War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1724 Party, Group Photo

Once again, they returned to Saipan safely and smoothly. The crew members of the Beluga used Wei Ran's new nickname as an excuse to have a dinner with him and Brad.

During the dinner, except Wei Ran, everyone who participated in the bombing was excitedly recounting what happened in the cabin, especially the bombing carried out by the arsonist.

It was hard for Wei Ran to tell whether these people were worried about leaving him with psychological trauma, or were trying to divert the attention of gunner Val who had lost his best friend.

But overall, whether it was him, Val, Brad, or the other crew members who participated in the bombing or not, everyone was in a good mood.

After all, everyone came back alive, the Moby Dick was not injured, and it successfully completed the bombing mission.

The fatigue from the long flight was driven away by a fairly hearty meal of grilled steaks that seemed specially prepared, as well as cold beer.

Wei Ran and Brad drove back to the wooden house assigned to them with the aerial camera and smelling burnt all over their bodies.

“The film for the aerial camera is all used up.”

"I'll get some new aerial film later," Brad said as he carried the aerial camera to the table.

Before he finished speaking, he had already taken out the huge film box of the aerial camera.

"These films need to be subject to censorship, right?" Wei Ran asked.

"That's right"

Brad nodded. "Maybe the war will be over by the time it returns to us."

As he spoke, he took out a few more Kodak films from his pocket and placed them on the table, then walked outside alone carrying the film boxes.

After yawning, Wei Ran went into the bathroom and took a quick shower. However, he did not rush to bed to rest. Instead, he rode a bicycle outside the door and rushed to the Dumbo crew's base.

When he arrived here, Dumbo was undergoing maintenance and inspection. Fortunately, he did not see any damage on the bomber, which was also covered in burnt dust.

"Victor, why are you here?"

Just as he was secretly relieved, gunners Robert and Jerry came out of the tent.

"Come and see you guys"

Wei Ran asked, "No one was injured last night?"

"no"

Robert replied, "Martin was with us in the bombing last night and he didn't encounter any danger. What about you? You and Brad and the White Whale."

"We didn't encounter any danger either," Wei Ran said, "Everyone returned safely."

"That's good"

Jerry handed Wei Ran a bottle of Coke, "Where's Brad?"

“He’s busy.”

Wei Ran asked back, "Where are the others?"

"They went to take a shower," Robert replied, "Now there are only two of us guarding here."

"I just came to check on you guys and make sure everyone is back."

Wei Ran said as he took out a roll of developed film from his pocket and handed it over, "This is the photo I took of you and Gunner Steven in the hospital earlier."

"Thank you"

Jerry took the film and put it in his pocket. He and Robert seemed to be in a lower mood.

"I guess Ryan must have helped Steven get his revenge," Wei Ran said after a moment of silence.

"That's right!"

Jerry responded, "Martin said Ryan set a large area on fire. It's a pity you weren't on the plane, or you would have been able to capture it."

"There will be opportunities in the future," Wei Ran said, "There will be many more bombing missions. I will find a way to get you a camera."

"Charles is already trying to get a camera," Robert said. "Victor, if we take any photos, I'd like to ask you to help us develop them."

"No problem, you can come to me anytime." Wei Ran made the promise readily.

After chatting with the two of them briefly, he returned to the cabin on the pretext of catching up on some sleep. However, Brad still hadn't come back until he fell asleep.

When Wei Ran woke up again, he was still the only one in the wooden house.

After looking at the sunset outside the window, Wei Ran yawned and got up, and began to develop the films he had taken yesterday quite diligently.

He hadn't finished his work yet when Brad and Grant drove over.

"Victor, stop what you are doing for now."

Grant said, "We don't have any missions tomorrow, so we have a party later. Captain Charles and Captain Tom sent us to invite you to join us. Of course, bring your camera."

"Captain Charles?" Wei Ran asked while busying himself.

"A party organized by the crew of Dumbo and Moby Dick"

Brad introduced the camera while loading the aviation film he brought back onto the large camera. "It's in the USO Club. Now all we need is you."

"It will be ready soon," said Wei Ran, hanging the freshly developed film on the drying line.

When he finished his work, Brad had already changed into a US military uniform that he got from somewhere, and he even brought a set for Wei Ran as well.

By the time Wei Ran changed into the uniform, Grant, who was already waiting outside the door, had started the car.

He let the two brothers take him to the USO Club. When the three of them got off the car, they happened to see Dumbo's bombardier, the honest Ryan, who also arrived here.

"Hey! Arsonist!" Although the honest man Ryan called out Wei Ran's new nickname, it did not stop him from standing at attention and saluting seriously.

"Hey, arsonist."

Wei Ran muttered unhappily, then jumped out of the car to return the greeting and asked, "So what's your nickname?"

"Honest man," Ryan shrugged and answered as a matter of course.

“I think I asked a stupid question.”

Wei Ran shook his head. "So everyone knows my new nickname?"

“You have Brad to thank,” Grant said with a smile.

"No need to thank me," Brad said "modestly," "This is what I should do."

"Thank you so much"

Wei Ran shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and followed these people into the bustling USO Club.

This so-called USO club is a place that combines many entertainment functions such as a bar, public bath, and library.

The most popular ones here are undoubtedly the beautiful girls who came from the United States to the front line to express their condolences.

Of course, according to the club's rules, these girls who are like "shared girlfriends" are not allowed to fall in love with anyone or have any intimate actions including kissing, otherwise they will be deported.

They are more like the psychologists of these animals. They actively invite the soldiers to dance and chat with them. If they see someone sitting alone, they will even go up to them and give them counseling.

Of course, these are just the rules on the surface. What happens behind the scenes depends on your own ability.

Each of them took a can of beer, and the four of them walked through the smoky bar and came to the lawn outside next to the palm trees. At this time, most of the people from Dumbo and Moby Dick had arrived.

Lewis, the gunner of the White Whale, was sitting on a chair, playing a song that Wei Ran was very familiar with on his guitar - as time goes by.

During this music, the others either held their drinks and sang along with the accompaniment, or danced with the girls.

"Hey! Here comes the arsonist!" Phillip, the mechanic, shouted enthusiastically. "Of course, he's also our photographer!"

Amid the cheers of the crowd, Wei Ran raised his glass to everyone and said, "Actually, you can call me Victor."

"No problem arsonist," said Arthur, who was also a mechanic, and everyone laughed in good faith again.

"Victor, you came at the right time. We just needed you."

Charles called Wei Ran over, and then he and the captain of the White Whale, Tom, handed over two stacks of large-sized photos that had been developed and had many signatures on the back.

"You are indeed the only one missing"

Tom said, "Arsonist, sign your name."

"Format is the arsonist-Victor" Brad reminded.

"When did you develop them?" Wei Ran asked, looking at the two stacks of photos.

These group photos are of the Dumbo crew and the Beluga crew, and each one is as big as an A4 paper.

In the group photo of the Dumbo crew, Steven is still there, as are Wei Ran and Brad.

He and Brad were also in the group photo of the Moby Dick, but unfortunately the fallen bombardier Roger was missing.

"Hurry up and sign your name, then our party can start."

Jack, the radio operator of Dumbo, urged. Next to the only single man in the crew, stood a beautiful blonde girl. Wei Ran remembered that he had accidentally seen the two kissing passionately. Taking out the pen from the metal notebook, Wei Ran signed his name on the back of the group photo with many names already written on it, under the urging of the two crew members around him - Arsonist Victor.

As the group photos with all the names signed were distributed, Gunner Lewis plucked the guitar strings again and started playing another song.

At the same time, several girls in skirts sang a song that Wei Ran had never heard before:

Tonight a great and bloody battle surrounds the whole world,

Bullets flew, war raged, and Thiele told the world he was going to tear our union apart.

But the unions will break free from the chains with which he enslaves us!

I climbed up the towering mountain and looked down at everything on the earth.

I see the people of the whole world, the unions will tear the French silk to pieces, the unions will tear the French silk to pieces.

Soldiers were knocked down, ships were sunk, and the Soviets crossed the Don and continued fighting.

London is in ruins, Paris is in chains, what are we waiting for, people? What are we waiting for, people?

I am eternally grateful to the brave veterans of the Soviet Union and China, as well as to the Allied forces around the world.

Thank you to the brave British soldiers. The American army will strongly support you.

Together we tear the French silk and sweat apart. Together we tear the French silk and sweat apart.

As the girls sang, the crew members around them and the soldiers in the distance gathered around and started singing along with them in a ghostly and howling chorus.

Seeing this, Wei Ran simply took out the blues harmonica from the metal book and began to play accompaniment with the guitar.

As the melody was played over and over again, more and more people sang along. In the end, everyone around, whether known or not, raised their glasses and cheered.

"I didn't expect you could play the harmonica?" said the honest man Ryan as he returned the beer to Wei Ran.

"My best black friend taught me this when I was in Guam." Wei Ran clinked beer with the other party.

"this is yours"

At this moment, Brad handed two group photos covered with signatures to Wei Ran, "Victor, take more photos for everyone while we are still alive."

"certainly"

Wei Ran also clinked beer with the other party, then raised the camera hanging around his neck and pressed the shutter again and again towards everyone he knew and people he didn't know.

Wei Ran didn't want to have any meaningless discussions with these American soldiers about life and death.

Even if I only speak from my own experience, Saipan at that time and the bombing missions participated in by those American soldiers who had no worries about food and drink were really safe, like heaven.

Even so, death still looms over everyone's head.

Before the war was completely over, no one knew whether they would be shot down or die in a forced landing. Most of them did not even have a relatively accurate prediction of when the war would end.

"It's much safer here than on the European battlefield"

Brad handed over a plate of grilled steaks while Wei Ran was changing the film.

"Indeed," Wei Ran nodded, "It's much safer than the Battle of Guam."

"I'm planning to go back at the end of the month," Brad said abruptly, "at the end of this month."

"Back to America?" Wei Ran poked the steak and took a bite and asked.

"U.K"

Brad replied, "I'm going to England to wait for my girlfriend, if she's still alive."

'She will survive'

"Maybe I'll join the war," Brad said longingly, "I mean, in the European battlefield. I hope I can make it in time."

"You're not worried about Grant?"

"He has so many friends, my worries are unnecessary, and my lucky gold coin has already been given to him."

"Is that thing really useful?" Wei Ran asked with a smile.

"At least it can be used as ransom after the emergency landing and survival."

Brad spread his hands. "I had hoped it would protect us, but apparently it didn't."

"Well, are you still planning to return to Europe as a bombardier?" Wei Ran asked finally.

“This time I plan to go as a photographer.”

Brad shook the camera hanging around his neck. "Just like the hypothesis you made that day, I think Grant's idea is worth a try. I will try to record everything in the war with my camera."

"After the war, maybe you can be a journalist or a photographer."

"Forget it, I have no interest in this profession."

Brad waved his hand, also poking a piece of steak and taking a bite, “I think the people I photographed are either dead or already in bed with someone else.

I don’t want to see the people I haven’t photographed only in photos. So after the war, I will definitely not be a photographer or a journalist.”

"So what are you going to do after the war?" Wei Ran asked with interest.

"Run my father's pawn shop"

Brad paused, changed the subject and said, "My father died before I got here."

"What did you say?" Wei Ran glanced at Brad, then subconsciously turned his head to look at Grant not far away.

“He doesn’t know about this yet.”

Brad shook his head. "I wanted to tell him, but... let's wait until the war is over."

"I'll keep it a secret for you," Wei Ran sighed.

"Thank you"

Brad sighed and changed the subject, "I'm afraid the photos taken by the aerial camera can only be given to us after the war is over. Victor, after the war is over, you are welcome to come to Philadelphia to find me."

"I will go," Wei Ran promised seriously.

"As long as it's not in the name of the bombardier," Brad joked.

"Unless the United States launches a war of aggression," Wei Ran also made a joke, but his joke contained a seriousness that the other party did not notice.

"I don't want that day to come." Brad smiled, picked up the beer and handed it to Wei Ran.

"I hope that one day I can go to Philadelphia as a bombardier," Wei Ran muttered regretfully in his heart.

The following evening, Wei Ran held up his camera equipped with a flash and continued to press the shutter again and again, recording the rare relaxation and joy on the edge of the battlefield. At the end of the party, he took a full group photo of the two crews gathered together.

There were indeed no bombing missions in the next two days, and Wei Ran was busy. He developed all the photos taken at the party and during the bombing of Osaka into negatives, and borrowed the darkroom of the USO Club to develop the last group photo of the party and gave it to all members of the two crews - including himself.

Time passed quickly and it was the evening of March 3th. Wei Ran and Brad boarded the Beluga bomber again and followed the crew to Kobe.

This time, he also got a ribbon that served as a lucky charm.

This time, Brad took on the job of bombardier, and he once again sat in the gunner's seat at the rear of the bomb bay, operating the aerial camera with new film.

This time, Anthony served as the tail gunner.

Of course, this time, the crew members once again tacitly brought a small bottle of seasoning each, and he dropped the seasoning along with the cluster incendiary bombs, and also pressed the remote shutter of the aerial camera.

But this time, good luck accidentally avoided them.

Almost at the same time as the bomb bay was closed, Wei Ran also noticed the anti-aircraft gun smoke exploding outside the porthole. Immediately afterwards, he heard the sound of air flow depressurizing the cabin, and at the same time he heard the screams of gunner Anthony on the internal communication.

"Anthony, what's the situation?" Captain Tom asked immediately, but Anthony did not respond.

"I gonna go see"

After Wei Ran finished speaking, he immediately took off his headphones and oxygen mask, unbuckled his seat belt and ran towards the tail turret.

As he climbed up, he clearly saw the damage on the skin that was blowing in the wind. He suppressed his anxiety and climbed to the tail of the plane. The wind was stronger here, but Anthony lay on the machine gun remote control console and did not move.

"Anthony?!"

Wei Ran shouted the other person's name at the top of his lungs, while at the same time helping the other person up with great difficulty.

But after just one glance, he stopped what he was doing.

The shrapnel penetrated the bulkhead of the turret and penetrated Anthony's abdominal cavity diagonally. He was dead, but in his hand, he was holding the group photo with everyone's signatures. No one knew what he was thinking before he died.

Silently raising his camera, he took a picture of the other person, then Wei Ran returned to the belly of the plane which had begun to cool down and even the burning smell had been blown away. He sat back down, fastened his seat belt, and put on his oxygen mask and headphones.

"Anthony was killed," Wei Ran said briefly, "The cabin was damaged, but not seriously. How are you doing?"

"We're fine, are you hurt?" Brad asked.

"I'm fine"

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already taken out the sailor bag from the metal notebook, pulled out the blanket inside and wrapped it around himself.

With the loss of pressure, the cabin had become increasingly cold. What he had to do now was to find a way to prevent himself from freezing to death during the next five hours of flight.

Hello everyone, it's been a year since I last saw you and I'm back to update.