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When A Character From Caniff's

By: Dale R Smith

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A serialized comic strip was initiated two years to the day after my birthday. At the time of launch, I was far too young to know of or enjoy this unfolding story. Terry and his so-called Pirates were characters involved in, and exploring, the Far East during the period of extreme turmoil prior to the Second World War At the time, Americans were, generally, isolationist and not terribly interested in happenings any place other than native soil. Recovering from a major depression, self was far more important to many than some far off place in Burma, China or India. Considered by many as not much more than entertainment for the very young, Terry and the Pirates took a back seat in most minds.

Nevertheless, the action filled drama gave rise to a radio serial, broadcast thrice weekly, with all the colorful characters of the printed strip. Lasting a short two years, is was cancelled, probably because of the tenure of most of the country at that time. Terry Lee and all his friends, enemies and antagonists were no longer on the airways. In retrospect, should it have been given prophesier status rather than, as it were, being ignored?

Powers behind the strip, Milton Caniff and his staff, seemed to have an almost mysterious insight to the events that were occurring. Although, as I recall, the Japanese were not specifically called out in the story line, the implications were loud and clear. The adversaries were typically an Asian of no particular lineage but the obvious, to those that enjoyed to stories, was more than implied. Of course, after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor the first of December, all doubt was removed.

As the road to war undoubtedly grew nearer, the series found a new sponsor and began broadcasting in mid-October 1941. As an impressionable young lad, I quickly discovered the tingling and awakening series and waited with anticipation for each episode. With little or no knowledge of world affairs at that age, the broadcasts were purely titillating to my sense of desired adventures. I do recall my parents and their ring of older friends talking in hushed voices about the frightening turn of events but such things never ventured beyond my small world. By November of that year, on the eve of the attack on Pearl, the country suddenly became vitally interested in that foreign part of the world. And also as suddenly, the comic strip and radio series, "Terry and the Pirates," was made to order.

Terry and his friends became my friends. I dreamed of the adventures. I prayed for their safety. I learned to hate his enemies. I became a part of the adventure. As quickly as one episode came to an end, foreknowledge of the next dogged my memory. Would Terry fall to the devices of The Dragon Lady? Could Pat Ryan, the inimitable, foretelling and all seeing journalist, derive the perfect scheme to meet the foe? It seemed as though each occurrence would destroy my hopes for the future. Without a doubt, I became an integral part of the storyline.

And with almost a foretelling of something created from a number of interconnecting parts of the story, a character of Terry and the Pirates suddenly visited our home. A long time friend of my father came into my life, our life, and I found myself interpolating him into the story. His name was ... well, the name really does not matter ... but he was a real person and I had known him as a friend of my Dad for some time. Not knowing much about their relationship, I did know that they both were very involved in aviation and flying. My Dad, although now a principal of the local grade school, had been flying for many years, as had his friend, now in our home with the news. The friend ... call him "Lee" ... seemed to be very excited and carried with him a small sheaf of official-looking documents.

The documents turned out to be a contract that Lee was considering and, apparently, wanted my Dad to join him in his new adventure. I can hear him, almost if it were yesterday, "Look, B.T. (my Dad), it says here, ‘... in the Continental United State only!'" Apparently, Lee was planning to volunteer with the Army Air Corps (yes, that's right ... the Air Force came much later) to fly air line routes vacated by younger men that were going into the military. Lee was apparently excited by the idea of graduating from the light planes that he and my Dad had known for years to the, then, standard airplane of the airlines, the Douglas DC-3. I could see my Dad's eyes light up with equal excitement.

Well, to make a long story short, Lee did sign the contract. And he did start flying airline routes, thereby replacing the young men that went off to war. But the part about flying only in the continental United States? That was, well, a bit of an understatement. Dad's friend died a year later while flying “the hump" in Indo-China ... flying, not the DC-3, but C54 transports.

And my Dad? Did he also sign that contract? No, for once, my Mom put her foot down. "You have an important job," she had said, "... and you should just stay here where you are needed!" I have often wondered how many times Dad wished he had, for once, done what his adventuresome soul wanted and not done what was apparently the right thing? I guess I will never know because my Dad is now gone. I will never know.

But one of Terry Lee's Pirates did, in fact, occupy a sofa in my home for a short time and I was privileged to hear the story, first hand. And I also did interject him into the story of Terry and the Pirates. I suppose that is a privilege that few people have.

Terry and the Pirates live now only in my memory. But they are fading, even there. Whether you are old enough to recall them as part of your early life or simply have an interest in history, you can again enjoy the adventures of Terry and the Pirates ... click here.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Dale R Smith - Teacher and graphic artist in civilian and military environs. I have written instructional manuals for aircraft, missiles, oil exploration, heavy machinery and more. I have been art director for trade journals and newsletters in the plastics industry.More here ...

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