So I bookmarked this section in chapter five where they are talking about the mechanics of being in the air, how it feels to be in combat. This is one of the first bits of the book that I found to be serious vs. in humor. And clear instead of befuddled. It carried a bit of serenity. He talks about being in the airplane and how there is a sudden sense of calm, how you can see the sunshine, but how it is still fearful. It really gave me this picture of what it would be like to be up there. How scary and yet how the nature, the sun shining , the moment of calm , etc... kind of betrays the reality of the situation. That they aren't up there to view the sunshine, that they could die any minute, and yet the nature is a savior - a moment of serenity in an otherwise scary situation.
I think a lot of this book discusses just how surreal it is to be at war and deal with the politics of war. This was a moment of the surreal as well but in such a different way.
I also think what made this part touching is that it was in first-person narrative. He was talking about how it feels and not about someone else's crazy antics or life.
A quote: "The planes gained altitude steadily and were above nine thousand feet by the time they crossed into enemy territory. One of the surprising things always was the sense of calm and utter silence, broken only by the test rounds fired from the machine guns, by an occasional toneless, terse remark over the intercom, and at last, by the sobering pronouncement of the bombardier in each plane that they were at the I.P. and about to turn toward the target. There was always sunshine, always a tiny sticking in the throat from the rarefied air."
I think a lot of this book discusses just how surreal it is to be at war and deal with the politics of war. This was a moment of the surreal as well but in such a different way.
I also think what made this part touching is that it was in first-person narrative. He was talking about how it feels and not about someone else's crazy antics or life.
A quote: "The planes gained altitude steadily and were above nine thousand feet by the time they crossed into enemy territory. One of the surprising things always was the sense of calm and utter silence, broken only by the test rounds fired from the machine guns, by an occasional toneless, terse remark over the intercom, and at last, by the sobering pronouncement of the bombardier in each plane that they were at the I.P. and about to turn toward the target. There was always sunshine, always a tiny sticking in the throat from the rarefied air."