Close Call

When the Fortress he piloted was blazing, Lt. Tracy S. Breed '43 gave the order for the crew to bail out. Five jumped, but the bombardier was having trouble buckling his parachute and the navigator was trying to help him. As a last resort, Breed put the plane into a steep power dive from 21,000 feet to 6,000 feet. This blew out the flames, and Breed brought his Fortress back safely. Confronted by an after-thought that would not usually be possible, considering the conditions, Lt. Breed said, "I was sorry afterwards that the other men had to bail out, but I am sure that I would give the same order again under the same circumstances."