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THE PILGRIMAGE TO EGLIN FIELD

One of the highlights of the year was the early morning jaunt to Eglin Field to stare at the notables, including the President, and witness a colorful and noisy exhibition of Air Force fire power. The beauty of the morning was lost on the troops; there was never such an early 6:00 take-off!

Upon arrival at Eglin, the clock-work precision of the demonstration swung into motion. By 0900 we had tried to photograph the notables and settled back into our bleacher seats ready for anything and everything--which was not long in coming! The acrobatic exhibition by 4 jet fighters had scarcely freed our rapt attention by a "burst" breakup before the Napalm was flaming to our right front. A few more garden variety bombs introduced a long string of 100 pounders and a Tall Boy which didn't quite live up to expectations. Skip bombing and rocket firing fighters strafed the dummy tank columns well to our front and set the target fighters aflame. A G-15 glider was skillfully landed in the crosswind on the road immediately to the front, and remained there after an abortive and unnoticed effort by a Gooney-bird to make a pick-up. Following an aerial review of various types of aircraft came the "piece de resistance": A B-36 spent the rest of the morning dropping a full load of 500 pounders -- looked like it would never stop!

Following a catch-as-catch-can effort to secure a lunch in peace, the entire group en-bussed again to proceed to the ramp where a static display of missiles and aircraft caught the attention of many. (We can't even mention the climatic hangar tour -- security, you know.) The B-50, B-36, and B-47 came in for much clambering on, and careful scanning of instrument panels, etc., by the men, while the jet fighters came in for a cursory inspection by that vanishing class -- the fighter pilots.

Again the busses and this time to the Officers Beach Site where we struck an oasis of palm trees and canned beer! Just time enough for a quick beer call and the Sabre Dancers opened the show with another acrobatic exhibition. Next came a boat drop, followed by a landing by an SA-16 to pick up the poor "shipwrecked" individual carefully lowered into the boat from a helicopter -- then a JATO take-off, very convincing and quick! The JB-2 missiles which were launched then from B-29's and shot down by jet fighters looked swell at the launching directly overhead, but by the time the fighters shot them down, they were either too far away or the (beer) haze was too thick -- they were small, weren't they?

And so with a quick rush to Eglin #2, and again into the waiting aircraft, the Rover Boys of the Air War College vanished into the blue, tired but happy and knowledgful, writing an end to the wonderful trip to Eglin Field for another year!

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