Air Mechanic

Eight months after I enlisted in the Air Corp, about the same time that I met Lomie, I received a First Class Air Mechanic rating. I only wore one stripe on my sleeve (PFC), but the rating made my pay equal to a Master Sergeant’s, and with flight pay which I always manage to qualify for, it equaled the base pay of a Captain. The extra boost in pay made it easier for me to keep enough gas in my 34 Pontiac to make the 30 mile trip, three or more times a week, to date Lomie. It worked out well when I was selected for pilot training, too. It was an Air Corp rule that one’s pay couldn’t be reduced when placed in another assignment. Therefore my pay, while in Flying School, was about twice that of a regular Flying Cadet. Good fortune seemed to stay with me through out my six years of military service.