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ithout casualties。
McGovern flew again the next day and it was no milk run。 The targetwas a refinery near Vienna。 Because of cloud cover； the lead plane usedits Mickey and no results were seen； but dropping bombs by radar insteadof visually meant few of them hit what they wanted to hit and the damagewas minimal。 Flak was intense but inaccurate and all planes returned tobase。
On November 20； on McGovern ’s final mission as a co…pilot； the targetwas factories at Zlin； Czechoslovakia。 It was a secondary； or alternative；target； but the original objective had been obscured by clouds； so the leadpilot took the group to Zlin。 There the weather was clear and the bombingwas done visually； with excellent results。 Best of all； there was no flakover Zlin。 All planes returned safely。
After debriefing； McGovern would meet with Rounds； Adams； and his crew。They fired questions at him about what it was like； most of all the flak。〃They were filled with questions every day；〃 McGovern recalled； 〃waitingfor me when I came back。〃
Once the session was over； McGovern would steer his way into the officer’s club for a Coca…Cola or a beer。 There he would listen to the veteranpilots talk and ask his own questions。 It was shop talk。 From almost everyone of the discussions he would absorb information。 The topics were theB…24's； the crews； the Germans。 What rpm at what altitude？ Why was thisgauge or that instruments malfunctioning？ Is there any way to stay straightand level over the target and still avoid the flak？ How long can an enginebe on fire before it detonates the gas tank？ What can you do when a bombgets stuck in the bomb bay？ How does the plane fly with only three enginesoperating？ With two？ When the hydraulic system has leaked or been shot out；how do you get the wheels down？
McGovern had flown four missions on four days。 These consecutive missionswere about the absolute limit。 They left the pilot and his crew haggard；worn； jumpy； frazzled and spent。 But each one of the attacks counted towardthe thirty…five missions that； when pleted； would allow McGovern to returnto the States。 When he had time to write to Eleanor； McGovern noted thenumber in his letter — number five after the mission to Zlin。
〃I worried； as any wife would；〃 Eleanor said three decades later。 〃Iwould feel a stab of fear whenever someone knocked at the door or the telephonerang。 The first thing I would do when I got a letter from George was toscan through it for a number — the number of missions pleted。 Thatwas the first thing I wanted to know。 Then I’d go back to read the letter。〃
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On December 16； radio operator Sgt。 Mel TenHaken flew his first mission；against a refinery at Brux； Czechoslovakia。 Because the crew were new； thepilot； Lieutenant Cord； was a veteran ofthirty…one missions。 TenHaken ’s regular pilot flew as co…pilot that day。 There was another newer； aphotographer on his seventeenth mission。 Theirs would be one of the lasttwo planes on the bomb run and his photos would be among the official recordsof the raid ’s effect。
When the Group formed up and headed toward the target； TenHaken saw〃a seemingly endless line of planes。 I had never seen this many in one placeat one time。〃 He thought that 〃obviously Rosie the riveter back home hadbeen very busy。〃 The bombers were at 25；000 feet； just below the 26；000…footceiling for the craft。
On his B…24； TenHaken was in charge of the haff； what he had called〃Christmas tree tinsel〃 back home。 Its purpose was to confuse German radar；which otherwise would lock onto the group and know what altitude to setthe fuses for the shells to explode。 The chaff was in packets； each onewrapped and tied with a plain brown band； each one crimped to open in thewind and allow the foil to drift down in individual pieces。 Most veteransthought the chaff didn’t do much if any good； but they tossed them outof the plane with great gusto anyway。
When his plane got to the initial point and turned； then straightenedfor the bomb run； TenHaken saw 〃numerous little puffs ahead forming a blackcloud shaped like an elongated shoe box。〃 The leader of his squadron wasflying through it。 Those behind were about to enter the German box。 It wastime to pull the flak jackets on。 These were for the crew； whose membersdid not have the cast iron protection the pilot and co…pilot did。 The jacketsconsisted of irregularly shaped metal plates stitched between two sheetsof canvas to form a vest。 To TenHaken； 〃their purpose seemed primitive；identical to that of suits of armor。〃 They weighed about twenty pounds each。Most veterans decided early on not to wear them； but to put them betweentheir seats and their butts； thus protecting the most important part。
Over the target； with flak bursting from the shells all around his plane；TenHaken started dropping the chaff packets through one of the waist windows。After dropping one； he tried to count to ten as he had been told beforeletting the next one go； but in the midst of the flak he seldom got pasttwo or three。 Then the plane to his right got hit。 〃A flak explosion atits number three engine had blown the right wing from the body。 The scenewas inprehensible — the wing tumbled over and down； and the fuselagewas nosing into a dive。〃 There were no parachutes。 〃The bam…bam…bams andpoof…poof…poofs were exploding everywhere； it was inconceivable to fly throughthis unscathed。〃
The bomber lurched。 Have we been hit？ TenHaken wondered。 Through theinter； he heard the bombardier say； 〃Bombs away。〃 （〃The most beautifulwords in the English language；〃 according to one pilot）。 Then the bombardiercontinued； 〃Now let ’s get the hell out of here。〃 After a pause； he cameon the inter again to say； 〃I wasn ’t supposed to add that last part。〃
Lieutenant Cord banked the plane into a steep dive to the right。 TenHakenthought； thank you； God。 Cord came on the inter to ask each crew memberto report any damage。 None。 When they were out of the flak； TenHaken liftedhis oxygen mask and shouted above the engine noise to the photographer；〃You’ve been through seventeen of these now。 Was this flak typical； lighter；worse； or what？〃 The photographer grinned and shouted back； 〃It wasn’tlight。 Each mission seems to get worse； but I can ’t believe they couldget more up here than they did。〃
Over the inter； Cord asked； 〃Flight engineer back there？〃 He wantedto know what the trouble was with the gas gauges。 Number three engine sputteredand quit。 〃Get something to three；〃 Cord ordered。
〃I’m trying；〃 the engineer answered。 〃I’m trying。〃
Cord realized what had happened。 On the inter he said； 〃The bastardshit our gas lines over the target。 They ’ve just vibrated loose。〃
The number two engine quit。 The engineer repeated that he was tryingto transfer the gasoline flow。 He could not。
〃We ’re losing altitude and control；〃 Cord yelled。 〃We ’re at sixteenthousand； a couple seconds back； we were at eighteen。〃 He added； 〃Standby to bail if necessary。〃
Then number four engine quit。 Then number one。 There was a long momentof quiet； only the sound of the wind that buffeted the plane about in theglide。 Then 〃the terrible clanging of the bail…out bell crashed the quiet。〃
Everyone got out okay； landed safely； and became POWs。 For TenHaken；the co…pilot； and the rest of the crew； it was their first mission。 It wasnumber thirty…two for Lieutenant Cord。 For the photographer； number seventeen。For all of them； it was the last。
〃Anon〃 made up words to sing to the tune of 〃As Time Goes By〃：
You must remember this
The flak can’t always miss
Somebody’s gotta die。
The odds are always too damned high
As flak goes by。 。 。
It’s still the same old story
The Eighth gets all the glory
While we’re the ones who die。
The odds are always too damned high
As flak goes by。
Learning to Fly in bat（3）
Once in the fall of 1944 McGovern went up in a practice run； with onlyhis co…pilot； Bill Rounds and his navigator； Sam Adams； along。 McGovernwas upset with Rounds because while McGovern was flying co…pilot with Surbeck；Rounds used his free time to go into Cerignola to find a girl。 He contractedVD and had to be treated with sulfa powder。 McGovern was about ready tokick him off the plane。 But on this practice mission； which was done primarilyto give the c