The White Falcon - 29.04.1961, Síða 2

2
WHITE FALCON
Saturday, April 29, 1961
Let’s Die Young
Why not? In this age of missiles and malcontents, and as we
reminisce at the end of a day about all the errors we have com-
mitted, both large and small, life’s essence is lost. So why bother
to remain a gladiator in this frustrating world. Let’s die young.
It is really so easy to accomplish. We, as Americans, have poten-
tially developed it to a far greater degree than have any other
people on this earth. Yes, we are a shrewd nation. As long as we’re
going to die young, let’s do it pleasantly. But how? Well, it’s really
very simple. We’ll just eat ourseves to death. Eat? But how can
that be? Isn’t food the very substance of ife? As a matter of fact,
it is. But it is also a paradox, because too much “good” food will
most probably result in an early death. But then, as has already
been mentioned, it can perhaps be considered a pleasant way to die.
* * *
And being fat has advantage other than causing an early
death. It assures one of a complete new wardrobe at about two-
year intervals, inasmuch as the present one no longer fits. This
makes for a pleasant distinction; the best dressed fat man in the
office. Who wouldn’t die for that honor? Also, obesity means, for
those on flying status, that they probably won’t have to fly above
43,000 feet. Inasmuch as the Air Force has at present only one
set of physical standards, this would mean that the individual
would not have to be faced with the problem of having to remain
on flying status, in that he would no longer be qualified to do so.
Thus, problems such as meeting 60-2 requirements, and receiving
flying pay would no longer be of concern to him. Also, it can be
shown, unequivocally, that a fat man floats much better in salt
water than does a normal individual. But this is fraught with one
slight disadvantage in that it provides a hungry shark with poten-
tially a better meal than would the normal person.
* * *
Not only can the obese person be assured that he will probably
die at an earlier age than will his contemporaries, but he can also
be reasonably certain of the actual cause of his death. He will
probably die of heart disease. So there will be less guessing on his
part. But there will be other worries too in that fat people have
more than their share of chronic diseases of the kidneys, gall
bladder, and diabetes, arthritis, hernia, and some types of cancer.
So everything is in our favor. Let’s eat and die young.
* * *
However, if you are a more timid soul and just prefer to be
normal in respect to weight, and thus can anticipate a full life
expectancy, then this is easy to accomplish too. And you need re-
member only one thing (and do something about it): 99.9 percent
of the time, obesity is due only to overeating. Stated simply, over-
eating is that food intake in excess of what the body needs. A diet
is not composed of strange and unpalatable foods. It probably
consists, in essence, of that which you are already consuming. Any
diet is all right so long as it is nutritionally balanced and eaten in
sensible proportions. This means, simply don’t go back for second
helpings and don’t compensate for this by making your first helping
a cinemascope production. For those of you who are seriously con-
sidering losing weight, your physician’s office is closely available to
you to offer sound medical advice. Every effort will be expended
to insure success of your reduction'program. Help will include such
things as specific diets, if deemed necessary, and a thorough dis-
cussion. Accept the advice and follow it, and your position will be
filled for a longer period by you than it might otherwise be. And
remember, in conjunction with a sensible diet, sensible exercise
is of great benefit. Exercise not to become an Atlas, but rather
to maintain muscle tone. The following six points could be con-
sidered the essence of any satisfactory weight reduction program:
* * *
1. Never miss a meal, particularly breakfast, for it is a strain
on the body and a major cause of fatigue. Eat regular meals at
regular times.
2. Don’t gulp or wash food down with water. Smaller amounts
of food will be more satisfying and easier to digest if chewed well.
3. Avoid in-between snacks and beverages such as beer, whiskey,
and soft drinks.
4. Don’t depend on exercise alone to lose weight. It helpes if
carried on moderately during a diet. But alone, it can place an
extra burden on a heart that already might be overtaxed with
overweight.
5. Don’t try to sweat it out in the steam room. Three drinks
later, and you’ve got back all the weight you’ve “sweated” off.
6. The best exercise, as always, proves to be pushing yourself
away from the table.
Overeating causes overweight. So remember, if you’re dying
to eat, don’t eat to die.
THE WHITE FALCON
Col. Benjamin G. Willis, USAF
Commander, Air Forces Iceland
The WHITE FALCON is an official Class II Armed Forces newspaper published weekly at
Keflavik Airport, Iceland by Air Forces Iceland of the Military Air Transport Service for
all continaents stationed at Keflavik Airport. The WHITE FALCON receives AFPS and
AFNB materials. Views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the
Department of Defense.
Information Officer........Capt. Warren J. Papin, USAF
Editor ...................... TSgt Wylie Mason, USAF
iBafoldarp.-entsmlOJa h.f.
Aerospace Power for
s? THE
Lommaii
CALLS
A new role for the Starfighter
will highlight the Commander’s
Call Film, AFNR #65, for May.
The F-104 is to be used as a
remotely controlled target drone
at Eglin AFB, Fla.
Other highlights of the film
will include a number of Strategic
Air Command aircraft deployed
to civilian airports; Floridians re-
cruited for Air Police duty; the
13th Air Force Band acting as
musical ambassadors in South-
east Asia; airmen winning hon-
ors in the interservice pistol meet;
weather forcasting goes electronic
at Offutt AFB; and Operation
Solidarity discussed at a Ramey
AFB meeting .
As soon as the film arrives at
Keflavik Airport, commanders
will be notified. This is a manda-
tory Commander’s Call film.
The feature film scheduled for
May is titled “Stay Safe, Stay
Strong.”
It is 22 minutes long and tells
about USAF and AEC procedures
to develop nuclear weapons safe
from accidental explosion. It
shows the testing program and
explains safety factors.
Reservations for these films
may be made by telephoning 5125.
* *
The National Hobby and Sci-
ence Exposition at the New York
Coliseum in September is being
conducted for the financial bene-
fit of Behr Enterprises, Inc. Und-
er the provisions of DOD policy,
the Armed Forces may not parti-
cipate in events which benefit or
appear to benefit or favor a com-
mercial venture. Therefore, par-
ticipation in this Exposition is not
authorized by DOD.
* * *
The Doolittle Trophy for out-
standing accomplishment in re-
duction of vehicle accident losses
involving Air Force personnel and
equipment has been won by the
Strategic Air Command for 1960.
This is the second time SAC
won this award, winning last in
1955.
* * *
A new high speed communica-
tions link with 22 two-way tele-
type lines has been established be-
tween Croughton, England, and
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
A circuit from Croughton also
loops down into Germany provid-
ing a direct link to logistical sup-
port depots on the continents.
AEROSPACE EVENT
Jan 4, 1948 — University of
California announced completion
of pilot model for world’s first
low-pressure supersonic wind tun-
nel.
Jan. 16, 1960 — NASA launch-
ed a 100-foot-diameter plastic
balloon that inflated at an alti-
tude of 250 miles above its Wal-
lops Island, Va., base.
There Once Was A Tree
What would have been a very
welcome sight for most people
at Keflavik Airport failed to
materialize this week.
A tree—the only one on the
airport—will no longer remind
us of home and other lands where
trees are part of the bounty of
nature.
The familiar target cloth cov-
ered pyramid in front of the
terminal building was set up to
protect the tree from wind burn
damage.
This week when a Civil En-
gineering crew removed the pro-
tective covering, instead of a
fresh green Icelandic spruce
they found bare branches.
Sometime during the winter
the trunk had been sawed
through. Now a patch of newly
placed sod is the only reminder
of what was fondly called “Kef-
lavik Forest.”
We wonder what thoughts are
going through the mind of some-
one who—in the dark of the
long winter — maliciously de-
stroyed what for many of us at
Keflavik Airport was a symbol
of home.
★ ★ ★
Air Force Policy Given
(This is the first in a series of articles based upon testimony
before Congress by the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force
covering Air Force Policy. Editor.)
Secretary of the Air Force Eugene M. Zuckert and Air Force
Chief of Staff, Gen. Thomas D. White, outlined Air Force policy
on vital concepts and weapon systems in a session of the Senate
Armed Services Committee.
Testifying as other civilian and service chiefs had done earlier
in this congressional session, Secretary Zuckert set the tone by
saying “one can no longer think in terms of air power; we must
adjust to aerospace power.”
First pointing out that we can be tested by a potential enemy
by many devices and local actions, Mr. Zuckert stated that deter-
rence is not an adequate criterion for the design of military forces.
He said that “Deterrent effectiveness is the pay-off of forces de-
signated to win wars, whatever their nature and scale.”
“The Air Force sees no basic change in the need for manned
strategic systems,” he said. “The successor weapon system to the
B-52, in our view, is the 2,000 mile-an-hour B-70.
“For reasons which have been presented to you, the President
and the Secretary of Defense have decided that we should go ahead
now only on development of the aircraft itself for test, with develop-
ment of sub-systems limited to the bombing-navigation system.
“Under this program, we can subsequently initiate a production
program and pick up the work on the rest of the system whenever
a change of course is indicated,” Mr. Zuckert said.
On missiles, the Air Force Secretary noted: “My personal view
is that for the time being we should view missiles with some
caution. Their reliability has not been proved out with the degree
of thoroughness that has been possible in the past with other
types or ordnances.
“There is no question in my mind as to the importance of an
adequate strategic missile capability, but we must guard against
over-dependence, or over-confidence.”
(Next week, Space role, the Soviet threat and airlift will be
discussed.)
★ ★ ★
Counterblow Ability Needed
Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara told a congressional
committee recently that:
So long as the adversaries of freedom continue to expand then-
stockpiles of mass destruction weapons, the United States has no
alternative but to ensure that at all times and under all circum-
stances it has the capability to deter their use.
In this age of nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles,
the ability to deter rests heavily on the existence of a force which
can weather a massive nuclear attack, even with little or no warn-
ing, in sufficient strength to strike a decisive counterblow.
This force must be a character which will permit its use, in
event of attack, in a cool and deliberate fashion and always under
the complete control of the constituted authority.
No effort should be spared, no measure overlooked, which can
reasonably be expected to contribute to the strengthening, protec-
tion, and sure control of these crucial retaliatory forces. Particular-
ly, we must emphasize those weapon systems which inherently have,
or can be provided with, a high degree of survivability under a
massive ICBM attack.
Peace Through Deterrence