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.

NIGHT FLIGHT

Entry for April 11, 2007

I wish I had a picture of the bi-winged plane called the Yellow Demon we used to fly out of Glenview, Ill. It was adjacent to the land on which our Chicago temple now stands and was then surrounded by farmer's fields. We had been stationed there for a few weeks when it became time for us to do a night flight. None of us had been permitted to fly at night because we didn't fly instruments and we needed a brightly lit sky so that our depth perception could be more effective. The eventful night arrived and we began our taxiing to the take off area with an instructor assigned to each plane. We were flying 2 passenger tandem seats with about 80 horsepower engines in front of us. I think bicycles have almost as much power as did we in those days.I am now at the take off line and am told to advance the throttle and begin my charge down the runway. I quickly became aware the instructor had his hands on my flight stick and his feet on my rudders. Realizing he had no intention letting me fly that aircraft, I took my hands and feet off the controls. We circled the field and began our descent into the base. Landing we then taxied back to the original take off place, when he left the plane with the encouraging words "You did O.K. You won't have a problem". Being a little at ease, I nevertheless had enough confidence to begin to advance the throttle again and shortly after that I was airborne. I loved the night. The stars were bright as diamonds and the moon was exhilarating. I was smiling to myself,although a bit insecure, knowing I now had to land the plane by myself. It was all very unspectacular and I landed safely and made my way to the parking line. I remember as I got out of the plane thinking to myself "That dirty begger wasn't going to take a chance on a kid pilot killing him". At the same time I was quite proud knowing I didn't need his help and could do my own flying. That evening was quite exciting for me and many others. However, the excitement was chilled on hearing two of our friends were killed that night when one plane landed on top of the other and they both burst into flames. This was the first of seventeen more deaths that I knew of that followed over the next two years. I have often wondered how many of the original 150 I enlisted with made it safely through the war. I was very fortunate to go from base to base and was only closely involved in one climactic adventure. But that's another story--and maybe another blog!!