Kermit D. Stevens January 26, 2002

This is the oral history project. Therefore, Heritage Museum. Today is January 25th, 2002 are now it's January 26th in it. Six yeah. I slipped there. I'm still on yesterday. Today is January 26, 2002. And today I'm interviewing. And could you tell me your name place, current savings. And Colonel Stevens. Colonel Stevens? Yeah. Could you also tell me where and when you were born? On warn the road? Very low, Oregon in the year 1900 day December 16th. And then to another mate. And then did you grow up in Oregon? Yes. I spent most of my life in Eugene. Are you going from the first grade school until I graduated from university of orient in 1933. And what she graduated, what did you decide to do? Well, I was picked by union company of California in Portland, Oregon. And they picked a few of us to come to their plant and start in working for union. Because of the higher semi-pro basketball and baseball they had teams for Maria. And now the reason I think they ought to be come to Union oil and start working for them. A case that 930 three. Okay. So how long do you stay with you? I stayed only company a year. And in 1935, my uncle got me appointment to wash point of the air and Kelly Field and Randolph Field, Texas to learn to fly in the Army Air car. I can't What attracted you to the idea of flying? Well, my uncle would hog add on the Southern Pacific. And he said the next mode of transportation going to be airplay. And she says and your mileage will again with it. And good, We're now on attend. So he said, all gets you a quadrant to find school if you take it, I said, No. You go ahead. I'll take it. I'll love to go down to learn and apply. And so a few months later I got by appointment. They had an appointment to fry in the retina off and Kelly Field sugars in those days? Yeah. Datev. Do you agree? So I qualified for everyday and he got me the appointment. And that started my military career in February 1935. That much when airplane door much and no days. You can remember back that far, 35 or they didn't have friction. We'll write pleasures that phase. But that started my career all. And I graduated from Kelly Field and 36. Okay. I've got a question. What was it like the first time you went up into point? While it was quite an experience. I had had good instructors down an old timer, you teach it. And it was quite an experience to know what type of how you would go to handle. And it was pretty pretty review for me is just hard to explain how a teacher in those type of things where it's kind of a life-and-death with 500 machines and narrow thing to learn that they had struck and in an entirely different way. But I got to it via very hard work. I can't what plying did you learn on iLearn? None of the P t3 they call it didn't have any wheel on the tail, scared it have tails good. Where it didn't have any break it on an airplane. And we allowed to land on dirt fields to give us any control over their way. With Doug about the P3 with the very old All right, Like I said, when you complete that triangle in your pilot, what do you do next? Well, Iowa, from the one stage primary to be stage the secondary there, like I said, they hadn't had it arranged in the order or like they were using with one. The final stage was that Kelly feel we move from Renault, add the first two stages at Randolph Field, texts it. And then we moved to California. And then we got divided into distinct types of aircraft like yeah, in my day I gotta attack a TPACK, attack aviation, that bomber and add fighter. That's an observation at three types so that you could get a time. I shall have you got an attack either real fun for me because it would fly and right on the ground. It was Where do you really got to know what? Fine. Okay. So I graduated in attack aviation and graduated shined from the Kelley feel. I graduated from Kelly feel and 36 February with her to shake and in the attack aviation and were assigned to Barksdale Field, Louisiana. What a QALY is just opening up. Yeah. That was the big trip. On active duty hours, Schwartz, we get commissioned. But as things go, you can't map destiny. And destiny is the way I'd happen. And the way it happened for me. The we've gone through a cut back and muddy and everything like we are today. And we didn't get our commission, had the shoe on active duty. Not as a second lieutenant, whoever we normally would, but with as a flying cadet at about $75 a month, quite a difference in salary. Why we shined do Barksdale Field, Louisiana in attack aviation. And that started my career in active duty as a flying cadet on active duty instead of a Second Lieutenant on acted. Right. But but she did start your career at the teacher ham at the Eighth Air Force yet, which I think is quite a coincidence. So what when do you get put on active duty? Because the wars blaming well, right. Right. Well, you got put all I can do right away, right from graduation film. It was all done or not any breaking in the seniority, right? That you're giving cadet pay? Yeah. When does this change as the conditions, the situation in Europe looks more and more ominous. All this condition, who we would nothing. I hit this with a lifetime, gotta wind up B, a change in the Livy, a, standard American people forever and forever, and continue. You think that's going to be solved overnight. High. It's going to take years and years. It is going to be productive. While we're condition. It's not going to be ended in any Verdi's time limit. K. Well, what about telling me where you are on December 7th, 1941? Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor guy. I was in theater and in Savannah, Georgia, right? Dinner. Beautiful little City of Savannah, OER day in 1942. And then 941 been Pearl Harbor. Yes. I can in the theater, did I stop? They didn't ordered us to return to our bases immediately. And that started my career at Pearl Harbor. We went on control for submarines. And what I would find a twenties at that time, that was a upgrade an aircraft for us. It was a new trial The year 2020. And know it's a first one the government had in that type of aircraft. And and that was very, very interstate and tour. I can just back up a little and find out when did she get set to Savannah? All we moved to Savannah from Barksdale Field in 40 what? Okay. I can affordable and we moved over there. And from a partially I'll feel that too. So that air for bait. So that I can set you were still in Savannah when the Eighth Air Force was formed here? Yeah. Well, you've heard of that that dry eye. There was foreign order, but 20 or 30 oh, sure. Savannah, Georgia, January 28th, 1942. It was formed as a cadre and I was a captain at that time, the captain of the tiniest squadron in the third attack group. We will call that I got aside to large-scale friendly Kelly, who Kelley feel Iowa's side to 3rd Attack Group. Okay. That's the one of the few old-time groups in the third headquarters of the Army, Air Force, Navy, GH, QH. Now eight there force has been formed. You're a captain in the eighth Air Force. What happens next? Well, that's the eyes I say I was a squadron commander of the 90 is one. I came away when he did that for I was when furrow are hit. Okay. When Pearl Harbor it yo Army, Air Force and all government would say, Patty, hi to wish. They wiped us out. There. People didn't know how bad we were really hit. They didn't know the consequence. But the army and the people in the know did know and they were scared to death of the chapter we're going to come in to the United States. They could have walked in unmolested, but didn't know. And they, here's our, wiped out our fleet. And they didn't know hide it. They weren't prepared to do anything more. They could have done it if they want. That's what scared. And the army and people at headquarters knew this and that she was scared. That people are more. Okay. Sam, the ate, their forces formed in response to this state of war. And at first you really don't have any planes, right? Media plan jewish to how quick I can get mobilized and moved ABE, and that's where all the formation of the eighth therefore took place. I was in England and we got over there as fast as we could in 42 okay, to fly something I've already genotypes. They flew me over in an aircraft in June 1942. Okay. For when I entered the picture over there with a join IRA see acre, who was for me the group for the eighth, therefore, what did you take a general acre. I thought it was the ace man to do the job that had to do in Britain. Add the personality. He was great when he had the personality, they get along with the British. As everybody knew at that time. Things were, weren't all peaceful, right? Thing for our different and everybody was just on edge. And things they did had to be redone and carve out an order. And when they fill out reorder. After they took the 3rd Attack Group, which was one of the few ONE type groups in the air for and put it right down the middle. And 50 percent went to the Pacific and 50 percent went to England to make cadre, are they? And they split it up, right? Just write down life. I wish do to go to the Pacific. Believe it or not, as an idea, contingent. And I didn't wind up that way. They changed at the last minute. And to this day, I don't know who did it. And I've often wondered Huawei interchange. And that gave me my chair. On the deer all Eighth Air Force roster and order that was put out on January 201942, that started the ball roll and everything was eight, therefore, a grid. For now I'll write, the war went on for hours. So what was your role in getting the Eighth Air Force up and running in England? Well, I would head start, I move lower as a captain. I was the many of the what they call the A3. Operation, I would one of the many officer that had an assistant A3 job. We're all didn't know what we were doing. Ray will get our job for the first time. And we're all really neophyte and sets and operation. And it was all just guessing by golly, they were very, very elusive formations. And it would more or less, I think the big job. And when this is where a Ira acre behavior, he did the united a and operation of the force into the British system. But we maintain he maintain high identity, trickery, average score that we were over there to assess and operate our own or situation. Okay. Sat. At what point do you become that command or the CLI that 3 third bomb group? Well, adverse first we had the invasion of Africa. We went through and I would say a dispatcher on predentin. Predentin dispatch an aircraft on, for the invasion of Africa. And when I hire a Sudoku and I think was killed, he was on the original order of the few on the ritual or dukkha, the only general we had there at that time. And he got killed right at the early partner. Or and so as things started to happen pretty fast. Now, want to torts, I think the tech code name was torch, an invasion of Africa. And I never got I had a after that I went to the hospital temporarily for an operation I am at and when they that they kept me in the hospital for 30 days. So I wouldn't be lost to the eighth. Therefore, I see you when you go to live for you, when you get out, they returned to a pool and so they kept me in there so they wouldn't lose control of me and kept me. And that's where I learned how the war was going on. You spend a surgical ward, you find out in a big hurry. Or the categories or Kelvin from and what's happening 3D in a war situation. I never, I learn more there. That's third days in surgical or out about that parallel or I could have oscillator learned any other die. And so a return me after my 30 days in there to the Bomber Command, which was that high Wickham. There. They had me plan to go to the June 30 author. They gave me some orders to go there and take some familiarization fights. And so I did. And August there I took command of the three author in 1943. Okay. And as a Lieutenant Colonel. Okay. Was there already any buildings or equipment aren't runways at malls were oh, yes. Yes. It was a full operational unit only on a small scale. We will put not just few aircraft, very few in Washington. Harden the NAV, torch day in a builder, I would hope very, very few will put up ten or 15 aeroplanes or something like that. But what we are and we will put enough maybe a 100. Okay, something I've been curious about that main decisions of where the emissions were going to be. Well made it halfway come. How did she get that information at malls where it will have assistive all set up for the Eighth Air Force headquarter in the Bushy Park, I think it was. And went through the coma Bomber Command who was at high Wickham and we got her ordered over the telephone. What was there a code used? Code low-code, no-code. Satellite. Okay. Was there was there ever an up something like a fan that you could That scrambled and you pressed a button to unscramble or yeah. That folder traveling yeah. For talking. Yeah. Okay. I bet that the information about the missions. When did you receive the information of where the mission is going to be? How much in advance of whether Shonda linearity the light before the night, before they come in late at night. But there was no scrambling with it. It just was it was it in a code or Yeah. Well, to skill or the system? Yeah. Okay. That was was there a cat, was it COT encoded? I don't I can recall. It wasn't coded. We got it over the teletype now. Okay. I 1. And sound. Would you like to tell me how he commanded what roles the different pay ponder you applied in getting these missions off? Well, that was required. Operations, shell, we had all these different services that we had to get together, mechanics and everybody underground coercion. Lot. Brief, going on with brief spend most allied briefing. Paper. Annuity started early in the morning. Briefing, starting breathing, people, navigation and everything, and get ready for take off. Okay. In addition to that briefings for information that people had to have to carry out these missions. Dg also give any advice to the man you were commanding on about about what to do or how to call? Yes. We had a breakdown of cars. The communication from now right now that had duties and phage debris out and briefing and know the Bob loads could had had to have time to get the bond road and thrive early and stuff like that. Yeah, it was it took a lot of coordination of activities. If ticket T submissions auf die. No question about OK, But That Was there any any pep talk, sir? All right. Yes. We alloyed are our final gravy hour where we all got together. After all, Shepherd brief separately for and then we joined together for the final briefing. And Hailar kept auction and one very little pep talk, but very important one, because you had to hit the people in the proper moment due to want to go on. Yeah, that's it. That's the job done. That's what I was trying to find out what it why she told. Well, because if this was of a that you had a real action and to save time to go out and face. If I had another word, QG, I get shot at it, right? They knew it was going to be touching you go. Every mission. They knew their chances are very slim. And that's where he had to give him a little word there for just Lada, BS who he used to call it. There. They want to have to be fast. And to the point, now that far away came up with Bowyer. Their slogan is, you got to stay in there and fight and get the job done. Or you're going to have to go back to the law, redo it. Okay. And the strong porch add to impress ADA. That's reason you had to really know the hanging in there and do the job done, right? This type, then you don't have to go back. There. We tried to get that. I was a stronger say because there's an arrow on a few callback. When you get shut off over a target, they don't want to go back a second time, right? So that's how you manage to keep the morale up. To keep the morale up and build up the morale of getting the job done. The first die. That's great. I can add the 3. Our third has one that the fewest losses the Eighth Air Force was. So your your pep talk undoubtedly helped. What did you insist on additional training when they weren't flying missions? What about tight formation at all yet? Well, yes. We developed formation five, we call it, or what to say. What we said was 10 or stronger. Save. If you look strong up there and you look discipline, then you have these fruit, 20 aircraft boxes. And why it, you had to really develop something that the enemy and look forward to be in straight. And your other weaker outfits look at Safi and not find 10. And that helped our rate tremendously. They've go over here next door without an arch at Target because I didn't look so good. Say that that was what I was talking five. And another thing was our y being record. I had to be tight and put Bob Dylan target and things like that. So they hinged pretty well on a tight formation and discipline that people desire to do it and do it right? The first stack that was one of our big stronger our watering Edwards had tremendous fear for because they would rather go and tag raunchy outfits than good, strong, just common sense. And that was one of the great at say, we had a deal. Okay. What did you do with your briefings when information about German civilians attacking downed fliers started to come back to the basis to, to intelligence that you tell them about, about the instances when someone who'd had to bail out of or a German territory was attacked, bad german civilians, or when those start to filter back, what did you tell your man? Well, that budget good. To read through the under Row. Yeah. What did what kind of directions DG they had man and out about what to do if they had to bail out of reform and how territory that had all good instructions on that. And the underground new told him about how the underground operated in France at very good information on that. So they were briefed. You bet. Yeah. And that I see you. One of the greatest say who had to do they were usually learn, we found out they weren't too. Given a Norden Bomb, shine it to proper platform from which to bow to see Brian on today. A out there on that briefing that the Obama on the bomb run, you can't take evasive action. Are your fire and straight never look at change your plan. And everything. We taught our people that you're going to go over there and do the job you want and we'll do it right? You rush your life a little bit lower, but you don't have to go back. And to let the bother near x0, the bombardier was really fly an airplane on a bomb, run. This with, they weren't doing that. Part of the war. And I try the bombing was lousy. They didn't bother deer fly the aircraft like the Norton mom, she said it would straight and level for those few seconds. A bond, the bomb run out of greed. Say, that's one thing. Lu Lao and I agreed on. You got to give the bottom side privilege of be operated properly, which it wasn't attorney by the war. And that's why they shook it up, needed shake it up. I spent time in 36 way back there, Barksdale feel I sped. They picked a pretty avid phi the Lord and Bob shot and learn to operate them are not. This was back in 36 that way before the war and provider. They taught me how to operate, did and it was so secret that I didn't even know what I was doing. I didn't know we were operating secret launch. I had known brought down by Officer and set us up in a higher for genre. Codified the Type I operation and to show how it should be operate. And that helped this, this. So did we reload back in 1936? Taught me and I'd put, and that was one of the things we put in place with Lula and my shift in personnel when I took over the bomb group in 43, we were pretty low ebb. Time, we shook it up at one general came in and took over and we started to really put the heat on, check it in, and change in personnel. I changed quite a bit of my personality. I got the wrong page around hole and the squirrel and in the square hole, that's what it amounted to do. That worldwide great fame. One of I hate him. But once you do that, your tribal jewelry over because you've got to guide, all set for doing the job he likes to do and wants to do, and he's got to do it better. No, it should be done. Yet thorough white ground, peg it around home and you add them over. They were just a bunch of people renew. And they didn't know these two cave and one was the Norton Bob tried operation formation Fayyad to show straight. And then this thing, can you getting the rhyme? People who run home and getting them to go and then you're hedged, they started to concentrate on then get the job done. They instead go to her, killed or to hell with that. Or is it dangers? Say yeah, anyway, look at it. But it showed him that if we do it right the first time, it's going to save your life and know how to read. We had we did have the low schwa, right. I'm retired and everybody wanted to come to 30 1 third because they learned that pretty fat. And these were some of the key and the discipline and the esprit de corps and build up, would you get a bunch of people all in a job? I told him, if you don't like what you're doing, come in and save me, I'll get you the job you wanted with that. If you don't like it here, you can't work for me, you can't work for anybody. You just think about all the say and it builds his own character in obey her. And that way. If this is the type, and I told anybody that I go here, come in, SABR, THE a new job you get down there. I don't want anybody in here. There's like it and not having a good time and doing the right things, he should we do it. And this is what I built my spirit of camaraderie on a colander of age but had to work. At War II. They were extremely good as well. I might find out about how you how you did it. Yeah. Uh-huh. Well, yeah. I like tiny away everything that now. What did she with that or are there ever any people he said they weren't going to fly anymore. We had a few we call allergic to come back. So what did you do that? Well, we got the you know, he defended turn your rock back on. Well, yeah. No good. Go have around. Kenema can see cleaned house. But that word vita, we don't like it here. I don't want you to hear. And then for well, I can finally good job. Just let me know. If you don't like what you don't like mine. Could I cut? I want you to be happy in your to-do Larry, you're going to do it good. Precisely. Did you lead any of the nation's oil? Yes. Yes, I had that high that I hope that's what they got. They got me started. Hi. I would go on to a lofted. They cut that out in a hurry. It's a dual goal and we tell yet. And they would pick us for lead missions. Yes. I would only go on a mission to conserve. Are there where we have another big loss rate like on Twine for Michigan are 60 bomber, you know, they can stand the 60 bomber on live and then mower. They can make airplanes fast enough that they can make a man 21 years or so and train it to five. And so this is what a hat ran up against and the This is what we had to deal with. Make an airplane when we had to control the people. Right? Sure. They I could only fly on orders of higher headquarters what to do and put them on lead missions and love. And also on maximum whoever we had mission where they put a hallway, airplanes, maximum effort, tough like that. Okay. Does one of these missions that she lab, particularly sticking your mind is one more memorable than another one? Yes. Hi. I could say that very particularly the swine for a measure, which way? The decision of daylight bombing over shrine for it? Or will our 60 bomber average my seventh mission, I'd only Phone 7. That very few wish it to be say that your neck or your authority or by a measure. But that's how low we were and that's when they took control over that that I I lead to low group on that mission of 20 aircraft. Lu Lyle, My devotee here, it was here that the high group of 20 aircraft, then we add a league group of 20 aircraft called the 60 airplane bomber box. That's it. That was a unit with three groups, a leader. I was really little group that they owe much of information. Yeah, I got educated, pretty fat or something. I remember. I set right below. Lu Lao LED the top Vision 20. And here's our afraid or right underneath me. I mean, right on top of me, you learn the top group. I lead the low group and had lead you to anything. That's a lot. And I watched glue. He lost five airplane an arrow shot down C, we had to go in at actual low altitude on the stride for due to the range here was their fathers. In downrange we add. And it would very difficult to phi at that lower rate card that gave the fighter chest shoot data aircraft. And he lost his fortune. Fiverr afraid on the top scanner. I never shy, I think I can they came down to the my formation right down to it. Just like I am a grandstand seat to an opera sharpening. I saw airplane just like that, like a money machine, magician's hat B and they make it disappear. I've seen BY 17 yet, put just a white pen. That's all. That means you've got a direct bond here in the Bombay and just plug for AI. I've seen him show roll and go up and then dive right down to the formulation. And I saw just set in there. Because a fighter, she could come from up above codify and at low altitude. And they nip this off from the back and he was the top dog and he got worse. I got I was in the low group, so I advise just circumstance. Very, very easy. What were you thinking when this was happening? I I couldn't believe it. I outwards or refer and I are so obvious that blow up and they'd show role big 70. Try and form a part of to just fit right before your eyes. Just like a magician. That means a direct violet. Just quite small. It's all live. Stuff like that. Fire is just come right down. I couldn't believe it. I thought, I thought it's that die by seventh measured. And I thought, Whoa, much curvature in this business. Yeah, I really did I bother this. Suddenly I got a grandstand seat. So watch an exhibition where the whole offer it were 60. And you know that terrific lot of times 11 and 12 geyser aircraft and there'll be some shoots out. No shoots to. So it gave me a awful, let's say, initiation. There was really my first initiation of a big league, Beijing. And that was it as coffee wrote in his book. And let me tell you certain that coffee, Thomas coffee on the book of decision of daylight bombing over that. Here's one of the most authentic book. What we went through and the war situation that any book I've ever read are ever seen. I don't read much tighter. That coffee wrote that decision over shrine for there to be published now. But it told it like it was told the trouble, we had our word having everything. And he interviewed both sides and each spent two years doing it. It's the only book that kind of fiction was Muslim or fiction. Non-fiction reached light friction. Decision over their eyesight. They were to where it says you made. But Churchill and awhile no buyers decided 3D shape. The final stage of the war. That tells you what went on and the reason for making the change that we did in 43. You have any empire and the changes that we were as a result of Swiffer or on that mission that had all that. Tell me that that will yield loss. You have any contract since with the people who all we will go and book Lu and go on. Yes, they had cartridges. You probably read about trauma when new little took over about low squabble I had of what that did to the morale rises. Wow. Yeah. That that type, etc, OID, whatnot. Yeah. Okay. What did she think of the changes? Steel metal night. We are tactically we didn't pay much attention to where we were on on that kinda operation anyhow way or were away at you. You are already doing that. Try and what they said environment, which is co-editor down. Yeah, it's really, really affect most of you know, either new favorite learn, they want, show, they will have sudden new pneumonia. Already knew that we were part of our work and our eye. We're build morale. There was stuff that I had trouble. He bought out to double that, get in the fighters. What Riyadh, who had been fighters were hell, be held up here in the United States pretty high. The P 47 and the P50. And the two great keys to our success, though, p 4751 when they were shown over Berlin later and there are about 43 that the war was over and gory know it when he saw those will say 47, fulfill on student ID over Berlin, the warrior and over, and the war was over. Going early 44 milliliter our finery got there, they shut down everything, you move. Those 50 ones and 47. That was winding down. And that really started. The polis are starting to retrain it already to go to Japan. Cellular. Where, where dish, What's your role and less than these deep, how long do you stay as commander of the three Arthur? Well, our over there over a year after the logs command. And because nobody ever want hi, I enjoyed it. Have a group of people like I had to work with. That's the thing right there. Somehow I was gifted and privilege taken then an outfit that Rich was able to respond to my way of of where this war and put the things we had at our disposal if we just use the right hand. That's what that proved that at proved the whole thing there and a nutshell. And it did prove out. And that was the prover of the grade 3 or third Kurzweil and I he was instrumental in running this thing to down to the people. He flew 75, mentioned that guy just on his ONE. Yeah. I totally don't let me know why. I got a proof of the fact that though, let me know what you do. You do, What do you think has to be done to get the job done? And he will he will all for my way of thinking. And he was gung-ho about it. And that's what it took. A few enlisted guy got Squadron commanded in the key around the lake. It's not the same. And then we just said second and it would it was done. Because you say that's all you had to have. Good. Get the guy and a right part, I'd say that's the most important thing. This round peg, round hole, squirrely squarely and then say second and turn loose. And they'll do it for yeah. But but that's where UV passed onto lot. You can't have a guy in there. It doesn't really save you, right? Or I call it put in the round peg your rival and allow that trait. I'm just a few shift putting them in command key places. And hey, see immediately the results of it because it saves lives. You don't have to sell at various cells, the cell. And that's what I gotta sell herself error by one because thrill her. Lower schwa Friday won't do. Who could you believe him? No, that's what I wanted to. I've got another question for you. Yeah. Did you have any advance information about what the Germans were doing that we know as the Holocaust. Get any of that trickle in ways that are at time for extra correct track. I like how the none nothing you could do anything about a catalog but we're not aware of it, but no. What about this P missions that and I'm not sure whether the three out there this evening frog that project, operation Clarion, where instead of exclusively military targets, there were some civilian bombing. Or what about what was your attitude towards that? Well, our COO was pretty universal Ijtihad and fired. I know we the American attacked and nothing but military target. Now, have I been some over mistakes made? But there were mistakes if they bomb over and got some civilian targets in in there, bob Branch. And that could have been because I what are our sister much attack, nothing but military targets. And that's where we add the division of daylight, why we had to do it with the normal I've tried you have to have detailed target. And we never did get the abandoned cities like the British did court. They bought their stage so they had a right to go back. And they bombed London to toughen that out, all right, for them but not us. We stuck quickly come military target and that would go on and do what? You got answered my question. Why? What were your thoughts when Germany teach surround and the wine Europeans with journal surrender, what were your thoughts? Well, I thought It's finally shocked. Didn't who we did do it. We went out yeah. Cause we knew it would just crush your time. Had to have gotten bond and our fire just whenever we got the fighter escort ages, their fighters were through I mean, their air force a habit. We're going set or widower. We go along. The war will over for a long time there. They were just fighting, hanging on. As a German. It was ours. Who's going to win. No, no problem. Wow, we got our fido key. I'd say there are two long reign fire was the actual straw that rely on, you know, there's a lot of they read enough to it. But we were getting show straw and put so many bombers in stream. You see, we were below where I would put in 50 power. We'll put in a 100, offer us a bay. I put 100 me out very well for Marlboro is still 50. That's quite a J. But that's a way we were doing. The lab. Will put found out and there can be tackled. We knew it. Ours. It was yeah. I would just the known fact for a long time for starting late 44, big push arrow and just shifted 33 and get everybody done that grew. Right? That started the fire fighter. That had to be those two fighter Asheville get underestimate there. And they shop and they say who? They KI, well, which like to tell me in your estimation, how important the eight therefore slice to the allied victory? Well. Hi. I don't know. I can sum it up. If you weren't. But it was a EV I had to understand. I think it was the industrial might of the whole United States. And she kept us. They could build arrow pledge. They can do anything faster than he could destroy it. The other people couldn't replace it. For awhile. They could replace a thing that Yeah, yeah. That industrial might of the United States home and abroad and everything produced fighter from numbered and bombers faster and shifts and faster than they could shoot them down or shaker or do other than it would have just our whole night. The industrial know-how, put it that way. One really did to John. You couldn't sing aloud anyway. We were the front liner doing the job for delivering the bomb through the pauper address, hours corner. That's what way you teleco and now you've got the needs. Bob, don't share amoeba. They deliver them to the proper address. We're the only country in the world that's got the airplane wherewithal to deliver these phase of destruction. Esa, we are technology is so far ahead of our tertiary. That's what, that's what worries me. Flying. Yeah. Our technology is way our file. People can have, can't keep up with it. We're making things tactical. People can't even understand. Height, weight weekend, my 40 minute mark. Yeah. Do you want yeah. Do you want to you want me to put another type in? I don't know why you got any question you yeah. Well, I need to ask you if there's anything you want to add before we do turn off the scam? I know. What about you? Well, okay. I want to thank you. But Asa, one thing, if what you do it quickly, what, what's your attitude towards Hitler? Had? What did you think about off yet? But I didn't think much of Hitler. He would justify that a school by columns, Google and now my language. Yeah. And we got them now we got him in a lot of country B. That's what we got now the terse school at all. We've got a voucher where you got them in the United States too. Yeah. Well, you gotta wait about home. There may be your next door neighbor, you don't know it could be joined in the pact with Hitler? He would. And what are those who fall? I call them school. I thank you very, very much for taking the time to talk to me for an hour while on at this point, I'll turn off the camera. I'm Courtney seeking come in. Okay. Tell