Wingmen (9781310207280) by Ensan Case Page B

outgrow the need for a good piece of ass.

    One night
during the week following his conversation with the skipper outside
the BOQ, Fred had a wet dream. It was memorable only because he
hadn’t had one since he was sixteen years old. In the dream, he was
at home in San Jose, in his father’s hardware store. Strangely
enough, he was playing bridge on the front counter where he had
worked during the summers. His ejaculation came for no apparent
reason, as one of the players casually bid six hearts. The
irresistible surging overwhelmed and, moments later, woke him.
Since most of Fred’s dreams were hard to understand and frequently
even bizarre, he rarely remembered them long after he had them. A
week later, during a briefing in which the skipper announced the
first sailing date, Fred remembered the dream and who the player
was who had bid six hearts. In a totally unnerving flash of insight
he realized his feelings for the commanding officer were a lot more
than admiration.
     
     
10
    8 July 1943 : Squadron VF-20
today participated in Operation Boondoggle, a training exercise
involving all of Air Group 20 as well as elements of the Hawaiian
Area Air Defense Force (Army) flying from Bellows Field. In this
operation, the entire Air Group effected a predawn rendezvous
fifteen miles south of the island of Oahu, carried out a mock
attack on the aforementioned Bellows Field, and correctly
intercepted a moving Point Option north of the island. During the
attack, fighters of this squadron carried out an offensive sweep of
the airfield prior to the arrival of the torpedo and dive bomber
squadrons, which then carried out simultaneous high- and low-level
attacks with good coordination. Army P-47s engaged members of this
squadron but were notably unsuccessful in carrying out attacks on
the other two squadrons. Despite early difficulties in the predawn
rendezvous, the training mission has been judged a success.
     
    14 July 1943 : A
four-plane division of Chance Vought F4U Corsairs arrived today
from U.S.S. Bunker
Hill, with accompanying orders attaching the aircraft to
VF-20 for an indefinite period of time. One division of Curtiss
SB2C Helldivers arrived also for attachment to VB-20. The official
purpose behind the attachment of these aircraft to date has not
been specified.
     
    20 July 1943 : Aircraft
Number 20-F-18 piloted by Ensign Luden Hodges, USN, crashed into
the sea today near the center of gunnery area Bravo-8. Reasons for
the crash are unknown, although the pilot of the tow aircraft
reported that Ensign Hodges failed to pull out of an overhead
firing run from seven thousand feet. Search aircraft included those
aircraft engaged in the exercise and a single aircraft from PatRon
37, NAS Ford Island. No trace of Ensign Hodges or his aircraft have
been found. He is officially listed as missing and presumed
dead.
     
    21 July 1943 : Official
orders have been received placing the air group on alert and
specifying an Embarkation / Sailing date of 28 July 1943, for
purposes of training and flight-testing of the new aircraft.
Duration of the cruise and location of the training area to be
utilized has not been released.
     
    24 July 1943 : VF-20
organizational changes brought about by the loss of Ensign Hodges
are as follows: Ensign Frederick Trusteau, USN, is assigned to fly
wing on Squadron Commander Lieutenant Commander Jack Hardigan,
USN.
     
     
     

Part II
Ironsides
11
    “All right, gentlemen,
this cruise is going to be something none of us has ever been on
before: a wartime training cruise. Mister Higgins and I spent a
couple of hours yesterday with the skippers and execs and the air
group commander, together with the Ironsides air officer and captain, to get
our signals down straight.”
    Fred Trusteau
hardened his face into a show-nothing mask and considered the
skipper through half-closed eyes. Jack Hardigan leaned back against
the edge of the large table in front of the ready room, tapping a
pointer carelessly against his