The Long Haul, The Story of the 497th Bomb Group (VH)
The Long Haul
Published by Newsfoto Publishing Company 1947,
by Col. Arnold T. Johnson, Group Commander.
Note: This is an out-of-print, hard-to-find book.
Donations of a copy to the Pratt County Historical Museum would be greatly appreciated.
Read sample about PAAF time period:
April 1944 at PAAF
Training
Mention has been made of the increased attention given to training once the move to Pratt had been completed. The training that had been accomplished, was completed only after overcoming a number of obstacles. For example, the first week after arrival at Pratt, was spent in getting set up in the new quarters. Then the new Table of Organization resulted in some lost time, due to personnel shifts. Finally, weather did its share in interrupting flying schedules. For the last fifteen days of the month, Kansas belied its reputation of being part of the dust bowl, because all existing rainfall records for the month were broken. The weather was invariably either cold, windy or rainy. More often it was a combination of all three. The climax was reached on the next to the last day of the month, when a tornado passed about a mile south of the Field. Colonel Wright, on being advised of the approaching storm, quickly alerted all available personnel and at first planned to fly all planes to Oklahoma City. Time was too short to accomplish this, so he then ordered the planes to be tied down. The storm came quickly, but by the time it arrived most of the planes had been securely fastened down. The remainder taxied into the wind. Actually the center of the storm missed the Field by about one mile; but the Colonel's quick action and the alertness of the Weather Officer on duty would have cut damage to a minimum had the center of the storm struck. The proximity of the danger, however, is indicated by the fact that approximately a mile away, a farmhouse and outbuildings were completely destroyed; an automobile blown a hundred yards, and a number of box-cars blown over on a nearby siding.
Ground training was beginning to get into high gear towards the end of the month. However, this program suffered a somewhat delayed start, because satisfactory facilities were not available when the Group reached Pratt. The program could not be satisfactorily set up until proper school facilities had been established. All efforts were made to get the program commenced as quickly as possible, and by the end of the month, it was in full swing.
Note: Transcribed by Madeline Martin on 12/31/2007.