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“Why did you pull your rip cord?” “There I was at 20,000 feet,” beginning of a story of the gunner’s last mission. “Sie haben sie licht?”—asking for a light. “Hit the sack before you have an attack.” Ta-wang—gg! Over-raise in a poker game. The saddest words a man ever said were, “Please deal me out,” poker player losing his last chip. “Get off your dead ass,” politely asking a Kriegie to move from your chair or bed. “The flak was so thick you could get out and walk on it”—gunner’s description of a tough mission. “Close the hangar doors,” an appeal by a fellow Kriegie for quiet after lights out at night. “Dushe” German word for bath. “Flea-bitten bastard”—pet nickname. “Get on the shit eatin ball”—meaning hurry up. “Aw go chin yourself on the warning wire.” “Haben sie ball scratch?” Groth’s favorite question. “Take a bow boy—submerge.” “Dumb shit”—turd head. “How about a brew?” cup of coffee (Nescafe). “Abie the mole” nickname for German tunnel searcher. 90 CARANO’S WARTIME LOG 1SLOAN_pages_i-104.qxd 8/20/08 10:49 AM Page 90 “They Fly for Dollars” German propaganda, made readily available in Stalag XVII by the German captors, was designed to undermine the spirit of the Allied soldiers, and Carano included several pieces in his journal. He hand-copied this article from Der Adler, dated December 14, 1943. “THEY FLY FOR DOLLARS” by war correspondent Hans Theodore Wagner When two years ago, the U.S. officially entered the war, it appeared to be the only right course and above all the simplest one to land effective support to “volunteering” for the U.S. Air Force by all sorts of solid promises.That is to say, promises of ringing coin.The British had already introduced a system of “premiums” for the flying crews of their air force, and this system was not far exceeded by that of the U.S. To the lure of money was added the childish delight of every American in all things technical. The reaction of the young American is quite as it may be expected. With cool American deliberations, he views the war in east Asia and the war in the equally distant Europe like this—He will have a splendid new profession, he will fly in one of the fantastic “big ships” about which American newspapers relate such wonderful things. He will earn a pot of money and have nothing to worry about—he will not be called up for the land army, nor for the navy, and consequently he will run no risk of being torpedoed by a submarine—an experience which is said to be quite probable and extremely unpleasant. 91 1SLOAN_pages_i-104.qxd 8/20/08 10:49 AM Page 91 ...

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