Yucca Loma

There is no entry on this date as Nolan continues to grieve for his lost brother. In the back of the diary, however, Nolan transcribed some bawdy rhymes. Here is one:

“I Wanted Wings — Guadalcanal”

by John G. Dowling, 1943

(short snorter unexpurgated edition)

I wanted wings

Till I got the fucking things

Now I don’t want them anymore.

They taught me how to fly

And they sent me here to die

I’ve had a bellyful of war

You can leave all the Zeros

To the goddamn heroes

Distinguished Flying Crosses

Do not compensate for losses

I’m too damn young to die

In a damned old PBY

That’s for the eager, not for me

I don’t trust my luck

to be picked up by a Duck

after I crashed into the sea

I’d rather be a bellhop

than a flyer on a flat top

with my hands around the bottle

and not around the throttle

I’ll take the dames

while the rest go down in flames

I have no desire to get burned

Air combat’s called romance

It’s made me shit my pants 

I’m not a fighter I have learned

You can leave the Mitsubishis

to the stupid sons of bitches

I’d rather lay woman

than get fucked up in a Grumman.