Rickert, Oliver Albert, Maj

ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM HIS/HER SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MADE THEM LAUGH LATER ON?
While with the 66th Troop Carrier SQ in New Guinea, they were supplying the Australian soldiers fighting the Japanese in the rugged mountains of the Owen Stanley Mountains. Between there, several passes for the drops, and the return trip, they would be in the air for 12 hours or so. It was not infrequent that either the pilot or co-pilot would go back and take a nap leaving a vacant seat up front. Then, my dad would sit and chat with the remaining pilot.

After a while, they began to teach him how to fly the plane. He got so good, that on one return trip, both pilots took a nap and left him alone. After a while, they began to approach Port Moresby (home base) and he began to get worried and called for help. His on-the-job training did not include landing. So he began rocking the plane back and forth to wake some one up. No response. He increased the rocking and finally dumped the Crew Chief on the floor and woke him up.

All ended well.