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of bat。〃 He had flown 25 missions when McGovernflew with him。 It was his tent that Rounds； with McGovern on board； hadtorn in half with his jeep； but Surbeck never mentioned it to McGovern。
Surbeck let McGovern do quite a bit of the flying from his co…pilot’s seat； sometimes half the mission。 The experience taught McGovern 〃moreabout what it ’s like to have all that gear on and to go to 25；000 feetin sub…zero temperatures and stay in formation and get shot at and all theother things that go with bat missions。〃 Surbeck 〃brought me along。〃
McGovern’s first mission was November 11； 1944 — Armistice Day。 Thenight before he checked and saw his name on the assignment sheet。 The morningbegan for him when the operations sergeant came into his tent at 4：00 A。M。to wake him。 On his first five missions； Rounds and Adams could stay inthe sack； as they were not going。 McGovern went to the mess hall for a powderedegg breakfast。 Then he climbed into a truck for the drive to the group’s operations room for the briefing。 At the door； an MP examined his identificationand checked his name on the assignment sheet； then opened the door so McGovernand those from his truck could enter。
Inside； the 300 or so crew sat on planks placed over cinder blocks。When a staff officer announced that they were all present and accountedfor； the door was locked。 The Group mander by the Fall of 1944 was Col。William Snowden。 He was in his mid…forties； a 〃grandfather〃 figure to thepilots and crews。 He had gray hair but a manding presence。 McGovern saidhe had 〃the total confidence of everyone in our group。 A good man and agood leader。 Just the way he moved around； he was reassuring without beingcondescending。〃
When Colonel Snowden strode in； everyone stood at attention。 Snowdenclimbed onto
the platform； put the men at ease； and after saying good morning motionedto a member of his staff to pull a draw string。 Behind the curtain was alarge map of southern and central Europe。 The pilots and crew members sawtheir route and the target drawn on the map with erasable marks。 When itwas Vienna； or Munich； or any other target known to be well defended byantiaircraft guns； or if it was four or more hours flying time from Cerignola；a dismal groan slowly became audible； but on this occasion there were murmursof approval because the target was Linz； Austria； not so terribly far away；without any known antiaircraft batteries to fly over； and not so well protecteditself。 It could be what the men called a 〃milk run。〃 Later in the war Linzwould bee one of the most heavily defended targets in Europe。
Colonel Snowden got the men to quiet down and gave way to the weatherofficer； who described what the cloud cover and winds were likely to belike over Linz。。 Then he went over conditions on the route and what to expecton the way home and what it would be like over Cerignola when they got back。Next the operations officer described the nature of the marshaling yardsthey were going after and explained that the mission was important becausethe Germans were moving men and materiel through Linz on their way to theItalian front。 He warned the pilots and bombardiers to make every possibleeffort to avoid hitting the cultural sites and educational buildings。 Bythis stage of the war； the bombardiers in the squadron would toggle theirswitches when they saw the lead plane； with the best navigator and bombardier；drop its bombs。
Next the men were told who would be the pilot of the lead plane。 Hewas always a good pilot。 Sometimes he was a major； but often Colonel Snowdenwould lead the missions — when that happened； the men would again mummertheir approval。 The briefing would conclude with the group chaplain leadingthem in a prayer。
Dismissal came from Snowden； but only after he had the men 〃hack〃 theirwatches。 They would pull the stems of their watches when the second handreached 12。 Snowden would have them set the minute and hour hands to correspondto his； then count to ten and call 〃hack；〃 and they would push the stemsback in。 They filed out of the briefing room； to go to another briefing— one for pilots and co…pilots； another for radio operators； another fornavigators and bombardiers； still another for gunners。
The men climbed into trucks for the ride to the storage sheds just offthe runway where their flying equipment and parachutes were located。 Eachcrew got out and dressed for the mission。 They were going up to 20；000 feetor even higher and it was going to be cold up there； between 20 and 50 degreesbelow zero Fahrenheit。 McGovern and the others pulled on heavy winter underwear。Next they put on long wool socks and a wool military uniform； slacks andshirts …… olive drab。 Then a leather jacket and leather trousers； both linedwith sheepskin； then sheepskin…lined heavy boots。 Big； heavy silk…linedleather gloves followed。 The sheepskin…lined helmet came down over the ears。Surbeck and McGovern wore Colt 。45 pistols in a shoulder holster； then puton backpacks containing their parachutes。 The other crew members pickedup their parachutes in chest packs； which they carried into the plane byhand。 They could snap them on if needed。 The parachute packers made theirstandard joke when giving them out； 〃If it doesn’t work； bring it backand I ’ll give you another。〃
Dressed； they walked to their plane on its hard stand。 Surbeck； acpaniedby the chief of the ground crew； walked around the B…24； checking it outvisually。 The navigator； bombardier； radioman； and gunners would check outtheir equipment。
Later； when the plane had gotten up to 10；000 feet； the pilots and crewput on their oxygen masks。 It covered the nose。 They plugged electric cordsfrom their electrically heated flight suits into an outlet on the plane— the four engines created the power for the electricity。 They could adjustthe heat； turning it down a little or up a bit as needed。 Below 15；000 feetthe crew took off their oxygen masks。 Surbeck and McGovern kept theirs onuntil they were down to 10；000 feet。 At that altitude； all the smokers littheir cigarettes。 The smoke was so thick it looked like there was a fire。
The bombs had been loaded during the night into the bomb bay by theground crew led by an ordnance officer。 They assembled the bombs by takingthe stabilizing fins； stored in a separate box； and screwing them on thebombs。 Using winches and tractors； the ground crews had hoisted the unwieldy；blunt…nosed 500 pound bombs into their racks。 They were inserted into theB…24's womb in a horizontal position and attached to the metal racks。 Theyhad a cardboard tag between the bomb and the nose fuse； and at the backend a wire…arming pin。 The tail gunner would crawl out on the cat walk overthe bomb bay door to pull the tag and then the pin。
Climbing into the B…24 with those big heavy boots and the layers ofclothes was always cumbersome； as the men waddled ponderously。 They carriedflak jackets； mandatory since Ploesti。 The crew members had difficulty gettingthemselves into and adjusted in their cramped positions； especially thenose turret and the tail gunner。 The belly turret gunner waited until theywere in the air before squeezing — with the help of the waist gunner— into his bubble。 Surbeck and McGovern settled into their seats； withtheir parachutes serving as a sort…of back rest。 The seats were encasedin cast iron。 The iron came up to the knees； then under the seat and upthe back。 It was there in the event that flak hit the plane on the bottomside so that； in McGovern ’s words； 〃the pilot and co…pilot would havesome chance of survival because somebody has to fly the airplane。 It wasn’t that they were worth more than anybody else on the crew； but if bothgot killed or badly injured； that plane is going to go down。〃
The moment Surbeck got into the plane； went to his seat； and put onhis earphones and mike — attached to his helmet — he was； in McGovern’s words； 〃totally in mand； of the officers and sergeants。〃 McGovernalready knew that； but watching Captain Surbeck go through his routine reinforcedthe point。 McGovern explained； 〃It had to be that way because the pilotwas the only one with his hands on the controls that determined where theplane was going to go and how it was going to be flown。〃 Of course he hadhelp； especially from the navigator