Merle R. Flagg, U.S. Air Force

In the fall of 1949 when the Korean War broke out I was 1 quarter away from graduation from the School of Music of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. I was at that time a Tank Commander in a mechanized cavalry unit of the Illinois National Guard.

During the 1949 Christmas vacation I flew to Boling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. and auditioned for Warrant Officer Robert Landers, director of the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants.

He said the Sergeants were at full strength but the Bandmaster of the 691st Air Force Band at Selfridge Field in Detroit, Michigan had been in that morning looking for a male vocalist. He told me if I would go back to Chicago and enlist in the USAF I would be sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and then to Selfridge Field. I enlisted in Chicago and on Jan 5, 1950 left Chicago for Lackland on a troop train when it was 10 degrees below zero in a blizzard.

Somewhere around Temple, Texas our troop train pulled off on a siding to let a commercial passenger train by; they let us get off and walk up and down the RR right of way. It was bright sunny and about 60 degrees. I said, "I've died and gone to heaven" and I resolved never to go back to cold weather.

When we got to Lackland, there was a tremendous influx of inductees; all of the parade grounds were covered with tents and the mess halls were feeding 24 hrs per day; we stood in front of a barracks for 6 hours; after a norther blew in they brought us blankets for the cold.

Lo and behold, I was sent to Selfridge just as Warrant Officer Landers had said I would. I was a male vocalist with the 691st Air Force Band and was the choral conductor. I also played clarinet in the marching band and baritone sax in one of the dance bands.

In the spring of 1951 I applied for USAF Officers' Candidate School.

In May of 1951, the 691st and chorus were chosen to provide the music for the National Armed Forces Day Program.

I had almost forgotten about OCS when one day in September the First Sergeant called me in and asked if I still wanted to go to OCS. When I said yes, he told me I had to be back at Lackland in San Antonio in 3 days. I cleared the base in one-half day and drove straight through to San Antonio. While in OCS I was the OCS Choir director. We had both male and female Officer Candidates.

The Air Force flew a small group of us to Dallas where we performed over WFAA TV. We also did a concert at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi. Near the end of March, 1952 I received a 5-year commission as a USAF 2d Lieutenant. I was sent to New Rochelle, NY for a six-week specialist's school to become an Information and Education Officer whose duty it was to publicize Air Base information and to arrange for off¬ duty education for airmen.

I was sent to San Marcos Air Force Base, San Marcos, Texas. Lottie Lee was working in the next office. I served as I&E Officer for about 4 months when USAF decided to fill that job with a Master Sergeant.

I then became an Assistant Officer's Open Mess Officer. By Base regulation, I was required to inventory the liquor on the bar each New Year's day. I am told that if there was only a small amount left in a bottle, the previous inventory takers simply drank it rather than count it. I swear I counted it.

I was later assigned as Supply Officer for the helicopter ground school. I also taught Search and Rescue Procedure and Weight and Balance Procedure in the helicopter ground school.

In August, 1953, USAF suddenly said that if an officer did not want to sign up for an indefinite appointment, that officer would be released immediately. I left USAF in August, 1953, went back to Northwestern and finished my music degree in the Spring of 1954 and entered the University of Texas Law School in September, 1954.