Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...

He's the guy who holds the life of the pilot in the palm of his hand
:,' Jt \1.ums up. I, there the f.nntv-t ovcrt on« of fl 1reign
;j()J~C .unu] the powerful throbbmg? 'Lippch? \'.llIc>?
]l all ready to take off when he climbs in.
Beeson is particular. l\othing hut pnfectioll satisfics him.
III himsclf as 1\'(.'11as in others. Beeson k now« pl.uu«. lIc
kll(l\I'> planes just as he knows about c\erytlnllg conncct cd
." ith his bIlSIllCSS. I !c's a m.m to xpcncl hours poriug lJ\ cr
'lcognition eh:nts at night, LIen after tin) yc~ns and nine
li1IJJ1ths as a com hat pilot. \\'ith 21 victories to his credit. lie
-t ill IS practicing dry ruus of marksIlI~lllship on all auning
pdget he set up ill the dispcrsal hut. The pl.mc h~ls to be
ll:,:ht for Beeson.
'\\'all c1calls the canopy. lie rubs the ple'\iglas until it
-h incx. lIe gocs over the w.ixcd body of till' pl.uu, polishim;
.t. .\ few more milcs per hour, \yhcIl BCCSOIlnccds t lu.m in a
])Illeh. \\'all t.ikcs spceial cure to polish the illsignc of thl
lx c with a revolver in each h.urd . Thc l luu kuow« this pl:JIIC,
", ith reason.
"L'm going to change the n.uuc of this pl.inc," Bl'l"OIl h.i-
told \\'all. "I w.uit somethillg that includes yOIl ;IS wcll ~IS
.,
me.
.\L1I1)' pilots have the n,IIllCS of their CI'C\I' chids Oil tlrc
»l.mc. A pilot klllJ\\'s who kl'l'ps h im ill the air, who is be,
luuc] the uncrring respome of the uuch.urism th.it lIleets
l lery emergency .mc] hrillgs h im b.rck frolll the IZcieh, \\':ill
IS proud of tl ic fact that in III()I'C th.ui :1 YClr tl«: B()isc Bcc
h~lS aborted OIl II' twice. Both times the c.msc \las r.id io
t roublc. •
\\'iping all the tail, \\':ill cx.nuiucs carcf ullv the uliuo-t
invisible liuc \I here a new seetwll \I:IS put on, That \I':lS jllSt
,I mouth ago, Oil .\!:Jrch CJ. J li,lu.ut h.rd turned cold wlu-n
IIC sa \I' the Boisc Hcc cou«: III f()r :1 landing with the bare
t r.nncwork sh