When we were not assigned to fly the mission for the day , our thoughts and prayers supported those who did. Although we had not attended the briefing, we soon knew the target identity, number of aircraft dispatched and the estimated time of their return. An hour before this time, the migration of base ground and flight personnel to the flight line began. The anxiety of those assembled was intense and a quiet mood prevailed. The words "there they are" came out of the crowd and all eyes strained to make the sighting. The return count had begun. Aircraft with wounded on board fired "red" flares and were given landing clearance. Damaged aircraft were also given special consideration. If they could safely remain in the air until all others landed, they were instructed to do so. If not, they were given landing clearance. I recall seeing one B-17 make a wheels-up landing on the grass between the runways. Another landed on one wheel and disappeared off the end of the runway down a hill. The crew got out okay. A pilot that I had previously crewed with made a landing on the grass and all survived. Over 200 flack holes were visible, one in the wing was large enough for a man to crawl through. The count of returning aircraft continued until all had landed. This was not always a time of celebration as some had lost good friends. However, this important time together did bring closure to the day and set the stage for the one to follow.
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