ground. We had always been taught that vertigo could really make us distrust our senses and the instruments we were depending upon; now I knew just how serious vertigo could be.

The final examination for all this operational training came in the fall of 1944 when we invaded Vichy, Missouri. It was a well-planned exercise. We first took off each towing a glider and rendezvoused with another squadron somewhere over southern Ill. On this first mission we dropped these gliders over the DZ, the theory being that the equipment and personnel they carried would secure the perimeter and build a temporary landing strip. As soon as we were refueled back at Lawrenceville, we took off again this time with a load of paratroopers to support those who had landed in the gliders.

The next trip we were loaded with supplies, which meant that the strip was supposed to be secured so we could land. These first three missions were all under the cover of darkness. All the next day and the next night we kept flying missions to support that landing at Vichy. When the exercise was completed I had been in the air for thirty of the previous thirty- six hours. We would catch short naps while the plane was being loaded or unloaded and we would be in the air again. The exercise was completed with no accidents and no major goof-ups. We felt we were ready for whatever was to come overseas.

Another bivouac was held while we were at George field. This time we went over into Indiana just east of Vincennes. We camped in an Indiana forest in October where the trees were turning and the nights were cool. We cooked or warmed our C-rations over open fires and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Again we slept under the GI shelter halves. We were all given another two-week leave and ask to report to Baer Field in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This was to be a staging area for shipment overseas. I spent the last two or three days of this leave visiting with Freddie Koran and his family in Chicago. Then, he and I were accompanied by his fiancé, Alice Tryanski and his sister, ? , on the train over to Ft. Wayne. After two or three days all we had to do at Baer Field was report in at 8:00 each morning and wait around until around 10:00 to see if there would be any shipping orders. If not, Freddie and I were off toward Chicago for dinner and maybe a show with the girls and then catch the last train out of Dearborn Station for Ft. Wayne. It was usually a milk train, which stopped at every little station. We didn't care as long as it got us back in time to report at 0800.