, Thailand, during the long war in Southeast Asia.

“That he will,” Guru said. “That it?”

“It is for now,” Ellis said.

The CO stood up and grabbed his bush hat. “Good. Now we can hit the Club.”


Guru and the XO went over to the Officer's Club tent, and found it already busy. The two found Dave Golen and Terry McAuliffe-Golen's GIB, already at the bar, working on bottles of beer. “Smitty?” Guru asked the barkeep. How many have they had so far?”

“Working on their first,” the barkeep replied. He'd seen it before in the short time he'd been working on the base. Though he'd been a longtime barkeep in Wichita Falls prewar, and had had military personnel from Sheppard among his customers, this was still new: some of his customers might not come back, and others would have close shaves with death. And he had a grudge with the Soviets and their Cuban lackeys-for one of the blocks they'd used as a strongpoint prior to the city's liberation had included his old bar, and that block was now a heap of rubble. If he'd been twenty years younger....he'd be going down to one of the improvised recruiting offices and signing his name on an enlistment form. Now, though, if he couldn't put on a uniform, helping those who did was the next best thing. “They just got here.”

“Dave,” Guru said. “How's it going?”

“Closest call I've had in three wars,” Golen said. “Yom Kippur War, had an SA-3 go off a hundred meters behind me-about three hundred and fifty feet-and had a lot of shrapnel in the tail. Got the plane back, but today...”

“You were down in the Libyan sector, right?”

Golen nodded. “Right behind the Nicaraguans.”

“And if they'd been shooting fuzed for contact or proximity, instead of timer...” Ellis said, his voice dropping off.

“You would've gone skydiving, and Terry would've gone in with the airplane,” Guru finished. “Not a happy thought.”

“No,” Golen said.

Terry McAuliffe looked up from his beer. “Major, they find out what happened with the seat?”

“No, but Kev O'Donnell's guys will find out. It'll be an all-nighter, and probably most of the day tomorrow. So you two get the bird from Japan that Kerry and Pat flew. They get their regular mount back, and you two get that one.”

“That's good,” Golen said. “And finding that SA-7 in the afterburner feathers was a bonus. Thank God for shoddy workmanship somewhere.”

“Been there, done that,” Guru replied. “Had that happen back in March,” the CO said, recalling a close call he'd had himself. “All right, you two. Get as drunk as you can before twelve-hour. I want you two up and ready, 0600 tomorrow morning.”

Golen and McAuliffe looked at each other and nodded. “Guru, that's an order we'll be glad to obey,” Golen said.

“Gladly, Major,” McAuliffe added.

“Good,” the CO said. “Smitty? A Bud for me and the Exec.”

The barkeep produced two cold bottles. “Here you go, Major,” Smitty said. “And I should be getting some Sam Adams tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Smitty,” Guru said. “Mark, our special guest?”

“Be here after dinner,” Ellis said.

“All right,” Guru nodded as General Olds and Colonel Brady came in. “General, Colonel,”

“Major,” Olds said, taking a glance at the bar. “I see Major Golen's busy trying to forget he almost got himself killed today.”

“General, been there, done that,” Guru said, and Ellis nodded.

“Same here, General,” Colonel Brady said. “Took small-arms fire doing CAS at Con Thien a couple of times. Before taking that one big hit, then five years in Hanoi.”

General Olds nodded, then noticed both all-female crews in the 335th coming in-Flossy and Jang, and Cosmo and Revlon. With Jana Wendt and her news crew right behind them, and both Kodak Griffith and the new PAO for the 335th, Lieutenant Patti Brown tailing the news crew. “Looks like the media guests are focusing on the, well, 'unmanned' crews, for want of a better term.”

“First two in the squadron, General,” Guru replied. “For all I know, they're the first two in the whole Air Force.”

“And thus the newsies are going after them,” Olds said. He'd had his own run-ins with the news media during his tour in SEA, and at least, those had been all right, before the media, in his opinion, soured on the military.

“That they are, sir,” said Guru.

“I see...well, Major, I believe there's some kind of ceremony for this evening?”

“About fifteen minutes before twelve-hour, sir,” Guru replied.

“More call signs?” Colonel Brady asked. Those never got old, from his viewpoint.

“No, not that, sir,” Ellis said. “But we think you'll like it, regardless.”

General Olds knew what they were talking about, but kept it to himself. “Colonel, consider it an Air Force surprise.”

“In that case, I'm curious,” Brady said. “As for us Marines? We'll be waiting.”

Just then, both all-female crews came in, followed by Jana Wendt and her news crew. Right behind them were both Kodak Griffith and Lieutenant Patti Brown. Kodak would be going back to the Marines, and hopefully, back to the cockpit, while Brown was the new PAO for the 335th, and was learning the ropes from Kodak, who was in a tempoary PAO billet while he healed up from an ejection-related leg injury. “Looks like the newsies are getting along with our all-female crews,” Guru noted.

“She doing a piece on the crews who flew on Day One?” Ellis asked.

“She is, and that includes you, me, Don, and seven others,” the CO reminded his Exec.

The Exec nodded, and before he went to the table where his flight was already gathering, said, “ We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”

“That we are.”


Guru went to the table where his flight usually took, and found his people there for the most part. But two were missing. “Where's Goalie and Kara?”

“They went for their cameras,” Brainiac said. “Given what's on the agenda tonight.”

Right then, both Goalie and Kara came in with their respective cameras. “Wouldn't miss this for the world,” Kara said.

“Not every day you give out something like this,” Goalie added. They set down their cameras, then went to the bar and got their drinks. When they got back, she said, “Dave's trying to forget about nearly getting killed today.”

“You're not the first to make that comment,” Guru replied. “You two ready?”

“All set, Boss,” Kara nodded.

“Good.”

“Got some newspapers,” KT said as she came in with Hoser. “LA Times for the CO, Orange County Register for Goalie, and who wants the SF Chronicle, USA Today, Stars and Stripes, and our old friends from the Arizona Republic?”

People got what they wanted, and read while waiting on the mess people to bring dinner. Guru was reading the L.A. Times when their RAF liaison officer came in. “Jack, any word on when your people get here?”

“Sometime between noon and thirteen hundred,” Flight Lt. Steve “Jack” Lord said. “And you might be interested in what I heard on the BBC. Seems the President of Costa Rica-some chap named Arias-offered to mediate an end to the war.”

“Any response?” General Olds asked.

“No, sir, other than what your Secretary of State said. 'What's to mediate?'” Lord replied.

“That's pretty much it,” Kara noted. “We're not stopping until the Rio Grande at least, if not Mexico City.”

“No arguing that,” Goalie said. “OCR says Willy Brandt-he's the former West German Chancellor-urged, and I quote, 'the current government to dissolve and to call for new elections, before certain forces in the country take action themselves.'” She looked up from the paper. “He's telling them, 'quit, or there'll be a coup.'”

“Holy...” Guru said. “Where'd he say this?”

“On ZDF TV, the article says. He did an interview for 'em.”

Colonel Brady heard that, and turned to his own intelligence officer, a light colonel. “Colonel? When's the coup coming there?”

The Marine light colonel thought for a couple of moments. “Two weeks, maybe three,” he said.

“Can't come soon enough,” several people said.

“Teach those commie-lovers a lesson,” Sweaty added.

Guru nodded, then his jaw dropped. “Page three, L.A. Times. A brief press release from the Air Force.” He handed the paper to Goalie. “General Yeager's Yak kill.”

“It made the papers?” Jana Wendt said. “I thought there was a blackout!”

“If the Air Force issues the release,” Patti Brown said, “That might be their way of saying it's lifted. Haven't heard anything yet.”

“And you'd be the first to know,” said Ms. Wendt.

“We would,” Kodak Griffith nodded.

General Olds spoke up. “I'll call General Tanner first thing in the morning. See if they've heard anything on his end.”

“Thank you, General,” Ms. Wendt replied.

Then the restauanteurs came in with dinner. Everyone was glad they were running the Mess operation instead of the usual Marines, and the quality of the food showed that. “Folks, we've got barbequed pork, with chili and cornbread, or grilled chicken breasts, with all the fixin's. Come and get it.”

After people got their dinners, they ate, and then the CBS Evening News came on AFN. “Good evening from Los Angeles,” Walter Cronkite began. “Today, an offer from the President of Costa Rica, leading a delegation from several Non-Aligned nations to mediate an end to the war, was dismissed by not only President Bush, but Prime Minster Mulroney of Canada and Britain's Prime Minister Thatcher, but also by the Soviets. Our White House Correspondent, Leslie Stahl, has a report.”

“The offer is a serious one, White House sources say, and though it did not go into much detail, the Allies found the offer unacceptable. Secretary of State James Baker, coming out of a meeting with the President and his National Security team, had this to say:” Secretary Baker's image came on the camera, and he was responding to several reporters' shouted questions as he left the hotel that was serving as the temporary White House. 'What's to mediate? Pull out of occupied territories, release of all prisoners, and pay reparations. That should be simple enough for Mr. Arias to relay.' Administration sources say that President Bush has spoken by phone with Mr. Arias, as have the other Allied leaders, and reiterated those conditions. So far, Mr. Arias has not responded, other than he hopes to visit the Allied-as well as what he referred to as the 'Soviet-bloc' capitals in the near future. While the White House says Mr. Arias will be warmly received, his proposals will not. Leslie Stahl, CBS News, at the temporary White House.”

“Good luck,” Don Van Loan muttered. “Nobody's in any kind of mood to mediate.”

“I'll go along with that,” Mark Ellis added. “This guy trying to earn a Nobel Prize or something?”

“Look at it from his point of view,” Colonel Brady said. “He's got the bad guys to the north of him in Nicaragua, and we've got a pretty sizable garrison still in Panama to protect the Canal.”

“So he thinks he's caught between both sides, and wants to stay neutral no matter what,” General Olds observed.

Brady nodded. “Something like that, sir,”

Then came a report on several towns in West Texas that were slowly getting back to normal, towns like Snyder Post, Lamesa. Schools reopening, stores open, damage being repaired, and to Texans, high-school football getting going again-something that had been banned by the occupiers, and so on. The locals were very grateful to their liberators, and though U.S. Army Military Police and Engineers were busy, the patrols through the towns were being run either by the ROK Expeditionary Force or the Taiwanese 1st Mechanized Division. The report wrapped outside a small cemetery near Snyder, where a dozen Taiwanese soldiers killed in the liberation of the town had been laid to rest. An ROC flag flew overhead, and local citizens came to pay their respects.

“Tells you who your friends are,” Guru said.

“It does, Major,” General Olds said. “Keep in mind that there were West Germans, Dutch, Belgians, and others serving exchange tours here when the balloon went up. They were ordered home, and all of them disobeyed.”

“Doesn't change the way a lot of folks feel,” Kara added.

“No, it doesn't, Captain,” said the General. “When this is all over, sorting things out is going to take a while.”

Then came reports from a carrier in the Sixth Fleet, flying strikes into Libya to remind Qaddafi he'd picked the wrong side, and from London, where a Labour politcian was raising a stink about both the American strikes on two Soviet command bunkers and the British firing a Polaris missile at Argentina's main naval base to prevent a second Falklands invasion. “This Corbyn fella better shut up,” Sweaty commented. “Or they'll haul his ass into the slammer.”

“Reminds me of what they said about Ramsey Clark,” Guru said. “Going to North Vietnam in '72, Iran in '80, hell, he even defended a Nazi Concentration Camp guard, saying that after forty years, it was time to move on.”

“You're kidding,” Goalie said. She then saw her pilot's expression. “You're not.”

“Nope,” Guru said. “He and Jane Fonda should've been in the dock for going to North Vietnam in '72,” the CO spat.

Dave Golen asked, “That bad?”

Colonel Brady, who'd been in Hanoi at the time, said, “They weren't torturing then, they stopped in September '69. But ther were a few who were collaborating to save their own skins-and they met with those, and several others who were coerced-say, a guy who needs a new cast for his broken arm, and the NVA tell him, 'See Mr. Clark or Ms. Fonda, and we'll change your cast.' You'd be surprised how effective that can be.”


After several more reports, including another Charles Kuralt feature, this time from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, where the war at sea was just over the horizon, but was ever-present. For wreckage and bodies often washed ashore, and those who had died at sea were given a respectful burial by either the Coast Guardsmen who manned the station, or by the Outer Banks citizenry. Several British sailors who had been killed when their armed trawler had been sunk by a U-Boat were buried there, and recently, several more whose frigate had been sunk by a Soviet sub off the Cape, had joined them, their graves tended by the local residents.

“And that's the way it is, from all of us at CBS News, Good Night,” Cronkite signed off.

AFN then went to a rerun of a Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers game from 1981, as Kara got up to go to the Pool Table. “Time to hold court.”

“Still angry Yeager beat you?” Sweaty laughed.

“You're damned right I am!” Kara shot back. “One more score to settle with those guys when this is all over.”

“Kara, he's been doing it since before you were born, hell, your parents were in high school when he started,” Guru reminded her.

“Doesn't change the way I feel, Boss,” she said, then went to the bar, got a beer, then headed to the Pool Table.

General Olds grinned, then said, “My last night here, so it's only fair she gets another crack at me.” He went to the pool table, and both combatants laid down their money. This time, it was Kara's skills that proved superior, and General Olds paid the $50.00. Unlike many who'd lost to Kara, he didn't come back in a fit of the sulks. “She's good.”

“As good as the guys at Udorn back in the day, sir?” Guru asked.

“A couple guys were better than that,” General Olds noted as he got himself a glass of club soda. “Sundown Cunningham for one.”

Heads turned and jaws dropped at that. “You mean, sir, General Cunningham ruled the Pool Table at Udorn?”

“He did,” Olds said matter of factly. “Wouldn't mind finding out who's better, him, or Captain Thrace.”

Around the 335th's tables, there was silence for a moment. “Uh, if he comes,” Ellis said. “What happens if she wins?”

“Good question, Mark,” Guru said. A feeling of dread came over him all of a sudden. “It's Frank we want packing for colder climes...”

“He's not that type,” Olds reassured him. “If he loses, he smiles, nods, pays what's owed, then beats the next three who play him to show it wasn't a fluke.”

Guru and Kara looked at each other, and then Kara said, “General, we'll have to find out, won't we?” She had an evil-looking grin on her face....

Guru shook his head. “I was afraid of that.”


The clock kept turning, and soon, it was 1840, twenty minutes to Twelve-hour. “Major, that ceremony you want to have?” General Olds said.

Guru nodded. “Yes, sir.” He turned to his Exec. “Mark?”

“I'll get him. Chief Ross should be outside.” He left, then came back and gave a thumbs-up.

Ms. Wendt came up to the 335th CO. “Major, what's this about?”

“You might be interested in this. If so, your crew has three minutes to get their equipment,” said Guru.

Ms. Wendt went to her crew, and both Scott, her cameraman, and her sound man, ran out to get their equipment. When they returned, that was a signal to Goalie and Kara to get their own cameras set. When all was ready, General Olds rang the bar bell. “People! Won't be long until twelve-hour, but we've got time for a litle ceremony.” He turned to Guur. “I'll let Major Wiser of the 335th take over things from here. Major?”

Guru got up to the bar. “Thank you, General,” he said. “Now, this story is common knowledge in the Air Force, but for the benefit of our Marine and Navy brethren, our newbies, and our guests from the media,” He glanced in the direction of Ms.Wendt and her crew. “Back in 1966, a dog named Roscoe made the trip from Yokota in Japan to Korat in Thailand, riding with his master in an F-105. Two months after arriving in-country, Roscoe's master was shot down over North Vietnam and was MIA. The guys in the squadron took care of the dog, who was waiting for his master to return. They made him the squadron's mascot, and Roscoe became the mascot for the whole 388th Tactical Fighter Wing. Roscoe was made an honorary Colonel and had a Colonel's privilieges. Airmen were called to attention whenever Roscoe entered a room, he attended the wing commander's 0730 staff meeting, had a Club Card for the Officer's Club-there was a lot of hell raised over him going in, and the guys made sure nobody got in the dog's way. The base vet took care of him, the security guys were told not to shoot him-and when Roscoe got a Thai dog as a girlfriend, they were warned not to shoot her, too. Roscoe attended pre-strike briefings, and when he slept through the brief, it was usually an easy one. If he paid attention, it was a bear, and they lost people. And he had the wing commander's chair in the briefing room.” There were a few laughs at that, then Guru went on. “A few weeks prior to the 388th leaving Korat in '75, Roscoe died of a heart attack outside his favorite place, the Officer's Club. They gave him a military funeral with full honors, and laid him to rest right next to the Club. Before the wing left Korat, they erected a small plaque in his honor.

“Fast forward to today. When we were at Cannon, several of the guys were chasing nurses at the nearby MASH, and a nurse told them they had a mama Golden Lab and two puppies. The MASH was going to keep the mama dog and one pup, but needed a home for the other. So Don, Kerry, Hoser, Firefly? You guys brought the dog to me, and said 'We need a mascot.' Well, I said we needed to clear it with the CO, and we took Buddy to see Colonel Rivers. One look was all he needed to give the OK, and we've had Buddy ever since. Now, we need to properly honor Buddy, and give him his reward. XO, will you bring him in?”

Ellis nodded, and went to the entrance. Chief Ross came in, in full dress uniform, and had Buddy on a leash, with a dog coat similar to an officer's undress blues. They came to the bar, and at command, Buddy sat down. He seemed to know this was all for him.

“As of today, Buddy is now an honorary Captain in the Air Force, with all the privilieges of that rank. Chief? You and the other NCOs are taking good care of him, and just keep on doing what you're doing. When the 335th moves, he moves with us, and for certain, when this war is over, and it's time for people to go home and pick up their lives, someone's going to take Buddy home and give him a proper civilian life.” There was applause, then Guru said. “But from now on, he's one of us. He's one of the Chiefs of the 335th, and no one's going to either deny that, or take him away from us. IS THAT CLEAR?” Guru glared at Major Frank Carson, as if to say, just you try, and you'll be sorry.

“YES, SIR!” the 335th's officers said.

“All right! General, if you'll be so kind?” Guru asked General Olds.

“It's a pleasure, Major.” Olds said. Then both the General and the CO of the 335th pinned Captain's bars on the doggie jacket. Then after people got their drinks, there was a toast to the dog.

“Ten minutes to twelve-hour!” Doc Waters then called.

“Major,” Ms. Wendt said. “We're going to our truck. Won't take long to put a story together, and we'll send this to CBS first, then Sydney.”

“Thanks,” said Guru. “Whenever you want to start talking to Day One vets for your story, just say the word.”

The reporter grinned. “I'll take you up on that, and speaking of taking up, when am I getting my ride?”

“Hopefully in a few days,” Guru replied. “Unless you want to have an Early-Bird breakfast, then fly with Kerry Collins on his check ride?”

“With nothing to see at five-thirty in the morning?” Ms. Wendt asked. “No, thank you. I'll wait for you and the Wild Thing.”

“Fair enough,” Guru said. He nodded at Chief Ross. “Excuse me.” Guru went over to Ross. “Chief, you and the other senior NCOs keep taking good care of him. And find a MOPP suit if you can.”

“Sir, some outfit's making those for working dogs. Shouldn't be too hard to find one for Buddy.” Ross said. “Don't worry about him and the vet, sir. We're on it.”

“Good. Because someone will be taking him home when this is over, and Buddy deserves a nice civilian life.”

“We all do, sir, once we're in Mexico City,” said Ross.

“And we will,” Guru said. “Send somebody to pick him up after aircrew curfew at 2100.”

“Will do, sir.”

“And Chief? You have a good rest of the evening.”

“Thanks, sir.”

Colonel Brady came up to Guru after Ross left. “Major, nice little ceremony.”

“Thank you, sir,” Guru replied, just as Doc Waters rang the bell.

“Twelve-Hour now in effect!”

“Major,” Brady said. “Having a mascot around is a good morale booster. You just planted a few ideas in people's heads.”

Hearing that, Guru grinned. “Glad to set that kind of example, sir.”

“Good to hear. Now, General Olds and I are going to sit down with your Major Golen.” Brady said. “He's on his third war, I spent most of Vietnam in Hanoi, and well, we know General Olds. You have a good evening.”

Guru nodded. “Yes, sir.” He then went to his flight's table, and took a seat as Sweaty brought a plate of nachos. “Well, that's that.”

“It is,” Goalie said. “Now, what's our favorite snob going to do about it?” She shot a glance towards Frank Carson's table, where he was sitting with two ground officers from the Air Base Group.

“Hopefully, nothing,” Kara nodded.

Guru agreed. “Anything he sends the IG's Office is considered friviolous. So, any complaints get junked.” He then noticed Kara getting ready to go back to the Pool Table. “Kara? When those RAF guys arrive tomorrow? Let them get settled in that first night. Then you can fleece them.”

Kara had a grin on her face from ear to ear. “My pleasure. And after General Olds leaves tomorrow? My debt collections can pick up.”

“Try not to get into that with the RAF,” Guru advised.

“Their problem, Boss, if they ignore any advice.” She then went to the bar, got a glass of Seven-up, and went back to the pool table.

Seeing Guru wince, Sweaty said, “Boss, trying to avoid any, uh, 'international incidents'?”

“That is on my mind,” the CO said. “Remind me to warn the RAF about her.”

“Got you,” Goalie said. “And one other thing about our Brit cousins.”

“Oh?” Guru asked. It had been a long day.

“Remember: they speak Phantom, not Jaguar or Tornado. Which makes their fitting in a whole lot easier,” she said. And that, she knew, was a good thing.
“To be grateful for,” the CO agreed.

The evening went on until 2100, when Doc rang the bell again. “Aircrew curfew now in effect!” With that, those who were flying in the morning headed off to their respective units' officer country. For another day of combat beckoned. And the chance of becoming a statistic on the KIA, MIA, or POW lists was always there, every time they went wheels-up. Sleep was on the agenda, for it wouldn't be long until 0430 and aircrew wakeup.
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