American Airpower Comes of Age

AMERICAN AIRPOWER COMES OF AGE
Brought Hank [Arnold] back to Paris with me. Arrived at
hotel at 6:45, in bed at 7:05, up at 8:15 for dinner. Gave Hank
50 bucks to see Paris with Hank Pool. In bed for night at 9:30;
dinner with Hank Pool and Hank Arnold.
Friday, April 6, 1945 [Paris, France]
Up at 7:30, nothing scheduled for day. Breakfast with Hank
Arnold. Hank is living in Himmler’s suite, 2 bedrooms, etc.,
etc., 1 bed, 8 by 8. 47 My bed room is tremendous, my bathroom
is large. The bath tub is extra large, it is made of porcelain;
Goering must have sat down with a thud for the porcelain
is cracked.
German will to fight is going, our airmen shot down behind
German lines come back through the lines and rejoin their
units. One of them brought back the entire AA battery that
shot him down; he was a Norwegian.
Loafed all day. In P.M. rode to Bois de Boulogne and walked
about 2 miles. 48 Then on to Notre Dame which has most of its
stained glass windows removed. 49 Louvre looks abandoned
and badly in need of repair on outside, did not go inside. 50
Upon coming out of Notre Dame, there were quite a bunch of
GIs waiting to get pictures. I stopped and two nurses came up
and asked to be photoed with me; one had been in England
and France 26 months and one 18 months. Returned to hotel,
arrived at 5:00.
Hal Bowman walked with me and I outlined his new job. 51
General Legge, [US] Military Attaché from Switzerland, came
in for a few minutes and I told him, upon his requesting it and
saying what a fine thing it would be, that when I got to Cannes
I would tell him if and when I could go to Switzerland for one
day, have lunch with Swiss C of S [Chief of Staff] and CO aviation
and smooth[e] their ruffled feathers for our bombing
their towns. 52 In bed at 9:30.
Saturday, April 7, 1945 [Paris, France to Luxemburg]
Up at 7:45 after a fine night’s rest. Delayed in departing for
Luxemburg until 10:15. We flew over a lot of the old war front;
arrived Luxemburg 20 minutes late. Spaatz, Vandenberg, Wey-
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