Minute Men of the Air

[Music] [Music] Most folks outside the state of Michigan probably  have never heard of our little town called Alpena. Well, this is where I run a hardware  store, right in the heart of town, Alpena, Michigan. We're mighty proud of it. And I think  if you ever visit Alpena, you'll find that it's a typical American town. Typical that is, except  for one thing. Our neighbors. Now, our neighbors are down the roadways from this park. Believe me,  I think they've got the answers to a lot of things we've been reading and hearing. I think you've  read of the atomic bomb tests, the hydrogen bomb, and all the super scientific development that's  been going on. Well, I have, too. And it isn't very nice to think that someone someday might  be dropping disaster on us from up there. But that's how it stands today whether we like  it or not. That's a new frontier. An area that holds a danger to our homes, our business, our  very lives. That frontier up there isn't a whole lot different though than the one George  Washington and the men of his time faced. They had uncertainty, unknown threats. Or  take Daniel Boone, the explorer, trailblazer, plagued with attacks from the Indians. Or take  the Minutemen up in the New England area. They had both red men and white men springing on them  from the wilderness suddenly descending upon them. The only difference, I suppose, is that the  Minutemen of 300 years ago had their first line of defense all around them. Today, you and I have  our first line of defense up there in the sky. These neighbors that I mentioned that we  have here in Alpena might be compared to the minute men of long ago, only now I'd call them  minute men of the air. And who are they? Well, like the minute men of 300 years ago, they're  citizen guards. Citizen airmen. They have a big training base at the airfield here near  Alpena. Air National Guardsmen from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and several other  states come here during the summer months. Maybe you know some of these men in your community.  Maybe you're one of them. They represent a wide cross-section of men, for they come from many  walks of life. They're bus drivers, accountants, industrial workers, or maybe they're farmers,  roadbuilders, mechanics, all sorts of men. They are the ones who are doing something  about guarding our nation and our homes against a frontier we Americans  have never faced until now. The sky. Now, I never paid much attention to what the  Air National Guard is until I noticed one Sunday that the units from Ohio had arrived for their two  weeks of summer training. They attended several of our churches here in town for they are god-fearing  like the minute men of old. During the next few days, I saw a number of their planes as they flew  over Alpena, and I realized that these fellas knew their business. On the corner across the street  from my store, I was amused at the way the fellas would gather around the popcorn stand, or should I  say around the two little girls at the stand. One day, I saw two of the boys there, and when one  of them pulled out his little black book, there was no question these fellas knew their business.  At the beach a few days later, I saw these same boys and the popcorn girls, and it looked like  this might get to be a double romance. The two boys got to talking together about the Air cadet  training program and how you get to be a pilot. I heard them say that if you belong to the Air  National Guard, you can go to an Air Force school for pilot training free of cost. And fellows  between 19 and 26 are in the acceptable age range. It's a big day for the air cadets when they  receive those silver wings, the symbol of the finest pilots in the world. This young fellow  said that when he received his silver wings, Governor Lausche of Ohio made the presentation.  By this time, I was getting mighty interested in just what the story is on these air guardsmen. And  when the civic leaders and businessmen of Alpena were invited to the open house and the review day  at the field, I was one of them. The general in command of the Ohio Air Guard personally showed us  a few of the pieces of equipment and then took us to the reviewing stand for review day ceremonies.  Several officers and generals arrived from the National Guard Bureau in Washington. And the  top general for all National Guard activities in Ohio flew in especially for the ceremony  which was quite colorful and impressive. It was quite a sight to watch so many of these  citizen guards or citizen airmen assembled on the huge airfield. It was right here that I got  my first impression of these men as being the minute men of the air. for I could well imagine  that our ancestors had similar training programs for their men so that they could ward off sneak  attacks which threatened them from all sides. A special citation was awarded to several of  the Air National Guardsmen who had achieved outstanding performance and after a few brief  speeches the Ohio Air Guard pilots flew their planes in formation over the review ground.  Somehow all of this made me curious. I wanted to know more about these modern minute  men. On my way back to the special bus, I saw the little popcorn girls. Open house was an  invitation and they hadn't overlooked it. Or was it the other way around? Anyway, they were the  same boys and girls, and the romances appeared to be progressing. Because I was so interested  in seeing more of what these air guardsmen do, one of the officers made arrangements for me to  visit again the next day. I was quite surprised, especially since I thought I had seen so much  at the open house. The operations are huge and involved. I just never thought it took so much  to get an airplane off the ground. As a matter of fact, just about every service you can name  that you have in your community is duplicated at the training base. The hospital or dispensary,  for instance, is fully equipped and staffed with men trained in medical matters. Crews of citizen  airmen are needed to provide the communication circuits that keep the schedules moving swiftly  and efficiently. This actual fieldwork gives the men practical experience to round out the training  they receive at home during the rest of the year. When we arrived on the field, there was a portable  refreshment stand, field PX unit they call it. My officer friend pointed out two father and  son airmen he saw there. Many fathers and sons have found the air guard a common interest  they both enjoy. I would say it speaks well for an organization when a father wants his  boy to become an active partner in it. Living quarters are really first rate and I could  see that these Ohio men were a lively bunch. [Music] While all the activity, men and equipment seemed  confusing to me at first, I soon saw there was a definite pattern to all operation. There was  a period of flight preparation for the planes, also for the pilots, and then the actual flying  of the planes for target shooting and scoring. In the flight preparation for the planes, the  airmen who liked mechanical work of various kinds certainly were having a field day.  They were working on two types of planes. The propeller type planes, Mustangs,  and the jet engine planes. But being a hardware merchant myself, these mechanical  things held a great interest for me. So I looked closely as we toured around.  Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] The preparation of targets is a daily operation.  These targets are pulled along behind tow planes so that pilots can shoot at the targets and  develop greater accuracy in aerial gunnery. For purposes of identification, each plane carries  bullets which are painted certain colors. When the bullets pierce the target, color stains are  left on the nylon mesh. These can be examined back down on the ground to see how each pilot  makes out in his aerial target practice. [Music] preparations are also made for the targets used  in air to ground shooting. When the framework is covered, the target cloth is placed out in  the open field used for such gunnery practice. Yes, the services, the maintenance, and the  preparation required each day to keep those planes flying was enormous. But the sum total of all the  efforts was to put a pilot up there in the sky. A pilot who can make his plane spit fire and guard  us effectively on this new and endless frontier. We took time out for lunch at the mess hall, and  man, what food that was. Those airmen certainly are well-fed and there was plenty of it. They told  me that over 2600 Ohio men were fed here every day. Total 7,800 meals a day. And while we ate, I  heard about another camp in Ohio along the shores of Lake Erie where National Guard anti-aircraft  units from Pennsylvania and Ohio were training. These units coordinate with the air guard men  to further increase the effectiveness of our sky protection. A pilotless target plane is launched  and controlled by radio so that the men can test their accuracy and ability in shooting down a real  plane. Like the air guard men, the anti-aircraft units do regular training each week at their  hometown location, usually at their armory. By the time they arrive at the summer training base,  they have developed good coordination and speed. When we had finished lunch, I was anxious  to know a little more about the men who fly these aircraft. The pilots, what are they  like? A good many questions were in my mind as I watched these men. I could see that they are  well equipped, having such things as pressure suits for high-speed jet flying, planes which  are kept in tip-top shape and plenty of fine training. At their briefing sessions before each  flight, you can see the eagerness and enjoyment in their faces. But why do these men choose to fly?  And why do they choose the Air National Guard? They told me very simply, first there's a job to  be done in providing an air guard for our homes and our nation. They are real patriots. Second,  they love to fly, and with the Air National Guard, they are able to fly some of the best equipment  made. At the same time, they can continue to lead a normal civilian life at home. Many said  if they weren't in the Air National Guard, they wouldn't be able to afford to fly. So to  these pilots and the airmen who back them up, it really isn't all work. They enjoy flying. And  what's more, they get paid for it. And many of them will draw retirement pay. Now I watched the  results of the training these pilots and airmen had received. All year they had trained a few  hours each week at their hometown airfield. Here at the summer training base, all the training  and practice was being put into actual use. Many of the airmen were new, but they were  learning new skills and the importance of dovetailing group effort. The planes were ready,  the pilots were at the controls, the target plane was up there towing the target, and the  ground targets were ready at the gunnery range. [Music] Needless to say, after all the shooting is  over, the pilots want to see the results. Check the targets. Look for those little  marks left by their painted bullets. With citizen airmen and pilots like these  men who are our neighbors and friends, we can have a great confidence in our present day  world and in the future days to come. In every state of the Union, air guardsmen like these  Ohio men have developed a wonderful tradition, increased their incomes, developed leadership  in their men, and are providing the vital air guard for our new sky frontier. These are today's  frontiersmen. These are our Minutemen of the Air. [Music]