Return to Flight

It was the practice of the corps to drive the crews out to airplanes, especially the captain. Tom declined this ride this morning.

"Tom, Jump in", said the airman.
"Not today skip"

Tom stared down the flight line. Most crews were already on their way out. He had not yet set foot on the tarmac, carefully standing in the grass so as not to commit himself to the flight by taking that first step.

Tom was having a mental debate with himself. He was cleared to fly. And, basically counted as a hero by those on the base. This was a position he did not share. It wasnt humility it was responsibility. He couldnt escape the guilt of that crash. It was his hands on that yoke.

Shortly after the crash the entire air group had stood at attention as two ambulances, carrying the flag draped caskets approached a parked C-3. Tom and his crew stood in the last positions of the line adjacent to the aircraft. He knew these men, as well as he knew any of his family.

Tom knew the ambulances could've contained the bodies of him or any man on that crew. He knew logically there was no way for him to predict what had happened or who would pay the price. These line ups were a fact of life. Ships came back often with no capability to land safely. They came back all the time with dead airmen on board killed by flack, enemy aircraft fire, or worse friendly fire.

The Cornhusker had received a number of hits over the 44 missions prior to the accident and in some cases men were injured, even bad enough to be removed from flying status. Certainly Tom had know many fellows who went home this way from the group.

The ambulances came to halt with breaks screaching. Ground vehicles did not get the care and maintenance the aircraft did. Better to spend your resources pounding gerry then with a nice truck at base. Six men in class As were lined up three aside at the back of the ambulance. A corpsman inside the ambulance opened the door.

Tom's heart sank when he saw the first casket. Gary's casket would be the first lifted out. Tom's mind immediately ran to the face of a blue eyed boy in Toledo who's dad's casket was being lifted ever so carefully from the ambulance. Gary loved that boy like know one has ever seen. His pictures were a constant point of conversation if Gary was around. Tom was overwhelmed with grief and lowered his head with tears running down his cheeks.

The six men hoisted the casket down on to a cart then turning so that the three on each side were facing each other, staring through the other in a cold business like stare. An officer at the head of the casket barked an order of Salute. Instantly all sevenn men now saluted the casket and the flag draped carefully over it.

"Forward, Huh" then men snapped all facing the officer now, at attention.
"Lift" the men each grabbed a handle with the closest hand and and lifted together, still standing
facing the officer.

The process was done with the utmost precision. Even though it was to be carried out many times on this base. When the men and the casket were directly in front of Tom and his crew they stopped. Now ready to hoist the casket in to the aircraft it was custom to give the airman's crew the last opportunity to salute their fallen man.

Tom stood for a moment. It would be up to him to call the salute. It was a sign of respect for the man, his duty and his ultimate sacrifice. It was also the last time the crew would be in the mans presence. He would be flown back to the states and likely his body would be put on a train, for a journey of a fews days back to his home town.

Tom waited long enough to order the salute he knew the crew was wondering if maybe he forgot he needed to bark the order.

"Order, Salute!" Tom barked
he held the salute for a minute or so. Each man in the crew had done the same at precisely the same moment.

45

Tom was walking with hesitation his commanding officer knew. Neither knew of the news they would get. Tom, really didnt care. At the end of that day Tom had lost two men. He wept for them. Two others would never rejoin the unit due to injuries. An aircraft capable of delivering great injury to the enemy had been lost. And, Tom had stripped of his flying credentials for almost three months while the burns on his hands and arms healed the Army Air Corp inspector general investigated the events of that day. This was a time when no lawyers were to be found. There was no protection for a pilot, a commander at that, who lost a ship and two crew members.

Tom was wearing his class A's with everything spit shined and every crease pressed. Despite his injuries he was an impressive figure. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, dark brown hair and the ironically german jaw bone structure he garnered a lot of respect.

"what if they dont let me back?" Tom said to his commanding officer. Thinking through the many options the inspector general's review board could issue him. In the cases of extreme negligence the board could order him cort martialed and even sent to the brig.

"lets not worry about what we dont know Tom", said Jake. Jake Hoffman was a midwesterner too, and a great pilot. Most of his time now was spent on logistics and scheduling crews. He had great respect for Tom and his crew. He knew Tom was busted up over the accident and he knew even if restored to flying status he would have a tough time recovering. Some guys simply could not take command of another aircraft after loosing a crew members for any reason. There was always tremendous guilt. In this case it was Tom's hands on the yoke when the heavy bomber hit the pavement. Despite their best efforts Tom and his crew could not get the failed gear in to a locked position. The left main gear collapsed almost immediately. The bomber yawed left and the nose gear collapsed under the strain. The aircraft left the runway and skidded off the runway at nearly 100 mph weighing 40,000lbs.****

As soon as the nose gear caught the soft pavement it dug in followed by the nose turret of the aircraft which smashed the glass front of the plane. The soft ground dug in and the mass of the plane being slowed too fast forced the tail of the aircraft in to the air and the whole thing came crashing down on the left wing which seperated immediately with large section forcing their way through the fuselage. Inside that portion of the fuselage were Gary Rezdig or Toledo, Ohie and Jim 'baldy' durrant from Nebraska. They were crushed by the meshing metal structure.

A fire erupted from the unused fuel and one other guy, Bob Selis was trapped. The cockpit remained undamaged and Tom and Jack were able to get our their escape windows****. Realizing Bob was trapped and a fire approached they both went to free him. The fire began raging as oil from one of the engines began flowing into the blaze. Bob was screaming for help and Tom and Jack were working fevriously to free him. Finally the steel pinning him in was pulled free and he was drug out from under the craft. Only then did Tom see that he was so close to the blaze that the tops of his sleaves were scorched and his arms burnt.

"enter" announced someone from inside the room when Jake knocked. Tom and Jake walked in about ten feet standing ten feet from the table where three officers sat. Tom and jake stood at attention stiff as two fence posts looking straight ahead.

"adease" said a man with colonel's cluster on his shoulder. Tom and Jake stood at parade rest with their hands clasped behind their backs.

"Captain Tom Kruger." Tom did not respond this was not a question a simple stating this is the guy we are dealing with right now and he dang well better listen up.

"This board of inquiry, having been commission by the commanding General of Allied forces Dwight D Eisenhower, has investigated the events of Septemer 16th, 194X has found the commanding officer of the Cornhusker, Captain Tom Kruger, missed a key option in attempting to lower the gear on the aircraft which might have resulted in a successful landing." Tom's stomach had a pit in it. He felt like throwing up. His brain scanned the aircraft manual for any option he had missed despite having done so ten thousand times since the accident.

"This being said. It is understood by this board, as a result of our inquiry that air crews have not been trained on this option. In addition, we have found the post crash actions of Captain Kruger to be nothing short of heroic risking his own life to save that of one of his crew members. We therefore agree that Captain Kruger should be absolved of any wrong doing, he should be recommended for the Army's Distinguished flying cross, and restored to flying status immediately." The colonel smiled as he looked up, closed a leather binder from where he read and stood up. When he did so the other two officers at the table also stood. As soon as the last was on his feet all three snapped a sharp salute looking Tom square in the eyes.

Tom and Jake jumped to attention and returned the salute. Tom thought he would be brought to tears. First the pronouncement he had missed something then, complete absolution. The three men shook both men's hands and exited the room. Tom slumped in to a chair. He was overwhelmed by relief, and guilt. He would be returning to flying status and two fellows had gone home in flag draped caskets.