[Kitty]

RESPONSIBILITY
By 1/Lt David F. Berry


If enlisted men meander
And indulge in rape or slander,
It's their airplane commander they defame.
If his officers are lazy,
Or alcoholically hazy,
And, in fact, a little crazy, he's to blame.

If they don't salute their betters,
If they fail to pay their debtors,
Or write censorable letters, or get stewed;
If they get back late from passes,
Or decline to go to classes,
You can bet it's not THEIR asses that get chewed.

For the pilot has his uses.
He's the one that makes excuses,
Answers charges, takes abuses from them all;
Though a flyer of acumen,
He's considered less than human
If he cannot keep his crewmen on the ball.

When a gunner's finger freezes,
Or the navigator sneezes,
Or unprintable diseases ground the crews;
It's the pilot's fault they're dying.
(If they aren't, they should be flying.)
And don't argue - for you're lying in your shoes.

If, returning from a sortie,
When the gas is down to forty,
And three engines abort, he brings them down,
Is the crew more understanding?
Sympathetic? Less demanding?
No! They criticize his landing with a frown.

Yes, it certainly is tough
For the hero of this ditty,
But don't waste your tears of pity on this fool;
For although he's nurse and mother
To Joe Blow and Joe Blow's brother,
He'd trade places with no other, the dull tool!