DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Horizons, v. 2, issue 1, whole no. 5, October 1940

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Horizons, v. 2, issue 1, whole no. 5, October 1940

Page 11

HORIZONS     11
WINGED WARRIORS

bombers. Our heavier craft would be grounded much of the time.
     "I propose that without delay we authorize the grant of two hundred and fifty million dollars to the various aircraft companies of our nation. I propose that this money be sued to defray three-fourths of the price of any airplane selling for less than a thousand dollars. A private airplane, selling for less than two hundred and fifty dollars, will find ready sale. Our nation is air-minded; our young men and women are looking skyward."
     The senators looked at one another...The man's mad! Several of them had fallen asleep. A pinkly manicured hand described a graceful arc about its owner's ear. They laughed....

     "Three hundred thousand little airplanes," he went on, ringingly, "flivver planes if you wish to call them that, blazing new trails across our great nation. A thousand landing fields in a thousand little towns and cities. More men employed  in factories; in the fields; in the hangars; in vacation spots scattered across the face of the land. Less traffic congestion along the highways....All this for a quarter of a billion dollars.
     "Here we should have a winged infantry that, armed with machine-guns, grenades, and bombs, could be almost instantly mobilized to wipe out an invading army. Our fighters would clear the way; our bombers would destroy their forts, but in the final analysis infantry makes an army. For our army, in addition to the mechanized ground troops, we could call three hundred thousand winged men, slow-flying it is true; yet incredibly faster than armored tanks, truck transports, or supply trains; capable, as well, of landing in any field, meadow, or level strip of road.
     "Three hundred thousand young men; yes, six hundred thousand young men--for there would be two or three flyers to each private ship--from whose ranks a thousand, or a hundred thousand, pilots could be drawn and transferred to our Air Force for further training. Our fist line of defense, fellow countrymen, is now in the air!"

     That had been his bill, the Marston Bill. A quarter of a billion dollars to make the nation so strong in the air that any invasion must fail utterly.
     Marson coughed again and smiled triumphantly....It had been a battle spread over many weeks. He had made radio addresses and fiery speeches without number. He had fought until his exhausted body dropped and his tense mind snapped.
     Later, when he was better, they told him that his cause had been won. He was too weak and frail to return to Washington: so he was taken to his country house just outside Saginaw. His battle was won. The young men and women of America were safe.
     This combined invasion of twin Eastern armies, and the mad alloy of European troops--conquered, homeless soldiers and their strutting masters--was unexpected, but soon the thousands of little ships scattered across the continent would swing into action. Then the invaders, conquered and conquerors alike, would go down in defeat....
    so the little man sat contentedly there in the warm sunshine and dreamed of the past, his past. And above the city the air was black with wings.
     The thunder of countless motors was in the air. The city's sirens were howling and down the streets raced mad throngs of men and women....The little ships, the winged men, must have arrived! Now the invaders would feel the full weight of America's strength!
     Suddenly a blaze of glory seemed to enshroud the little silvery-haired man and his soul went out happily with it. He never knew that a thermite bomb had struck beside him, or that Detroit was fallen....
     The Marston Bill had never been passed!
THE END
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HORIZONS 11 WINGED WARRIORS bombers. Our heavier craft would be grounded much of the time. "I propose that without delay we authorize the grant of two hundred and fifty million dollars to the various aircraft companies of our nation. I propose that this money be sued to defray three-fourths of the price of any airplane selling for less than a thousand dollars. A private airplane, selling for less than two hundred and fifty dollars, will find ready sale. Our nation is air-minded; our young men and women are looking skyward." The senators looked at one another...The man's mad! Several of them had fallen asleep. A pinkly manicured hand described a graceful arc about its owner's ear. They laughed.... "Three hundred thousand little airplanes," he went on, ringingly, "flivver planes if you wish to call them that, blazing new trails across our great nation. A thousand landing fields in a thousand little towns and cities. More men employed in factories; in the fields; in the hangars; in vacation spots scattered across the face of the land. Less traffic congestion along the highways....All this for a quarter of a billion dollars. "Here we should have a winged infantry that, armed with machine-guns, grenades, and bombs, could be almost instantly mobilized to wipe out an invading army. Our fighters would clear the way; our bombers would destroy their forts, but in the final analysis infantry makes an army. For our army, in addition to the mechanized ground troops, we could call three hundred thousand winged men, slow-flying it is true; yet incredibly faster than armored tanks, truck transports, or supply trains; capable, as well, of landing in any field, meadow, or level strip of road. "Three hundred thousand young men; yes, six hundred thousand young men--for there would be two or three flyers to each private ship--from whose ranks a thousand, or a hundred thousand, pilots could be drawn and transferred to our Air Force for further training. Our fist line of defense, fellow countrymen, is now in the air!" That had been his bill, the Marston Bill. A quarter of a billion dollars to make the nation so strong in the air that any invasion must fail utterly. Marson coughed again and smiled triumphantly....It had been a battle spread over many weeks. He had made radio addresses and fiery speeches without number. He had fought until his exhausted body dropped and his tense mind snapped. Later, when he was better, they told him that his cause had been won. He was too weak and frail to return to Washington: so he was taken to his country house just outside Saginaw. His battle was won. The young men and women of America were safe. This combined invasion of twin Eastern armies, and the mad alloy of European troops--conquered, homeless soldiers and their strutting masters--was unexpected, but soon the thousands of little ships scattered across the continent would swing into action. Then the invaders, conquered and conquerors alike, would go down in defeat.... so the little man sat contentedly there in the warm sunshine and dreamed of the past, his past. And above the city the air was black with wings. The thunder of countless motors was in the air. The city's sirens were howling and down the streets raced mad throngs of men and women....The little ships, the winged men, must have arrived! Now the invaders would feel the full weight of America's strength! Suddenly a blaze of glory seemed to enshroud the little silvery-haired man and his soul went out happily with it. He never knew that a thermite bomb had struck beside him, or that Detroit was fallen.... The Marston Bill had never been passed! THE END """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''