[1943] Débarquement des américains à Ain M'lila

Hanssen كتب:
"A C-47 took us to Ain M'Lilla to join the 71st. When I
arrived a mission was returning from strafing near Gabes and
a number of planes were missing. I believe that I was the first
replacement that had been assigned. The remainder of the squadron
had been together since before Pearl Harbor. I was not given
the warmest welcome that I have ever received. In fact I was
ignored. There were no provisions for billeting us. I was assigned
to a sleeping bag vacated that morning by one of the pilots who
had not returned from the day's mission.
"A poker game was in progress in the tent with the players
extolling the virtues of the missing pilot while ignoring my
presence. I was wakened in the dark the next morning and asked
if I wanted to go on a mission. This is an offer that is difficult
to refuse. Off I went with a flight of four to Telergma where
we were to be briefed on a mission. I think we were to be a part
of the 82nd but I'm not sure. For some reason it was called off
and I returned to Ain M'Lilla where I discovered that the missing
pilot had returned and I had no sleeping bag. I also discovered,
as time went on, that the missing pilot had fewer virtues than
those he had been credited with
"Thus were Robin Hansen and the other raw replacements introduced
into what probably seemed like a nearly closed society of the
original squadron members. Nonetheless, replacement pilots as
well as replacement P?38s would become more and more of a routine
as the war took its toll