Johns' Story (cont.)
F4 Lockheed Lightning
My first permanent assignment was to Clark Field at Colorado Springs, Colorado, to a photo reconn squadron. They flew photo missions in F4 Lockheeds. This plane was the photo version of the famous P38 Lightning long-range fighter. Here was born the determination to drive the Alcan Highway. The squadron had just finished mapping the route from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks, Alaska and their stories fired my imagination.We spent the months of July, August, and September in training, then were given permanent assignments to crews. Finally, we were doing something worthwhile. While in Colorado Springs we were billeted in the junior high school in the center of town. An army truck drove us daily to and from the airfield. The Springs was a beautiful small city, with a bar called the Village Inn, where they made the greatest whiskey sours I have ever had. We were issued ammunition for our carbines, but still no range training. The new pilots loved to live and fly dangerously. To fly under a nearby bridge over Royal Gorge was a right of passage for them, even though it was strictly forbidden. Only one wing tip was lost by our group.We departed for overseas duty and were assigned to the Eighth Air Force in England in October as the 5th Photo Squadron. Our squadron consisted of about ten F4 planes, and one B25. A crew chief and two mechanics were assigned to each plane. Also, there was a line chief, assistant line chief, and several specialists who helped out the crews if they needed it, and kept a store of parts. Midnight requisitioning was often the order of the day for them. The B25 was used as a night Photo Reconn plane. They would drop flares and then take their pictures at fairly low altitude. Very dangerous work. The F4 Lightnings would fly their missions from 20,000 to 30,000 feet, except for mapping a bombing run, when they would fly almost on the deck. I was assigned to an advanced group chosen to proceed ahead of the main squadron. We were to set up the field for the planes, which would arrive some time later. This was a good assignment since we moved in a small group ahead of the main body of the squadron. The photo lab had bulky equipment and a lot of personnel. I was to continue in this group through all our other moves.Our transportation to England started with a train ride from Colorado Springs to Fort Dix in New Jersey. The train stopped in Chicago where a volunteer group gave us sandwiches and coffee. We were not allowed off the train. Seems they didn’t trust us not to go AWOL. We then boarded a Dutch ship in New York harbor where we learned just how far down we were on the totem pole. Although our squadron commander was able to get us decent quarters 3 decks up, with a great forward deck for viewing and riding out the rough seas, he ran into a career West Point Army Colonel who was in charge of all troops on the ship. Our Major’s request for us to share the Officers’ Mess food was turned flatly down. We ate mainly bread, orange marmalade, tripe, and not much else. Even Spam would have tasted good. At least we got to feast our eyes on the 30 or so nurses who shared our deck. What a crappy organization the regular Army was. I would hope it is no longer that way, but I never had that much interest to find out.