be shot down by the English troops who suspected the use of captured B-17s by the Germans to actually fly to England to bomb different English cities. As we crossed the English Channel, I began to practice the procedures we had learned in our training. These included the following: 1. As we approached the English Channel, we were to lower our wheels and flaps and fly at as low a cruising speed as possible. 2. We were never to fly directly across the coastline but fly toward it, then as we approached the coastline, we would make a turn and fly parallel to the coastline before slowly crossing over it at a diagonal. Any enemy aircraft coming to bomb the English countryside would normally fly directly across the coastline rather than flying parallel to it... 3. We were to fire our Very Pistol (flares) with the colors of the day. 4. When calling our Base Operations after we arrived at our base, we were required to repeat everything three times, to let them know that we were following the emergency secret procedures for straggling ships. These things I did. I lowered my flaps and wheels and made a right turn to fly in a northern direction and to cross the English coast line at an angle. By now, however, it was dark and as we did this, search lights came on us from Coastal Defense Locations. We decided that we had better fire the colors of the day. However, we then realized that we did not have the current colors of the day, as they were changed every twenty-four hours. We did fire the colors of the day that had previously been assigned to us. These flares were rockets that would fire colors like red, green or yellow in sequence ... and then I flew slowly in a zigzag 'z-shaped' manner towards our base. This again was a part of the procedure that was to be used by straggling ships. When we reached the vicinity of our base, there were no lights on the runways or landing lights available for us. I immediately began to call the tower. My request was met by total silence. Finally, I said it again the same way. Nothing but silence again. Then I realized my basic mistake and began the procedure over that I should have followed as emergency procedure. This included repeating everything three times. I then said, Hello, Hangstrap. Hello, Hangstrap, etc. Repeating every phrase three times. This is Bad Dog, D-Dog. This is Bad Dog, D-Dog' etc. At this time, a voice came back at me requiring me to identify myself by name, rank, serial number and birthday. I also was required to give my copilot's name, rank, serial number and birthday. The tower then became convinced that we were for real and who we said we were and they finally let us land. It was only then that we learned that several things had happened that had really been a very close experience that might have cost us our lives. Within fifteen minutes after we had landed, air raid sirens on our base and in the area announced that there were enemy planes in the vicinity and that we might be under attack. Any lights that might be showing were immediately put out. We had been fortunate enough to have the field lights turned on for us while we landed and then shortly after, everything was dark again. We were required to undergo a thorough briefing by the intelligence officer of the group, and we learned several additional things that were amazing to us. First, while flying from France across the English Channel, we were picked up by friendly radar and had been followed from the time we left the French coast. We learned that we were on a collision coarse with a German rocket that had been fired toward England. Just at the time when we might have been in the vicinity of possible collision, I made a right turn to fly parallel to the English coastline. Next, we learned that the British antiaircraft were about to open fire on us, when I lowered our wheels and flaps, I turned on our landing lights as well and we fired the flares that we believed had been the colors of the previous day. We did have the wrong colors of the day, but they recognized that they were the colors from the day before and, therefore, continued to track us but did not open fire on us. We learned that our base had never received a message from the Army in France. They had us 'missing-in-action' from the previous day. They suspected a German captured B-17 and that is why they made us identify ourselves so carefully when we arrived back in the vicinity. It was a very strange feeling to walk into our Squadron Operations Officer and see our crew name, Buckner - MIA (missing in action) on the blackboard. I have often felt from that day, we perhaps have been living on borrowed time. Robert J. Butler Robert J. Butler was a sergeant in the Army Air Corps, and served in England and Germany. He managed the Red Service Club. 12 Arthur Farr Campbell Arthur achieved the rank of sergeant in the Army Air Corps. Wayne Edward Casey Wayne served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a technician fifth grade. He served in the United States and later in the China, Burma, and India Theater of Operations. He finished his tour of duty in the battle of Okinawa, Asiatic and Pacific Theater. He received the China, Burma, India Commendation Medal as well as the Asiatic, Pacific Commendation Medal. Lionel Joseph Chambers I didn't have an opportunity to fulfill an LDS Church mission as the warthe big onebroke out. I discovered you didn't need to be thousands of miles from home to suffer homesickness. I was stationed for a while in Kearns, and I could see Ben Lomond. I knew that home was just a few miles north. This increased the suffering. Wow! While I was in Boise, I was corresponding with Marva, whose hometown was Oakley, Idaho. One day I received a nice-looking package from her. It appeared to be a large box of chocolates. My buddies couldn't wait for me to open it, so I told them to go ahead. This was followed by a roar of laughter! Instead of delicious chocolates, wrapped in tissue was a five or six pound Idaho Russet potato! I received my navigator's wings at Ellington Air Force Base. Our base overseas was Naples, Italy. At first it was quite frustrating: we'd have a briefing, and then the mission would be cancelled. Next day we'd have another briefing, get out to our planes, and then the mission would be cancelled. The next day after our briefing, we made it to our planes and down the runway. Then, again, mission cancelled. We finally took off, and I wondered how I would react to our first combat mission. From my position on the B-24, I could see straight down. Over enemy territory, from 28,000 feet, I could see belches of flame from a circular pattern, which looked like July 24 fireworks. Then we noticed little black puffs of smoke around us. I realized that these were antiaircraft guns firing at us. We had a few problems with enemy fighter planes, but for the most part we maintained air supremacy. My eldest son, Craig, served his LDS mission in several of the areas we bombed. I told him if he mentioned to the Germans that his dad was well acquainted with their landscape and country, 'Well, don't tell 'em why!' The European war ended shortly after I completed my thirty-five sorties. Back in the U.S., our crew was gearing up to head for the Pacific Theatre when a prediction from President J. Reuben Clark was fulfilled: a prediction that the war would have a sudden and miraculous ending and it surely did. Submitted by Lorraine Chambers Mead, daughter 13