Jason’s story about his World War II experience with Cindy continued.
For the past two days, Jason spent his free time with Cindy in the town of Chipley Springs or out in the countryside. He was in heaven and loved the war so far.
It was nighttime, and the Chipley Springs airfield was quiet with a sky full of stars and a full Moon.
Cindy and Jason held hands while they walked around the B-17s that were parked in the field.
“Dinner was great. Where did you learn how to cook?” he asked her while they walked under the nose of a B-17.
“I learned from helping mum do her magic in the kitchen.”
“My mom’s a great cook,” Jason replied while he smiled over thinking about his mother.
Cindy looked a little nervous, and there was something that bugged her for the past two days. “Do you have a girlfriend back home?”
Jason squirmed a bit when he heard her question. “No,” he lied through his teeth.
Cindy looked sad. “I only had one serious boyfriend. It was great until I caught him kissing another girl.”
Jason looked a little guilty. “I’ll never break your heart.”
Cindy looked at the Nazi Crusher while they walked up to the plane. “It must be scary up there.”
Jason looked up at the Nazi Crusher, then back at Cindy. “Only when they start shooting, and you wonder if you’re next. Wonder if you’ll never see that special someone again.”
Cindy gave his cheek a lovingly touch, and he loved the feeling. “Let’s have some fun, as our lives could be cut short,” he said then they walked away and headed to the dance hall.
Later that night, Jason and Cindy slow danced in the Let’s Boogie Down dance hall while the band played Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade song.
They gazed into each other eyes, then kissed while they danced across the dance floor.
Rick was in the dance hall, and he walked up to a beautiful English woman. He whispered in her ear, then nibbled on her ear lobe. She got mad and slapped Rick’s face then stormed off.
Rick moped away with his standard of being rejected.
The next day came, and Jason and Cindy took a walk in the English countryside outside Chipley Springs.
Cindy and Jason held hands while they walked upon a field of beautiful white wildflowers. Jason quickly picked a bouquet of wildflowers and handed it to Cindy. She sniffed them and smiled while they walked away.
Later that night, Jason sat in his bunk and read Peggy’s letter that arrived earlier that day.
”My Darling, I’m thinking of you every day. Why won’t you let daddy arrange to get you sent back to the states? That way, we can get married right away,” Peggy’s letter stated.
Jason placed the letter down on his bunk and looked worried.
The next day, Cindy and Jason slowly jogged down the streets of Chipley Springs. He had Cindy on his mind with every step.
Later that evening, Cindy and Jason ate dinner by romantic candlelight.
After dinner, Cindy and Jason sat in the cockpit of the Nazi Crusher. Cindy sat in Rick’s seat with her hands on the yoke. Jason spent the last twenty minutes and explained the fundamentals of flying an airplane.
It was the next day, and Cindy and Jason had a romantic picnic by a small creek outside Chipley Springs.
Later that night at the Let’s Boogie Down dance hall, Cindy and Jason slow danced while the band played the Moonlight Serenade song again, per Jason’s request.
While they danced, Rick walked up to another beautiful English woman while she drank a soda at a table. He whispered into her ear then kissed her neck. She got furious and slapped his face.
Rick walked away, feeling rejected again.
Later that night, Jason was in his bunk and wrote a letter.
“Dear Peggy, the war is keeping me busy, so I’m sorry if my letters are short and infrequent. And I should stay here with my buddies, so I can’t be transferred back to the states,” he wrote in his letter.
The next day arrived, and the B-17s returned from a mission over Germany.
The Nazi Crusher B-17 landed and soon parked.
After the engines shut down, the doors opened, and the Crushers all got out of their plane.
Rick, Jason, and the rest of the Nazi Crusher’s walked away from their plane happy they survived another mission.
Then the Tantalizing Tina B-17 was on final approach for the runway with three engines on fire and landing gear up.
The Tantalizing Tina turned away from the runway and landed belly up in a field/
Then its nose furrowed into the ground and the plane exploded. All crew members were killed.
Everybody on the ground ran to avoid being hit by the flying debris.
Over by the Administration Building, Cindy took a break and stood by one of the corners of the building to watch the B-17 land.
Cindy saw the billowing black from the crash of the Tantalizing Tina bomber. She looked scared to death, and her eyes welled up, thinking it could be the Nazi Crusher.
She looked relieved the second she saw Jason walking toward the briefing building with the other Nazi Crushers.
She went back into the building and returned to her desk.
It was the next day, and the sun was out, and the birds sang out a beautiful song.
All the B-17s were parked in the field, and all the crew members lounged by their planes.
Some of the guys read letters, some guys napped, some threw a football while some milled and chatted.
Rick, Jason, and the Nazi Crushers lounged by their B-17.
Jason leaned against one of the landing wheels while he read a letter.
Rick lay in the grass and looked up at the sky while he smoked a cigarette.
“Cindy sounds like a wonderful girl, and I can’t wait to meet her. How are you going to break up with Peggy? Mom and Dad will be furious, but I’m behind you all the way. I love you,” Wendy’s letter stated.
Jason shoved Wendy’s letter into his shirt pocket with a smile. He opened up another letter then frowned.
“My Love. Your letters are still too short and infrequent. I’m worried about you. But I do have good news, I bought a wedding dress and father can have General Winston arrange some R&R for you here in the states and then we can get married,” Peggy’s letter stated.
Jason banged his head in frustration against the wheel while he looked at her letter. “Let me see your smoke,” he asked Rick.
Rick handed Jason his cigarette. Jason lit his letter on fire with the cigarette then he dropped the burning paper into the grass. He watched it fade away to ashes. He handed Rick his cigarette.
“What’s wrong?” Rick asked while he took a drag on his cigarette.
“Peggy bought a wedding dress, and her father can have a General friend arrange some R&R if I marry her now.”
“Are you going for it?”
Jason opened his mouth to respond but Albert Yount, an eighteen year old pimply faced Private, drove up in a Jeep and stopped by their B-17.
“It doesn’t look like the weather will clear up over Germany, so today’s mission has been scrubbed. And Lieutenant Jenkins, Colonel Franklin needs to see you. Something about your own plane,” Albert said.
Jason looked proud while he got up.
Rick jumped up and gave Jason a congratulations pat on the back while Jason headed to the Jeep.
Jason got in the Jeep, and Albert drove off.
Five minutes later, Albert dropped Jason off at Colonel Franklin’s building.
Jason jumped out of the Jeep and went inside the building.
Jason walked through a small area where Sgt Joe Burroughs worked as Colonel Franklin’s administrative assistant.
“Colonel Franklin wanted to see me. I’m Lieutenant Jenkins,” Jason told Sgt Burroughs.
“He’s waiting for you in his office,” Sgt Burroughs replied.
Jason knocked on the Colonel’s door then stepped inside his office.
Jason walked up to Colonel Franklin’s desk and stood at attention. “Lieutenant Jenkins reporting as ordered,” he said while he saluted.
Colonel Franklin returned a salute. “At ease, Lieutenant,” he replied.
“Jenkins, we’re getting in some replacement B-17s, and I want you to be the Air Commander of one of them,” Colonel Franklin said while he stood up from behind his desk.
Jason looked proud that he would be the Air Commander of his own plane with his own crew.
“I had some glowing comments from Captain Sanders on his recommendation for you taking command of your own bird,” Colonel Franklin said while he walked over to Jason.
“Thank you, sir,” Jason replied with a huge grin.
“And of course, this comes with a promotion,” Colonel Franklin stated while he removed two 1st Lieutenant bars from his shirt pocket. He removed Jason’s exiting butter bars from his uniform and replaced them with the shiny silver 1st Lieutenant bars.
“Your plane arrives in two days.”
“Yes sir,” Jason replied with a salute.
Colonel Franklin returned a salute then walked back to his desk while Jason headed to the door with a spring in his step.
That night, Cindy and Jason celebrated his promotion and getting command of a B-17 by dancing at the Let’s Boogie Down dance hall.
For the next two days, Jason had light duty while he waited for his plane to arrive.
Then that special morning arrived.
Jason watched from the tower building while two other pilots landed his B-17 on the airfield’s runway.
While his plane taxied to the parking area, Jason thought about what he should call his plane. Then his eyes widened with a great idea the second he thought of Cindy.
He rushed away from the tower building.
Later that day, Jason brought Cindy out to show off his B-17 bomber.
While he walked her around the plane, Carl Morgan, a nineteen-year-old mechanic with fantastic drawing ability, walked up to the B-17 with a wooden case, and a step ladder.
“Sir, you wanted some nose art for your bird,” Carl asked while he walked up to Jason.
“You bet,” Jason replied.
“What are you going to name her?” Carl asked.
Jason looked at the B-17, then looked at Cindy. “I’ll call her Sweet Bird after this beautiful girl,” he said while he placed an arm around Cindy’s shoulder.
“Do you want a sexy lady under those words?” Carl asked while he looked up at the nose of the B-17.
“You bet, and she’ll pose for it,” Jason answered with a smile while he looked at Cindy.
Carl looked doubtful of Cindy being the model for the cartoon.
Cindy suddenly got nervous when she heard Jason’s suggestion. “What do you mean, I’ll pose?”
“I’ll use you to draw a cartoon of a sexy blonde under the Sweet Bird words,” Carl replied.
“This will be great, because every time I fly her on a mission, I’ll be thinking of you,” Jason told Cindy then kissed her cheek.
Cindy pondered Jason’s suggestion for a second while she looked at the nose of the B-17. “Okay, it would be my pleasure.”
Cindy stood there with her hands by her side.
Carl rolled his eyes at the sight of her pose. “I need something sexier.”
Cindy looked shy with doubts on posing, and Jason noticed.
“It’s all right honey. Think of me when you pose and forget Carl’s here,” Jason replied.
Cindy looked at Jason then she mustered up some courage, and she got into a sexy pose.
“I guess this is the best I can work with,” Carl said while he opened up his wooden case, which contained various paints and brushes.
Carl climbed up the ladder and started on the nose art for the Sweet Bird.
Cindy stayed in her pose while Carl started drawing the nose art.
A couple of hours passed and Carl finished the nose art for the Sweet Bird and Jason slipped him twenty dollars for his time.
Carl walked away with his ladder and wooden case.
Jason admired his Sweet Bird nose art with his arm around Cindy.
Jason and Cindy walked away holding hands.
An hour later, Jason, with a camera in hand, and Cindy walked back to his Sweet Bird with Raymond, the navigator of the Nazi Crusher.
“She’s a beautiful bird,” Raymond told Jason while he walked around and looked at the Sweet Bird.
Jason handed Raymond the camera.
Jason walked Cindy under the nose of the plane, and he placed her arm around her shoulder.
Raymond stepped back and snapped the picture that would later end up on the display board at the museum in 1978.
“Thanks, buddy,” Jason told Raymond.
“I’ll leave you two love birds alone and get the pictures developed,” Rick said.
“Make me two copies. One for me and one for Cindy,” Jason responded to Raymond.
“You got it,” Raymond replied then he walked away.
“I’ll take that picture with me on every mission,” he said while he gazed into Cindy’s eyes.
Cindy looked a little worried when she glanced up at the Sweet Bird. “My stomach’s always a mess when you’re up there,” she said then her eyes welled up.
Jason wiped away her tears then gave her a kiss on the lips.
Sidney Carter, a thirty-year-old Captain who was one of the three airfield’s doctors, rode up on a bicycle. He glanced up at the Sweet Bird. “She’s a beautiful plane, Jay Jay. How about taking me up on a short flight sometime? I want to fly so bad,” Sidney asked.
“Sorry Sidney, but the Army will have my butt if I take unauthorized personnel up in the Sweet Bird.”
“I won’t tell,” Sidney replied.
“I know, but it’s too risky. Besides, isn’t being the supervisor of those nurses enough of an adventure?”
Sidney frowned with disappointment. “Ah man,” he said, then rode his bicycle away.
Albert drove a Jeep up to the Sweet Bird with nine guys shoved inside and sitting on the hood.
Albert stopped the Jeep. “Here’s your crew, Lieutenant Jenkins,” he said then everybody got out of the Jeep.
Albert drove the Jeep away.
Andy Watkins, a twenty-two-year-old 2nd Lieutenant, walked up to Jason. “I’m Andy Watkins, your copilot,” he said while he stuck out his hand.
Jason shook Andy’s hand then looked at his other crew members.
“I better get back to work before Sergeant Wilson fires me,” Cindy said then kissed Jason on lips.
Jason’s new crew members watched while Cindy walked off and headed toward the Administration Building.
After ten minutes of introductions, he met 2nd Lieutenant Frank Kirby, a twenty-three year old Navigator who was fluent in German, 2nd Lieutenant Gerard Barrett, a twenty-three year old Bombardier, Sgt Jerome Sampson, a twenty-two year old Tail Gunner, Sgt Don Adamson, a twenty-one year old waist gunner, Sgt Mark Woodbury, a nineteen year old Waist Gunner, Sgt Warren Stevens, an nineteen year old Ball Turret Gunner, TSgt Robbie Noone, a twenty-eight year old Radio Operator, and SSgt Mike Dawson, a twenty-five year old Flight Engineer and Top Turret Gunner.
After more discussions, Jason learned they were all experienced and were reassigned for various reasons.
Rick walked up to the Sweet Bird and checked her out. “She’s a nice bird,” he said then walked up to Jason.
“Guys, this is Rick Sanders, commander of the Nazi Crusher,” Jason introduced his friend.
Jason’s crew members all shook hands with Rick then they all walked away toward the buildings of the airfield.
“I’m curious, have you dumped Peggy yet?” Rick asked Jason while he eyed the nose art while they walked away.
“Not yet.”
“I wonder how Cindy will feel at the end of the war when you go home without her?” Rick asked.
“I’m not going to do that,” Jason replied and looked serious.
“Then you’re going to break up with Peggy?”
“I will. When the time is right.”
“And when is that?” Rick curiously asked.
“After dad gets out of debt with Mister Moore.”
Rick looked jealous of Jason. “You know, every dame I ask out refuses. And here’s you with two drooling all over you.”
“Maybe if you quit treating them like a piece of meat, then one might date you,” Jason replied with a scolding tone.
Rick thought about Jason’s comment for a second. “Okay, that’s fair.”
He patted Jason on his shoulder. “See you up in the air, my friend.”
Rick rushed off toward the briefing hut.
Jason and his new crew members walked toward the briefing hut.
The next day, Jason flew the Sweet Bird on his first mission with his new crew members.
They flew in close formation over Germany with eleven other B-17s in the low squadron.
A formation of P47 Thunderbolts flew with the B-17s for protection.
Inside the Sweet Bird, Jason sat in the commander’s seat while Andy sat in the copilot’s seat.
Jason looked and saw some Messerschmitt’s heading in their direction. “Get ready guys, the sky has now become extremely dangerous,” he said into the radio net.
The P47s all broke formation and headed after the Messerschmitt’s.
The sound of machine guns firing was heard from the rear of the Sweet Bird, while they shot at the Messerschmitt’s.
Flak exploded in front of the Sweet Bird, and the plane shook.
Jason looked out his window and saw the Nazi Crusher flying close by.
More flak exploded, and the Sweet Bird shook.
“Hey Jay Jay, I have two more missions, and I’m going home, buddy. When I get back, want me to marry Peggy? I won’t treat her like a piece of meat. I promise,” Rick said from the radio net.
“She’s all yours, my friend,” Jason replied then he waved at the Nazi Crusher from his window.
Jason watched while a Messerschmitt raced after the Nazi Crusher and fired its machine guns.
While Jason’s crew members fired their machine guns at the Messerschmitt’s, Jason watched while a P47 raced after the Messerschmitt coming after the Nazi Crusher.
“I got one of those krauts!” Mark called out in joy from the radio net.
Jason watched while the P47 fired its machines guns at the Messerschmitt.
The Messerschmitt smoked, dived, and then it clipped the right-wing of the Nazi Crusher. The wing of the Nazi Crusher broke off from the fuselage.
Jason watched in horror while the Nazi Crusher spiraled down to the ground with only one wing attached.
“Please, God! I don’t want to die!” Rick yelled from the radio net.
The crew members of the Sweet Bird and the crew members of all the other B-17s listened while all the crew members of the Nazi Crushers screamed from the radio net.
There was an eerie silence on the radio net.
Jason looked straight ahead, and his eyes well up, knowing his good friend was spiraling down to his death.
After the mission was completed, three other B-17s were shot down, but the remaining bombers hit the target, which was a factory that made German tanks.
Over by the Administration Building, Cindy paced by one side of the building while she eyed the airfield.
She watched with her fingers crossed while the B-17s took turns landing on the runways.
Her eyes lit up with joy the second she saw the Sweet Bird land on the runway.
A little while later, the Sweet Bird was parked, and the crew members walked away and headed to the briefing hut.
Jason walked away from his crew members when he saw Cindy by the side of t