THE SHORTEST WAY HOME

e [Music] [Music] handle them easy boys [Music] how do you feel Wy I'm all right get me out of here you like Stiller I hang one on you but you guys are going home we won't leave excuse me hello Lieutenant I hear the sergeant stops some flank yeah last mission too I don't believe he's badly hurt I am too I need a nurse mhm take good care of him Willers have you heard what the man said dog you did this on purpose all right soier I'll look after him and if he doesn't behave where I ship the body somewhere in Minnesota Minnesota C but there's no big hurry now that's up to you oh listen Wonder [Music] how's it going son just fine dad but you were out working on your car I started to I'm going to let it set I'm not going any place what's trouble with the car I don't know maybe it's me homecoming still seem a little strange to you no it's swell it's just a little different than I expected the gang split up MCH married well I didn't mind that it's just that I don't seem to be able to get back in the groove who's the girl well that's Connie Connie orright she was my nurse she looks all right she's the best where is she now I don't know we sort of lost track the crew sped up I think I know your trouble son I felt the same way after the last war you're still Restless you miss your buddies yeah I guess I do what a gang that was the skipper Captain Ed Ross the hottest darn pilot in the whole Air Force Bing Miller co-pilot Bill Koval Bombadier he could drop those eggs in hat from 30,000 ft and red what a guy who's red he was the tail Gunner the only one I ever heard of who shot down two planes with one bullet two how in the world you do that you'd never believe me if I told you Bo I'd like to see that gang again that would be the best thing for you things in Detroit Reds in New England the Skippers out west they're scattered all over the place so what you just got through traveling all over the world why not tap her off on a trip around your own country I couldn't afford it the old jalap never make it I think I know a way you could afford it be wonderful fun and relaxation for you how come on son I'll show you Detroit you say is the first place Detroit yeah well that means you'll go by way of the Twin Cities in Chicago Chicago bus now loading points east and south Chicago All Aboard now take your time relax and enjoy the trip come home when you get darn good and ready maybe that'll be sooner than you think after all this kiting around in the air I don't know if I'm going to like bus travel so much you'll like it all right won't you driver a lot of people do I'll put your bag away sir thanks people are traveling now who never traveled before the war but going to see their boys in Camp got them started going in places by bus now we found how easy it is [Music] all boarder well so long dad so long son have a good time thanks pull that little Le [Music] thanks you haven't been traveling much by bus lately I take it no ma'am I come from Seattle Seattle Washington by bus it hasn't seen far I've been comfortable and there's so much to see along the way look Indians Gathering wild rice they knock the rice off stalks into the boat I guess they've been doing it that way for hundreds of years I like things like that to see different sites in different parts of the country ever visit meno Island up here at the end of Michigan no it's not too far from here you take a boat over it's the place that's spelled macac and pronounced maor why is that I've wondered about that next time I go over there I'm going to find out the Old Fort still stands there since way before the Revolution used to be called the stronghold of The Straits John Jacob Aster had one of his fur trading post there you can still see some of his old buildings there are no automobiles allowed on the island but you can go any place by horse and buggy my highway is still the best way to see the country but fortunately both the roads and the carriers have been made a lot faster and smoother since then or if you like to just sit on a porch and relax there's the longest porch in the world I've got a notion to stop over on my way back how far are you going I'm not sure yet I'm going to look up some of my old Bomber Crew I don't know how many I'll get to Bing's in Detroit he was our co-pilot he's an engineer in one of the automobile factories there thousands of cars every day gosh Bing some plant you've got here that's one of the General Motors plants you know they make so many of those Greyhound buses compared to this modern industrial city you'll find just at the edge of Detroit a reconstructed Village of 100 years or more ago Greenfield Village oh yeah Henry Ford built it didn't he yes tonor Thomas a Edison he's moved in some of the real homes and business places of some of America's greatest names places like the Steven Foster House the McGuffy Log Cabin the man who wrote the McGuffy readers Old Clinton n first overnight stop of a stage coach out of Detroit 100 years ago like the Greyhound post hous of today menal park is there Edison's old laboratory in which he invented the electric light the courthouse in which Lincoln practiced law for8 years I feel as if I was walking backwards through history what's that that's Gog and M go who the figures over the doorway of the old jewelry shop Gog and MOG striking the hour two giants Caesar is supposed to have captured and chained to the gates of London well I'll be done car for Cincinnati Lexington Chattanooga Birmingham and Point South now loading at gate 4 so long Kade I wish I was going along with you but give my best to all the gang huh sure so long so long say you don't happen to know what became of Connie do you Connie oh the nurse yeah no I don't why don't you ask Tony you'll be meeting him in Cincinnati won't you yeah I'm going down to Kentucky with him if you were looking for a horse he know and you can tell him I said so oh Stony I can hear that horse laugh of his yet so that's what he said huh same old Bank what I know about your nurse why you all in the laa I just wondered Cincinnati has quite a waterfront hasn't it yeah one of the longest 30 Mi of course it was the Ohio river that made the town there comes the overnight boat from Louisville before the roads came for 100 years or more the Ohio River was the only Highway they had East and West I never thought of that looks like it's still in use it's the busiest River for its size in America just now it's a flood state so there's not much moving this is all Mighty interesting where did you see [Music] Kentucky why do they call it blue grass under that Turf out there for about 1200 square miles is a lay of peculiar Limestone mostly Fishbones Fishbones this part used to be under the ocean that was before my time oh the old fish bones give the grass a lot of phosphorus and calcium this not only makes the grass blue green but it builds light strong running legs for horses that's why we say good horses run anywhere but they're raised in the blue grass is that why they call this section the horse capital of the United States or it's not only called it is look at [Applause] that it's a horse Paradise on Earth luscious pastures bonds like Cathedrals and their own exercise PS there's a nice looking horse and that's whir having company [Music] today these horses have their own private racetracks where they train and when they pass on they own graveyard a horse Cemetery who that's B it just the droves of people who come here from all over the country every year to see it I know one horse has a guest book with more than 2 million names in it you know any human celebrities can top that Connie was one of them ah you and you're Conny come on that checks off B and Stony I beg your pardon I must have been thinking out loud something red corpal might know red Corpus he was our tail Gunner red-headed his real name's cicil so of course everybody calls him some red Corpus oh he lives in River Mills near Boston oh and is that where you're going yes I what's that oh that's the entrance to the Pennsylvania Turnpike haven't you ever been over it no oh it's wonderful [Music] didn't I tell you it's a dream Highway 160 m without a stop light Crossroads go either over or under there's one overhead now how do they get on it just at the end there are nine or 10 side entrances they call them interchanges we're coming to one of them now oh a clover leap cars can enter or leave without interrupting the traffic I can't get over how level it is even in rough country what are we going to do when we hit the real mountains oh you'll see any minute now we Tunnel right through right this is a dream Highway my father works for the highway commission and he tells me that there are going to be a lot of these Express highways around the country soon this one follows the old shortcut between the Atlantic and the Ohio River first an Indian Path and then a Peddler's Trail only instead of winding up and over the mountains we just tunnel straight through miles and miles of them I wouldn't have missed this for a good deal and I'm glad I sat beside you thank you kind search you said now I've got something to tell R he's just crazy about tunnels oh excuse me Mr Mayor they told me I might find my friend Caril up here red well for bit's sake welcome to R Mills I was just coming down to meet you shuck the clock must be late what the you know for a minute I thought you were the mayor I am the mayor and don't laugh what go ahead knock yourself out all I know is when I came home they made me the mayor and I'm trying to give them a good deal and you will red uh I mean your honor the get up I found in the closet I put them on for you for a gang come on I'll sh the municipality the what okay then the town remember the arguments we used to have Bill koville for California chick for Florida and of course Tex was all for Texas don't forget Minnesota land the Lakes you and your Lakes a little Minesota water there's a real Pond those waves are coming in from 3,000 Mi away hope what we were it's like I kept telling you guys everything started here remember what I showed you today we're all part of New England Plymouth Rock where our forefathers landed Fel Hall where the Boston Tea Party was planned and Boston Harbor where it was pulled off Paul R's home the old North Church and the various people where the signal lers were hung Lexington Village Green where Paul rier rode and the farmers gathered and stopped the red coast of the bridge over conquered River where you saw the minute man statue no wonder they call it the land of the Pilgrims Pride and we're proud of today more than ever you know what I was homesick foremost while I was overseas that Boston Common where the colonist used to pasture their cows duck their witches and hang their Pirates and the young men took their girls for a watch looks to me like they still do it yeah this is one place a fleet is permanently in say speaking of girls do you know where Connie Albright is now I believe she's stopping in Williamsburg Virginia [Music] yeah to restore a Whole Town's no small job The Rockefellers have given millions of dollars to rebuilding hundreds of buildings from Cottages to State housee on the old foundations we've seen the brutin Parish Church the oldest church in America where Services have been held continually you can sit in George Washington's own Pew or Thomas Jefferson's or John Adams you've seen the governor's Palace in formal Gardens this was the center of the social life of Virginia for 70 years up to the revolution Yonder the old jail with the fillery alongside you're putting a fellow and girl in yes they have a lot of fun with that sometimes but there was a time they fastened people in there for all day for minor crimes like kissing your wife on Sunday although I don't see why that was a crime do you Miss Albright no except with some of the whiskers the men wore in those days I'd say it was a crime anytime so where you going from here Williamsburg on the next bus Williamsburg yes I like restored Colonials too oh sure I hope she's still there I'm sorry I won't be here Miss Lucy I'm leaving within a day or two for a trip through the Smokies then on to Jacksonville [Music] 30 minutes for lunch [Music] excuse me I'm sorry hey hey driver how can I catch that bus oh I don't know Mister that's the southbound bus through the Great Smokey the other section will be coming along in a few minutes it might catch up with him somewhere down the line I'll get my bags huh yes sir the second section is loaded with a bunch of high school students today I think they can squeeze you a thanks [Music] attention everybody riding through the Great Smokies remember you're looking at some of the oldest mountains in the world older than the Alps or the Andes or even our own Rockies [Music] there are also more different kinds of trees and plants here than any other spot in the world there are still great sections of it no white man has ever seen on the other hand there are white people living back among those Hills who have never been out of them they talk pure English but you might have a hard time understanding some of them it's almost the English Bishop Cher's time they grind their own grain in Century old water Mills they spin their own thread and weave their own cloth a direct descendant of Daniel Boone lives down here Daniel Boone the 7th he has a Ford shop he hammers out things these people tinker and contrive all sorts of things for sale we're coming to a place where they sell such things we're going to stop so you'll all have a chance to look [Music] around look everybody we're coming to the PD River this is the river that Steven Foster wrote the song about only later he changed the name to swanie there really is a swanie river isn't there m twitchell Yes dear father sa but this is the one he was writing about way down upon the P [Applause] [Music] River heart turning that's where the [Music] the world [Music] [Applause] everywhere I tried to phone you to find out if she was here no she should didn't come on here Wally in Jacksonville they thought a girl of her description was no she telephoned to say all she was going on down to Memphis next to see her married sister you know her name no I don't I say chck navigator works out of Memphis she'll look him up well I was going to see chick anyway well she'll stay there a while now that you're here in Florida you want to see the place well not just a tourist spot like the Box singing Tower and bird sanctuary at Lake Wales named for Wales in England well it's spell that way now but it originally was a whing ground w a i l or lake rather where the Indians gathered to whale in time of trouble oh I see that's not the half of course I want to show you my seminal I'm Deputy Indian agent down here now no how no that's not how that's why I want you to see them these Aboriginal Americans are a mysterious people primitive but proud the name sound all means Wanderer and they don't aim to own anything they can't pack up and move on a minute notice they live off the land or perhaps I should say off the water because fish is an important part of their diet and you never guess how they catch them they spear them they live along the streams hidden in the Everglades you can come upon a village of their fragile Huts one day and maybe by the next day they are completely gone bag and baggage a month later they may have suddenly reappear for a brand new bunch of them I have to go into the back country tomorrow and I'll take you along thanks Bill I'd like to maybe some other time I found my way down here but just now I I know kid just now you've got them Memphis Blues of course be Street isn't all of Memphis any more than the bowy is all of New York or you've never seen anything more modern than downtown Memphis or more Westell than Forest Park named for General Nathan Forest he's the man that said the way to win a war is to get their buess with the mostest all right all right I like your town I'll even like General Forest but I want to know about Connie where is she that's what I'm telling you we took her around that night and the next day my wife and I were going down to New Orleans and Connie went along have you ever been there no but I want to know oh you don't want to miss New Orleans it's like walking through one of their old rot iron gates into another world a city that was more than 100 years old before it became part of the United [Music] States the old square is still there only now it's called Jackson Square in honor of Andy Jackson the hero of New Orleans and there still stands one of the oldest churches in America the St Louis Cathedral you'll feel as though you've gone to sleep and woke up in the middle of the 18th century in the park in front of the church is where the cassette girls the shipload of French girls landed in 1730 so the Pioneer settlers could pick themselves wives the cabildo the old French capital building now it's a fascinating Museum and and the Napoleon House the house that was prepared for him in the new world but he never got to [Music] come there's Pirates alley where Jean leit used to hide out oh romance so thick you could grab it by the hands full okay it's romantic but where's Connie well as a matter of fact I don't exactly know what well she didn't come back with us she was heading for California although she did talk of stopping off to see text on the [Music] way well here you are Miss ponnie I never saw so many will he come this way sh little Maverick curly will ground him he's good isn't he curlyy oh he's all right it's Poncho Poncho he's the smart one why he's got to know more than the cows even I don't imagine that very much don't you fool yourself ma'am you'd be surprised how much us humans can learn from those Critters really if you ever get lost look for a cow Trail it's the shortest way out of a canyon or the best way over a mountain you see the greatest danger of getting lost in this country is thirst find a cow Trail it's a sure way to water or they can tell if it's rain miles away and light a Shu straight for it they can tell hours ahead when a bad Wester is blowing up and high tail it for broken country where there's breakes for protection I had no idea yes and cows have a language all their own and a way to make each other Savvy when their calves are too young to travel one cow will stay with three or four calves while the mothers go to water when they come back the other one will go I like your cows Tex you'd love Texas I've got a nice little spread of my own enough to get married I wonder are they this nice in Minnesota what the cows oh you're thinking of Wisconsin but I'm thinking of is in Minnesota I don't get [Music] it Los Angeles City limits what does that mean driver it means they're great boosters there's no place like La of course the tourists head straight for Hollywood Yonder is gr's Chinese Theater where many of the movie premieres are held and the Stars leave their footprints in the seman this is the Radio City section of Hollywood where you get free tickets to see and hear the Stars broadcast this is NBC on the left couple of blocks further is CBS across the street is the Earl Carol theater restaurant claiming to have the most beautiful girls in the world and it could be there's the Wilshire Brown Derby you'll want to eat one of those spots before you leave Hollywood but I was sure she was coming here to Santa Monica what whereabouts in San Francisco [Music] Wy Jose what are you doing here I look up and I say it is the sergeant Wally Brit no it's the civilian Wally Brit yes and you you were that soot fighter pilot from Brazil I remember your whole name now don't stop me Jose rundo vien Louise goosa L Theos I always forget the Susa won't you sit down and join me thanks what are you doing in San Francisco a little mission for my government which I have almost finished and you Amigo a little mission of my own that I haven't caught up with yet so well it is what you say a good place for it I love the view from the top of the mark the bay and the bastil what you call alcatra the Magnificent Bridges Twin Peaks and Telegraph Hill over that way is the University campus with its so beautiful [Music] compan down there is the opera house where the peace Conference was held everything is so romantic here from the old missions to the colorful China Town I met a Chinese businessman he tell me confusious say I don't care what confusious say can he help me find my girl my poor old [Music] [Applause] Fai wonderful right on time too every 65 minutes what makes geysers well the center of the earth is a core of intense heat in an old volcanic region like this holes let the water seat down into it part of it turns to steam and blows the rest of the water out of the hole which then gradually fills up again hot water plays many strange tricks around here like these colored Hot Springs mud volcanoes paint pots hot streams and coal coming together all over the place one place there's a Hot Springs right in the middle of a Cold Lake well the place is [Music] fantastic that's what I meant when I said you could take away the geysers and the hot springs all 3,000 of them and Yellowstone will still be an amazing place I Connie we have everything here the biggest mountain lake in the [Music] country a Grand Canyon all our own of yellow stone that's where the place gets its name there's a waterfall three times higher than Niagara we have our own petrified Force this is the perfect place to study the history of the earth geologists have found that 12 different forests have grown here one on top of the other one on top of another yes you see the first Forest grew then a volcano covered it with volcanic ash then another started and grew on top of it and so on for at least 12 complete force that must have taken millions of years it took a long time there are thousands of Acres forests out there that have never been touched by an axe a wildli preserve and bird [Music] sanctuary it's also a Fisherman's Paradise and it doesn't take a license wait my dad here's that this is a great place for riding and Hiking CPS why uh why don't you let me take you on one tomorrow oh I'm sorry my vacation's up I've got to get back to the hospital and salt Lake that means leaving tomorrow well at least you'll be here for our regular campfire tonight oh yes well do you always have this much fun here Ed well it's a lot more fun when you're here Connie thanks Skipper it's part of your duties too Connie you knew how I feel about you even in France and you never gave one of us a tumble no or did you ever here from Wy puit a radio Gunner Don't Tell Me Maybe I've already told you too much now why couldn't I have been the one that was shot up in that last mission but he's a grand guy Connie and if there's anything that I can ever do thanks my problem Mr Anthony is how with maidenly Reserve I can get that lug from Minnesota to Salt Lake City [Music] next bus to Yellowstone 3 hours 3 hours huh give you a chance to see our city Temple seagull monument and other interesting spots when's the next bus East you don't go east you go to Yellowstone you go north I know maybe I've made a fool of myself long enough I beg your pardon when's the next pass to S Center Minnesota so Center oh yes that goes through Omaha next out of here to Omaha is 2 hours and 20 minutes thanks I'll plow around and think it over where is that Monument SEO just across the street in Temple Square years ago we had a plague of grasshoppers right at their worst the birds came in and ate them up so the monument was erected to the seagulls that save Salt Lake City [Music] heads I look for her once more Tails I go home that does it sock Center here I [Music] come let me through please I'm a nerd Wy she knows good somebody ought to take care of him you heard what the man said you dog I bet you did this on purpose what are you doing here looking for you all the way from Minnesota Yeah by way of Boston Florida and California take the long way around don't you well it's supposed to be the shortest way home isn't it guess maybe it is there [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] those rib of GRA and H to St my happy the [Music]