Of Windmills and War (25 page)

Part
IV

33

January 1943

Danny breezed through all the written and physical tests required
by the Army Air Force, then spent the Christmas holidays and remaining weeks
with his family before reporting for duty at a recruiting office near
Chicago
’s
Union Station. After finalizing the necessary paper work, he and a group of recruits
were marched to the station where they boarded a Pullman car headed for
Texas
. The
two day trip gave him more than enough time to think about his recent past and
immediate future.

His parents didn’t take the news of his enlistment well, which
didn’t surprise him. Having Joey there to talk them through it helped a lot,
but it didn’t stop the steady flow of his mother’s tears. She was gravely
concerned about his safety as a pilot “up there with all those Germans or
Japanese trying to shoot you out of the sky.” But in the end, she accepted his
decision and promised she would pray for him every waking moment.

As for Dad? That was an entirely different situation. While his
father had changed considerably since Joey came back after
Pearl
, he
still didn’t want a son fighting in this war. At first he’d lost his temper
like the Frank McClain of old, ranting about his son making “such an idiotic
decision” when he was almost half way through college. He kept pointing at
Joey, saying, “Haven’t you learned anything from your brother’s example?”
Thankfully, Joey came to his rescue, letting his father know he was proud of
Danny’s decision and fully supported it. Dad had disappeared downstairs as he so
often did and didn’t say much for a few days.

When the morning of January 19 arrived, Danny said his
goodbyes to his mother, to Joey, and also Millie who’d gladly accepted Joey’s
proposal of marriage on Christmas Eve. He looked around for his dad, hoping to
at least get a chance to say goodbye. He’d insisted on making the trip into
Chicago
alone
on the El. But as he stepped outside, there was his father—sitting behind the
wheel of his Packard with the engine going. Danny looked back at his mom. She
held a handkerchief to her mouth and motioned for him to go. On the drive into
town, his dad kept his eyes glued to the road, not saying a word. When they got
to the station, Danny got out, grabbed his bag, and turned to thank him for the
ride. His father cut the engine, got out of the car, and just stood there for a
moment. Then suddenly, he pulled Danny into a tight embrace.

He patted Danny on the back. “You come back, son,” he
croaked. “You come back.”

“I will, Dad. I promise.”

Another moment passed before his father pulled back. Without
a second look, he climbed back in his car and drove away.

Now, as the train pulled into the
Wichita
Falls
station, Danny only had one thought—to be the best aviator in the Army Air Force.
Nothing else mattered at this point. They were quickly transported to nearby
Sheppard Field Army Air Base where they were greeted by a grizzled sergeant named
Walker and two of his staff.

“Welcome to the Army, ladies!” the sergeant shouted. “Now
GET YOUR BUTTS OFF THAT BUS AND FALL IN LINE!”

And that was just the nice part.

Shortly after their arrival, they were ushered into the
barbershop and all given the same cut. Danny ran his hand through his new crew
cut, liking it immediately. Next stop, uniforms and barrack assignment.

At
noon
, his unit was marched over to
the mess hall for lunch. The metal trays with divided sections also served as
their plates. The guys working KP duty seemed really friendly, loading up the
plates of all the newcomers. “Enjoy!” they said. Danny was amazed at the
quantity of food on his tray. Only a few minutes later, he realized those guys
weren’t being friendly—they’d played an age-old prank on the recruits.

“You will leave NOTHING on your trays, gentlemen,” Sergeant
Walker barked. “You have three minutes. EAT UP!”

“I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t eat any more,” the kid next to
him said.

“Son, are you deaf? I said you WILL leave NOTHING on your
tray. Now you and your friends get your butts back over to that table and CLEAN
YOUR PLATE!”

That was one lesson Danny wouldn’t forget. He quickly
learned how to handle those KPs.

He wasn’t particularly impressed with what he’d seen of
Texas
so
far. The erratic weather made it impossible to dress appropriately. One day
would be freezing, the next could be warm as a summer’s day. At least back in
Chicago
you
knew what to expect from Mother Nature. Still, Danny learned to adjust. He knew
how to dress for the long hours they spent marching in formation and running
obstacle courses. And he quickly learned how to layer extra clothing for those
chilly nights in the barracks. Rather than shiver all night beneath the thin
wool blanket, Danny would slip his fatigues over his Army-issue pajamas for a
little extra warmth. Unfortunately he forgot all about his pajamas one frigid
morning when they were awakened and marched over to the clinic for physicals.
The flight surgeon roared with laughter when he discovered Danny’s extra layer
of clothing.

“Well, well, well, Private PJ. Nice and comfy cozy, are we?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you for asking, sir,” Danny answered with a
smirk.

“Then drop your drawers, Private. All of them!”

Danny could still hear the guy laughing when he left the
room, rubbing his right cheek after the shot he’d just received.

For the most part, they learned the basics of soldiering
while at Sheppard—the correct way to wear their uniforms, how to make up a bunk
according to regulation, the basics of military language and the meaning of
different orders, and lots and lots of marching in formation. But on their last
Saturday on base, the troops were entertained by none other than Roy Rogers and
the Sons of the Pioneers. Danny was thrilled, listening to all the great songs
by one of his favorite movie stars. He didn’t even mind that Dale Rogers hadn’t
joined them.

With basic training now under their belts, Danny’s outfit
was transferred to
Lubbock
,
Texas
, for
“pre-pre-flight school.” Danny had to chuckle when they were assigned dorm
rooms in one of the Texas Tech residence halls. He vowed never to harass the
male students on the Tech campus like the sailors had done at Northwestern, though
it was certainly tempting. He was surprised to find himself back in college classrooms,
required to take some basic collegiate courses, many of which he’d already taken
at Northwestern. But he kept his mouth shut, did his school work, and tried to
do the best he could.

Just like at Sheppard, they spent an incredible amount of
time doing drills and calisthenics. But this time, they did so under the
direction of Texas Tech’s head football coach, Del Morgan. Some of his players—those
who had not yet been called up by the draft—assisted Coach Morgan in these
athletic endeavors. Danny found it all very strange, particularly as he
remembered the PE requirements back at Northwestern and the massive “display”
of athletic prowess that day at the Illinois vs. Northwestern half time at
Dyche Field. Sometimes he wondered what he’d gotten himself into. He was
growing weary of all the physical training. He wanted to fly!

At long last, his wish came true.

His first time up in the Piper Cub, Danny could barely
contain himself. With an instructor in the seat behind him, the tiny plane
gained speed heading down the runway until it finally lifted up, up, up into
the air.

“WA HOOOO!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. He’d never
experienced anything so exhilarating in his life! He couldn’t stop grinning,
couldn’t stop laughing as he took in the amazing vistas beneath him and the
blue, blue sky all around him. He drank in the moment, and realized this was
what he was born to do! He let out another shout, then twisted around to see
his instructor. The pilot smiled from ear to ear, obviously understanding the
significance of the moment. Danny gave him a thumbs up which he promptly
returned.

Over the next few days, Danny and his outfit fulfilled the
required ten hours of flight time—which taught them the basics of flying while
also weeding out those who couldn’t fly without puking. The instructors handled
take offs and landings, but up in the air, they turned the controls over to
their students. First and foremost, the new pilots learned how to recover from
a stall or a spin. The instructor would pull the nose up steeper and steeper
until the plane finally stalled. The student quickly learned the right maneuvers
to bring the aircraft back under control. Danny had never worn a seat belt
before, but he was sure thankful for it the first time the plane rolled over.

In July, Danny and his outfit were transferred to Santa Ana
Army Air Base near
Los Angeles
,
California
. He
loved the warm dry air of
California
, but all that took a
back seat as Danny and his buddies were put to the most severe testing yet. The
Classification
Center
for
the Western Training Command put them through a whole new level of endurance
testing, both physical and mental. By far the most difficult experience he
faced was the pressure chamber test. He blew out a long sigh of relief when he
passed it with flying colors. The men were also subjected to a whole battery of
psychological tests to further weed out anyone who might have problems
functioning in flight. Again, Danny successfully passed those exams.

The day he was assigned to Pilot Training, he couldn’t wait
to tell his family.

“Congratulations, Danny! I’m so proud of you!”

He could hear the genuine pride in his mother’s voice,
though he knew she still had serious qualms about him flying. “Thanks, Mom.
That means a lot coming from you.”

“Your father’s at the theater, but Joey’s here. Hold on.” It
was muffled, but he could hear her shouting, “Joey! Danny’s on the phone! He
has wonderful news!”

After a lot of excited chatter in the background, his
brother finally took the receiver. “Danny! What’s the good news?”

“Joey, I did it. I’ve been assigned to Pilot Training. I’m
gonna fly!”

“I can’t believe it! No, I take that back—I CAN believe it.
I always knew you could do whatever you set your mind to. Ah, Danny—I’m so
happy for you. Couldn’t be prouder!”

“Thanks, Joey. I should probably tell
you . . . I may be the one learning to fly, but I’m doing all
this for you too. I can’t help feeling I’m finishing what you started, if that
makes sense.”

Silence filled the line for a moment. “I don’t know what to
say. That’s . . . I’m honored. I really am.”

“No, I’m the one who’s honored. I just wanted you to know. But
enough of that stuff. How’s Millie? Have you all set a date yet?”

“We set it for the week you’ll be home after graduation.
Wouldn’t think of getting married without you by my side.”

“And I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

They talked for a few more minutes as Danny promised to keep
in touch, and Joey promised to pass along Danny’s news to Dad.

A short time later, Danny was assigned to
Flight
School
at
Cal-Aero in nearby
Ontario
,
California
. With
ideal weather conditions, Cal-Aero was considered the best of the best. He and five
others were assigned to a flight instructor named Sam Holliman. A former
barn-storming pilot, Holliman was a short man, very soft-spoken—at least on the
ground. In the air was a different story.

Learning to fly in the Piper Cub had been a dream come true.
But once he got to Cal-Aero and took his first flight in a Stearman, he
realized how serious a job it was to get it right. The Stearman had an upper
wing and a lower wing and an open cockpit. It also had a much more powerful
engine than the tiny Piper Cub. Now, every time he sat in the cockpit, he remembered
the old adage his instructors had drilled in his head:
There are old pilots,
and there are bold pilots, but there aren’t many old, bold pilots.

After several flights, Danny was given a flight check by the
Squadron Commander. After performing several maneuvers and shooting several
landings at an auxiliary field, Danny got the shock of his life.

“You’re ready to solo. Drop me off alongside the runway then
show me what you can do.”

Danny swallowed hard. None of the other guys in his group
had soloed yet, and he hadn’t expected to any time soon. He was scared
spitless!

“Take it easy and just fly as if I was there in your back
cockpit,” his commander said as he stepped out of the plane onto the runway.

“Yes, sir!”

Following the hand signals of his instructor below, Danny
did a series of take-offs, circling the field, then landing. After several
landings, the commander motioned him over to pick him up again.