From: Bob McCarthy of the 29th Bomb Group
We were on our hardstand caring for our plane, as usual. Air crew and ground crew giving that special attention to making everything perfect, when the announcement came over the p.a. speaker that the war was over in the E.T.O. The reaction of those present was immediate and exuberant. Men were running around, jumping up and down, dancing, shouting and in an extremely jubilant attitude.
One of our ground crew members was Cpl. Alexander. Al was, to us, a very old man. He was 38. Somehow he had been gathered up from the Infantry into the AAF in the big press of 1942-43. Al was a lifetime soldier. He was a private serving in the Phillipenes when I was born. He was what might be refered to as a service bumb. It was said that if you were busted for the third time you would never be promoted again, but it was also in Al's record that he had been a staff sgt. at five different times. Anyway in our mad display of our joy of VE day, I looked and saw Al sitting on a 50 cal. ammo box with his head in his hands and not at all joining in the celebration. I walked over, put my hand on Al's shoulder and asked "What's the matter Al, aren't glad it's over in Europe?" Al looked up at me and said "GD it Mick, I hope they don't send Ike over here, Mack and I can take care of it".