▁to ▁active ▁duty ▁for ▁ 2 1 ▁months . ▁He ▁reports ▁to ▁his ▁posting ▁at ▁C ars well ▁A FB , ▁a ▁bom ber ▁base ▁in ▁Fort ▁W orth , ▁Texas , ▁to ▁qual ify ▁in ▁the ▁Con v air ▁B - 3 6 . ▁He ▁arriv es ▁in ▁civil ian ▁cl othing ▁because ▁his ▁old ▁uniform s ▁are ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Air ▁Forces , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁is ▁re bu ked ▁by ▁General ▁Haw kes ▁( Fran k ▁Love jo y ), ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁S AC . ▁The ▁General ' s ▁character ▁is ▁pattern ed ▁after ▁the ▁real ▁S AC ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁General ▁Curt is ▁Le May . ▁ ▁Dutch ▁is ▁given ▁a ▁staff ▁job ▁with ▁the ▁bomb ard ment ▁wing ▁at ▁C ars well ▁that ▁involves ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁flying . ▁He ▁soon ▁has ▁a ▁B - 3 6 ▁crew ▁of ▁his ▁own , ▁selecting ▁a ▁former ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁colle ague ▁as ▁his ▁flight ▁engineer , ▁and ▁becomes ▁en am ored ▁with ▁both ▁flying ▁and ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁S AC ▁in ▁d eter ring ▁war . ▁He ▁is ▁joined ▁by ▁his ▁wife , ▁S ally ▁( J une ▁Al ly son ), ▁who ▁had ▁not ▁b arg ained ▁on ▁being ▁an ▁Air ▁Force ▁wife , ▁and ▁who ▁strugg les ▁with ▁his ▁repeated ▁abs ences ▁and ▁the ▁d angers ▁of ▁flying . ▁On ▁any ▁given ▁night , ▁Dutch ▁might ▁find ▁his ▁aircraft ▁on ▁air bor ne ▁alert ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁contin