Sunday, November 21, 2010

Day LXXV


An old friend

     Take off was at night, it was cold on that Tarmac, and you could see the condensation coming out of our noses, as we breathed, and mouths as we talked. We were freezing our keisters off, and it seemed like there were over 1,000 guys waiting to get on that freaking plane. I couldn’t believe how many dudes were getting on it. It was dark, and we couldn’t tell what kind of plane it was, whether it was a 707 or a C124. But, I remember wondering if that damned thing was ever going to get off the ground. Would it crash? Some of us were really unnerved by it all. I remember the line I was on getting shorter, and shorter, and me getting closer, and closer to boarding the beast.

     I don’t remember if we were allowed to smoke while waiting to board. What with all those jet fuel fumes and all. Probably not! But, I do remember once we were in the air, and the no smoking sign went off, everybody lit up. It wasn’t a direct flight. We went to Hawaii first, then Guam, and finally to the PI. All the way there guys were either smoking, sleeping, trying to sleep, or praying.

     When we deplaned the first thing I remember was the heat. It was in the high nineties or higher. You have to remember it was winter in the states, it felt as cold as the north pole on the tarmac at Travis, and we were dressed for it.

     As soon we arrived I had to report to my captain’s office, at the 1961st Comm group’s headquarters. A group jeep took three us there, and when I entered his office, I was surprised. It was the same captain I had back at Randolph AB, and when I reported, he looked up at me and smiled.

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