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II

time would be spent over Soviet teratory and as complicated as modern aircraft are there could possibly be one little connection mal-functioning and there I would be, all alone [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] or at least I hoped to be alone if anything happened, in the middle of Russia, with a least a thousand miles to walk before reaching a border.

Before and during the flight I continually thought of all the small things that could happen to cause trouble to the plane.  One little screw could come loose or one little wire break and I would have to land on Soviet teratory. There are thousands of wires and screws and other things that are of vital importance to the correct operation of the engine of which in my plane there was only one. I would have felt better if there had been two so that if one failed I would at least have a chance.  As it turned out [[strikethrough]] there [[/strikethrough]] five engines could not have helped.

I was not worried at all about being shot down.  I firmly believed that there was nothing that could reach my altitude [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] and as long as I maintained my altitude and had no engine trouble I would be safe.

I was in the plane and on the runway at about six fifteen. I was told not to start the engine without first receiving a signal.  When six thirty came and still no engine I began to think that the flight would be canceled. I sat there sweating and waiting and with each passing minute thinking that I would soon go back into the hangar and get undressed. Just before seven o'clock the signal came to go and I started the engine and took off.

It was about thirty minutes before I reached the Russian Border.  Everything was working perfectly and no excuses for aborting the mission and returning.  I had to continue.

Practically all the first hour and one half I was flying over an undercast and could