CLASSIC COMICS
MARK TWAIN- GREAT AMERICAN HUMORIST Samuel Langhorne Clemens, American humor¬ I'm quite sure that . . . t have no race preju¬ ist and author, was born at Florida, Miss., on dices, and I think I have no color prejudices, nor November 30, 1830. As he grew up, he had creed prejudices, nor caste prejudices. Indeed, I various jobs . . . among them printer, river pilot, know it. I can stand any society. All that l care and miner: none of which particularly satisfied to know Is that a man is a human being—that Is enough for me; he can't be any worse. Strangely, 'though, Mr. Clemens never consid¬ Samuel Clemens enjoyed considerable success ered himself a humorist. All of his books started as a lecturer—and once succeeded in what was out as moderately serious stories — the humor then considered an impossible task; — making \"somehow managed to creep in.\" Ulysses S. Grant laughl Some of these pieces of humor are still widely In 1907, Samuel Clemens reached the peak quoted. Here are a few of this writer's favorites: of his career when a degree was conferred upon him by Oxford University. He died several years later, on April 21* 1910-
AIR SPIES, THEIR MISSIONS THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Every military step the Allies take, whe¬ which is such an important part of his job, ther the actual bombing or contemplated and take care not to leave a \"vapor trail\" invasion of enemy territory, has as a basis which would be a giveaway. These trails of its preparation and ultimate success 01 are composed of ice particles and are failure the reports of Allied Air Spies. made by the passage of a plane through subzero air. These are pilots engaged in a danger¬ ous job—that of combining great adven¬ The pilot has no bombsight; nothing on ture and resourcefulness with scientific his battery of cameras to give him the lo¬ accuracy. These boys are our photo recon¬ cation of his objective in perfect detail. naissance experts. They are rightfully cal¬ Many times he will lose sight of his object¬ led the \"eyes\" of our army, navy and air ive, and under those circumstances is forced corps chiefs-of-staff for, on the intrepidity and to fly over it again and accuracy of their mis¬ again before he can ad¬ sion so much depends. just the camera to the proper focus in order to Though they drop no photograph it. Yet, bombs, their mission is most of the time he deadly for the enemy brings back the pic- because they take pic¬ tures of everything im¬ The Nazis are on the portant to the Allied lookout for these \"cat\" Military plan for pro¬ fellows. They have cedure — everything vi¬ standing patrols over tal to the enemy—such the European theater of as damage done on air war, trying to trap raids, movements of them. One \"Focus Cat\", enemy troops, installa¬ First Lieutenant George tions, terrain, location F. Owen, of Redstone, of the fleet, air bases, Montana, was over Oc¬ etc. cupied France, cruising irget area. All of a sud¬ The picture takers are called \"Focus den, seemingly out of nowhere, four enemy Cats\". A \"cat\" is the pilot, too, and has fighters closed in on him. He zigzagged more jobs than a bomber pilot. Not only over a radius of one hundred miles, but must he ot times, watch out for enemy the enemy planes chased him over every planes and dodge anti-aircraft guns, but inch of the way. Finally, in order to shake he must handle his own radio communica¬ them off his tail, he hod to fly in the op¬ tions, check constantly on the weather. posite direction of his base. Yes, he lost
them—bu*, with it, he also lost o large positions. The \"cats\" have covered at quantity of his gas supply. He was run¬ many as two hundred enemy bases in a ning so low on gas, that it was a great week. Even in the clearest weather, their temptation to light out for England, but he photographs may not be too distinct be¬ wanted those pictures. He looked again for cause of obstructions, but the experts who his target—and, finding it, quickly photo¬ intrepret the pictures are trained to evalu¬ graphed the valuable area, turned and ate every microscopic spot . . . and there streaked for home. To conserve what lit¬ are plenty of them. tle gasoline he had left in his tanks, he had to fly over rooftops’from whence he could \"Focus Cats\" are told to keep their cam¬ have been fired upon at any moment. eras running—using up all their film on the However, he had thrown the Nazis into a trip home because every bit of information and so fortunately step ahead of the wasn't spdtted. When he landed in England, One pilot, off the he had just five min¬ Norwegian coast, spot¬ utes' worth of gas left! ted enemy warships. He was out to get pic¬ The \"Focus Cat\" also tures—but could do no brings back important more: he radioed the information about wea¬ warships' position to a ther, enemy shipping British base, and British and anything else he torpedo planes soon sees on his flight, other raced out and finished than what he gets on the warships. his pictures. So important is his work, that for forty- Yes, these Air Spies are vital to the Allies eight hours during the final stages of the . . . and their job is most dangerous. Tunisian campaign, action had to halt be¬ Their only weapons are their cameras— cause bad weather kept the \"Focus Cat\" and their prayers. boys from going out for pictures of Axis JUNE*SLATER
CLASSIC COMICS ^\"rl^\\\\«DLDby OIlivRer WDendellTHolsme,iDErMrL1 ■V — Long hat It wav d on high, And many an aya hat dancad to i... ffk | 1 tThat ban nor In ha sky; 3P 1 Beneath It rung the battle tho ut, rl| 1 1 onfvj lyfe ■ Shall swoop the cfogcfs no more. JMkjpPy—SLy■ ■^ Where kntlt the vanquished fo», W H When wind, w.r. hurrying o'.f (ho Mood,
1 j| Oh, hotter that her shattered hulk If!I |1,117 Should sink beneath the wave; i Hot thunders shook the mighty deep,^^^&1 ■■ And there should be her grave; ^ Nall to the mast her g^S- Pjj ■ 7 ha lightning and th* gal.l ^:>1
A DAY'S WORK — HEROES ALL
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