1.
"Remember the headlines in the Stars and Stripes a few months back?" Bannister asked
2.
"Yeah, they are that," Bannister responded, "the guys are badly cramped by the Rules of Engagement
3.
Bannister had begun to regret being so open about his feelings the night before with Doc Russell
4.
Bannister, used to being approach�ed like this by masters of the art since his childhood in Hollywood, could spot those types at the drop of a syllable and the turn of an in�gratiating smile
5.
There weren't many like that in the USAF and that was one of the reasons Bannister appreciated service life
6.
Nonetheless, Bannister paid a toll for his background
7.
Bannister had to prove himself all over again
8.
He had been out of fighters for the two years it took him to get his engineering degree, and except for Paul Austin, also an ASU grad, he knew no one in the squadron, and no one knew him except as the son of Silk Screen Sam Bannister
9.
Captain Jack Ward elbowed his way through to Bannister and motioned him to follow
10.
Crash Bannister realized something was expected of him
11.
Below, in the crowd, Bannister saw Jones the Flying Safety Officer grinning broadly and next to him, laughing, was Doc Russell
12.
He and Bannister grinned at each other
13.
Bannister nodded his thanks
14.
He said that during six months and nearly five hundred hours of FAC-time that he hasn't seen ground fire like that since the VC tried to overrun Plei Mei last October," Bannister said
15.
"I think it's a buildup," Bannister said, "and so does Phil Travers
16.
"Right here, Bien Hoa, us," Bannister replied
17.
"By the way," he asked confidentially, "what is it you've got against Bannister?
18.
Although Rawson had not told Darlington everything he had said to General Austin on the telephone, he decided maybe this was the time to air his theory about Bannister
19.
"Sir," he made up as he went along, "maybe Bannister didn't call out the ground fire like he should have
20.
Samuel Whisenand Bannister and I are cousins
21.
Shawn Bannister appeared at her side
22.
Bannister nodded at Freeman who had raised his hand
23.
" Bannister saw another raised hand, a new lieutenant
24.
Bannister put his hands on his hips, glanced briefly at the DO, and said, "Because, dammit, we are short of ammo
25.
" Bannister paused as the pilots nodded and muttered to each other
26.
They exchanged a few more words, then Colonel Darlington walked up to stand next to Bannister
27.
"I assume Bannister will fly today," he said
28.
Bannister tightened when he heard the guns were up
29.
Then, without warning to Bannister on the intercom, he got on the radio
30.
"Overheat," Bannister said on the intercom, rapidly scanning the instruments, "we don't have an overheat
31.
"Ah, hold one, Lead," Bannister cut in, "I, ah, think everything is okay
32.
Bannister hastily safed the Master Arm switch with his left hand as he fought with his right on the stick to overpower the pressure from Rawson in the back seat
33.
Quickly Bannister used both hands wrenching the stick from Rawson's grip so severely the plane banked to a near inverted position directly over the friendlies
34.
"The gages are good," Bannister puffed, "and I don't have a fire warning light on
35.
What the hell was the matter with Bannister, Darlington said to himself as he positioned for a strafe run
36.
Bannister turned back, tucked the gun under his G-suit leg bladder, set up the switches for CBU, and called he was in as he positioned for his run
37.
"Yes, Harry," the Director of Operations said quietly, "I'll see to it that Bannister gets what's coming to him
38.
Hell of a mission, wasn't it?" Ward faced Bannister
39.
You're great to fly with," Bannister said smiling
40.
"Got it," Bannister said
41.
Bannister remained standing, astounded by the sudden words that all young fighter pilots yearn for
42.
" Bannister exhaled a strong puff of smoke, looking squarely at Russell
43.
Bannister thought for a while
44.
Bannister took a pull at his beer
45.
Bannister took another drag
46.
Bannister looked away for a moment
47.
Underneath was the author's dedication to the III Corps Mike Force and his name, Court Bannister, Fighter Pilot
48.
When the startled sergeant jumped sideways and swung his M-16 into position, Court Bannister barely had time to yell and grab the gun barrel
49.
"Yeah," Bannister said, leading him past the operations counter to the map room where a Mark 128 radio pallet was set up on half of the big plywood plotting table
50.
Which was precisely why Bannister had gone on patrol with the Mike Force
51.
Because Bannister had run in the woods with the Mike Force, Rawson made him project officer as an extra duty thinking the whole scheme a waste of time
52.
"With the Mark 128 radio," Bannister said, pointing to the pallet, "we have five radios
53.
Bannister asked his boss, Major Derham, if he had any comments or questions
54.
Bannister posted the flight lineup
55.
"Negative," Bannister transmitted, "I'll see what I can find out from MACV
56.
What's their ETA?" Bannister responded, impressed that Slingshot Chief, Major General Dupuy in charge of the 1st Division, was taking a personal interest
57.
Bannister said he copied and they both went off the air to maintain a listening watch on the Slingshot command frequency
58.
"Court," he said, "do you have a relative named Shawn Bannister?"
59.
"Yeah, he's a relative," Bannister responded not really wanting to spell out the half-brother relationship
60.
"Yeah, well," Monaghan said, pointing at Bannister with the microphone in his hand, "frying up a few of those VC motherfuckers teaches fire discipline in a big hurry
61.
"Oh, hell," Bannister said, half laughing as he slid in front of Monaghan, "what the sergeant means is he's delighted to have this opportunity to converse with members of the great American press so he can tell them factually in a few words exactly what he thinks of this war
62.
"This is Jim Monaghan," Court Bannister said to his former wife, ignoring her question, "and he likes to eat newsies
63.
"Let's fly," Court Bannister said to his half-brother well aware of the unacceptable delay
64.
Bannister didn't have time to answer as he concentrated on the figures growing larger in his view through the gunsight
65.
Shawn Bannister was in his small room in the trailer reserved for visiting field grade officers
66.
Shawn Bannister had been extra genial with the men as he tried to gather more behind the scenes information particularly as pertained to his half-brother
67.
Bannister and Monaghan munched C-Rats in the squadron
68.
Bannister, who had been letting down at top speed, throttle back, boards out, instantly rolled in off-heading, wrong airspeed, switches not set yet but knowing he could correct it all as he got closer
69.
Parker recovered the aircraft from the first wing dip of a spin and quietly told Bannister where to drop his nape and that Slingshot Delta was due in five minutes
70.
Bannister had put in his last napalm when the pickup helicopters called in on Fox Mike
71.
Parker righted the plane and concentrated on recovering flying speed as Bannister slammed his fighter into a wrenching turn, dove past the struggling O-1E and started firing into the tiny area directly ahead of Parker
72.
Bannister noticed the grin and nodded
73.
"The main problem we had was communications," Bannister said in conclusion of his briefing
74.
That was the last Bannister could say on the subject as MACV J-3 Ops turned to Colonel Friedlander
75.
Bannister, already standing at the briefing board, cocked his head and made a swallowing gesture
76.
" Bannister stopped talking
77.
"Very interesting Captain, ah," MACV J-3 Ops peered at Bannister's nametag, "Captain Bannister
78.
USAF Colonel Friedlander, with a glance at Bannister, looked wryly amused
79.
Back on the ramp, before Lochert and Myers left in Monaghan's jeep, they told Bannister they'd come over to the Bien Hoa O� Club that night around 9 PM to hunt up Toby Parker
80.
After they drove away, Colonel Friedlander offered Bannister a ride to the squadron
81.
He barely had time to tell Bannister he appreciated his candor about the dedicated bird situation when a voice from the radio in his command jeep said a MAC airliner was on final approach with an engine out
82.
Doc Russell had sent his ambulance back to the hospital and stood toward the rear of the crowd with Court Bannister
83.
" Bannister sat down
84.
Vice pounded his gavel, a hammer, on the table and said that Captain Bannister was fined one glass of wine in that he had not asked permission of the President of the Mess to be seated
85.
"I note your report, Captain Bannister," Colonel Friedlander said
86.
They said of course, and, to the envy of the main table, led her to where Bannister and Doc Russell were sitting
87.
Russell and Bannister stood up, Lochert held her chair, and they sat down
88.
" Lochert paused to take a swallow from a Coke Bannister handed him
89.
After appropriate words, Myers tied the second scarf around the neck of Court Bannister for his air support on the two Mike Force operations and his ode on the team house wall
90.
"Captain Bannister," the LC said, "your brother Shawn said that in about two days the California Sun will be printing an article he wrote about his flight with you
91.
Correlli looked over his shoulder for a second to where Shawn Bannister now sat deep in conversation with a young pilot while the older PIO officer hovered nearby
92.
At the last minute, Shawn Bannister, saying he'd had enough of officers, went with them
93.
"That girl, you know, the one with the green eyes," he said to Bannister
94.
"I don't know who this guy Bannister is, but General Austin sure must have it in for him
95.
"Bannister," Friedlander said, his cigar leaving contrails as he waved it about, "usually a request comes in to the Wing saying `Nominate one pilot to perform duties as such and such
96.
Called you Crash Bannister
97.
Bannister, FV 3021953, was authorized upon completion of the training missions to return Barnes to Phan Rang then ferry the F-100F he had to Clark Air Base in the Philippines for time-required depot maintenance
98.
"No, Bannister, in the morning
99.
Bannister scanned the scene: Joan had moved closer to him, alternating watching for his lead and searching the horizon for movement, the hint of a sniper rifle
100.
Bannister started to argue but knew there was no point