Flight surgeons watch and worry over pilots like mechanics prowling over planes. They welcome any chance to see into the dark corners of the mind of a pilot in trouble. Such a chance came when a South Pacific airman, safe after a rugged ride, sat down and put his psychological experiences on paper.
He had been ordered to lead his fighters to cover dive-bombers and torpedo planes making a strike on a small Jap task force. When he got into the air, he found his instruments were quirky, but he decided to go on. The task force was spotted, then...