YELLOW DEMON

Entry for March 11, 2007

I arrived in Glenview, Illinois on December 31st 1943 and remember being in my bunk, the only one who had reported for duty. I could hear the church bells in town tolling in the New Year! 1944 was here and now my flight training would begin in earnest Here we would begin flying the "yellow demons", a bi-winged single engine plane with a tandem open cockpit. We would receive instructions from Naval pilots and washing out became a genuine threat. We had started out with 150 of us cadets from Buffalo and I don't think any of them were now in my present squadron. This was not a concern. Other things such as Chicago winters and the uncompromising instructors we were now facing was the greater concern. The severity of the demands thrust upon us was something to be feared. Life was tough but thank goodness for the resilience of youth. I slept in the top bunk at the far end of the barracks and soon developed a reputation for glib remarks and witty or maybe even coarse comments--always loud enough so the entire barracks could hear me. It seemed that after lights out my humor became amplified. I found a soul mate in Jersey Lawrence, another cadet, and between the two of us we amused the other 60 or so guys that completed the barracks. One night while sharper than usual with my cutting remarks, I suddenly found my bunk heaved skywards mattress and all and found myself on the floor. I knew it was Jersey and in my haste to get out tried to squeeze between my bunk and the wall. I had forgotten about the very hot radiator there and branded myself on the metal. I carried that mark for many months before it faded away. Continuing down the middle of the barracks, I realized Jersey would be waiting for me and devised a plan to get back at him. I got under the bunk of the Big Swede a very large, 240 pound, humorless man and heaved him into the air. I knew he would never figure little Jimmy Winspear would be able to lift his weight and my plan worked perfectly. With a roar he went after Jersey, complacently snuggled in his bed. Absolute chaos broke out and soon every cadet in the barracks was heaving and throwing bedding at anything that moved. Mattresses were strewn all over the place. Some of the others were even running into the snow to escape the turmoil. Everyone was finally laughing hysterically at the absurdity of what had taken place. Even the Big Swede was laughing. We finally calmed down about 1:00 A.M. and I went to my bed thinking that if the Officer of the Day had happened by we would have all found ourselves at boot camp. But he didn't and weeks later they were still talking about my devilment. I was the hero of the Glenview air base.