Before The Bombs Drop

Notes from chapter 5 “Preparation For A Raid” of John Steinbeck’s “Once There Was a War”

“The intelligence officer continues: (Next three sentences cut by censor.) “Good luck and good hunting.” The lights flood on. The pictured city disappears. A chaplain comes to the front of the room. “All Catholics gather at the back of the room,” he says.”

“Dressing is a long and complicated business. The men strip to the skin. Next to their skins they put on a long white woolen underwear. Over that they slip on what looks like long light-blue colored underwear, but these are the suits. They come low on the ankles and far down on the wrists, and from the waists of these suits protrude electric plugs. The suit, between two layers of fabric, is threaded with electric wires which will carry heat when the plug is connected to the heat outlet on the ship. Over the heated suit goes the brown cover-all. Last come thick, fleece-lined heated boots and gloves which also have plugs for the heat unit. Next goes on the Mae West, the orange rubber life preserver, which can be inflated in a moment. Then comes the parachute with its heavy canvas straps over the shoulders and between the legs. And last the helmet with the throat speaker and ear phones attached. Plugged in to the intercommunications system, the man can now communicate with the rest of the crew no matter what noise is going on around him. During the process the men have got bigger and bigger as layer on layer of equipment is put on. They walk stiffly, like an artificial man. The lean waist gunner is now a little chubby.”

“The truck draws up right under the nose of the great ship. The crew piles out and each and each man lifts his gun down tenderly. They go into the ship. The guns must be mounted and carefully tested. Ammunition must be checked and the guns loaded. It all takes time. That’s why the men were awakened so long before the takeoff time. A thousand things must be set before the takeoff.”