"The first ship I had as a Flight Engineer was old #129 in C Company. We took our first hit through the fiberglass edge of the tail cone/APU fairing barely touching the skin. Too bad it was a .38 round and was traveling from the inside, going out. It came from up by the crew door. Naaa - wasn't me. I carried a .45 auto. My crewchief and I would occasionaly practice "quick-draw" against each other when were parked in the revetment and no one else was around. Oh, we were safe - I would drop the clip and clear the chamber on my .45 and he would flip the cylinder of his .38 and drop all the rounds out. When we finished 'playing' - load'um back up. I was walking down the ramp, headed for supper and KA-POW! I hit the dirt off the end of the ramp and looked back inside the cabin. My chief was standing up by the front door with his smoking .38 and a sheepish grin on his face. All he could say was oops... He had loaded up and decided "one more quickie" but just couldn't stop the triger-pull reflex. We were lucky - he missed me and the round hit the revetment. That was the end of "free play" for us!"
*WEBMASTERS CONCLUSION: "When exiting via the ramp (or anywhere else for that matter maybe?), keep yer hand on yer pistol, & never take yer eyes off the Crewchief!"<;-)
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